St. Mary's News & Notes

St. Mary's

News & Notes

Volume 4

Issue 41

October 1, 2026

Nineteenth Sunday

after Pentecost

Welcome You Are Home!

Message from Your Rector

The Fruit God Seeks

This Sunday our Old Testament lesson centers on words from the Prophet Isaiah. In verses 5:1-7, Isaiah’s “song of the vineyard” begins with tenderness. A beloved owner chooses a fertile hill, clears the stones, plants choice vines, builds a watchtower, and prepares for a harvest. Nothing is neglected. Yet the vineyard yields wild grapes. The disappointment is not simply that the crop is poor; it is that such generous care has not borne the fruit for which it was given.

Then Isaiah names the fruit God desires: justice and righteousness. God’s people had received covenant, worship, community, and guidance, but their common life was producing suffering instead of mercy. The passage invites us to ask not only what we believe, but what our faith is growing. Do our habits make room for the overlooked? Do our decisions reflect fairness? Do our words bring healing, truth, and peace?

This is a searching word, but it is also an invitation. The God who lovingly tends the vineyard still calls us to fruitful lives. As we receive God’s grace in prayer, Scripture, worship, and fellowship, may that grace ripen into action: patient service, courageous compassion, honest repentance, and care for our neighbors. By God’s help, may our congregation become a vineyard where justice and righteousness flourish—and where the world can taste the goodness of the One who planted us.

May God continue to Bless our Nation and our Church.

Blessings,

Fr. Jim+

Your 2026 Vestry

. Committee Chairs

Senior Warden - Mike Avadikian

Junior Warden - Greg Gude

Christian Formation - Liz Mitchell

Church Growth - Rick Jelesky

Communications - Susie Cort

Church Life - Norma Barendse

Inreach - Karen Zummo

Outreach - Zach Smith

Finance - Doug Dunkelberger

Vestry Meetings are held the fourth Sunday of each month immediately after the 10:00 service. Please advise the Rector if you have an item for the agenda.

Serving Teams

To All Serving Team Members: Just a reminder...if you cannot serve on your designated time, please go into Realm and decline your serving role. It is still your responsibility to find someone to serve in your place. Please have your substitute make an adjustment in Realm with the new server's name. Please be kind to others and give them enough time to adjust their schedules. Also, please remember to notify admin@stmdc.com so that we can correctly adjust the bulletins. Thank you for your assistance in making this procedure run smoothly.

Upcoming Services/Events

St. Mary's

Sunday Services October 4, 2026

*7:45 a.m.* Mass Rite II No Music

*7:45 a.m. *Sunday School ages 4 & up

*7:45 a.m. * Children's Sunday School (Downstairs Freeman Hall)

*8:30 a.m.* Coffee Hour

*9:00 a.m.- 9:45 a.m.* Adult Education (Conference Room)

*10:00 a.m.* Mass Rite II Eucharist with Music

*11:30 a.m.* Coffee Hour

Additional Services/Events/Meetings of Interest

October 4th 1:00 p.m. * Sunday *Blessing of the Animals*

October 8th 6:30 a.m. * Thursday * Men's Eucharist/Breakfast (Freeman Hall)

October 8th 7:30 a.m. * Thursday * Bible Study (Freeman Hall)

October 8th 10:00 a.m. * Thursday * Bible Study & Eucharist

October 9th 9:00 a.m.-Noon * Friday * Rachel’s Guild-Tanno Hall, Quilting

October 9th 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. * Friday * Handmad’ns—Freeman Hall-Knitting

October 24th 7:00 p.m. *Saturday * Dade City Symphony Fall Concert

October 31st 2:00-4:00 p.m. * Saturday * Trunk of Treat *

Sign-up Genius Quick Links

**********

Sign-up Genius links for 2026 are now active!!

One Clicks gets them ALL

new--> CLICK HERE

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Altar Flowers

Contact the church office at: admin@STMDC.com

CLICK HERE

***********

Coffee Hour

Contact the church office at: admin@STMDC.com

CLICK HERE

Come Pray With Us

The Collect for the Ninetenth

Sunday after Pentecost

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy

Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

News from the Music Department

Choir and Bell Choir have resumed with:

Bells meeting at 5:45 p.m. in Tanno Hall and the

Choir meeting at 6:30 in the choir room.

New members are welcome in both choirs!

Children's Bags Available During Church Services

New Children's Bags have been filled with goodies to keep children entertained during the service. Please take their projects home but leave the bags for the children in the next service.

Thank you!

Come Learn With Us

Sunday School is now

in session

Where: Downstairs in Freeman Hall

When: 7:45 a.m. until 8:30

Who: Ages 4 and up!

Why: Come learn more about Jesus

Thursday Morning

Bible Study

We will continue to study the

John's Gospel

Chapters Seven and Eight

Please come & join us!!

Come Grow With Us

We are pleased to share that our third-quarter Daughters of the King project has been completed!

A heartfelt thank you to our St. Mary’s congregation for your generous monetary donations. Your support made it possible for us to provide a delicious and hearty breakfast for the residents of Sunrise of Pasco on Saturday, September 26th. It was a blessing to share a meal and a little kindness with the residents.

We were also able to provide $125 worth of protein bars to Cox Elementary to help students who may arrive at school without having had breakfast.

And a special thank you to our Daughters of the King members who generously donated additional protein bars for Cox Elementary. Your generosity and willingness to serve make these outreach projects possible.

We are grateful for the opportunity to live out our DOK mission of prayer, service, and reaching out to those in need in our community. Thank you to everyone who helped make these projects a success! Thank you.

Grace and Peace,

LAURA

l aura Weeks

Join our Foyer Groups

& Meet New Friends

Come join your old friends and new friends in a St Mary’s Foyer Group (aka Munch Bunch). There's still time! These are groups of 6 who gather to enjoy a dinner, brunch, desserts, cocktails, coffee, a restaurant, you name it, once a month during October, November and December.

It is a delightful time to share God’s love with each other. Watch for this post again with Sign-Up Genius attached on Tuesday. Deadline to sign up is October 6th. Please sign up! You won’t regret it, we promise!

Blessings,

Susie Cort, Communication Chair

Norma Barendse, Church Life Chair

Check Sign-Up Genius above

Last Chance!!

– CHURCH DIRECTORY-

If you did not have your photograph taken earlier this year but would like to be included in the St. Mary’s Church Directory, this is your last opportunity!

Please submit the following by October 15th: A recent photograph in .jpeg format to admin@stmdc.com and a $15 check, payable to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. If you submitted a picture, but not a $15 check, please submit by October 15th.

Important: Your contact information will be included in the directory unless you specifically request that all or part of your personal information be omitted.

If you would like any of your information withheld, please contact the church office at (352) 567-3888 or email admin@stmdc.com

Thank you for helping us make our church directory complete and up to date!

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Handicap Parking

Please do not use the Handicap parking spaces in the front parking lot on Sunday morning or during Church activities unless you have a blue handicap parking permit or a real need for using such a space.

We have many ministries here

at St. Mary's that you can help support.

Please click on the button below to

Give today or contact Fr. Jim if you have any questions

or if you wish to donate in another way

Give to St. Mary's

St. Mary's News & Notes

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