Our Vision Statement: ‘With the heart and mind of Christ, we transform the world.’

Reflection from our Pastors

Tuesday, September 2, 2026

What do we want, each of us?

I am retiring from Mary of Magdala on November 30, 2026 (Link here.)

I think I know what I want. What do you want? This is a truly difficult question to answer and although I may seem to have answered it, my answer may change. The Beatitude, Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, is one way to focus on God. What can that mean for us?

Maggie Ross offers some wisdom around discerning what we want in our search for a focus on God:

“The process of becoming focused on God is different for each one of us. There is no possible way to legislate this process…We must always be evaluating in a distanced way, always aware of what will bring us closer to mirroring the self-emptying Love of God.

“What we have to learn is to start where we are and be who we are and do what we are able in a particular moment, and we have to consider carefully how our efforts affect others, all of this in the light of aspiration and obedience to the word God wishes to speak through us. Sometimes there is the moment for the grand gesture, but it is better to be aware of grand gestures. Often there is a more obvious and mundane demand on our love that is costly because it means we must go against the grain and expectations of society. A costly act like this is more to the point – but we must also beware of doing costly acts to feel virtuous, or to indulge in self-pity, or to rock society’s boat as a mere exercise of our own power. Often in the initial stages of being wildly in love with God the greatest penance is to simply stay where we are. This is how Bishop Anthony Bloom’s abba started him off in monastic life. He insisted Bloom carry on as a busy London physician while secretly a monk until well after he made his monastic vows.

“The point is…that regimentation or rigidity in any part of the journey into God is destructive to the person and the community of creation and a travesty of the ready response of conversion…There are many different ways to poverty of spirit…Sometimes the greatest poverty is to realize that we must simply go on with the burdens given us.

“It takes all our life to give up power-games, to give up the power of blame for the power of weeping. By comparison, it is relatively easy to give up addiction to materialism. We need to live on a material level that leaves our hearts free to know our need of God, so that our gaze on God holds us in equipoise for the sake of creation. We need to understand that what we do materially on a personal level, as well as spiritually, affects the whole web of creation…To discern what we need is subtle, very difficult, very delicate, and more complex than we can realize…What we must always be prepared for in our readiness is surprise.”

So we may find ourselves back again to Thomas Merton’s Prayer of Unknowing:

My God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself,

and the fact that I think I am following Your will

does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You.

And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost

and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for You are ever with me,

and You will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen.

May we journey toward discovering what we want,

Pastor Jane

Ross, Maggie. Pillars of Flame: Power, Priesthood, and Spiritual Maturity. Church Publishing, NY. 2007, pg. 149-151.

Coming Up at Mary of Magdala

All Colorado ECC Picnic

Monday, Sep. 7th!

5 Communities are invited

Please plan to bring a side or dessert and your own non-alcoholic beverages

11 am to 2 pm on Labor Day

E.B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park

11701 Community Center Dr, Northglenn, CO 80233, USA

September 301 Faith Partners Pub Fellowship

September 10th fellowship will be held at EQUINOX BREWING! It is located at 133 Remington St.

It's been over 2 years since our last visit there in April of '24. With cooler weather coming, we might be able to meet in the outside patio. Parking is very convenient with the city garage right across the street.

See you there on Thursday, September 10, at 3:30!

Mary Lyons is turning 90!

You are invited !!

Mary Lyons is turning 90!

Come celebrate this amazing milestone with Mary, friends and family.



Cake refreshments, and entertainment will be provided.

Saturday Sept. 19, 1-3 PM Fellowship Hall, Trinity Lutheran Church,

301 E. Stuart Fort Collins

Save the Date for the Fall Harvest Luncheon on September 27th!

FALL HARVEST POTLUCK LUNCHEON: Sunday September 27th right after Mass!

Time to celebrate cooler temperatures & the harvest of your gardens of corn, squash, tomatoes, carrots, apples, and pumpkin! Make (or buy) your best casserole, dessert, etc.

We will provide drinks including wine, table service, rolls & butter. Come one, come all & let us feast together!

Hosted by our wonderful Hospitality Ministry

ISAAC’s Newcomer Winter Gear and Hygiene Kit Drive 2026

Each year ISAAC works with the Poudre School District's Newcomer office to provide newcomer middle and high school students with winter gear and hygiene kits. Here is the list of items needed.

If you purchase coats, choose dark or neutral colors and buy youth sizes (12, 14, 16) and adult sizes (S, M, L) for women or men. 

The drop off locations are: First Presbyterian, Trinity Lutheran Church, and Fort Collins Friends Meeting.

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NEW OPTION: You can use the Amazon Gift Registry link to purchase items for ISAAC.

And at the end of the day, if you do not have time to shop, here is the link to donate! Be sure to write in 'Newcomer Teens' under additional comments.

We also need volunteers to help us sort and prepare the items for distribution on October 5, 6 and 7. Here is the link to help sort the donated items.

Questions? Contact Judy Matthews at soc-ecojustice@stpauls-fc.org

Service Recordings

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The recording of readings and homily for 8/30 can be found here. Fr. Teri Harroun was the guest presider and gave the homily.

Missed a homily or readings? Here is the link to past recorded services.

Social Justice Reflection

This past Friday, Aug 28, marked the 63^rd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr delivering his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. While he coined the term, “Beloved Community”, elsewhere and didn’t explicitly use the term in this address, many elements of being Beloved Community are expressed powerfully in the speech.

