Dear Beloved Children of God,

I write to you on a warm and beautiful day, after a pair of cold and rainy Spring offerings. I am still bouncy after Saturday’s wedding vow renewal ceremony (FIFTY YEARS! Yay Steve and Deb Cumming), grateful to be able to honor and celebrate the life of David Matheny, and to have joined with several parishioners on our foray to the Congregational Church in Hansen that held a beautiful celebration for the love and life that Janet White offered this world. 

These sacramental milestones are both meaningful and spiritually nourishing, and I am grateful for the amount of time that we invest in traveling sometimes challenging paths with one another. I am also still smiling about last Sunday’s service – wonderful energy, some of my favorite hymns and some great connecting moments that I am positive delighted God!

Tomorrow you are warmly invited to two different events. I will host a baptism prep class for anyone who is curious or interested in being baptized at St. Andrews. (Our May 18th service AND our Pentecost service on June 8th will include baptisms). On Thursday evening, you are invited to our on-going conversation focused on the book Being Mortal, by Dr. Atul Gawande. On Thursday, we are going to define what constitutes a Good Day for ourselves, and we will craft our narrative about end of life decisions that focus on maximizing the number of Good Days that we enjoy.

Friday, you’ll see that we are returning to our practice of watching The Chosen together in community. All are welcome to join us for a potluck supper, some terrific conversation and an episode of The Chosen. We are still in the first season, and it is easy to jump in, so please consider whether some extra time with your church community with dinner and a movie might be exactly what you need right now. I look forward to seeing anyone who is interested! This group meets downstairs in the Vestry/Teen Ministry Room (End of the 1st floor hallway, AKA Grandma’s Closet!). LINK TO SIGN-UP

Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday. I’m still in search of someone with sheep or spring lambs to come and visit our side yard. I’m looking forward to considering the ways in which Jesus is our Good Shepherd.

Finally, an early heads up for my first Rector’s Forum in Hanover. After church on Sunday, June 1st, I will convene a Forum about Immigration. We’ll meet from 11 am – Noon. I’ll offer some background and personal experiences about practicing Immigration Law representing undocumented detainees, and then we’ll open the floor up for conversation. I am looking forward to a robust discussion and hope that you will bring your questions and concerns to this gathering. If you feel pulled to get involved, I’ll have a resource page that we’ll post on the website for anyone who wants to become involved supporting the work of Episcopal City Mission, the Boston Immigrant Justice Alliance Network, or would like to be trained to offer similar legal representation as I’ve offered.

God Bless you throughout your week, and I hope that you find wonder in the spring beauty that surrounds us!

God’s Peace, Amy+

The next celebration of Baptisms will be on Sunday, May 18. 

All preparing for baptism are invited to gather at St. Andrew’s on May 8 at 11 a.m. The Zoom link is available on the calendar on the website for those who cannot attend in person. This is a joyous occasion and is for anyone regardless of age, background or belief. If you have any questions please call Rev’d Amy on her direct line  (781) 422-4112.

The Mother's Day Walk for Peace (MDW4P) is a beloved Boston tradition honoring the lives of our loved ones who have been murdered. It is the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute’s (LDBPI) largest fundraising event to grow and sustain our services, advocacy and training. LINK to more information.

This year’s theme is "Cultivating Cycles of Peace.” In our society, we are constantly looped into cycles of violence that overshadow the transformative power of peace. We have the agency to cultivate these cycles by empowering survivors, supporting returning citizens and their families and investing in Generation Peace, the young people shaping the world.

There will once again be a Team from St. Andrew's walking. Will meet at the church at 6:45 a.m. for a Communion Service before making our way into Boston.

Click on the Make Kindness Loud block to go to the St. Andrew's Team -- you can register as a walker or to be a sponsor.

“LOVE FROM OLIVIA”

We are collecting donations of diapers and Similac formula from now until Mother’s Day, May 11, 2025.

Help fill care baskets for the babies in shelter at the Baymont Hotel and the Pilgrim’s Hope shelter in Kingston. All are under the care of the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless. Currently there are 65 families in shelter under the care of the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless. Most of these are young families with infants in diapers. There is a constant need for diapers and formula.

Donations needed: Diapers (sizes 4,5 and 6); Similac formula (blue) powdered.

Donations can be dropped off at the stage in the Parish Hall. See Sherry Long with any questions. Thank you!

Dove Project for Pentecost

Pentecost is June 8th and as part of St Andrew’s 300 year celebration, we would like to bring back the dove project that the youth group created somewhere back in 2008/09. In the Narthex please find white cardstock doves and pencils in a plastic bin. (We are using pencils so the writing will be discrete on the white doves and not distract from the installation.) Please feel free to write a name of a person, a prayer or anything else you want to lift up to the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. We will be hanging them in the church on tulle for Pentecost Sunday.

Do not take the doves home. Please just fill out and leave them in the box. You don’t need your name on them, the Holy Spirit knows your intention. The box will be here until June 1st.



Thank you!

Patrice and Mark FitzGerald

Becky and Adam Maki

One-Off VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

We are heading into the busy season of Town Festivals and you are invited to help us staff our St. Andrew's Table. Required skills include being yourself, being comfortable about why you choose St. Andrew's and why you think newcomers will love it too. We will create a sign up sheet so that you can see the festivals and fairs ahead and consider joining us for these fun events.

Eucharistic Visitor Training

Sat, 05/10/2025 - 9:00am  12:00pm

Church of Our Redeemer

6 Meriam Street

Lexington, MA

A Saturday morning Eucharistic Visitor training is being offered in person this spring in partnership with the St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer. Eucharistic Visitors extend the altar to include those who are homebound or in the hospital. This important pastoral and liturgical ministry is offered by adult lay members of the congregation who are certified by the diocese. In order to be certified, Eucharistic Visitors must complete Safe Church training, be nominated by their priest and attend a diocesan-approved training. The next training is

• May 10, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Church of Our Redeemer in Lexington

Please register here.

Questions about these training events may be directed to Jennifer Garrett at jgarrett@diomass.org.

Contact Joanne in the office by May 29, 2025 if you are interested in being confirmed at the Confirmation Service below. Rev. Amy would be honored to present you to Bishop Whitworth.

Confirmation Service

Sun, 06/15/2025 - 4:30pm

Grace Church, 133 School Street, New Bedford, MA

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET DONE SO, HELP JOANNE BUILD THE NEW IMPROVED, ALL INCLUSIVE, EASILY ACCESSIBLE DATABASE AND PRODUCE THE NEW PARISH DIRECTORY BY

• filling out the Print Questionnaire in the narthex or at this LINK and put it in the box in the narthex or
• Use the online form at this LINK.

At the request of online donors, we now have "ONLINE DONOR CARDS" in the narthex that you can place in the collection plate.

HANOVER FOOD PANTRY:  St. Andrew’s collects items for the Hanover Food Pantry. We will be collecting one item in particular need each month. For APRIL, we will be after school snacks including nut free and gluten free snacks.

St. Andrew's will once again have a table at the Hanover Pride Day. Plan to join us to "Make Kindness Loud" in our community.

LINK to Rev'd Amy's blog -- check out her reflections on last Sunday!

OFFICE HOURS:

TUESDAY, 9:00 A.M. TO 4:00 P.M.

WEDNESDAY, 9:00 A.M. TO 4:00 P.M.

THURSDAY, Noon TO 7:00 P.M. except Maundy Thursday--office hours 9:00 A.M. TO 4:00 P.M.