This week's edition is as full as last week's was abridged!

- Tomorrow at 6 p.m.: A reading from Judy Grahn

- Sunday School updates: Ms. Molly's final Sunday as teacher this weekend, new classroom opens, and Sarah Hill to teach

- Undercroft Entrance Renovation Update

- ECCT Spring Training next week: 90-minute courses on liturgy, administration, ministry, and justice

- Memorial service for Sara Ohly, next Saturday, May 2

- St. PJ's Jazz Collective updates (festival picture + concert tickets)

- Social-justice book club on Tuesday

- NEW: Another Octave concert, May 9

- NEW: "Episco-PALS" family day, Saturday, May 16

EpiscoPALS

- News from the Wider Church: Moving towards full communion with Methodists, national church action on Earth Day and Latino Ministries, commentary from Jemar Tisby and Lisa Sharon Harper, and more

- This Sunday at St. PJ's

• Kelly Park's final internship sermon
• Cycles of Prayer
• Video: Last Sunday's Service and Sermon

- NEW: March Vestry Minutes

- There's Always More...

Tomorrow/Saturday at St. PJ's, 6 p.m.:

A reading from Judy Grahn,

iconic lesbian feminist writer

Submitted by Samuel Ernest

Judy Grahn will give a reading in the St. PJ's sanctuary tomorrow, Saturday, April 25, at 6:00 pm. Grahn co-founded one of the first gay women's liberation groups and one of the first feminist presses in 1969. Her poetry and other writings have influenced generations of women, LGBTQ, environmentalist, and working class writers.

Grahn will read from her forthcoming book, a Queen of Cups, and Minneapolis-based poet Rozaljia Grace will open. The event is sponsored by various groups from Yale University and will be hosted by our own Samuel Ernest. Tickets are free! Reserve yours at https://judygrahnnh.eventbrite.com/

The small reception after the reading for Sam's new press, Homodoxy, is sadly filled up given the parish hall's smaller capacity. If there is interest, Sam would be happy to host an event about Homodoxy for St. PJ's in the near future!

Sunday School Updates: New classroom opens, Ms. Molly's final Sunday, and Sarah Hill to teach

We are excited to announce that this Sunday will be the Children's Garden first day in their new, downstairs, dedicated Sunday School room! A huge thank you to Max and Molly Clayton, Brian Fillmore, Sammy Rodriguez, and all the volunteers who helped prepare the central Parish Hall classroom for its new use. If you haven't seen it yet, stick your head in after church on Sunday -- it looks great.

(The smaller, adjacent room is also now available as a Quiet Room, reserved during church events for nursing mothers or other pressing children's needs.)

Alas, it is a bittersweet Sunday of both firsts and lasts, for this weekend also marks Molly Clayton's final Sunday as our Sunday School teacher. The Claytons will be with us one more Sunday for worship before moving to Oregon, and we will say a loving and prayerful goodbye to them on May 3.

Fortunately, Sarah Hill has agreed to take over the Sunday School not only through the first two weeks of June, but also for the 2026-2027 program year. She was previously our long-term substitute during Molly's maternity leave, and did a wonderful job. Thank you Ms. Sarah!!!

Undercroft Entrance Renovation Update

From Brian Fillmore, Capital Campaign Project Coordinator

The reconstruction of our Olive Street undercroft entrance is in the home stretch! I hope it will be completed by mid-May.

They are applying the tinted stucco, which requires temps above 50 deg for proper drying. Then they will lay the pavers. That should go pretty quickly, with no mortar or cement involved! They will also repair some of the stone on the tower wall, place the hand rails, and help church volunteers plant a new boxwood hedge. (Keep your eye out for a call for volunteers...) Their team will clean up the area after the pavers are installed, and place the round planters in a way to discourage people from leaving the sidewalk.

During this time, we will also repair the (previously broken) glass entrance doors, and we can begin planning our own designs for the newly reopened front yard. Thank you all for your patience and support during this project. 

ECCT Spring Training Next Week:

Courses on liturgy, administration, ministry, justice, and more

You are invited to the Episcopal Church in Connecticut's annual Spring training next week, online 4/27-30 or in Berlin, CT, next Sat 5/2.

