Dear Friends,

While we’ve had a great summer here in Chicago (don’t tell the rest of the country how nice our weather has been!) and at All Saints, we’ve also suffered a number of losses in the parish. 

Three of our stalwart members—Julie Donalek, Clyde Propst, and Mickey Safranek—have died in the past three months. We celebrated and commended Julie and Clyde to God earlier this summer; on Monday we will do the same for Mickey. Each one of them was faithful to All Saints over many years, and our community was faithful to them, caring for them in small and great ways. 

I think this is one of the great gifts of being part of a faithful, loving church—we are surrounded, held, even in the hardest times by a community larger than our own family or group of friends. A community that does not shrink from facing the hard truths and experiences of life, even serious illness, even death. A community that will walk with us even when we are scared or angry or grieving. And it is a gift to continue in this community together as we remember and grieve and celebrate those whom we love but see no longer.

What a grace to be in this place, with one another.

Faithfully, Suzanne+

Wake and Funeral Information: Mickey Safranek

Visitation: Sunday, August 13, 4-8:00pm, Donnellan Family Funeral Services.

Funeral: Monday, August 14, 11:00am, All Saints' Episcopal Church.

Pray for the repose of Mickey's soul and that God would comfort his husband Jim, his extended family and friends, and all who mourn.

Worship and Service at All Saints

You only have until this Sunday

to donate school supplies to the women of Grace House!

Later this month, the women of Grace House at Saint Leonard's Ministries will be holding an event to support their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who are returning to school. This Sunday, August 13 is the last day you can leave donations of new backpacks and school supplies for kids K-12 at the church. If you have any questions, feel free to email Nancy Kipnis.

Not sure what the kids may need? Here's a list of things they could use:

- Backpacks

- Colored pencils

- Composition notebooks

- Spiral notebooks

- Washable markers

- Loose leaf paper

- Regular calculators

- Scientific calculators

- USB drives

- Protractors

- Crayons

- Glue

- Pencils

- Binders

- Rulers

- Pens

- Folders

- Pencil cases

Back to School Blessing for all Teachers, Students, and Back Packs!

Sunday, August 20 at ALL services and

Celebratory Coffee Hour at 10:00am

As students and teachers prepare a return to school, and as we collect school supplies for the children of the women at Grace House (see the story above), we'll offer a blessing for all students and teachers preparing for the school year. We particularly want to bless our parishioners who are heading away to school or other adventures this fall—college, boarding school, military, or something else! 

We'll bless all backpacks—so bring your backpacks, tote bags, or briefcases!

Save the Date: Lunch for Adults Considering Baptism

Sunday, September 24 at 12:30pm

If you would like to learn more about how adults prepare for baptism here at All Saints, please join us for lunch in late September. This is a chance to learn about the history and theology of baptism and the process of preparing to be baptized at the Easter Vigil here at All Saints. This is a no-pressure meeting—come to lunch for fellowship and learning.

Interested? RSVP HERE.

Formation and Fellowship

Hymns in the Courtyard, August 23!

Wednesday night summer socials at All Saints are back! Join us on Wednesday, August 23 at 7:00pm for - drum roll, please - Hymns in the Courtyard. We'll provide the hymnals, you provide the hymn requests! We'll have a few light snacks and beverages on hand, but feel free to bring your own snacks to share or beverages of choice.

And don't forget to save the date for our following Wednesday night summer social: Showtunes in the Courtyard, Wednesday, September 27!

All Saints Book Club

Summer 2023

The All Saints Book Club meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30pm on Zoom. If you're not a regular attendee, email Mike Burke at [email protected] for a meeting invite.

Our next meeting will be on September 14 to discuss the last of three books tied to the "Black Lives Matter" initiative: Three Girls from Bronzeville by Dawn Turner.

The All Saints Book Club supports the book sanctuary initiative. We plan to include at least one banned book each year in our 2023 reading plan. 

Spanish Discussion Group

beginning August 28

Beginning August 28, All Saints is starting a Spanish Discussion group for people at all levels of learning the language. The group will meet at O’Shaughnessy's every other Monday starting at 7:00pm, and is open to anyone interested in developing or practicing their Spanish. RSVP-ing for the first gathering is helpful, but not essential. You can direct questions and RSVP's to Liz Bartels at [email protected]. 

Outreach and Justice

News from our Mexico Outreach ministry…

Greetings! We've recently received word from our Brother in Christ, Padre Bayron Chanchavac.

Most of the funds we raise in our annual campaign, the Butterfly Effect, are used to provide support to develop Bayron's congregations in Cuernavaca, Mexico. This year, however, we were also able to provide a supplement to the very small stipend he receives from his Diocese, which allowed him an opportunity to visit Guatemala City, where he was able to meet with his mother and family for the first time in six years. As expected, the trip featured love, laughter, prayer, and food. 

We've also purchased copies of El Libro de Oración Común, the Spanish language version of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, which are currently on the table outside Suzanne's office. It would be much appreciated if you could take a moment to sign your name in a few and make them a personal gift from Bayron's dear friends here at All Saints. Feel free to break out Google Translate and include a brief message. Again, we thank you for your time and generosity!

Are you in a caregiving season?

Thank you to the brave souls who joined us at our previous meetings of Caregiver Connections, a monthly gathering of caregivers for listening, venting, sharing experiences, comparing notes, and hearing from experts on specific resources.

If you haven't been able to make it so far, we look forward to connecting with you at our upcoming meeting Monday, August 21 at 7:00pm in the Reading Room. Please email Kelly McNees with any questions.

Refugees are still arriving and they still need our help!

The city of Chicago continues to welcome refugees, but our new neighbors still need items to get settled in while the city government continues to push the work onto volunteers. If you'd like to help, this Amazon wishlist has more items for the mobile free store that visits police stations:

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/32X1SUMSPDJXJ

Questions? Yoga mats you'd like to donate? Email [email protected].

Breakfast for refugees?

We’re considering how to provide refugees staying in the 20th district with a weekly meal, but we need co-captains. Interested? Email [email protected].

You can learn more about efforts to assist refugees here.

Did you know you can listen to All Saints sermons on Apple Podcasts?

www.allsaintschicago.org

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