Parish Weekly February 20, 2026

Mission: St. Thomas' Episcopal Church is a welcoming spiritual community dedicated to following the teachings of Christ Jesus. We grow through learning, celebrate joyful worship, and serve our neighbors.

Vision: We open hearts and minds to create community in Christ.

Rector's Notes

Dear St. Thomas’,

On Sunday, February 15, we welcomed eight new families to our parish. These folks come to us from a variety of experiences, and I am thrilled that they call St. Thomas' home. Each person enhances and expands God's image among us. Please join me

in continuing to welcome them.

Faithfully,

Amma Leslie+

Lucas & Michelle Grosodonia-Maiola

Michelle grew up in Cobbs Hill and came to St. Thomas as a child with her friend’s family. This past year, we were looking for a new church home, and after one visit to St. Thomas, we knew we had found it. Lucas is an Air Force veteran and now works in the Pittsford school district. Michelle is a yoga teacher, Reiki master, full-spectrum doula, and a real estate investor. Our most important titles are Mom and Dad to twins Mirabella and Orlando. We love to travel, the water, eat yummy foods, and connect with people.

Brent & Beth Kecskemety

Last summer, we were invited to attend a service at

St Thomas’ by our friends, Jim and Nancy Stefano.

We are former Catholics looking for a new place to worship and found St. Thomas’ to be an excellent

fit for our values and beliefs. We have lived in the Rochester area for 44 years, but we both grew up

in Cleveland. We are both retired, but in our former careers, Brent was a project manager with a back-ground in electrical engineering. Beth was a former physical therapist and middle school health teacher.

We have three grown children and two grandchildren.

Molly Maenner

I am from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia, where I grew up Presbyterian but started going to my local Episcopalian parish after graduating college and moving back home. I moved to Rochester in August to start my PhD in geosciences at the University of Rochester, where I use seismic waves to learn more about the crust beneath us. I enjoy telling stories and playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends, and I would love to hear about cool birds in the area and where I can go to find them!

Matt Nash

We moved from San Diego, California, last summer

and previously attended Resurrection Episcopal Church

in Ocean Beach. We found the website, and it looked like

a very welcoming and diverse community that is involved

in justice work with the vulnerable. I am a trained spiritual director and retreat leader, and I lead a non-profit organiz-ation called Kardia Community. I love travelling, reading, writing, and also watching more sports than I probably should. I am excited to be part of St. Thomas' and look forward to getting to know more people and getting involved in the life of the church. I would love to get involved in the refugee and migrant ministry.

Markette Pierce

I have lived in Rochester since 2011. I first attended

St. Thomas’ on Ash Wednesday in 2023. I was raised in Episcopal and Methodist churches, but I hadn’t attended

in many years before finding my way to St. Thomas. I work

for eCornell, am a new mom, and enjoy cooking, hiking, reading or listening to audiobooks, and crocheting. I parti-cipated in a food drive a few years back, and I look forward

to helping address hunger in our community once my kiddo

is a little bigger.

Mary Beth Reidy

I moved back to Rochester four years ago (from the NYC metro area) to be closer to family. I recently retired from the events industry. I have two golden retrievers who demand a lot of attention! I am grateful for the welcome I have already received and appreciate the friendly vibe I experience at St. Thomas’. I am already involved in the Community Engagement Ministry and Rural Migrant Ministry.

Meaghan Shields

I grew up in the Rochester area, returning

several years ago. Although I was raised Catholic, this is the first time I have attended church regularly as an adult. I live in the local neighborhood with my wife, Chris, our daughter Charlotte when she’s home on school breaks, and our family cat, Sweetheart. I am grateful to have found St. Thomas’, and I look forward to becoming more involved in the community here.

The Stutzman/Oster Family:

Emily, Geordie, and Brynn

We moved to Rochester this past summer. Geordie is from Rochester and grew up attending St. Thomas’, so he is very excited to be back in his church home. Emily is

a native Long Islander and Jewish. She enjoys getting to know Western New

York and recently started a local branch

of the event Nerd Nite—a monthly lecture series. Brynn is in second grade. She is

an amazing artist, actress, wrestler, and

big sister to her four-legged sister, Fiona.

Mark Your Calendars

Episcopal 101 Class, Sundays, March 1, 15, 22, 25, 11:15 am, Lounge (see details below)
Lenten Wednesday Classes, Wednesdays, February 25, March 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2:00 pm, Lounge (see details below)
Quarterly Parish Potluck, Sunday, March 8, following service, Lower Hall

Click to View All Upcoming Events Listed in the Parish Calendar

Click to View the Prayers for Public Policy and Witness

Formation

Episcopal 101

A class of confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation into the Episcopal Church will meet during Lent. It is a preparation for the Bishop's visit on Easter Sunday, April 5. It is a class for anyone who desires to know more about the Episcopal tradition or to renew their commitment to faith and to the church. We will meet after church on Sundays, March 1, 15, 22, with a walkthrough on March 29.

