THANKSGIVING ECUMENICAL 
SERVICE TOMORROW - TUESDAY NOVEMBER 25TH!

Many thanks to all who assisted with this past Sunday's Morning Prayer service, especially our leader Newlin Keen and preacher Mary Smegielski, who stepped up very last minute!

Please join us this Sunday, November 30th at 9am for Morning Prayer with Bobby Naeher leading and Ella Frauenhofer preaching.

The True Story of a Stranger

After their post-Eucharist Coffee Hour respite, our choir was rehearsing in the Sanctuary on a Sunday.

They were joined by a person unfamiliar to any of them whose sole purpose was to sit in the Sanctuary and enjoy the music.

When the choir finished their rehearsal, the stranger approached Alicia Kirsch to tell her that they love all that Trinity does and that they would like to support our mission.

They then gave Alicia fifty-one cents to add to the collection plate.

Do we see the face of God when it is right in front of us? Would we see Christ were He right in

front of us? After all, His disciples didn’t recognize Him after the resurrection…

Do we see the gifts which each and every one of us give to one another each and every day?

Do we see how important even the apparently smallest gift of love is? Do we see how quickly all of those “small” gifts add up to make a shining beacon of hope?

Continue to welcome the stranger with gifts of love.

We think God is telling us we’re on the right track.

~ Your Wardens

Above is a bronze mite, also known as a Lepton (meaning small), minted by Alexander Jannaeus, King of Judaea, 103–76 BC and still in circulation at the time of Jesus.

Healing Services at Trinity

We have started up our healing services at Trinity once a month. If you have been at Trinity for a while, you will remember we did a healing service with healing ministers welcoming requests for prayers and a laying on of hands. 

Always we begin again, and we began our healing services again on November 16 during communion. We will do this again in December.

Mary Smegielski and Naomi Cardello will be at the side altars during communion, to pray for you and with you - for yourself, someone you know, or anything that you feel needs prayers at this particular time.

Many thanks to Mary and Naomi for bringing back Healing Services to Trinity!

This is the faith formation schedule for the rest of the month - we are still reading Following the Call. Join us after Coffee Hour! 

Nov 30: Reading 30, Our Father

Dec 7: Reading 31, God's Name

Overflow Season Shelter 2025-2026

The Overflow Season Shelter will open in the Upper Parish Hall on December 1 and it will run through mid-April. The hours are 7pm to 8am. If a person wishes to get a bed here, they must start by calling 211.

The shelter has cots for 24 men in the UPH; ten cots for women in the Lower Chapel; and six cots for a family in the rectory. Up to forty guests each night can find shelter here, but there are still people unsheltered each night in Torrington; some sleep in the woods, while others double-up with friends or family temporarily. Every year, the numbers go up...

This program is run by the NWCT Y, which has a budget of $190,000 (down $25,000 from last season). At least two paid staff members monitor the program each evening (one worker on each floor) and they are awake all night.

The Community Kitchen of Torrington will again provide simple dinners four evenings a week, as there is dinner served in the kitchen on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Breakfast is served weekdays at 8am (right when the shelter closes), and noontime hot lunches are served seven days a week.

The seasonal shelter is a collaboration that includes NWCT Y, Trinity Church, Community Kitchen of Torrington, McCall Behavioral Health Network, Greenwoods Counseling, and Torrington Police Department.

If you are planning an event at Trinity this winter, please let Mel know, so that we can coordinate the spaces as best as possible.

If you would like to help the shelter, please consider donating new pillows. Gift cards to Walmart - in any amount - are always welcome; staff can use Walmart gift cards to buy things for the guests, such as heat-and-eat meals, clothing and shoes, toiletries, and other necessary items and supplies.

Last season, 142 guests (up from 132 the season prior) resulted in 4,204 bed nights (up from 3,206 the season prior); bed nights are a total of the number of occupied beds for the season. 112 of these people were new to the shelter. 39 were identified as chronically homeless.

Roughly two-thirds of the guests were men. 47% of the total guests were from Torrington; 8% were from Waterbury; and 7% were from Winsted. Ten guests were out-of-state.

81% reported a disabling condition. 68% were on disability, and 12% were retired.

A Brief History of Operation Overflow

Operation Overflow started right here at Trinity Church in November of 2003, with numerous local volunteers monitoring the program at four rotating area churches - each church would host the program for about four weeks, then we would move all the cots, bedding and supplies to the next church. Two volunteers would actually sleep during the night with up to a dozen guests; we would add a third volunteer if we went over a dozen guests, so we had a capacity for up to 18 guests with three volunteers.

In March of 2020, Covid hit and the program was immediately suspended. As our world changed, the seasonal overflow program changed, too. It was initially run by the United Way, and after two seasons, the Northwest Y started managing it - the Y continues to do a great job!

