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).
Thursday, May 7
10am - Morning Prayer
Friday, May 8
5pm - Evening Prayer
Saturday, May 9
9pm - Compline
Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 10
10am - Holy Eucharist
Monday, May 11
5pm - Evening Prayer
Tuesday, May 12
10am - Morning Prayer
1pm to 6pm - Sloatsburg Food Pantry is open
Wednesday, May 13
5pm - Evening Prayer
Thursday, May 14
10am - Morning Prayer
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Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Shortly after the cessation of public worship gatherings, I was down in the rectory basement and came across an antique vigil lamp that I have been carrying around for many years. It came out of a closed church in Philadelphia, and I always meant to use it, but never quite got around to it. What better time, I thought, than now to hang it up as a reminder that our church is not empty, and that Christ is with us to the end of the age?
So, I called my favorite mom-and-pop church candle supplier in Scranton, PA and ordered a case of "presence lights." These are essentially tall glass jars with a candle inside that burns for eight days. The light of the candle reminds us of the sacramental presence of Jesus in the tabernacle. The candles arrived in a day, and after a good scrub, the vigil light was hung over our tabernacle.
I have just inserted the sixth presence light, meaning that the lamp has been burning for 40 days. With each new candle I wonder, "How long, O Lord?" How long until this light can be seen by the people of St. Mary's?
We are fortunate, though. In many places, priests have been precluded from entering their churches to pray. In England, priests can go into their churches to check on the state of bat droppings, yet they are forbidden to live-stream prayer. Astounding. I have heard from so many of you, both regular in-person congregants and friends from around the country, what a comfort it is to see and hear your priest praying on your behalf in your church. I am truly grateful that the Bishop of New York has administered consistently wise direction to the clergy and people of this diocese, and allowed us priests to give what we can.
A new target date of July 1 has been set by the Bishop for the gradual reopening of our churches. Of course everything is fluid and subject to change. And I wonder, even after we can reopen, how long will it take for people to feel truly comfortable coming to church? Regardless of the answer to that question, one thing is certain, we will not be "going back" to the old ways. We will be "entering into" something new. Our God is the God of resurrection, and we must remain faithful that he is calling us into new life.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
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The month of May is traditionally devoted to St. Mary, our patron. Throughout the month, we will be playing special music on the bells at noon and 6pm for the blessed mother, and will be singing the Regina Coeli at the end of our 10am Sunday service.
On Mother's Day, May 10, please invite your mom to join us for church on
Facebook
at 10am followed by a Zoom coffee hour at 11am.
Here is the link
for the coffee hour; no password should be required.
On Sunday, May 17, we will celebrate Rogation Day. Traditionally celebrated just before Ascension, it's a very old type of Episcopal “Earth Day.” God loves the earth, its animals, its plants — everything — and God loves us. God put all of creation into our hands and gave us the responsibility to care for it. And so, the way we care for our church building and its grounds, the way we care for our own backyards, the way we care for all of Creation, is really about our relationship with God. Weather permitting, we will process into the churchyard and bless the grounds.
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Expanded Service Offering Online
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For your safety, the church building is closed during the pandemic. Services continue online at St. Mary’s
Facebook
page (you do not need a Facebook account to participate). Join us for services daily, especially Sundays at 10am for Holy Eucharist (bulletin is at
www.stmtux.org/events
).
In an effort to broaden our offering and create a deeper connection with the Book of Common Prayer and our Anglican heritage, we have expanded our services to include Morning Prayer and Compline.
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Operation Love Thy Neighbor
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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 self-isolation.
Here is the link
that explains how we are helping the Tuxedo community and how to get help.
We are aware of the need for everything from groceries, to medicines, to simple human contact, and we are here for you. For help, call your neighborhood coordinator or email
help@stmtux.org
. Donations to support our outreach efforts may be made
here
.
The Sloatsburg Food Pantry will be open again to clients on Tuesday, May 12th. Tuxedo residents are eligible. Please visit their
website
for more information. At last week's food distribution, 358 families received food parcels, up from 118 in January. Many thanks to the
everyone who helped
, especially those folks from St. Mary's.
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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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