Please register for the class using the link below. If you have questions, please contact Amma Leslie at leslie@stthomasrochester.org.

Click to Register for Episcopal 101

Lenten Wednesdays

Living Well through Lent devotions will be available in

the Parish Office and at each of the church entrances beginning Sunday, February 8. We will gather for a small group reflection on Wednesdays, February 25, March 4,

11, 18, and 25, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the Lounge. Please register for the class using the link below.

(There is an eight-person requirement to hold the class.)

For more information, contact Amma Leslie at leslie@stthomasrochester.org.

Click to Register for Lenten Wednesdays Classes

Community Engagement

United Thank Offering During Lent

Each Lent, St. Thomas' holds a collection for the United Thank Offering (UTO), a ministry of the Episcopal Church that provides one-time grants

to assist in missionary, health and well-being needs, including projects supporting the environment, overseas projects, community building including LGBTQ+ initiatives, and the Diocese of Jerusalem. The UTO started in 1889, and has addressed needs

in the U.S. and around the world through these gifts. Notice the blessings around you, and give thanks to God through the UTO.

Last year, the UTO funded a $45,000 grant for The Episcopal Diocese of New York's
I Sea You, Equipping Chaplains to Support the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Needs of Mariners Marginalized by Sea Blindness initiative for the Seamen’s Church Institute.

UTO coin boxes and brochures are available at both church entrances. Alternatively, you may mail a check to the church with "UTO" noted in the memo section. All contributions will be will be gathered at the end of Lent on April 19. Please consider joining us in giving thanks this Lent through the UTO. For more information, visit United Thank Offering or contact Wendy Petry, UTO Chairwoman, at wendywhp@yahoo.com.

Souper Bowl Sundays Are Back

St. Thomas' is collecting cans of soup and

boxes of crackers for the Brighton Food

Cupboard to address hunger and food

insecurity for those in need. It is especially

important for children and seniors to have

a helping hand this time of year. Drop off

your soup and crackers in the marked barrels located at the Highland entrance and in the

Lower Hall during the month of February.

Brighton Food Cupboard is a program of Jewish Family Service of Rochester

in partnership with the Brighton Central School District and Foodlink.

Children and Youth Ministry

The First Sin

This Sunday is the first Sunday in Lent. Throughout this season, the Sunday School lessons will focus on topics like sin, forgiveness, repentance, and reconciliation. This week, we will read Genesis

3:1-24, the story of Eve, Adam, the Serpent, and the Tree of Knowledge. God told Adam and Eve

not to eat the fruit from one specific tree in the Garden of Eden, but the Serpent convinces them

to do otherwise. Upon eating from the tree, Adam and Eve knew the difference between good and evil. But God does not abandon them in their disobedience. God remains with them wherever they go for the rest of their lives. Our lesson this week will discuss the ways God remains true to us and forgives us even when we do things we know are wrong.

Youth Group

The Youth Group will meet on the first and third Sunday of each month. All are welcome. Please contact either Rev. Lydia at lydia@stthomasrochester.org or Paula Gitlin at paula@stthomasrochester.org with any questions or concerns.

Click to Register for Youth and Children's Programs

Confirmation Class 2026

Confirmation Class continues this Sunday, February 22, following worship. We will

meet from 11:15 am to 12:30 pm in the Conference Room. Snacks will be provided.

This week, we will be exploring prayer, confession, and reconciliation.

For questions about Confirmation, please contact Rev. Lydia at 585.442.3544, ext. 104 or lydia@stthomasrochester.org.

In Case You Missed It

Episcopal SeniorLife Communities is hosting an educational workshop on financial scams presented by Daniel Lyon from Lifespan on Wednesday, February 25, at 2:00 pm. The event

will be at the Valley Manor Independent Living Education Center, 1570 East Avenue, Rochester. Enter on the carport side and

follow the signs to the Education Center.

Fourth Annual International Women’s Day Celebration

The International Women’s Fellowship of the Church of the Ascension is hosting its Fourth Annual International Women’s Day Celebration on Saturday, March 7, at 10:00 am, at the Church of the Ascension on 2 Riverside Street in Rochester. Registration is required. Please call 585.458.5423 or email

at ascension@rochester.twcbc.com to reserve your spot by February 28.

Click to View the International Women’s Day Flyer

Diocesan Discernment Day

Each person has gifts and graces for ministry, whether it is as a lay person or as

an ordained person. If you are discerning a call, please speak with Amma Leslie

prior to registering for this event. Discernment is a communal effort, and pastoral guidance is necessary.

Diocesan Discernment Day will be held on Saturday, March 7, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Henrietta, New York. The day will begin with Holy Eucharist, followed by panel discussions exploring discernment and what calls us to lay or ordained ministry. After lunch, there will be time for private prayer and discernment, and quiet conversations with those who have recently discerned a call. All are welcome, including those who are curious about discernment, those in the ordination process, and those who are being nudged by the Holy Spirit. In-person attendance and registration are required.