A Christian community of all ages

grounded in

worship, well-being, and service.

February 1 -

February 6, 2025

FromFrFrom

From the Associate Rector


Dear Friends,


Some of you might remember that during COVID Jonathan and I took to our laundry room to perform weekly parodies about the common (and often scary and frustrating) experience we were all having as we navigated the pandemic together. It felt campy and silly, but helped us to find a little joy in the midst of a troubling time. 


I have found myself in some troubling moments over the last month. I’m weighed down by the political rhetoric and media frenzy that surrounds administrative change in our government. People I love and care about at St. Mary’s and beyond are hurting and grieving because of regular life challenges. The plane crash earlier this week gripped me, especially because I was in the DC area when it occurred, staying with friends who are first responders in that kind of emergency. And on top of all of the very real challenges in our lives… I’m cold. It sounds trivial, but a long walk on a beautiful sunny day in the spring often helps me to keep things in perspective.


Despite all of it, I continue to find St. Mary’s to be a source of love, hope and connection. It is a resting place in a busy and often overwhelming world. Perhaps that’s why, as we approach our annual meeting this weekend, I found myself with the urge to be campy and silly, and to find a little more joy. 


Please enjoy your rector and me making fools of ourselves as we prepare for the annual meeting this weekend. Plenty of very important and serious planning has gone into this meeting, and your presence matters. And also: there’s cake. 


Thank you for being a bright light of joy in the long, cold days of winter. I look forward to seeing you Sunday!


Meaghan

Sunday, February 2, 2025, 11:15

St. George's Chapel, Parish House


Everyone is invited to attend and celebrate the work of the parish in 2024 and to look ahead to 2025.


Agenda Highlights



The requirements to be a voting member are below.


From the Bylaws of St. Mary’s Church, Portsmouth 


Article IV, Section 1. Membership. The Members of the Parish shall be all persons who have received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and are registered as members of the Parish. The Voting Members of the Parish shall be the rector or minister in charge and all Member communicants of eighteen years and over who are regular worshipers in the Parish, and who are not in arrears in the fulfillment of the pledges to support the Parish.


If you have a correction to the 2024 Annual Report, please make note of it by contacting website@smcportsmouth.org.

Highlights

in the

Coming Weeks


Weekly worship services in the

Historic Church:


Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and

Sunday at 10:00 a.m.


Saturday, 2.1 -- Bites and Beverages following 5:00 service, Gathering Space, Parish House


Sunday, 2.2 --

  • SMC Annual Meeting of the Corporation and coffee hour following 10:00 worship, St. George's Chapel, Parish House
  • Last Sunday to contribute personal hygiene items to the MLKCC. See Allie Kaull's request under Well-Being


Sunday, 2.9 -- Acolyte Meeting following 10:00 worship, St. George's Chapel, Parish House. Details below.


Wednesday, 2.12, 6:00 - 8:00 -- Family Dinner, St. George's Chapel, Parish House. RSVP for dinner. Signup to help prepare, serve, and cleanup.



Thursday, 2.13 -- Soup Kitchen, St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Newport. Signup to help.

For a calendar of all of St. Mary's activities visit our website.

Worship

Click on the image above for the weekly bulletin.


Liturgical ministers for Saturday at 5:00 and Sunday at 10:00 are listed in the bulletin except for Saturday, 1.11.




Worship on Sundays at 10:00  is live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Use the comment section to say hello if you use Facebook. We are trying to make better connections between those who are in person and those who are at home.


If you miss worship on Sunday and just want to hear the sermon, you can listen to it online.


Prayer requests for individuals can be added to the prayers of the people on Sunday mornings and in the daily evening prayers by contacting Parish Administrator, Karen Laroche. We typically keep people in the prayers for one month.

Join St. Mary’s acolyte ministry!


Acolyting is a wonderful way to grow in the church. If you're in 3rd grade or above, you are a perfect candidate for this ministry.


There will be an acolyte information session on Sunday, February 9 in St. George’s Chapel, the Parish House immediately following 10:00 worship in, and pizza will be served!


Current acolytes and as well as those interested in earning more about this ministry. Current acolytes will be measured for robes.

If you have any question about the acolyte ministry, please email the acolyte coordinator, Deb Legassie.


We hope to see you on the 9th!

Well-Being

Thank you . . .


to Jeff and Rachel Dugan, Jason DeFalco, Mary Weyhing, Lynn Carlson, Linda Willoughby, Sheila Collins, Lori Corbishley, Sara Barker, Kathleen Geasey, Barbara Pine, Jennifer Vergnani, Joann Gracia, Katie Schaffer, Carole Nicodemus, LynnThurston, and Karen Stevenson for their contributions to Robert Chase's collation lunch.


Their work provided a warm welcome to Bob's friends and family last Friday, January 24, on a cold New England day. Many hands made light work and an abundance of food.


Again, thank you,

Marlo Pratt and Murry Edwards

Congratulations to . . .


Hailey Pratt, Mary Stack, Ellen Stack, Melanie Williams, William Burke, Joshua Dugan, Kate Roemer, Mia Bartlett, and Jane Kaull. They each received the Tuck Fund Scholarship for the spring semester 2025.


Please keep them in your prayers, especially, Hailey, Melanie, Ellen, and Will who are entering their final semesters of study.

Are now available in the Gathering Space in the Parish House.


Many thanks to everyone whose financial pledge or donation helped St. Mary's create community in 2024 and to those who have committed to helping St. Mary's continue to grow in 2025.

Service

Please support . . .


Allie Kaull, St. Mary's parishioner, is collecting personal hygiene items for the Martin Luther King Center! Any items such as deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. are welcome! Any and everything helps! There will be a box in the entry way at the church and the Parish House. From Sunday, January 19th to Sunday, February 2nd.


If you have questions, please contact Allie.

Also, the MLK Food Pantry needs pasta. They have plenty of elbow, and they'd like more of a variety to meet their patrons' preferences! Please drop pasta and any other food donations off in the church or parish house entry ways.

Communication & Other Announcements
Have an announcement?

Please use this form to digitally share information about your ministry. This enables those who are working on the eNews, website, and Facebook (and other social media) to have the information in one place and accessible to everyone who needs it. The deadline for publication in eNews is noon on Wednesday before publication on Friday. If you have questions, please contact website@smcportsmouth.org.

For all other types of communication:


Contact the Rector if you'd like it verbally announced at worship. 

Contact Parish Associate for Administration Karen Laroche to be included in writing in the weekly worship bulletin.

St. Mary's Staff

Rector: The Rev. Jennifer L. Pedrick, jennifer@smcportsmouth.org

Associate Rector: The Rev. Meaghan Brower, meaghan@smcportsmouth.org

Pastoral Musician: Michael DiMucci, michael@smcportsmouth.org

Pastoral Associate for Administration: Karen Laroche, karen@smcportsmouth.org

Property Manager: Jon Walker, jon@smcportsmouth.org



St. Mary's Officers

To contact an officer of the vestry, please see our website.

Image credits: Richard Grosvenor, Historic Church, watercolor, used with permission.


Stay Connected:

http://www.smcportsmouth.org/


Facebook  Instagram