The Future of Overflow

This is the third season we have hosted the overflow shelter with the Y, but we would really like to see the shelter in a larger building that can better suit the needs of the guests and the program. Ideally, the shelter would be year-round, as people are unsheltered all year, and are often living outside.

If you have any questions or concerns about the overflow shelter, please contact Conrad.

Trinity has a church video license (through CVLI) that lets us show movies in our church.

What movie would YOU like to see screened in our sanctuary?

A concert movie? A family movie? Fantasy?
Drama? Thriller? Mystery? Documentary? 
Comedy? Sci-fi? Rom-com? Horror?

Thousands of titles are available - consider a movie and fresh popcorn, maybe a discussion...

See Conrad (or email him) if you can recommend a title or two, and then let's make it happen!

Do you have a name badge? With different clergy and new people visiting Trinity, it is a great time to wear your Trinity name badge!

If you need a badge, please print your name clearly on the clipboard in the back of the church, and Mel will make one for you.

We definitely need some people to step forward and host Coffee Hour. It's very easy and very appreciated! Just sign up for a date, then bring in some snacks (home-made or store-bought), set up the table, percolate percolate percolate, then clean up.

If you have any questions, please ask Ella, Tiffany or Richard. The sign-up is in the Upper Parish Hall.

We recently installed an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) at Trinity, in the hallway that connects the Upper Parish Hall to the church. It is very simple to use and does not require any special training, as it is automated and delivers clear and simple instructions as soon as it is turned on.

Dr. Jess will be available at Coffee Hour next week (November 30) to show what is in our defibrillator pack and how it works. You can also familiarize yourself with the AED by watching this brief video.

Please see Dr. Jess if you have any questions about the AED.

NEW LAY PREACHING CLASS

Ginnie Glassman is gathering a new Lay Preacher Training Group and is now taking reservations for her next lay preaching class to begin Monday, January 5, and will meet every Monday through February 23. Meetings will be on Zoom from 7 pm to 9:30 pm each week. If these dates and times work for you and you would like to be part of the group, please contact her at GinnieG123@aol.com.

The training takes eight weeks (four meetings, one week off, then three more meetings). All meetings are on Zoom. Meetings are 2-1/2 hours. There are short weekly assignments, no assigned reading, no textbooks, no exams, no prerequisites and no fee. There is a good discussion of Scripture, weekly guest speakers, an opportunity to practice public speaking and a chance to meet other lay preachers in the Diocese.

There is no required commitment to preach following the classes; it is a chance to explore the possibilities or develop your gifts for speaking in a small group. Anyone who is interested or wants more information can contact Ginnie Glassman directly at GinnieG123@aol.com

Editor's Note: if you are curious about lay preaching, or have any questions about lay preaching, please talk to any of Trinity's lay preachers (Ella, Mary S, Roger, Naomi, Dr. Jess, Lydia or Conrad) and they can answer any questions you might have. Lay preaching is a great volunteer opportunity that has so many benefits...

Come Away to Camp Washington

for Thanksgiving -

rooms available Wednesday 
and Thursday nights



November 26-28, 2025

Join us for a Thanksgiving Celebration with delicious food & the exceptional hospitality you have come to expect at Camp Washington.

Join us for one night, two, or just for Thanksgiving Day and dinner. Come with family, friends, or come alone and make new friends. There is a place for you at the table!

Relax by the fire, participate in worship, go for a hike, do a puzzle, take a nap, read a book, watch the game or just simply be. Leave the holiday stress behind.



Come away to Camp Washington and make our Thanksgiving tradition yours.

Thanksgiving Day Ticket includes meals and activities, from 9 AM to 5 PM for $50.00 per person   

Pricing for overnights & additional meals is available by clicking the registration link here.

Thanksgiving at Camp Washington tentative schedule:

Wednesday, Nov 26 - Thanksgiving Eve    

3 PM: Arrival / Check-In    

6 PM: Dinner - for overnight guests

Thursday, Nov 27 - Thanksgiving Day    

8:30 AM: Breakfast - for overnight guests

9AM: Continental Breakfast available - for day guests

9AM - Noon: Macy's Parade Viewing / Hiking / Walking / Puzzles / Games / Crafts    

Noon: Thanksgiving Day Eucharist    

2 PM: Thanksgiving Dinner    

3:30 - 6 PM: Afternoon Activities    

6:30 PM: "Leftovers" Supper - for overnight guests

Friday, Nov 28 -         

9 AM: Breakfast - for overnight guests

11 AM: Check-Out / Departure

Other Events at Camp Washington

Waiting with the Saints: An Advent Quiet Day in Word and Song at Camp Washington



Join the Rev. Tuesday Rupp and master musician Ruth Cunningham at Camp Washington on Saturday, December 13th from 9a to 3pm.  Guided by the writings of saints and mystics through time, we will explore what it means to wait for the coming of Christ in our midst. The emphasis will be on singing, contemplation, rest, and devotion.

