36 Main Street, Newtown, CT

3 March 2026

Dear Beloved in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, 

“The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth for evermore.” — Psalm 121:8

We are grateful to have just landed safely in New York after our flight from Jordan. We have felt deeply supported by all of your prayers for us. And we are grateful for your prayers for our siblings in the Holy Land, and for all living under the threat of violence and war right now. 

We look forward to sharing with you about our pilgrimage in the weeks to come. 

Please continue to pray for a swift, just, and peaceful end to this conflict, and for all peoples of the Holy Land who remain in harm’s way. 

May the peace that passes all understanding be upon them, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

With our love and prayers,

Rt. Rev. Jeffrey W. Mello & the Rev. Ryan C. Fleenor, Pilgrimage Leaders

“In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever; till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.”

This refrain from the hymn Near the Cross, which we will sing together this Sunday, carries many people back to the hymns of their childhood. It certainly does for me! I grew up singing the soulful hymns of Fanny Crosby in our small Baptist church in California where my dad was the pastor and my mom served as music minister. Recently, the Trinity Choir took some time in rehearsal to explore the story behind this remarkable hymn writer, and we were fascinated to discover just how local her roots are.

Crosby was born in 1820 in Brewster, NY and was blinded in infancy after an illness. When Fanny was six months old, her father died, and she was raised by her mother and grandmother, spending much of her childhood in Ridgefield CT where she developed an extraordinary love of scripture, memorizing large portions of the Bible (including all four Gospels!) as a young girl. It was there that she also fell in love with hymns while attending the Presbyterian and Methodist churches in Ridgefield. She later attended the New York Institute for the Blind where she studied music and developed her gifts as a poet, pianist, and singer. Crosby went on to become one of the most prolific hymn writers in Christian history, composing nearly 9,000 hymns, including gems like Blessed Assurance (my personal favorite), Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior, and More Like Jesus. Her faith also led her into mission work for the poor in New York City where she served faithfully in rescue missions such as the Bowery Mission well into her later years.

Crosby’s life also intersected with the Civil War, during which she wrote patriotic poems and songs expressing both national hope and spiritual conviction. She wrote verses of the state song of the Connecticut branch as well as many poems and songs including Dixie for the Union and There is a Sound Among the Forest Trees . Perhaps we will explore these as we enter into America’s 250th birthday commemorations.

Eventually settling in Bridgeport at the age of 80, she continued serving the poor and writing hymns into her nineties. The current Bridgeport Rescue Mission is in part due to her work. As the hymn writer, she is often called “the mother of congregational singing in America”, and her hymns continue to give voice to the faith of generations. As we sing Near the Cross this Sunday, we join countless Christians before us who have found a connection to God in Crosby’s words, as we keep our eyes on the cross this Lenten season.

In Christ,

Jennifer

Last week in Church School, we learned about some of the items found in church such as the lectern, Bible, candles, and altar cloths guide and shape our time together on Sundays. We had fun doing a scavenger hunt to find these items and put together our children’s altar which is pictured here. We also played a game where we talked about what we do in church and how those actions might be different from what we do at school or at home.



As we move further into March, we are continuing to integrate Lenten activities into Church School. This week, we will be connecting our lesson to the offering during Sunday worship and talking about why giving to others is an important part of our life as Christians. The children will make their own “Blessing Offering Boxes” to take home, where they can collect spare change or small gifts to bring for Trinity’s offering on Sundays.

As we begin to think about warmer weather and springtime, our church school is looking for donations of both plastic easter eggs and little candies to fill inside them for our annual Easter Egg Hunt after church on Easter. If you would like to donate, please see Rev Allison during church or drop them off in the office.

Ministry Scheduler Pro

The scheduler will run tomorrow, March 6, after 12pm. The new schedule will cover April, May and June. Holy Week will be filled automatically. If you have any "Can't Serve" dates, please be sure to enter them prior to Monday. Call Kim in the office if you need help.

