The Bridge
September 10, 2021
The Mission of St. John’s is to be a community of God’s people who heal brokenness, build bridges, and exemplify borderless kindness.
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ST. JOHN’S GATHERING POLICY:
St. John’s requires masks and social distancing
for all indoor worship services and gatherings.
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Austin Public Health is encouraging everyone to wear a mask and stay at home as much as possible. With that in mind, if you are not vaccinated or you are at high-risk because of medical issues, we encourage you to come to the 10:30 service via Zoom. The Zoom link is also provided further down below.
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Sunday Service Times
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II (in person and Zoom)
1:00 p.m. Santa Eucaristía, Rito II (en persona)
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To participate in our virtual Sunday services, you do not need to have a Zoom account or download Zoom. Simply click the link to join.
You may also join the service by telephone -
dial (346) 248-7799 and enter the meeting ID when prompted.
Meeting ID: 879 9502 6837
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The Waiting Room is enabled for this event and is monitored by the Host of the day.
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Please note: In order to minimize background noise, everyone except those people who have an active role in the service will be muted. You are invited to put personal prayer requests into the "Chat" to be read at the appropriate time during the Prayers of the People.
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The video recording of the 10:30 a.m. English service will be posted on the St. John's Facebook page, YouTube, and the St. John's website later in the day. Additionally, recordings of the English and Spanish sermons will be available. Links to the recordings will be posted on our website (www.austinstjohns.org).
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Virtual Coffee and Fellowship
Our virtual coffee "hour" provides a time to greet those who do not feel comfortable attending in person. Stay on Zoom when the service ends or click on this button to say hello:
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Bishop Monterroso had a wonderful visit!
St. John's had an out of the box day last Sunday!! We had our Assistant Bishop making his first visit to our parish. We had a confirmation during the English service; 2 baptisms, confirmation, and reaffirmation during our Spanish service. AND we had the blessing of a Quinceañera!
The church was way more full than usual, but everyone was masked, the doors were open (yes, it was hot!), and the industrial size air purifiers were on high speed. It was a beautiful day, including celebrations on the lawn after each service. In addition to our regular Zoom presence at 10:30 a.m., we also had a Zoom presence for the Spanish service at 1:00 p.m. Bishop Monterroso had the opportunity to greet our Zo0mers during the 11:15 coffee hour.
Many thanks to Mthr. Minerva, Deacon Victoria, and all our worship participants; the Altar Guild; Margaret Beare and her Hospitality committee for cookies and coffee/tea after 10:30; Rosalinda Rodriguez and María Nuñez for hotdogs and María Alonso for delicious desserts after 1:00. It was truly a group effort and a marvelous celebration.
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Scott Morizot being confirmed |
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Bishop Monterroso blessing the congregation |
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Bishop Monterroso giving his sermon |
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Formal Procession from the altar |
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Matthew 25:40:
And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
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St. John's Notices and Activities |
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Helping Afghan Refugees
We are renewing our commitment to assist refugees, especially those who evacuated Afghanistan. Ten parishioners and the clergy met on September 9 to explore how St. John’s can assist Afghan refugees. The Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) is working with Refugee Services of Texas (RST) to coordinate services for families arriving in Austin. We identified specific needs and actions that can be pursued immediately.
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Donations: We learned from RST that the immediate need is for VISA cards, hotel cards, and financial donations. For the moment, there are two ways to make a financial donation:
1) Write a check or make an online donation to St. John’s and designate “Afghan Refugees”
2) Use this link to the Refugee Services of Texas - Austin web page: Refugee Services of Texas, click on “Amazon Wishlist” and select the appropriate VISA card amount. For your convenience, click here to go directly to the wish list: RST Wishlist
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Refugee Shed: RST placed a hold on receiving furniture and household goods until they assess what they may need. In the meantime, we need to clear out the items in the Refugee shed to make room for the items that will be needed the most by refugee families. We scheduled a workday to inventory and assess which items will be kept, donated to Goodwill, or thrown away. We would like to empty the shed as much as possible to make room for new donations.
Some of our parishioners have friends or families who recently immigrated to Austin and need household items for their new home. We invite and encourage them to select items that they could use in their homes.