Ninety-minute courses cover worship topics like lay preaching and lay reading, administrative and finance matters such as stewardship and building maintenance, and ministry subjects including mood disorders, women in ministry, and racial justice. The diocese has asked Rev. Nathan to teach “Resisting White Christian Nationalism.”

For more info or to register, visit https://www.episcopalct.org/spring-training

Please see Rev. Nathan if the $25 registration fee is a barrier.

Sara Ohly Memorial Service, May 2

The memorial service for our friend and neighbor Sara Ohly, who passed away in January, will be held in the St. PJ's sanctuary next Saturday, May 2, at 2 p.m. in the Sanctuary. A reception will follow.

You can read Sara's obituary here >>

St. PJ's Jazz Collective Updates

An enormous thank you to Dylan Rowland, Dontae James, and Ionne / Maurice Harris for all their hard and wonderful work running the St. PJ's Jazz Collective table at the Wooster Square Cherry Blossom Festival on Sunday!

Dylan says foot traffic was very high, visitors were enthusiastic, and many people scanned the QR Code to watch the Jazz Collective in action.

Don't miss the collective at their next community concert in the Sanctuary on Monday, May 11. Tickets are available for $25 at http://givebutter.com/pjs-may11-concert

Margins and Movements:

Social-justice book club dates

Our social-justice book club will meet at the church this Tuesday, 4/28, 7 p.m., to discuss "The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You" by Dina Nayeri.

Looking ahead, we will also gather on Tuesday, 5/26, to discuss "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson, and again on Tuesday, 6/23, to discuss "Disarming Leviathan: Loving your Christian Nationalist Neighbor" by Pastor Caleb Campbell.

Another Octave concert, May 9

The women's chorus Another Octave will perform Saturday, May 9, at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Society of New Haven. B

St. PJ's members Becky Severance, Lynne Severance, and Judy Lhamon will all sing in the performance, titled "Building a More Perfect Union: 250 Years of Democracy."

Advance tickets are at AnotherOctave.org

"Episco-PALS" family day, Saturday, May 16

Families of all ages from Episcopal churches in the Greater New Haven area are invited to a fun, casual gathering at the College Woods (East Rock Park) pavilion and playground on Saturday, May 16, 10 am - noon.

Donuts, fruit, coffee, and children's activities will be provided. All ages are welcome. RSVPs are helpful but not required, and can keep you updated on possible changes to the event due to weather: family@trinitynewhaven.org

This event was jointly hatched by St. PJ's and Trinity on the Green, but with all credit for the actual work going to the staff at Trinity!

News from the Wider Church:

- [ENS] Methodist-Episcopal dialogue heads to full-communion vote in 2027 at General Convention

- [ENS] Church’s Latino Ministries (and Bishop-elect Miguelina Howell) host Spanish-language vigil in support of communities, immigrants

- [ENS] Church observes Earth Day with theological discussion on creation care

- [ENS] Diocese of Chicago church welcomes children to take part in the liturgy

- [ENS] Gregory Kimura consecrated sixth bishop of San Joaquin

- [RNS] Islamophobia is surging again, but Muslims won’t be victims this time

- [Jemar Tisby] Doug Wilson and the Danger We [Black Christians] Tried to Warn You About

- [Lisa Sharon Harper, Freedom Road] Breaking Our Silence in The Clearing

Come 10:30 a.m. this Sunday, April 26, for the fourth Sunday of Easter.

This will be Molly Clayton's final Sunday as our Sunday School teacher, as well as Kelly Park's last internship sermon.

We will have a service of Morning Prayer, worshipful jazz music, children's Sunday School, and Coffee and Community Hour. Rev. Nathan will be in Virginia for the weekend teaching at an Alexandria church against white Christian nationalism, but will have normal weekday hours and will celebrate next Sunday.

Serving this Sunday:

Sunday

10:30 a.m.

Jazz Eucharist

In-person and online

Wednesday

12:30 p.m.



Quiet Communion

In-person only

Thursday

12:30 p.m.



