Please send news items to Tom Wrausmann at [email protected], or the Church Office at [email protected] by the 20th of the month. Schedule changes, Updates, and other emails will happen throughout the month in addition to our Angelus and can be sent in at any time. |
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Upon receiving this email, please check the bottom of your email provider and click "View entire message". We are receiving reports that some people are not receiving an entire Angelus, and it is due to the inbox clipping it short to save space in the initial viewing. -Jenn |
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Spring Greetings!!
Beloved parishioners,
As I write this, Spring is nearly upon us, as is Holy Week and Easter. We’re going to resume our garden services on March 28th, which happens to be Palm/Passion Sunday. It will be so wonderful to worship together in person again! Several people have said that our garden worship services were extremely gratifying and that they took on an almost “magical” quality as we praised God in the midst of the garden’s beauty and with the mighty Mississippi River in sight.
I’m convinced that the garden will provide a beautiful backdrop for our Holy Week services, from the majesty of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, through the pain and sorrow of Good Friday and then the joy of the Resurrection. Please try to come and experience as many of the services as you can so you can be truly prepared for Easter! Please refer to the schedule below for modified service times.
Some have wondered why we can’t worship indoors by now. Although the reconstruction of St. Paul’s is coming along very well, the nave is not yet ready to hold worshippers. The 3,000+ organ pipes had to be taken down for cleaning; however, they can’t yet be cleaned because the dust of construction would immediately get them dirty again, so the pipes are stretched out over the backs of the pews until they can be safely cleaned.
Trinity Chapel is simply too small for us to worship safely together at this point in the pandemic, especially considering we have a very safe alternate worship site in the garden. This can be revisited in the future, when nearly all of us have had our vaccines, and if the COVID variants don’t cause another wave of the pandemic as they already seem to be doing.
Please don’t despair! We are nearly in the home stretch of the reconstruction at St. Paul’s and should be in there before too long. In the meantime, God will greet us and bless our worship in the beautiful garden this Spring and Summer.
I hope to line up “valet parking” at St. Paul’s. Those of you who have trouble walking at St. Paul’s will be able to come and worship with us without worrying about getting a manageable parking spot.
Everyone should bring a lawn chair.
As of 2 pm on Palm Sunday, PAWS will resume. Our PAWS congregation is very excited about this! The Liturgy & Music Commission and I are very excited about all of these services.
God bless you all!
Faithfully,
Mother Cindy+
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3/28/21 - 10:30 a.m. - Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday
2 p.m - PAWS
4/1 - 5:30 p.m. - Maundy Thursday
4/2 - noon - Good Friday
4/3 - 5:30p.m. - Easter Vigil
4/4 - 10:30 a.m. - Easter Day
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In case of rain, services will be streamed on Facebook Live from Trinity Chapel, and Communion (except on Good Friday) will be distributed in the parking lot.
All services will be streamed on Facebook for those who cannot come to the St. Paul's garden services.
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I want to thank you all for your prayers and get-well cards after my recent back surgery. Your prayers are being answered! My back is doing very well, and I’ve been able to walk around my neighborhood (with my walking stick just in case) several times. I can now stand up straight and walk without a limp most of the time! I still have some pain and muscle spasm in my back and hip which makes standing difficult for any length of time, but I’m confident my doctors will figure that out as well.
You may have heard that Diane and I were in a car accident last Sunday (3/7/21) while we were out to bring Communion to the homebound. My car was struck by another which sent us careening 90 degrees to the left and down a different street. God was with us! I was able to steer the car to a stop at a curb before turning it off. We were able to open our car doors to get out when help arrived. My car has never started again since then, and none of the doors will open. Five people came up to the car to see if we were alright; two of them prayed for us, one brought water, and the others called for help and stayed with us until help arrived. Diane and I both received some nasty bumps and bruises, but are totally fine. God was looking out for us for sure!
Faithfully,
Mother Cindy+
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Curbside communion will continue throughout Spring. When services are in the garden at St. Paul's, distribution of Holy Communion will take place on Market Street following the service. On days of inclement weather, services and Curbside Communion will take place at Trinity Chapel. The wafers are blessed within an enclosed container and handled using strict safety precautions. Home communion continues as usual every Sunday. If you would like to receive home communion this Spring, please contact Diane Martin at 225-2676. |
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Annual Report Still Coming Out |
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Despite not having a meeting, the Annual Report will still be coming out although it will be less detailed do to the fire and Covid-19. The report will be emailed to parishioners as well as posted on the church website. Anyone needing a printed copy can contact the office at 465-9149 or request by e-mail at office@episcopalalton. The Vestry voted not to have a Annual Meeting because of Covid-19. Therefore, current Vestry members will stay on an extra year. |
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More Dates for the Saturday Café
Two new dates have been set for our parish's involvement in the Saturday Café in which warm lunches are prepared at First Presbyterian Church on the corner of 4th and Alby. The dates are March 27 and April 24. This ministry has been happening for well over 15 years. With the help of other area churches, volunteers have been feeding all people who come to the door...no questions asked. Thanks to our Bruce Bayer and Patti Wright, the EPA has become involved. We plan on taking our turn in helping with this outreach monthly. We had a wonderful and fulfilling experience January 23 as we supplied and distributed meals to those in need at the Alby Street door to the building. Volunteers should arrive around 10 a.m. to complete preparations, Patti said.
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Parish Website to Receive Overhaul
As you may know, our current website is in need of improvements to make it more user friendly. At its latest meeting, the Vestry approved contracting Riverbender.com $900 to do just that, using funds from our Wells Fargo computer account. The amount isn't as high as one might think for what will be most likely over 60 hours of work.