For Dr. King, Beloved Community was a global vision where poverty, hunger, and homelessness are abolished, and international conflicts are resolved through peaceful means rather than war. Core to the Beloved Community is an unconditional, overflowing love for all humanity, including opponents and adversaries, a love that is the spiritual foundation for building relationships. Beloved Community is characterized by peace and justice that require moral clarity, fairness and righteousness. The Beloved Community upholds human dignity and fosters inclusivity: every person is recognized as having inherent worth and receives the care and resources needed to attain their full human potential. In Beloved Community, the goal of conflict resolution is redemption and reconciliation, not domination or humiliation.

Utilizing its organizational mission of bringing people together to build hope and homes, Habitat for Humanity of the St Vrain Valley helped mobilize Longmont city leaders, local faith communities, businesses, and nonprofits to form the Be Love Longmont Coalition which launched the Beloved Community Longmont initiative to educate the community on Dr. King’s Principles of Nonviolence through a series of 6 presentations (Fr Teri presented the theme of Justice) and a Community Summit event designed to move conversations from theory to collective action, encouraged courageous empathy, and fostered a more inclusive and just local society.

Closer to home, ISAAC philosophically aligns itself very closely with Dr King’s Beloved Community principles. Its core mission is to co-create a community of unconditional welcome, mutual respect, and immigration justice. ISAAC works to ensure that immigrants and refugees feel fully connected, supported, and safe. ISAAC places tools, funding, and decision-making power directly into the hands of those with lived experiences and focuses on human dignity while fostering radical love, community joy, and economic justice.



Dr King’s vision of a Beloved Community isn’t just a pipe dream. Organizations like Habitat and ISAAC continue the effort to make it a realistic achievable goal. May God bless them, and all of us, in this work.

Prayer Requests

Praying for peace, health and well-being through challenging times.

+ Fr. Don Sutton, Pastor Emeritus, St. Paul, ECC, Denver

+ Jennifer Geraci, for discernment, member

+ Sean Raynes, grandson of Sandra Life



+ Rachel Devlin, daughter of MaryLou and David Devlin, members

+ Audrey Coleman, mother of Laura Williams, friend of ECC

+ Cindy Cloyd, member

+ Peter Postma son of Sharon Troyer, friend

+ Karen Neuman friend of Lisa Jones, member

+ Yvonne Keefe, member

+ Hannah Zehner, daughter of Cheryl Zehner, member of ECC, East Rochester, NY

+ Cathy Engel, member

+ Lili Grimm, niece of Rosanna Bateman, member

+Ryan Mayer, nephew of Denise Mayer, member

+Deborah Hughes, for healing, spouse of Laura Templet, member

+Len Russ, member

+Fr. Frank Quintana, ECC priest

+Zoe Wahl, sister of Kristina Bulik-Hocum, member

+Courtney and Cache, family of Jean Christin, member

+Jane Kommrusch, spouse of Richard Kommrusch, member

+Jeff Klein, son of Debbie Klein

+Mary Powers and Katie Richards, members healing from long COVID

+Milo Pasquale Cushman, brother of Liz Urban, member

+Julie Lucas, daughter of Bruce & Carol Yeazell

+Pastor Rick Reiten, Pastor at Trinity Lutheran

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A blessed and peaceful repose of souls for those who've passed and comfort for the friends and families.

+ Karen Johnson, member of Church of the Holy Family, ECC

+ Jim Barnes, spouse of Lynne Barnes, member

+ Audrey Coleman, mother of Laura Williams, friend of ECC

+Donna Colhour, mother of member Mark Colhour.

+Larry Johnson, father of Russ Johnson, member

+Lois Hug, mother of MaryAnne Heyman, member

+Richard Life, member of Mary of Magdala

+Donald Sherlock, brother-in-law of Dori Healy

+Joseph Grant, nephew of David and Cindy Cloyd

+Dennis Healy, Tom Healy's brother and Dori's brother-in-law

+Jim Carroll, husband of member Dori Carroll

Please send prayer requests to marymagdalafc@gmail.com. Prayers will be listed for one month unless requested for longer. Prayers for the repose of souls will be listed for six months unless requested for a longer time.

Wednesday Mass -

September 2 at 11:00 am

• In person in the Fireside Room
• No Zoom available
• Mother Rosean presiding

Sunday Mass

September 6 at 12:30 pm

• In the Sanctuary and on Zoom
• Mother Rosean Amaral presiding and delivering the homily

Wednesday Mass -

September 9 at 11:00 am

• In person in the Fireside Room
• No Zoom available
• Mother Rosean presiding

Sunday Mass

September 13 at 12:30 pm

• In the Sanctuary and on Zoom
• Mother Rosean Amaral presiding
• Jared Orsi delivering the homily

Did you miss an article or announcement?



Past e-bulletins are posted on our website here. Below are links to some key articles:

• July Newsletter from the office of the Presiding Bishop here.
• Prayer request for Poland here.
• Read the ECC statement on immigration here.
• Ongoing Giving Opportunities in Fellowship hall; see list here.
• Dedicating Altar Flowers? Contact Joan Stepleton at JoanStepleton@gmail.com or 864-650-2816. A $25 dollar donation is kindly requested.

Mary of Magdala Parish Community

Members: Need to view, update information or download a copy of the member directory? Just click here.

-->If you are in need of a picture for the directory, contact David Cloyd via this email. Put 'Need Picture for the Directory' in the subject line and include your name and telephone number in your email <--

CONTRIBUTIONS TO MARY OF MAGDALA

If you would like to contribute to Mary of Magdala,

click here to schedule a single or recurring Sunday offertory.

All are invited and ALL are welcome to join our parish community. Here is the webpage with more information on membership

The ECC Regional Website - View here.

Newsletters of Trinity Lutheran Church and the St. Paul's Episcopal  

Click here for the Trinity Lutheran Church monthly newsletter, "Tidings". And here is St Paul's weekly bulletin.