This Week at St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo
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Upcoming Calendar
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 14
10am - Morning Prayer

Friday, May 15
5pm - Evening Prayer

Saturday, May 16
9pm - Compline

Rogation Sunday, May 17
10am - Holy Eucharist

Monday, May 18
5pm - Evening Prayer

Tuesday, May 19
10am - Morning Prayer

Wednesday, May 20
5pm - Evening Prayer

Ascension Day, Thursday, May 21
10am - Holy Eucharist

Friday, May 22
1pm to 4pm - Clothing drive donations at Train Station
5pm - Evening Prayer

Saturday, May 23
10am to 1pm - Clothing drive donations at Train Station
9pm - Compline
From the Rector
Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Next week marks a special and quirky old Anglican tradition: Rogationtide. Essentially, it is a time to pray for farmers and the planting of this year’s crop, asking God’s blessing upon it, that the harvest may be bountiful. In agrarian communities, a solemn procession is formed to the fields, crosses are planted, and the seeds and livestock are blessed. It is a visible way for the Church and her people to acknowledge our dependence on God’s good providence.

In more residential settings, vegetable and flower gardens are blessed, and the faithful ponder the wonder of creation, and the still more wonderful gift and responsibility with which God endows us humans as stewards of his creation. We also consider how God has shared some small portion of his creative power with us, and we give thanks for that. 

So in a way, one could say that we had an “earth day” long before there ever was such a thing. Indeed, a deep connection with creation is an inextricable part of the Anglican ethos. As we enter into late-spring and Rogationtide here in Tuxedo, be sure to get outside and take a moment to appreciate God’s majesty in creation, re-commit to your stewardship thereof, and just breathe. Thanks be to God.

“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.”

Blessings,
New Outreach Initiative
At this difficult time, when shopping, and having the money to shop with, are both a real challenge, St. Mary's, in conjunction with TUFSD and the Sloatsburg Food Pantry, is looking to assist families in clothing their children and teens for Summer and Fall.

We are collecting clothing and shoes for boys and girls from babies to high school grads. These will eventually be donated to those who need them when state regulations allow.

Donations can only be received at the Tuxedo Train Station on Friday May 22nd from 1 pm to 4 pm and Saturday May 23rd from 10 am to 1 pm. For the safety of everyone concerned please drive into the north entrance of the Train Station Parking Lot and move slowly in single file to the front porch of the Train Station Building. Stop in the marked space, place your donations in the space indicated and then drive on. Someone will pick up your donation and take it inside. This will avoid any direct physical contact.

All items must be clean and in good condition and packed, preferably into boxes, but acceptable in large plastic bags. Do not leave them at St Mary's or at the Train Station at any other times than these scheduled. The donations will be stored in the Train Station for several days before being sorted by volunteers.

Thank you for all your help in our community.
Sue Heywood
St Mary's Outreach Chair
Forward Day by Day
Due to delivery delays, the Forward Day by Day for May, June, and July has just arrived at the post office.

We should remember to keep our postal workers in our prayers as they live up to their unofficial motto from The Persian Wars , by Herodotus: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Today we could add "pandemic" to that list.

We wish Godspeed to Patty as she retires after more than three decades of service, and offer prayers for Liz and the staff at the Tuxedo Park post office, as they work to keep this cornerstone of our local and national life operating as smoothly as possible.

If you would like the Forward booklet sent to you via USPS, please let us know (include your name and mailing address).
The "Mary" Month of May
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 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.
Expanded Service Offering Online
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 ).

On Ascension Day, Thursday, May 21, we will celebrate Holy Eucharist at 10am.
Operation Love Thy Neighbor
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 26th. Tuxedo residents are eligible. Please visit their  website  for more information. At this week's food distribution, 407 families received food parcels, up from 118 in January. Many thanks to the everyone who helped , especially those folks from St. Mary's.
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