St. Francis Weekly

May 13 - 19, 2026

Embodying God's love by building community through worship, inclusivity, and outreach.

Hello, Friends of St Francis!

Rector's Reading: 'Liturgies of the Wild'

The resurrection is happening all around us in the North Stamford woods. Spring is greening the trails. Light filters through trees that looked dead only weeks ago. And in this landscape I have been reading The New York Times bestseller “Liturgies of the Wild” by Martin Shaw, which has moved me more deeply than almost any book I’ve read in years. Many of you have heard me say that each of our stories is part of God’s greater story of love, and that we must never lose sight of that — no matter how exhausted this world makes us.

We are made of stories, where the ancient good resides. Shaw, a Stanford professor, mythographer and Christian thinker, reminds us of that reality. Although it was inspire day Shaw's 101-night vigil in England's Dartmoor forest, this is not simply a book about finding God in the wild. It is a love letter to a deeper life. A reminder that the sacred is not somewhere else waiting for us in some unknown future, but shimmering all around us now. Shaw writes: “We are being prepared for eternity every time we behold beauty.”

Amen.

If you have time, I invite you to listen to this interview with Shaw — and to spend some time outside, experiencing God’s wild liturgy with the defiant hope that Eden is not just a lost past but a future destination.

See you Sunday.

St. Francis News ...

Save the Date: St. Francis 80th Anniversary Service and Parish Picnic

St. Francis will celebrate its 80th anniversary with a special service in the Historic Church, 503 Old Long Ridge Road, on June 7 at 10 a.m. It will be the only service that day.

The celebration will continue after the service with the annual picnic, which will be held at the New Church, 2810 Long Ridge Road. This year, we will be serving sub sandwiches. If you can bring a side dish to the picnic, please sign up using the button below.

Picnic Sign Up

Re-Configuring the Church: Saturday, May 23, 9:30 a.m.

As we approach Pentecost, the time has come to reconfigure the New Church from the in-the-round setup to the proscenium setup. The floor panels and the altar will be moved back to the front of the church. To do this, we'll need volunteers. We will do the Big Reconfigure on Saturday, May 23, at 9:30 a.m. in the New Church. The work should take no more than one hour, and many hands truly make light (and joyful) work.

Spring Clothing Drive for Person-to-Person

Our spring clothing drive for Person-to-Person begins this week. Please bring new or gently used spring and summer clothing to the Church on Sundays, or leave bagged items in the bin outside the Church on weekdays. If possible, organize donations by size and gender. The drive runs from May 6 - May 17. Thank you for your support!

Guest Preacher: The Rev. Jill Morrison

The Rev. Jill Morrison, Director for Congregational Development and Networking for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, will be our guest preacher this Sunday. Jill, who attended Yale and was ordained with Rev. Joe, originally hails from New Orleans, LA, and Katy, TX. She has long encountered God through the arts and The Episcopal Church, where the threads of beloved community and storytelling have shaped her ministry.

Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed

Coffee Hour runs on, well, coffee – and on our community sharing the work. If you would be willing to help set up or clean up Coffee Hour – or even pick up our weekly tray of bagels and muffins at LaRocca’s on your way to church (or bring your own food) – use the sign-up link below.

Volunteer for Coffee Hour

Please review the Parish Directory and report any changes!

We are in the process of updating the Parish Directory. Please take a moment to review the current directory for any outdated information. If you would like to add or change a photo, you can do that as well. If you are new to St. Francis, we would be delighted to include your information in the directory. The directory is an important tool for keeping us connected as a community. If you would like a copy of the latest (DRAFT) directory, please email Cathy Ostuw.

New Button for ALL Sign-ups, Requests & Giving

Looking to host a Sunday coffee hour? Want to share a prayer request? Hoping to support our ministries with a donation? We’ve made it simple.

All of our ministry sign-ups, prayer requests, and giving opportunities now live in one convenient place. No more searching through multiple links —just one easy button / landing page for everything. You will find it every week in the Sunday Notes / Weekly Offerings emails. Click below to get started: