In this week's edition of the eNews:

- Tomorrow 9/13: Share a dish at the Homecoming Potluck Luncheon!

- A letter from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe on the 25th anniversary of 9/11

- Loaves & Fishes in the New Haven Independent

- Sign up for Daily Reflections for the Season of Creation, 9/1 - 10/4

- Congratulations to PJ's member Chloë Starr

- See St. PJ's member David Tate in "Disaster! The Musical," 9/18 - 10/10

- News from the Wider Church: Episcopal 9/11 remembrances, Diocese of Florida elects new bishop, updated Episcopal anti-racism curriculum, and more

- This Sunday at St. PJ's

• Cycles of Prayer
• Video: Last Sunday's Service and Sermon

- There's Always More...

Tomorrow 9/13: Share a dish at the Homecoming Sunday Potluck Luncheon

Tomorrow is Homecoming Sunday, our annual return from summer and kickoff to the program year!

Please bring a tasty dish if you can, and we will gather in the Parish Hall after worship for heartfelt community, food, and brief updates from parish leaders about what's in store for the next program year.

A big thank you to Kate Galambos for coordinating the kitchen – even though she won't be able to make it in person, Kate has done a phenomenal job of organizing setup and volunteers. Thank you, Kate, and all who are pitching in!

A letter from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe on the 25th anniversary of 9/11

Dear People of God in The Episcopal Church:

Twenty-five years on, we live in a world shaped by 9/11. Our lament will never end for those who died in the attacks, those who gave of their lives in the days and weeks following, and those who still suffer. Our grief is particularly sharp on this historic anniversary.

We also mourn that, since that day in 2001, our common life has been deformed by division and fear of one another. Sometimes it seems that the chasm has become unbridgeable.

As Episcopalians, however, we know there is a better way. We saw it then in the extraordinary witness of first responders, and especially in the heroic relief ministry at our own St. Paul’s Chapel in lower Manhattan. We see it now across our church in countless ministries of reconciliation, peacemaking, and in our commitment to interfaith cooperation with our Muslim siblings in faith.

Even in the face of unimaginable evil and suffering, God calls us to be repairers of the breach and restorers of paths to dwell in. I pray that this commemoration of 9/11 renews our commitment to answer that call in our own lives and communities, and together as the body of Christ in the world.

The Most. Rev. Sean Rowe

Presiding Bishop

The Episcopal Church

Join Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan online for "9/11: Trinity Remembers," a series of events, reflections, and opportunities to pray in person and online.

Loaves & Fishes in the New Haven Independent

We're a little late in sharing this piece, but better late than never! On July 29, the New Haven Independent published the following piece from Loaves & Fishes executive director Lorrice Grant: State Grants Build Farm-To-Pantry Pipeline:

"There’s a difference between being fed and being nourished. It took a shipping container, a delivery van, three state grants, and the coordination of partners who refuse to accept that fresh food is a luxury — but last Monday, that difference got a little smaller for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity."

Read the rest at the NHI link above. And to donate to or volunteer with the church's beloved independent mission and building partners at Loaves & Fishes and Sunrise Cafe, please visit their respective websites to learn more.

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me."

- Matthew 25:35

Sign up for Daily Reflections for the Season of Creation, 9/1 - 10/4

The Season of Creation has begun! From September 1 through October 4, this is an annual time when Episcopalians, Catholics, Greek Orthodox, and many other Christians around the world join together to celebrate in prayer and action our Gospel calling to protect the Earth that God entrusted to our care.

This year's theme is Living Water, and the global ecumenical steering committee has selected Ezekiel 47: 1- 12 as the focus text, which portrays God’s life-giving water flowing from the temple of God.

St. PJ's will observe this season during our Sunday liturgies on 9/20, 9/27 with an outdoor service (park permit pending), and October 4 with the annual Blessing of the Animals.

Beginning now, you can also visit the "Climate and Environment" section of the Episcopal Office of Government Relations website to take action, and sign up to receive daily email devotions from the Episcopal Church's Province One EcoRegion, promoted by the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. These devotions are designed to open our eyes to some of the “created ones” with whom we share common ground.

Congratulations to PJ's member Chloe Starr, elected International Fellow of the British Academy

From Yale Divinity School:

Chloë Starr, Professor of Asian Christianity and Theology at Yale Divinity School, has been elected as an International Fellow of the British Academy—the Academy’s highest honor for scholars who reside outside the UK.

Professor Starr, whose research explores the intersection of Chinese Christian theology and literature, joins a cohort of 32 distinguished international scholars who are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to the humanities and social sciences.

“Congratulations to Chloë, whose election as a Fellow of the British Academy confirms the high standing she has internationally,” said Greg Sterling, The Reverend Henry L. Slack Dean and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament at Yale Divinity School. “She is an exceptional scholar and member of our faculty.” [ed. Note: The University of Cambridge has also called this a "richly deserved honour."]

