This Week at St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo
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Stay informed about what's happening at St. Mary's by subscribing to our weekly newsletter...
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For your safety, the church building, preschool and office are closed during the pandemic. All services are being live-streamed on
Facebook
(you do not need a Facebook account to participate).
Friday, June 26
5pm - Evening Prayer
Saturday, June 27
9pm - Compline
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost, June 28
10am - Holy Eucharist
Monday, June 29
5pm - Evening Prayer
Tuesday, June 30
10am - Morning Prayer
Wednesday, July 1
5pm - Evening Prayer
Thursday, July 2
10am - Morning Prayer
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Dear Parishioners and Friends,
This week the Church celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist. His mother, St. Elizabeth, and the mother of Jesus, St. Mary, were cousins. In the story of the Visitation, after the Annunciation, Mary goes to visit her cousin who has conceived in old age. When Mary greeted her, the babe in her womb kept for joy. That babe was, of course, John the Baptist.
From even before his birth, John heralded Jesus as the Messiah. We know next to nothing about the intervening years between that event and the baptism. Finally, though, in great humility, the Son of God is baptized in the Jordan River by his cousin John, and the voice of God proclaims Jesus as his Son.
May we, like John, live lives of sincerity and repentance, and always proclaim Jesus as God’s son.
Almighty God, by whose providence thy servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and, after his example, constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Blessings,
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Plan for Resuming Public Worship
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Since March 15, a question on everyone’s mind has been, “When can we go back to ‘normal’?” Since that time, we have gained a much better understanding of what we are up against, and yet things still seem to be changing daily. In the small town atmosphere of Tuxedo, it is easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. However, we must remember that the COVID virus remains a serious threat to all of us, especially the immune-compromised and elderly. Just yesterday, we learned that a loved local establishment will be closing for a week because a staff member has tested positive -- we are praying for the proprietors and staff. This reminds us that even in Tuxedo, we need to continue to take all sensible precautions to protect ourselves and others.
The Rector, Wardens, and Vestry are working in concert to facilitate the safest possible return to public worship. We are still planning on a July 5 return, but note that we continue to get new information about what's safe. Please know that we all want nothing more than to get together again for worship, but that sometimes our love for one another calls us to make sacrifices. Keep an open heart and an open mind. Pray for the leadership of St. Mary’s. Pray for an end to the pandemic.
A separate email will be forthcoming with specific details about our worship in the weeks and months to come. In the mean time, please read our Bishop’s
latest direction
to the clergy on this topic. Our services continue daily online.
Father Rick
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A sanctuary lamp has been hung in the church directly above the tabernacle, where the Blessed Sacrament is kept in reserve. The perpetual light of the lamp reminds us that Jesus is sacramentally present, and calls us to greater reverence for his Body as well as to prayer in his presence.
The glass vigil candles that fit inside the lamp can be given in memory of a loved one, as a petition for some need, or in thanksgiving for answered prayer. Each light burns for an entire week, and the cost is $20. With your donation, please leave a note describing your prayer's intention as well as the week you would like the light to burn. You may
donate online
or mail a check to St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo, P.O. Box 637, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987.
This week, the sanctuary lamp was given by
Ribby Goodfellow
with prayers for healing and justice in our nation and the world.
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Especially during the pandemic, in partnership with local civic organizations, St. Mary's Outreach is making sure that no one is forgotten in this time of great crisis and isolation.
We are aware of the need for everything from groceries, to medicines, to simple human contact, and we are here for others. If you know of someone who needs help, please email
help@stmtux.org
. Donations to support our outreach efforts may be made
here
.
Sloatsburg Food Pantry
At last week's food distribution, nearly 400 families received food parcels which included a large selection of nonperishable foods as well as fresh produce, meat and dairy products. Thank you to all who helped make the
transition
to St. Mary's Villa, especially the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate, who graciously opened the doors of the old Hamilton estate.
Family Clothing Store
Our
free clothing store
at the Tuxedo Train Station was a great success! Thank you to all who donated clothing and shoes and a special thank you to our volunteers who sorted, displayed and supervised distribution: Odeta Beggel, Marie and Samantha Castricone, Carole and Kellie Cleary, Pete Datos, Tom Fuller, Janet Galuska, Andrea Hacket, Naomi Moon, Diana Segovia and family, Sue Scher, Sally Sonne and Dennis Trotter.
Carryou Ministry
The situation in South Africa is dire for families already living in poverty, like those being supported by the Carryou Ministry. The schools, which usually provide one meal a day for the children, are closed, and Carryou, that for some provides that second meal, but for many the only meal of the day, is not permitted to cook. Food parcels are absolutely essential to fight off hunger and malnutrition.
Two weeks ago, St. Mary’s Outreach sent $1,000 to Carryou with instructions for food parcels for the families we support and stipends for our students who seem to be having to choose between getting food or paying the rent. The Elandsvlei report from last week is
attached
. Family 16, the Metseefedile orphans, and Family 1,the Tivanis, particularly, sound as if they are really struggling. To add to all their problems it is going into Winter and their shacks are freezing cold at night. Most cook on a paraffin stove or a wood fire.
Tuxedo Summer Camp
Camp will take place for 5 weeks from July 20th. St. Mary's will sponsor children whose parents cannot afford the fees. The fees are $475 per child. So that the parents have a stake in it, we are asking parents to pay $75 and St Mary's Outreach will pay the rest.
Helping Hands Interfaith Coalition for the Homeless
We had a zoom Annual Meeting of the Board recently. Thanks to Frank Favia their finances are impeccable! The breakfast program continues to be the lifeline for many homeless in Rockland County.
College Scholarships
Baker High graduation has been moved to mid July so we will be awarding the St. Mary's College Scholarships shortly.
Sue Heywood, Outreach Chair
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Last year we initiated getting information to publish a new local directory of St. Mary’s Parishioners and Friends. So many people had asked for an updated version of the 2015 directory which they had always found very useful. However, information for the directory was slow to come in and there were many other things that took priority for our attention. Now that people have more time, and new families are moving into Tuxedo, we are hoping to get the information and renew our efforts in making the updated directory happen.
Please fill in the information asked for in the link and also pass this email on to any new people in our community. It’s a good way to meet your neighbors and a useful resource for community activities. Please note, the directory is only shared with participants and you can indicate on the form how much of your information you want included. We will never share your information with any outside organization.
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Tech Needs for the Church
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We’ve learned a lot in the last two and a half months about video and sound recording, and broadcasting. A blooper reel will be forthcoming! Taking our worship online literally overnight has been rewarding as well as challenging.
One of the lessons that has been learned in the pandemic throughout the Church is that online worship will be a part of our new reality. Down the road a ways, I envision the installation of proper camera equipment, but for now we are most in need of wi-fi or better connectivity inside the church. This will greatly enhance the quality of our streaming service and cut down on annoying “technical issues."
This is now a critical need and not simply something on the “nice to have” list. The bids we received for a comprehensive system ranged from $5,000 to $10,000. We will work very hard to keep the total below the $5,000 amount. Already parishioners have pledged over $1000. Will you join them and make a donation to help usher St. Mary’s into the future?
Thank you and God bless!
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How to contact us...
Office: 845.351.5122
PreSchool: 845.351.2389
Physical Address: 10 Fox Hill Rd, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 637, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987
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