Midday Prayers

In-person only

Cycles of Prayer and St. PJ's Prayer List

In the Episcopal Church in Connecticut cycle of prayer for April 26, we pray for St. Andrew’s, Milford; St. Peter’s, Milford; and Trinity, Milton; and for parishes in transition, transition teams, and interim clergy.

In the Anglican Communion Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

On the St. PJ’s prayer list, we pray for Rachel, Doug Parker, Anne Matthies, Calvin Griffin, Rev. Walter MacNutt, Kevin Gerbe, Leota Tucker, Edwina Johnson, Cynthia King, Paul D'Agostino, Richard Holcomb, Tiras Jaske, Uli Mackert, Charlie & Bridget Farrell, Alyce, Pam, Tommy, Beverly Lett, Stephen Lett, Vanetta Lloyd, Janea Barthle, Lydia Hamnquist, Rita Valenti-Piovane, Heather de Lanerolle, Marietta D’Albero, Maria Rodriquez, Marietta Coppola, Paul Mangels, Alexandra Sanseverino, Dr. Milton Coke, Pam Yesner, Rev. Carl Scovel, Karl Mini, Patrick Reynolds, Margaret Perry, Ryan Welch, Jack Welch, Andy & Karla Codney, Kyle Park, Fr. Tom, George Moore, A. J. Crosby, Adrienne Brady, Jeannie & Clemente Campos, Jean Douglas, Joan Cappella, Ruby Slade-Wooten, Joan Farrell, Yvonne Scott, Sharyn Kessler, D.J. Multer, Al Cimino, John Ayer, and Susan Yates

Candidate for Ordination: Milton Gilder

Birthdays: Dontae James (4/22), Jeff Zelem (4/29), Aidan & Ava Thompson (05/02)

VIDEO: Last Sunday's Service and Sermon

Last week, the third Sunday of Easter, Marilyn Bergen preached about the risen Christ's appearance on the road to Emmaus and Rev. Nathan celebrated the Eucharist.

If you either missed or want to revisit last Sunday or other recent Sundays at St. PJ's, you can find the recorded livestream on our Facebook and/or YouTube pages.

NEW: March Vestry Minutes

Your Vestry met this week via Zoom on Wednesday, April 22. As part of that meeting, the minutes for the previous meeting in March were approved.

You can read the now-approved March 18 minutes here (PDF).

The April minutes will be approved at the Vestry's next meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, May, at 6:30 p.m. They will be made available here following approval.

Support Loaves & Fishes and Sunrise Cafe during renovation

There's always more...

Please remember that there is a blue Lost & Found bin in the church office.

If you would like to submit an item for consideration in the eNews or bulletin announcements, please let Rev. Nathan know at revnathan@stpaulstjames.org by next Wednesday afternoon.

Please contact Monifa Atkinson in the church office at office@stpaulstjames.org or (203) 562-2143 if you are interested in receiving more information about any of the following:

- Renting space at St. PJ's for your next party, meeting, concert, wedding, or other event. More info at the St. PJ's website here >>

- Volunteering with St. PJ's

- Adding a name, birthday, or anniversary to the St. PJ's prayer list

- Arranging pastoral care needs

- Purchasing grocery-store gift cards to benefit St. PJ's

- Reserving a place in the St. PJ's columbarium or purchasing a plaque on the Memorial Wall

St. PJ's Staff and Contacts

Administrative Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - Noon

Priest Office Hours: Tuesday - Thursday by appointment

office@stpaulstjames.org

(203) 562-2143

• Priest-in-Charge: The Rev. Nathan Empsall, revnathan@stpaulstjames.org, (203) 278-9199
• Administrative Director: Monifa Atkinson, office@stpaulstjames.org
• Sexton: Sammy Rodriguez
• Children's Ministry: Molly Clayton
• Interim Director of Music: Dylan Rowland
• Tech and Music Intern: Dontae James
• Seminary Intern: Kelly Park
• Vestry: Bill Evans (co-warden), Juhani Jaske (co-warden), David Hill (treasurer), Maggie King (clerk), Maurice Harris, Pam Sayre, Vanetta Lloyd, Lynne Severance, David Boyer, Roni Holcomb