Lent is a time of reflection and introspection, a time of repentance, a time to acknowledge to ourselves and before God those things done and left undone that can bring sorrow to our hearts. And thus, we might find ourselves confronting some lack of well-being about how things are going in our lives.

When we find ourselves going through personal challenges and difficult times, for whatever reason, it’s good to know we don’t have to go it alone. Stephen Ministers are here, right in our congregation. They have been trained to listen, to care and to provide emotional and spiritual support in times of need—and we all can have them. Such times might include: the sadness of losing a loved one, the stress of a relationship problem at work, an illness, family life adjustments due to the birth of a child or a newly “empty nest”, a feeling of loneliness as we get older. Again, you don’t have to go it alone.

Stephen Ministers are here to be with you on your journey—to offer help, hope and healing. They do so, having received 50 hours of training as care-givers, and they do so with complete confidentiality. If you reach out to us, the only persons who know you are seeking help are Reverend Andrea, the Stephen Leader who works with her to set things up, and the Stephen Minister who will work with you in totally private one-on-one meetings—to be with you for as long as it takes.

This special Ministry is available to you and to anyone you might know who you think would benefit from it—both inside and outside the parish. Speak to Reverend Andrea directly or leave a confidential message for her at the church office—203.426.9070.

May we all keep a good Lent by being here for each other, reaching out to those in need, and enabling acts of kindness and compassion that reflect God’s unconditional love.

Stephen Ministry—Christ Caring For People Through People

Trinity's Stephen Ministry Leaders

Cindy Anderau, Ron Dukenski, Teddy Jameson, Judy Rowley, Rev. Andrea Castner Wyatt

Trinity's Stephen Ministers

Carol Bigman, Joe Bojnowski, Erin Lutz,

Lisa Mages, Heather Pellagrino, Bernadette Shouvlin

Save the Date!

Communion follows a devoted Catholic music teacher whose life is upended when church leadership terminates his employment after learning he married a man. What begins as a personal crisis becomes a broader reckoning about faith, conscience, and community. Through song, storytelling, and unexpected humor, the film invites audiences into an honest exploration of spiritual trauma, resilience, and hope.

Weekly Happenings

Trinity's nursery is open every Sunday from 9:15 - 11:15, and is professionally staffed by Wee Care Nanny Agency. Click here to review the nursery guidelines.

Trinity's Grief Support Group runs every first and third Thursday of the month from 4-5:15pm, and is open to all.

Glass and Elevator Doors Open until 9:45am on Sunday Mornings

Trinity’s Ushers offer wonderful hospitality on Sunday mornings! We want all –

especially visitors or newcomers! - to experience their welcome. For this reason, we

believe it is important for people to enter doors that are attended after worship has

begun on Sunday mornings.

If you arrive after 9:45 on Sunday, please enter through the historic red doors on Main

Street. Please speak with Rev. Andrea if you have any questions.

Should you wish to make a donation to LL, please mail a check to First Congregational Church of Ridgefield (FCC), 103 Main Street, Ridgefield, Ct 06877. The memo line should read LLGD or click here.

New Process for Vouchers

Vouchers can now be submitted virtually. There is a new page on Trinity's website (Vouchers). Please use this online form as a way to submit vouchers. If you need help learning this new system, please contact Kim.

Praise and Thanksgiving

For those requesting our prayers

Maureen, Marie, Jennifer, Jacky, Gail, Bode, Gracie,

Martha, Shirley, Dan, Barbara, Caroline, Brent, Judy, Kathy,

Peter, Abby, Rich, Cherie, Paula, Lilly, Chris, Lauren, Joann, Larry, Howie, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Annmarie

For those celebrating a birthday this week

Jean Bellesheim, Pete Bundy, Anne Calmels

For those celebrating an anniversary this week

Mike & Katie Mancini

There are events happening at Camp Washington - click here to learn more!

We are proud to be a parish in The Episcopal Church within 

The Episcopal Church in Connecticut.