The change will make it much more user friendly both for those seeking information and for Jenn Grassle, parish administrator. The design plan is for the HOME page to have simple but prominent buttons for easy-access to the weekly bulletin, The Alton Angelus, and an updated modern blog that will feature progress made on reconstructing the church. It will also have a link to PayPal for online donations and more.
As we progress, we hope to have video links to potential live streaming of Sunday services for easier access without needing to be a member of Facebook to participate. We appreciate your patience while we go through the transition this Spring!
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Donation to Defray the Cost of Brightening Heneghan Hall |
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The Restoration Committee is working on installing new, improved light fixtures for Heneghan Hall in the wake of the fire. The lighting project is being led by Mimi Almonroeder. Mimi said the committee is looking into quality can lights with a mid-range price. The insurance will pay roughly $6,000 but the proposed lights will cost over $9,000 plus installation fees.
The Vestry voted unanimously to use a very generous donation from former member Bill Kodros toward the project. The Vestry also moved that the remaining costs for renovation upgrades will come from the money left to the church by the late Tom Fisher, an active longtime member. Tom left half of his estate to the church. So far, money from that gift was used on the new marble altar top in the St. Paul's sanctuary, which had been planned well before the fire.
The Vestry discussed holding a concert in Tom's memory since he was a devoted member of the choir. Members agreed a party with refreshments should be included. The concert idea was suggested by Vestry member Jean Downey, a fellow choir member.
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Everyone involved agreed the first session of our Lenten program Wednesday February 24 was a big success. Eight people took part in the Zoom session, even Coral Lipe, who moved to Pine, Arizona with Donald. Please join us from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM Wednesdays as we delve into the book, The Gifts of God for the People of God, followed by the Office of Compline (about 10 min). "It's a really good series," Jean pointed out.
The program is organized by Diane Martin and the Education Commission. Books are not necessarily needed to participate but copies are still available. They can also be had via Kindle on the Internet. Your copy of the Book of Common Prayer would be helpful as well.
Diane pointed out that during Sunday masses there is not a lot of time to ponder what we are saying and doing. The Rev. Fuhrman L. Buchanan goes step by step through the mass and writes about the “what and whys” of the words and actions we repeat during the service of Holy Eucharist Rite II. She said this is not a dry textbook look at our worship but a joy-filled and sometimes humorous closer look at the Liturgy of the Word (scriptures, sermon, praise, prayer) and the Holy Communion (the blessings and sharing of the Lord’s supper) – the two parts of the Holy Eucharist… “a perfect picture of God’s love."
The Zoom link is sent out via email a couple of hours before the start time.
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Book Club
From: Jean Downey
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Our next selection for Book Club is The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs. We will Meet on March 31 at 10:00 a.m. Meeting site TBD.
In this thought-provoking, wise and emotionally rich novel, New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs explores the meaning of happiness, trust, and faith in oneself as she asks the question, "If you had to start over, what would you do and who would you be?"
In the wake of a shocking tragedy, Natalie Harper inherits her mother’s charming but financially strapped bookshop in San Francisco. She also becomes caretaker for her ailing grandfather Andrew, her only living relative—not counting her scoundrel father.
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In this thought-provoking, wise and emotionally rich novel, New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs explores the meaning of happiness, trust, and faith in oneself as she asks the question, "If you had to start over, what would you do and who would you be?"
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Please keep these people in your daily prayers:
Ariana, Connie, Andrew, Kim, Kay, Tina, Patrick, Lalo, Grace, Cody, Dana, Myrnelle, Richard, Barb, Rod, Jane, Sarah, Boyd, John, Charles and all those affected by the viral pandemic.
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If you would like to have a name added or removed from our prayer list, please contact the office or Mother Cindy+ at 618-465-9149. |
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UPCOMING CALENDAR
Should information change as far as services times and availability for curbside Communion, an update will be sent out to parishioners immediately, via e-mail.
March 14 - 11:30 a.m. - Mass at Trinity Chapel, Live Streaming on the
12:45 a.m. - Curbside Communion
March 21 - 11:30 a.m. - Mass at Trinity Chapel, Live Streaming on the
12:45 a.m. - Curbside Communion
March 28 - 10:30 a.m. - The Blessing of the Palms/Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday
Mass in the Garden
March 31 - 10:00 a.m. - Book Club @ TBD
A PDF of our Service Bulletins can be accessed on the Home page of our website. Please click here.
If you have not seen it yet, please join our private Facebook Group to stay connected and share with the immediate members of our congregation. The name of the group is Members of EPA.
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2 Emily Dunnagan Hughes, Charles Drennan, Jr.
4 Jennifer Grassle
5 Collin Downey
7 Adaline Moran
24 Dennis Engelmann
26 Brenden Drennan, Will Johnson
29 Mickey McBride
30 Steve Mottaz, Ashley Hayes
31 Donovan Stone
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The office of the Episcopal Parish of Alton is operating out of the Parish Hall of Trinity Chapel while St. Paul's is being restored after a fire caused extensive damage to our office wing.
The office hours are from 9am-1pm.
We are working on limited time, and occasionally have to run errands, and due to various reasons, we sometimes work from home. If you plan to stop by the office, it is recommend to call ahead to be sure someone is available to let you in. We hate to miss visitors!
Or you may email:
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The Episcopal Parish of Alton |618-465-9149| |[email protected] | www.episcopalalton.org |
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