This Week at St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo
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Upcoming Calendar
All services are being live-streamed online on Facebook (you do not need a Facebook account to participate).

Thursday, January 14
5pm - Evening Prayer (online only)

Second Sunday after the Epiphany, January 17
10am - Holy Eucharist (in-person and online)
11:30am - Annual Meeting (online only via Zoom)

Tuesday, January 19
5pm - Evening Prayer (online only)

Wednesday, January 20
10am - Holy Eucharist (in-person and online)
12pm to 4pm - Sloatsburg Food Pantry is open

Thursday, January 21
5pm - Evening Prayer (online only)
From the Rector
Dear Parishioners and Friends,

"Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way..." (BCP 820)

This is an excerpt from the prayer For Our Country, found in the Prayers and Thanksgivings section of the Book of Common Prayer. I have prayed this collect with some regularity throughout my ministry, but never in my time has it been so apropos to the moment. We find ourselves as Americans in an internal turmoil not known since the days of the Civil War, culminating with the largest attack on our nation's capitol building since it was destroyed by the British in 1814. Even during the ravages of the Civil War it remained intact, and President Lincoln ordered work on the great dome to continue as a sign and symbol of the hope for a unified country once the conflict had ceased.

Sadly, that hope of unity for which Mr. Lincoln worked tirelessly and for which he was assassinated has so far remained elusive. While he achieved the herculean goal of outlawing chattel slavery in this land, we saw all too clearly last week that the forces of white supremacy and even neo-Nazism are alive and well. More sadly still, it has come to light that some of the capitol marauders were people whom little children look to as heroes: peace officers and even an Olympic gold medalist. Perhaps saddest of all is that many who participated in the attack did so in the name of Jesus Christ. Still, we give thanks for the heroic efforts of those officers and others who fought to protect our democratic process, pray for those who were injured, and mourn the loss of those who died.

The time is now for the Episcopal Church and all people of good will to stand together in vocal opposition to the forces of evil. I join with our bishops in calling on all of us to live into our baptismal covenant by renouncing Satan and the forces of evil and sin, by proclaiming by word and example the good news of God in Christ, by serving Christ in others, and by respecting the dignity of every human being; all of which we can do only with God's help.

Let us pray fervently for peace in our time, for unity and brotherhood, and for God's blessing upon our great nation.

Blessings,
Father Rick
917.658.6314
Annual Meeting this Sunday
Please join us for our Annual Parish Meeting on Sunday, January 17, at 11:30am, via Zoom (here is the link to the login info, reports, etc.). At the meeting, we will conduct the annual business of the parish and elect Vestry members. We will also review progress of our parish over the past year and goals for the future. Please plan on joining us for this important meeting.
EpiscoBuild Concert Now Online
EpiscoBuild hosted the 14th Annual Twelfth Night Celebration for a Habitat House last Sunday. Performances by local area Episcopal choristers and musicians of their best music from this holiday season were offered, and the whole program is now available online for your viewing and listening pleasure. Many thanks to everyone who was involved in this important cause. Free-will online offering donations support the EpiscoBuild effort by local Hudson Valley Episcopal parishes to finance the sponsorship of our next Habitat Newburgh home for a needy family, in association with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh. Please make a donation online or send a check to “Habitat for Humanity”, 125 Washington St., Newburgh, NY 12550.
Christmas at St. Mary's
Thank you to everyone who helped make Christmas at St. Mary's so special this year! Despite the limitations of the pandemic, we celebrated the birth of Christ with great reverence and beauty. All of the services are available on our Facebook page (you do not need a Facebook account to view them), along with Christmas messages from our Presiding Bishop and Queen Elizabeth. Thank you also to Father Cromey, Rector Emeritus, who celebrated and preached on Sunday, January 3rd, while Father Rick took a few days off in the Adirondacks to celebrate his own birthday.
Email Scam Alert
Someone is spoofing Fr. Rick’s identity with an email address that is very similar to his, but not real. Always look at the sender’s address (the legitimate church ones end with "@stmtux.org"), and do not respond to requests for “a favor” etc. We have reported this to Google; you may also choose to report the email to Google or simply mark it as spam.
How to contact us...
Website: www.stmtux.org
Office: 845.351.5122
Physical Address: 10 Fox Hill Rd, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 637, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987