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A Christian community of all ages
grounded in
worship, well-being, and service.
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March 22 -
March 28, 2025
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From the Rector
Dear Friends,
Part of the richness of this Lent for me has been the Episcopal Beliefs and Practices class. The depth of participation and fellowship has been wonderful. The content, whether I've been preparing to teach or experiencing Meaghan's teaching, has reminded me why I love the Episcopal Church. At this point in the course we are really delving into our worship. Last week we looked at the Book of Common Prayer and the liturgical year, two foundations of our worship. This week we will be learning about the sacraments, the creeds and the Bible and how it is used in the Episcopal Church.
At both services this week we have a special offering for the whole community. We will be doing something called an instructed Eucharist. Meaghan will be presiding, and at various points in the service, I will be offering a narration or bit of instruction about what we are about to do and why we do it. We have never done this sort of service before, but I thought it would be a great opportunity for learning and worship combined.
I hope that this will deepen your understanding of this sacrament. Worship is a most important part of our Christian life. I have heard it said that if you want to know what Episcopalians believe, join them in worship. As always, I look forward to worshiping with you and I hope this instructed Eucharist will feed your mind and soul.
Last weekend we had a vestry retreat. As the governing body of St. Mary’s, we take our leadership seriously. We believe our spiritual leadership is as important as our fiduciary responsibility.
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We took time to listen for God’s guidance in our shared ministry. I wanted to share a few of the important takeaways from our time together and our discernment.
We reflected on the importance of being still in this chaotic time. We want to create more of a sanctuary, a grounding space, where people can come to experience this place and community and know that God is real.
We believe that many people beyond St. Mary’s do not realize that what the world needs can be found here. It is a place of belonging and healing. We may need more “flags, swag, and brag.”
We may want to be strategic in our outreach, asking the wider community, “What do you need?” And then ask ourselves, "What can we reasonably and generously provide?”
One of the activities we did was to walk the campus in contemplation and appreciation for this holy place. We each submitted photos for the slide show above. Enjoy and give thanks. You matter here.
Faithfully, Jennifer
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Highlights
in the
Coming Weeks
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Weekly worship services in the
Historic Church:
Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and
Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
Lenten events are in purple.
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Sunday, 3.23 -- Episcopal Beliefs and Practices, after 10:00 service, St. George's Chapel. Details below.
Wednesday, 3.26 -- Lenten book discussion, 4:00 p.m., Southside Studio, Parish House. Details below.
Sunday, 3.30 -- Episcopal Beliefs and Practices, after 10:00 service, St. George's Chapel. Details below.
Wednesday, 4.2 -- Lenten book discussion, 4:00 p.m., Southside Studio, Parish House. Details below.
Saturday, 4.5 -- Bites and Beverages, after 5:00 service, Parish House. Note: This is a potluck Bites and Beverages. See details below.
Sunday, 4.6 -- Episcopal Beliefs and Practices, after 10:00 service, St. George's Chapel. Details below.
Wednesday, 4.9 -- Lenten book discussion, 4:00 p.m., Southside Studio, Parish House. Details below.
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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.
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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.
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Join us for Holy Week services as we move through the last days of Jesus's life and remember his triumphant resurrection over death.
Palm Saturday and Sunday, 4.12 at 5:00 and 4.13 at 10:00, Worship in historic church.
• Blessing and procession of the palms at both services
Triduum Sacrum, The Three Holy Days
• Maundy Thursday, 4.17 at 7:00 p.m., Worship in historic church. Will be streamed.
• Good Friday, 4.18 at noon and 7:00 p.m., Worship in historic church. 7:00 service will be streamed.
• Great Vigil of Easter, 4.19 at 7:30 p.m., The most holy service of the year. We will gather at the new fire and celebrate a night like no other.
• Joyous celebration following worship in the parish house. The chocolate fountain will be flowing!
Easter Sunday, 4.20
• 9:00 a.m., Worship in historic church. Will be streamed.
• 10:15 a.m., Easter egg hunt, Parish House
• 11:00 a.m., Worship in historic church
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April Bites and Beverages
Everyone is invited to join us for our monthly Bites and Beverages following the 5:00 service on April 5.
For April we're doing a potluck event, so prepare your favorite nibble, appetizer, cheese and meat board! We'll provide the beverages (nonalcoholic as well as wine).
Now that the days are longer, join in food and fellowship to begin the month.
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Lenten Book Group
Join Jenny Williams and The Rev. Meaghan Brower on Wednesday afternoons at 4:00 p.m. in Lent for a book group on An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor.
Discussions will be in the Southside Classroom in the Parish House on March 26, April 2, 9, and 16.
For Wednesday, March 26, please read chapters 5 and 6.
And join us even if you haven't already or haven't read the chapters!
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Episcopal Beliefs and Practices
Join Jennifer and Meaghan over six Sundays to learn more about the Episcopal Church. This course will be informative and fun for any and all people at St. Mary's, and is specifically offered for people considering confirmation or reception in the Episcopal Church. If you missed the first class you can watch it online (left). An outline of the class information is also available here.
Upcoming dates for class are March 23, 30, and April 6. Our worship services on March 22 and 23 will include an Instructed Eucharist.
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Watch the March 9th class on The Book of Common Prayer and the liturgical year.
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We'll be having an Easter egg hunt between the services on Easter! Be sure to bring candy for the eggs.
Please leave your candy in the entrance to the church. The deadline for collecting candy is Palm Sunday, April 13.
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