Parish Weekly May 15, 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

Easter Gifts of Joy!

On Sunday, St. Thomas' welcomed two young children, Patrick and Maggie, to the household of God! We said "yes" to raising them in the love of Christ and to support their family, Michael and Kelly Daly, and their big sister Claire. This sweet family has entrusted

us to share in the loving

and nurturing of young souls; this is a gift and responsibility. Thank you for saying "yes"

to them. There are many ways we do this, one of which is to serve as a Sunday school teacher. Please see Rev. Lydia Arnts' article below for details about how to get involved.

Alleluia Christ is risen!

Faithfully,

Amma Leslie+

Mark Your Calendars

Women of St. Thomas', Thursday, May 21, 11:30 am, Lounge
Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, Parish Office closed
Community Workshop: Advocating for More Housing Options, Wednesday, May 27, 4:30-8:30 pm, Great Hall
Education for Ministry Sunday, Sunday, June 7, following worship

Click to View All Upcoming Events Listed in the Parish Calendar

Click to View the Prayers for Public Policy and Witness

Worship Ministry

Education for Ministry Sunday

Education for Ministry (EfM) is a formation program offered by the University of the South. It recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, and St. Thomas' has proudly hosted

an active EfM group since 2018. Don’t be fooled by the name—the program is not

about preparing for ordination in the Episcopal Church! Instead, it is a structured program designed for anyone eager to deepen their understanding of their faith. Each week, a community of Christians gathers to explore faith through reading, discussion, sharing, and reflection. Together, we support one another in discerning where our lives as Christians are leading us.

Interested in learning more about EfM? Contact Maggie Detty at loganchem@aol.com, Jane Smith at jemsmith@frontier.com, or Cathy Dahler at dahler88@gmail.com, or join us for an informal gathering after the worship service on Sunday, June 7.

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 our weekly worship services. There are many available dates in the coming months for you to 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.

Click to Sign Up for Altar Flowers

Attitude of Gratitude

St. Mark's & St. John's pastors, Cindy and Maria, wish to extend a heartfelt thank you

to the St. Thomas' parishioners who have supported their Food Shelf Ministry. With our support, they have been able to supplement the needs of those impacted by recent changes to SNAP benefits.

The Girl Scouts of Western New York Brighton Service Unit and Troop 60420 recently presented St. Thomas' with a certificate of appreciation, recognizing its ongoing partnership and generosity in providing space for their meeting

and events, and for fostering a positive environment for the girls. Troop leader Kearie Baumgartner expressed her heartfelt gratitude, emphasizing that the parish's enduring support and sense of community have never gone unnoticed and are deeply appreciated.

Congratulations to Joanne Russo Insull on the publication of her new children's book, Asinella: The Nanny Donkey. The book is available for purchase at Barnes & Noble.

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

& Reception, at communications@stthomasrochester.org.

Children and Youth Ministry

The Ascension

This week in Sunday School, we will read

the story of Jesus’ ascension into heaven

found in Acts 1:6-14. Here, Jesus instructs

the disciples to continue sharing his story

and God’s works in their daily lives. As

he ascends into heaven, the disciples are

confused, but then they remember Jesus’ instructions and go out to be his witnesses

in the world. Our lesson will focus on how change can be surprising and ask us to do

hard things, but we are given the Holy Spirit

to guide us. We will also discuss how we can

share the stories of Jesus and be witnesses, just like the disciples, here and now.

Youth Group

This Sunday, May 17, marks our final Youth Group meeting of the program year.

We will celebrate with lunch, reflections of our time together, and games. Thank

you to all who have made this year a wonderful time of growth!

If you are interested in joining Youth Group, please direct any questions to Rev. Lydia

at lydia@stthomasrochester.org or Paula Gitlin at paula@stthomasrochester.org. We will begin our meetings again next Program Year in the fall.

Click to Register for Youth and Children's Programs

Children and Youth Ministries Survey

As we prepare for our next program year at St. Thomas’, we are hoping to hear the

needs of the families in our parish. If you are a parent of a child(ren) in our parish,

please fill out the survey below no later than Sunday, May 24. Thank you in advance for your participation.

Questions, concerns, or further thoughts may be directed to The Rev. Lydia Arnts

at lydia@stthomasrochester.org.

Click to View the Children and Youth Ministry Survey

Ministry News

On Saturday, May 2, members

of the St. Thomas Creation Care ministry gathered in Syracuse

for Honoring Our Sacred Gifts: Conversations with Robin Wall

Kimmerer. The day, sponsored

by the Episcopal Diocese of

Central New York began with

Dr. Kimmerer's inspiring keynote

and continued with a lively breakout that deepened our appreciation for Creation Care. Everyone returned home uplifted and inspired.

Fellowship Ministry

Women of St. Thomas’ May Meeting

Deacon Andrea Stridiron will share her memories of her 50 years at our parish at this month's gathering of the Women of St. Thomas' on Thursday, May 21, at 11:30 am in the Lounge.

The program will begin at 11:30 am, followed by lunch. Each attendee should bring a sandwich, salad, or soup for themselves. Beverages, chips, and dessert will be provided. For more information, contact Linda Coleman at 585.313.3164.

Property Commission

Gardening Gathering

Save the date for a bit of gardening on our beautiful grounds on Sunday, May 31, after the service. No planting knowledge needed. Shovels and gloves will be provided. For more information, contact Lisa Hand at lisahand711@gmail.com.

Community Engagement

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. May and 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!

In Cased You Missed It

The Art of Caring

Join Crossroads of Caring on Monday, June 15, at Artisan Works for an inspiring evening dedicated to the artful work of compassion, to support those who bring comfort, presence, and hope in times of illness and uncertainty.

Tickets include admission to a private gallery space and dinner catered by Madeline’s. Doors open at 5:30 pm; dinner and program from 6:00 to 7:30 pm; and gallery access until 8:00 pm.

Click to Purchase Art of Caring Tickets

Sharing the Good News

This year's Bishop’s Appeal funds will support the creation of a customizable campaign kit—including social media, welcome, and advertising—to invite the wider community into our parishes. Donations will be accepted throughout 2026, with campaign work beginning mid-year.

4 Easy Ways to Give

Online: Use the link below
Text ‘Joy’ to 73256
Mail a check, payable to the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester (note Bishop’s Appeal in memo), to 3825 E Henrietta Rd, Ste 100, Henrietta, NY 14467
Bill Pay: Contact your bank to schedule a monthly donation through a bill pay service