Parish Weekly June 5, 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' Beloved.

This Sunday, June 7th, is Education for Ministry (EfM) Sunday!

Two graduates, Laura Thomas and Jane Smith, have finished four years of the program. We will give thanks

for their achievement. EfM offered a new one-year program this year called Wide-Angle, and both Charlie Zettek and Susan Chazan have finished it; we will give thanks for their great efforts as well. 

Cathy Dahler and Maggie Detty have served as co-mentors of the program this program year. I give thanks for their time, wisdom, and leadership. On Sunday, we will give thanks to Cathy Dahler's leadership as a mentor for the last four years. Cathy will be stepping down as mentor of the program, and Maggie Detty, along with Jane Smith, will be serving as co-mentors for the 2026-2027 program year, for which we give thanks.

Following worship, there will be an opportunity to learn more about EfM and to ask questions. I hope you can join us! 

Faithfully, 

Amma Leslie+

A note from the mentors:

Interested in learning more about Education for Ministry's four-year or one-year mentored program held here at St. Thomas’, where a group of curious Christians learn more about their faith and apply it to their daily lives? Wondering whether it might be the right fit for you? Grab a snack at Hospitality Hour this Sunday, June 7, after church, and join us for an informal gathering in the Youth Room off the Lower Hall. 

Need more information? Contact Maggie Detty at loganchem@aol.com, Jane Smith at jemsmith@frontier.com, or Cathy Dahler at dahler88@gmail.com.

Mark Your Calendars

• Education for Ministry (EfM) Sunday, Sunday, June 7, following worship, Youth Room (off Lower Hall)
• Parish Potluck Luncheon, Sunday, June 14, following worship

Children and Youth Ministry

Abram’s Call

This week in Sunday School, we will read the story of Abram’s call from God found in Genesis 12:1-9. God’s call for Abram means he must leave his homeland to travel to a new place. Abram, his wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot walk many miles through the desert until they come to the land

of Canaan where they begin their new lives. Our lesson this week will focus on how we listen for God calling in our own lives and how we journey with God and each other into new beginnings.

Community Engagement



2026 Rochester Pride Parade

Mark your calendars to join the Episcopal Diocese

of Rochester in the Rochester Pride Parade on

July 18, 2026. See the form below to sign up and

for more information about other upcoming Pride events throughout the Diocese.



Brighton Food Cupboard Requests

The Brighton Food Cupboard is a program of Jewish Family Service of Rochester in partnership with the Brighton Central School District and Foodlink. June donation needs for the Brighton Food Cupboard include rice and unscented soap.

Drop off your donations in the collection boxes located at each church entrance. Thanks for caring and sharing in the love!

Attitude of Gratitude

The Women of St. Thomas' recently honored Deacon Andrea for her remarkable 50 years of dedicated service

to the parish. At the group's May gathering, members

came together to celebrate this impressive milestone, expressing their gratitude and appreciation for Deacon Andrea's enduring commitment and leadership within

the community. The special event was filled with heartfelt tributes, shared memories, and a spirit of fellowship that reflected the deep impact Deacon Andrea has had on

St. Thomas' over the past five decades.

Last Sunday, a dedicated group of volunteers gathered for Gardening Day, demonstrating that even a small team can make a significant difference. Tom and Donna Dinse led the way with energy and enthusiasm, joined by Amma Leslie, Sue Chazan, Spiro Janetos, Lisa Hand, and two visitors from Arizona. Together, they tackled a variety of projects, including planting ground cover by the new lilac bush and filling four decorative planters with vibrant annuals, and an enormous amount of weeding to rejuvenate the garden spaces. Looking ahead, the next project on the agenda is to enhance and simplify the east driveway loop garden with hostas and ferns.

Special recognition goes to Lisa Hand and Susan Chazan for their outstanding leadership and organizational skills, ensuring the day's success. Thanks to this small but mighty group, the community will soon enjoy even more beautiful and welcoming garden spaces at St. Thomas'.

If you have thanksgivings to share, please email Amy Holowczenko, Communication

& Reception, at communications@stthomasrochester.org.

Worship Ministry

Altar Flowers

If you appreciate the beauty of altar flowers, have an occasion to give thanks for, wish

to celebrate a special event, or want to honor

a loved one, consider sponsoring flowers

for one of our weekly worship services.

When you sponsor an arrangement, you

have the option of our Watchcare ministry delivering them to a parishioner who is homebound or in need of some floral cheer, or you may take them home after the service. Many dates are available this summer for you to sign up and make a donation.

Signing up is easy and fast! Call the Parish Office at 585.442.3544 or click the link below. For more details, contact Vicky Rupley at vrupley@gmail.com or 585.233.2546.

In Case You Missed It



Join the Choir

All teens and adults are invited to join

the Choir for any or all of the Sundays through June 28. Please wear white and black attire, rather than the usual formal robes. Rehearsal begins each Sunday

at 8:45 am in the Choir Room, where we review three anthems plus service music for that morning. Choir participants may

opt to sing most of the service from their pew and come forward to join the choir

for the anthem and Doxology.

Beginning June 7 and throughout the summer, the congregation will sing the following inclusive words in addition to the usual Eastertide Doxology tune:  

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.

Praise God, all creatures high and low. Alleluia, alleluia!

Praise God, in Jesus fully known: Creator, Word, and Spirit one.

Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Contact Rhonda Wright at organist@stthomasrochester.org with any questions.

Sunday Live Stream Service at 10:00 am is available on St. Thomas' YouTube channel—St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Rochester, NY. The live stream can

be viewed any time after 10:00 am throughout the week. 

Emergency Contacts

Brighton Food Cupboard

(585) 271-5355

Centers for Disease Control

cdc.gov

Episcopal Relief

& Development

(faith-based response

to epidemics)

bit.ly/2VMcNuu

Interpersonal

Violence Hotline

(for physical and mental related to interpersonal violence and trauma)

(585) 275-HEAL

Monroe County Department of Health

monroecounty.gov/health-coronavirus

National Child

Abuse Hotline

(800) 342-3720

National Suicide Prevention

988

New York State Mental

Health Provider Hotline

(844) 863-9314

NYS Office of

Addiction Services https://oasas.ny.gov/ 

Rochester AA Support

(585) 232-6720

Willow Domestic
Violence Center

(585) 222-SAFE

The Trevor Project

(for LGBTQ youth, 13-14)

1 (866) 488-7386

St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church of Rochester, New York, is proud

to stand with the Greater Rochester Black Agenda Group and its declaration that “Racism is a Public Health Crisis." As a community

of faith and followers of Jesus Christ, we believe that every person

is continually made in the image of God beautifully and wonderfully.

We are committed to doing the hard work of love. We are dedicated

to the practice of growing and learning how to know and love our neighbors as we seek to create community. We hold the hope that

love does win through forgiveness, kindness, and transformation.

We desire to be a people who work for the equity of all. We work to acknowledge our complicity

and part in racism, and we are committed to working together to tackle injustice in our lives, in our church, in our community, and in the world.