This Week at St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo
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Upcoming Calendar
The church building is closed. All services are being live-streamed on Facebook .

Thursday, March 19
5pm - Evening Prayer

Friday, March 20
Food Distribution (more info below)
5pm - Stations of the Cross

Saturday, March 21
5pm - Evening Prayer and Meditation on St. Teresa of Avila

Sunday, March 22
10am - Holy Eucharist

Monday, March 23
5pm - Evening Prayer

Tuesday, March 24
1pm to 6pm - Sloatsburg Food Pantry is open
5pm - Evening Prayer

Wednesday, March 25
5pm - Evening Prayer
From the Rector
Dear Parishioners and Friends,

You may be familiar with the Kubler-Ross model of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Our current situation as it relates to public worship has taken me through all of these stages in a very short period of time. I couldn’t believe that the pandemic would reach us here. I was angry as I watched diocese after diocese close their churches. I thought we could get by with a reduced but not eliminated in-person worship experience. I was crushed when I realized what the right decision was. But, like many of you, I have come to accept that we are where we are.

Another brilliant epiphany was that God cannot be contained. He lives and loves us and continues to desire our praise and love for him and one another. While we all long to be back together in church (that is, the building), we have not ceased to be the Church (that is, the Body of Christ). 

St. Mary’s has once again demonstrated that she is the beating heart of this community. Within just a couple days, together with civic community partners, we have mobilized and organized and leveraged resources. We have developed a plan that I am calling “Operation: Love Thy Neighbor,” whereby we hope to make certain that no one slips through the cracks during this unprecedented time in our history.

We have also begun live streaming services daily in hopes of meeting people’s spiritual needs. People in Tuxedo and around the country have been watching, and I have received prayer requests from Portland, OR to Philadelphia, PA. Perhaps a silver lining to this will be a generation of even more faithful priests and dedicated lay people.

In the meantime, I beseech you to take this very seriously and observe all prudent measures to protect yourself and others. Use this greatly-altered lenten fast also to reconnect with your God, your family, and yourself.

Blessings,
Father Rick
Operation: Love Thy Neighbor
In partnership with local organizations, St. Mary's Outreach is making sure that no one is forgotten in this time of great crisis and self-isolation. We are aware of the need for everything from groceries, to medicines, to simple human contact, and we are here for you. Please see details below or click here to open the full pdf document. Donations may be made here .
The Building is Closed, But The Church Lives
church springtime
From the Rector: "As a priest, announcing that we are going to cease public worship for the time being was quite painful and spiritually gutting. It is absolutely the last thing I wanted to do. However, things are changing incredibly rapidly, and the fact is that we just don't know how to react to this epidemic. In light of what I have learned this week, and in obedience to my bishop , I have decided on a hard close for St. Mary's until health officials deem public gatherings safe."

This means that the church office is closed and the building is off limits, though the chapel remains open 24/7 for private prayer. Despite this, there are many ways to engage your faith here at St. Mary's. Every day at noon and 6 p.m., the Angelus rings and several hymns are played from the carillon. Why not come down and walk your dog on the great lawn or just sit under the magnolia tree and pray? We also have daily online services to view from home on Facebook . For history buffs, come down and stroll through our churchyard. We are also undertaking the biggest community outreach since Hurricane Sandy. Please pray for us and feel free to donate to the cause. Indeed, the physical doors may be closed, but the heart beats stronger than ever.
RIP Bishop Barbara Harris
The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, has announced the death of the Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris, the first woman to be ordained and consecrated a bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Read more here about her incredible life of service.
All are truly welcome at St. Mary's, which is located within the historic gates of Tuxedo Park and serves the entire Tuxedo community. Please tell the gatehouse you're going to St. Mary's, proceed thru the gates and we're on the right (plenty of parking available).
How to contact us...
Website: www.stmtux.org
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