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Workday Details: Saturday, September 25, 9am to 12 noon
Needs: We need plastic bins to organize the items in the shed. We need a couple of trucks (and their drivers) to haul items to either Goodwill or the dump.
Contact Person for the Workday: Mary Anne O’Brien graciously offered to be the contact person for this event. (click on the name to send an email)
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Attention 9:00 AM Worship Attendees:
At Mthr. Minerva's request, Anne Faithful will begin scheduling the Readers for the 9:00 AM Sunday worship service. If you are interested in reading the scripture lesson, please let Anne know. If you have never read before, but would like to, just tell us! (click on the green link to send Anne an email)
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A request for assistance
Rev. Ann McLemore has forwarded this request to us, and Mthr. Minerva asked for it to be included here:
A quiet woman of sixty-five is looking to rent a room from a homeowner of a similar age and temperament. Carmen enjoys reading, meditation, yoga and healthy cooking. Her first language is Spanish and she loves helping native English speakers practice Spanish.
For more information, please contact
Elizabeth Doss
If you can help, or know of someone who can, please contact Ms. Doss directly by clicking on the email address given.
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Christian Formation at St. John's |
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Lectionary Bible Study - Zoom
Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.
All are invited to join our study of the assigned lectionary for the following Sunday.
Please click this button to access the class.
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Thursday Morning Bible Study - Hybrid
Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.
To participate in person, join us at 9:55am in the Parish Hall. To participate virtually, enter Zoom meeting number 821 5253 7149 in the Zoom app or follow this link to enter the waiting room for the meeting Thursday Morning Bible Study - Zoom.
St. John's Gathering Policy:
- Masks are required for all indoor gatherings.
- No food or drink in the buildings.
- No masks if you are at home zooming!
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(please refer to our website www.austinstjohns.org or to the Christian Formation email sent every Tuesday for more information and links)
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Wednesday Morning Grounds Keepers
Many thanks to the Weed Warriors and others, who helped prepare the buildings and grounds for Bishop Monterroso's visit. Special thanks to Carlos Lugo and the crew which came out early Sunday morning to erect the tents for our socials on the lawn. Oh, and took them down too!
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If you have questions about this ministry, please contact Hal Hughes (click on the name to send an email).
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Labyrinth Community Garden
Have you wandered through the garden lately? Maybe walk the Labyrinth and then sit in the gazebo for a bit of quiet time? As the days become cooler, this will be an excellent opportunity to experience the quiet abundance to be found in this place of beauty. Our Labyrinth Community Garden nourishes us body and soul.
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If you are interested in obtaining a bed for you and your family, please contact Patty Arnold (click on the name to send an email).
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Office Volunteers
Thanks to our Office Volunteers, the Parish office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-12pm.
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Observance of the
20th Anniversary of
September 11, 2001
Trinity Church Wall Street invites all who are seeking solace around the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to join us for A Time and Space for Remembrance and Healing from Friday evening, Sep. 10, to Sunday evening, Sep. 12. In 2001, St. Paul’s Chapel, part of Trinity Church Wall Street, served as a relief mission for recovery workers at Ground Zero for nearly a year after the buildings fell. (click on the green link to access more information)
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"Eternal God, hear our prayer for the peoples of Afghanistan. There is a profound humanitarian crisis. Countless people, mostly women and children, are now fleeing and vulnerable. The lives of many are now endangered. The hopes of many are forgone. Send your Spirit, Lord, to rally the resolve of the nations of the earth to find pathways to save human lives, protect human rights, and to resolve the hardships of those seeking refuge, asylum, and safety. Hear our prayer for the peoples of Afghanistan. This we pray as followers of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen."
The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs
Posted Aug 17, 2021
"Contact your representatives to ask them to press the Biden administration to implement new reforms to the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program to process these visas as quickly as possible and designate Afghans facing danger in the country as P-1 priorities for refugee resettlement. Although the scope of this challenge is large, our members can contribute to the broad voices asking Congress and the administration to do well by our allies and bring them to the United States to honor their service."