The cost is $60.00 per person, and lunch is included.

Need-based financial aid is available for all Camp Washington Programs: please contact Camp directly for details.

Click here for event details and registration.

Events in the Community

The John Brown Project is PUSHING THE ROCK

A partner organization of ours, The John Brown Project, is in the middle of a crowdfunding campaign which gives voice to those of us feeling voiceless right now. 

They are producing a film about systemic racism, and have interviewed some amazing people. As they phrase it, "If you don't have time to interview one of the remaining Tuskegee Airmen and produce a film, you can join ours!"

In all seriousness, it's an important project from a great organization offering ownership in a piece of the historic record. You can learn more and invest in the project here: https://seedandspark.com/fund/pushing-the-rock#story

If you have any questions about this project, please ask Conrad. Thank you!

Below is Dan interviewing Brigadier General Enoch Woodhouse II, J.D., at the Tuskegee Airmen National Convention in Arlington, VA, Sep 13, 2024. Gen. Woodhouse shared that in his many interviews, this one was unique because all we wanted to talk about was his experiences with systemic racism—"the biggest problem we face in America."

A parishioner recently received the following email:

From: Ms. Melanie Lay <pastorofficecom.org@gmail.com>

Sent: Monday, September 29, 2025 7:35 AM

To: [Trinity Parishioner's Email Address]

Subject: [Trinity Parishioner's Name]

Hello. Do you have a moment? I have a discreet request for you. I'm busy right now, so please respond by email only.

Ms. Melanie Lay

Administrator

Trinity Episcopal Church

220 Prospect Street, Torrington, CT 06790

++++++++++++++++++

The parishioner looked at the email address of the sender - while she recognized Mel's name, the email address attached to her name (pastorofficecom.org@gmail.com) was a strange email address, not her usual one.

Also, the "discreet request" sounded suspicious, as well as the direction to "respond by email only."

If you receive a suspicious email from someone, please call or text them to confirm that the email really came from them. If they did not send you the suspicious email, you can report it and block the sender.

When in doubt, check it out - call your friend to confirm their communication.

Dear Trinity Parish,

Now that we are officially a “Parish in Transition,” we want to be sure that everyone continues to have access to everything they need.

We have created a document similar to what we used for Mother Carrie’s parental leave in that it addresses who to contact in what circumstance, along with ways to contact those people.

It is not a perfect document but it is a good place to start! Please click here to read it.

Never hesitate to contact either me or Roger Coutant (as Wardens) or any of your Vestry members. We are all here to service God in the church – and that means one another.

Life is transition, after all. And we manage to get through that pretty well when we all work together!

~Lydia Babbitt

Senior Warden

A TALE OF TWO TRINITIES!

Members of the Trinity Torrington Vestry took a field trip to Trinity Lime Rock on Sunday, September 21, 2025. We were welcomed warmly by the Trinity Lime Rock Vestry, and we shared a simple and delicious lunch as we met.

Trinity Lime Rock is also in search of a half time priest in charge (PIC). In an effort to conserve resources and greatly expand our applicant pool, your Vestry is considering joining with Lime Rock to call a full time PIC to be shared between the two parishes.

What does this mean? This means that we are considering entering into a joint Letter of Agreement with a Priest in Charge who would work half time for Trinity Torrington and half time for Trinity Lime Rock. We have not come to a final decision as of yet.

Why Trinity Lime Rock? There are many similarities between our two parishes which make us

think that a partnership such as this might work. Please see Trinity Lime Rock’s Parish Profile by clicking here.

Are we merging Parishes? Will one parish take over? Will one close? The answer to all three of these questions is, “No.”

How might this work? The arrangement would be very similar to what we have experienced over the last six years. The PIC would work 20 hours per week for us and be present to celebrate two services of Holy Eucharist per month. Logistics such as holidays (Christmas, Easter, etc) and any fifth Sundays in a month would need to be negotiated and agreed upon

with the PIC and both parishes.

What’s next? Your Vestry and your Wardens continue to work on the information required by the Diocese. We are currently working on financial documents which are complicated and time- consuming. But we shall get the work done!

Questions? Ask! Ask your Vestry members and or your Wardens. We will be happy to answer!

OUR PARISH PROFILE IS COMPLETE!

Click here to read the short version, and click here to read the full version.

BIG THANKS to all who responded to the survey and to those who helped create the profile.

If you have an announcement or event that you would like publicized, or if you are a parishioner involved in an event that you would like to share with the parish, please send it to The Portal at announcements@trinity-torrington.org, and we can then direct your announcement to the best method of communication.