Starr’s work includes research and publications on Chinese Christian theology and literature. Currently working on a monograph, Life of Christ in Chinese Fiction, Starr has also published a study of Chinese theological texts, edited volumes that define the field of modern Chinese theologies, and translated the anthology A Reader in Chinese Theology.

See St. PJ's member David Tate in

"Disaster! The Musical," 9/18 - 10/10

What: DISASTER! the Musical

Who: David Michael Tate as Ted

When: September 18 – October 10, 2026

Fridays & Saturdays: 8 p.m.

Sunday matinees: 5 p.m.

Where: Ridgefield Theater Barn, 37 Halpin Ln, Ridgefield, CT

Tickets: $45 adults | $40 seniors/students/veterans

“Pay-What-You-Want” Matinee: Sunday, September 27

Official description: It’s 1979, and New York’s hottest A-listers are lining up for the opening of a floating casino and discotheque. Also attending is a faded disco star, a nightclub singer with her eleven-year-old twins, a disaster expert, a feminist reporter, an older couple with a secret, a pair of young guys who are looking for ladies, an untrustworthy businessman, and a nun with a gambling addiction. What begins as a night of boogie fever quickly changes to panic as the ship succumbs to multiple disasters, such as earthquakes, tidal waves and infernos. As the night turns into day, everyone struggles to survive and, quite possibly, repair the love that they’ve lost…or at least escape the killer rats. With larger-than-life characters, snappy dialogue and some of the most recognizable songs of the ’70s, Disaster! is a laugh-out-loud jukebox musical packed with big personalities, outrageous situations, and disco flair!

News from the Wider Church

- [ENS] Episcopal services of remembrance planned as US marks 25 years since 9/11 attacks

- [RNS] The post-9/11 infrastructure of Islamophobia

- [RNS] An Episcopal chapel near ground zero was a relief center after 9/11. Now, an exhibit honors its victims.

- [ENS] Diocese of Florida elects new bishop as it continues to move beyond past divisions

- [ENS] Church launches revised curriculum for Sacred Ground circles engaging with legacy of racism

- [ENS] Full & Equal gathering celebrates 50 years toward full inclusion, looks to future work

- [RNS] Seven Vermont clergy arrested while protesting ICE targeting center

- [RNS] Mainline pastors — not 'pastors in name only' — are running for office again

Come 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, Sunday, September 13 -- Homecoming Sunday and the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost in Ordinary Time -- for Holy Communion, children's Sunday School, jazz hymns, and the annual homecoming potluck luncheon.

Rev. Nathan will celebrate Communion and Dr. Samuel Ernest will preach.

Serving this Sunday:

Sunday

10:30 a.m.

Jazz Service

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 September 13, we pray for L’Eglise de L’Epiphanie, Stamford; St. Andrew’s, Stamford; St. Francis’, Stamford; and for Province 1 of the Episcopal Church (the Dioceses of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont & Western Massachusetts) and for Provincial Synod & all Provincial Networks.

In the Anglican Communion Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand & Polynesia.

On the St. PJ's prayer list, we pray for Doug Parker, Calvin Griffin, Rev. Walter MacNutt, Kevin Gerbe, Leota Tucker, Edwina Johnson, Cynthia King, Paul D'Agostino, Tiras Jaske, Uli Mackert and family, Charlie & Bridget Farrell, Alyce, Pam, Stephen Lett, Vanetta Lloyd, Marietta D'Albero, Marietta Coppola, Alexandra Sanseverino, Dr Milton Coke, Pam Yesner, Rev. Carl Scovel, Karl Mini, Margaret Perry, Ryan Welch, Kyle Park, Fr. Tom, George Moore, A.J. Crosby, Joan Farrell, Sharyn Kessler, Adrienne Brady, Dawn Magliulo, Carolyn Wigley, Wendy McLeod, Cotton Burlingame, Deacon Felix Rivera, Hossna, Peter Loden, Roni Holcomb & family, Mary Ellen Price, Judy Hopkins, the Forni family, Trish Farrell, Jay Lechausse, Stephen Livingstone Price, Ronald Willams, Vivian, Saul, Larry Harris

✠ Birthdays: David Rivera (9/15), Kelly Park (9/16), Tiffany McDowell (9/17), John Abdenour (9/17)

✠ Deceased: Paul Klein

VIDEO: Last Sunday's Service and Sermon

Last week was the 15th Sunday after Pentecost. Bev Lett preached, Lynne Severance officiated a service of Morning Prayer, and our music director Dylan Rowland on piano was joined by guest musician Nick Di Maria on trumpet.



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.

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.

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me":

To donate to or volunteer with our independent mission and building partners at Loaves & Fishes and Sunrise Cafe, please visit their respective websites to learn more.

Please contact administrative director 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 Sunday School: Sarah Hill
• Interim Director of Music: Dylan Rowland
• 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