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For other ways to support The Episcopal Church’s efforts to resettle and provide direct assistance to our Afghan allies, please visit Support our Afghan Allies
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Episcopal Relief & Development
Hurricane Ida Relief
On Sunday, August 29, sixteen years after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Ida made landfall in the same region. This Category 4 storm brought flooding and damaging winds that caused a loss of water to hundreds of thousands and a loss of electricity to over 1 million people. Episcopal Relief & Development is working closely with the Diocese of Louisiana and other regional partners in what will be a long-term response. Your generous gift will help alleviate suffering for the most vulnerable residents impacted by Hurricane Ida. Please visit Hurricane Ida Relief Fund to make a gift today.
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COVID-19 Related Information |
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Austin-Travis County is currently in Stage 5
Austin Public Health (APH) has published a color-coded chart to help residents of Austin-Travis County understand the stages of risk and provide recommendations on what people should do to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gathering Is Discouraged
Cases and hospitalizations continue to increase in Travis County as new variants, such as the Delta variant, spread throughout the community. For Stage 5, High-risk vaccinated people as well as for partially vaccinated and unvaccinated people, private indoor gatherings are not recommended at all, with or without masks.
As we obtain more information about the variants, we will update the recommendations.
Full recommendations and to see the new Risk-Based Guidelines charts regarding actions for vaccinated and unvaccinated/partially vaccinated individuals please visit the City of Austin COVID-19 website.
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COVID-19 Testing
Anyone with any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection. If you get tested because you have symptoms or were potentially exposed to the virus, you should stay away from others pending test results and follow the advice of your health care provider.
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Community Notices and Activities |
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Additional COVID Shots (Moderna) - Auro Pharmacy
The CDC has approved an additional COVID shot for cancer patients and immunocompromised people.
Auro Pharmacy is the pharmacy which partnered with St. John's to get about 100 of our members and friends vaccinated against COVID. They have notified us that they are giving this additional shot to eligible people (cancer patients and immunocompromised people) who had the Moderna vaccine. You did not have to receive the Moderna vaccine at Auro Pharmacy to receive this additional shot. There is a questionnaire which must be completed to determine eligibility.
No appointment is necessary - walk ins accepted. There is no charge.
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday - Sunday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
1139 W Braker Lane #102 Austin, TX 78758
(512) 206-3150
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For Prayer and Pastoral Care |
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If you find that your situation is causing financial, spiritual, or emotional difficulties, or if you are in need of food, do not hesitate to call Deacon Victoria (512-297-5953) or email Mthr. Minerva (RevMinerva@austinstjohns.org).
We are a church family; when a family member needs assistance we want to try and help that member.
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St. John's gathering policy continues to be updated as conditions change relative to the COVID pandemic. St. John's holds the health and safety of our community as a top priority.
Your understanding and cooperation are very much appreciated.
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Ms. Paula Foy, Senior Warden
Mr. Hal Hughes, Junior Warden
Ms. Sandra Welles, Treasurer
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Class of 2022
Ms. Paula Foy
Mr. Hal Hughes
Sra. Rosalinda Rodriguez
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Class of 2023
Ms. Jessica Glasebrook, Clerk
Mr. Steve Kriechbaum
Ms. Sandra Welles
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Class of 2024
Ms. Maria Caballero
Sr. Alfonso Hernandez
Ms. Sandra Ward
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The Rev. Minerva Camarena Skeith, Rector
The Rev. Victoria Mason, Deacon
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Ms. Fay Jones, Director of Communications
Mr. Philip Riley, Choirmaster and Organist
Sr. Alfonso Hernandez, Spanish Music
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for other ways to make a donation.
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Stories and Photos for The Bridge
You are invited to send photos and stories about yourself, your family, and our parish for inclusion in The Bridge. As we come back together, let's share our experiences! Please send your ideas, stories, and photos to Fay Jones, (newsletter editor) by 12:00 pm on Wednesdays.
Running event announcements two weeks prior to the date is recommended.
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Fay Jones, Editor (fay@austinstjohns.org) |
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St. John's Episcopal Church
11201 Parkfield Drive
P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
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Sunday Services
9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II hybrid (in-person & Zoom)
1:00 p.m. Santa Eucaristía, Rito II
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The Parish Office is open Tuesday through Friday
from 10am - 12Noon.
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For more information about St. John’s Episcopal Church, please visit our website at www.austinstjohns.org
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