John The Baptist

Reno Guido

Now John was clothed with camel’s hair,

with a leather belt around his waist,

and he ate locusts and wild honey. 

Mark 1: 6

Weekly Calendar

Quick Links for Online Worship and Fellowship

Tis the Season for Christmas Flower Dedications

Please click here to donate/dedicate Christmas flowers and help our amazing flower guild adorn our altar on Christmas Day. Thank you!

Prayer Requests

If you have additions to our Parish Prayer List, please fill out this,

Online Prayer Request Form There are also always paper forms available in the rear of the church or our parish office.

A Prayer for our Community in Transition

Almighty God, you know the needs of your Church in every place: look graciously upon the people of Saint Mary’s and grant us the guidance of your Holy Spirit as we seek a new Rector for this parish. Guide the members of our Search Committee as they labor to be faithful in seeking your will. Inspire those who will discern with us, that each may be responsive to Your call. Give us wisdom and confidence in your timing, and in all things help us to seek the path you have set for us to follow. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Thank you to ALL of our Elves!

So many people have stepped forward to help us get Saint Mary's looking festive for the Season. Thank you to each and everyone of you for, stringing lights, hanging wreaths, building our giant and installing our beautiful creche. It is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas around the campus! We are grateful!

All Gifts are due by no later than this Sunday, December 10

Santa's Sleigh Toy and Gift Shop Collection

Partnering with the Cape Cod Council of Churches and the Hands of Hope Outreach Food Pantry, Saint Mary's is invited to help make Christmas just a little brighter for Cape Cod Families in need. Please click on the flier for details. Please read the instructions on gifting carefully and leave the unwrapped gifts beneath the Advent Giving Tree in our Sunroom. Also, IF you choose to donate actual gift cards instead of physical presents, we ask that you please drop those in the secure mail slot drop box located on the outside of the West facing parish office door ( by the front driveway, covered walkway). This process will help us keep the valuable gift cards from getting lost in the shuffle of "stuff". Thank you in advance for supporting this outreach effort. We truly appreciate your help. Any questions? Please contact Allison.

Don't Forget Our Furry Friends!

We have a collection box in the sunroom for Toys from Santa for Animals housed in shelters. Please remember our wonderful animal companions this Christmas.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

A Reverse Advent Calendar

For those of you who were unable to pick one up in our sunroom or the back of the church, we have included a "Reverse Advent Calendar" which focuses our attentions on intentional giving. You are invited to add an item to a box each day of Advent and then on Christmas Eve, donate the box to a local food pantry. Enjoy!

Bakery Deliveries?

The Homeless not Hopeless program is looking for volunteers to help with picking up and distributing end of day bakery items from Pan D'Avignon bakery in Hyannis. The bread can be picked up at the end of each day and delivered to the four houses in Hyannis and then to other locations determined by the group that offers to collaborate in this ministry. If you are interested in volunteering with this program please contact Allison.

In meetings this past Sunday and Monday, the Search Committee started reducing the number of candidates for our rectorship. We chose ten of the 25 applicants (which included two additional applicants who contacted us after our deadline) for the next stage of discernment. The step involves scheduling 45-minute Zoom calls with each of them. Before that, our Diocese will conduct a preliminary screen, by contacting the Dioceses of each of the ten. Canon Kelly O’Connell, our regional canon for transition ministry, will facilitate the process. As you might imagine, we must maintain secrecy about the identities of the interviewees – a mandate that will continue as we eliminate individuals. Nevertheless, we’ll continue to keep you in touch each week with broad outlines of our progress.



If you have any questions or comments for us, please email them to search@stmarys-church.org.

Bible Study

Wednesdays at 10am via zoom. We are discussing The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr (available on Amazon). We will begin with The Forward and Introduction. All are welcome! For more information, please contact Deacon Elizabeth Whitmore at emmausw65@gmail.com

Province 1 Indigenous People’s Justice Network

Invites You to a Book Study

Our next Province 1 Indigenous Peoples’ Justice Network book discussion is on January 10, 2024 from 7-8:30 p.m. The book is Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip’s War, by Lisa Brooks. (Read about Professor Brooks here, and about the book here.)

Register here in advance for this meeting.

For additional information about the book discussion or the network, contact Martha Gardner, Missioner for Networking and Formation, Diocese of Massachusetts, at mgardner@diomass.org. 

Indigenous People's Justice Network Book Group Registration

Movie Theology Series

Please bring your own beverage, adult or soft, a seat cushion and we’ve got the rest, including the popcorn. We have a great line up of movies selected for this year. Please invite friends and help us welcome others to Saint Mary's on the following dates.

• December 17
• January 14
• February 11
• March 10
• April 14
• May 12
• June 9

You are encouraged to share the flier on your social media and around town. Thank you!

The Christmas 2023 Worship Service Schedule

Saturday, December 23 - Advent IV

5:00 PM - Holy Eucharist with hymns

Sunday, December 24 - Christmas Eve Day

11:00 AM - Holy Eucharist with special music 

4:00 PM - Family Eucharist with special music

9:30 PM - Prelude of Christmas music

10:00 PM - Festival Eucharist with choir

Monday, December 25 - Nativity of Our Lord

10:00 AM - Holy Eucharist with hymns

Please Note:

We are hoping to find children to participate in our 4:00 PM Family Christmas Service. Please reach out to Allison if you know of any children who may want to participate in the service. All are warmly welcome in our manger.

Thank You!

"You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving."

Amy Carmichael

Coffee Hour

We are always looking for more hosts and hostesses.

Please be sure to check the bulletin board in the sunroom in order to sign-up. You are welcome to co-host with a friend if you desire. We have allowed for 2 volunteer slots each week although, you are welcome to host solo as well. This is a crucial way for us to build community and welcome newcomers. Thank you very much for your help with this ministry.

Altar Flower Dedications

Please click here for the online signup form. Flower arrangements can be donated for so many different reasons whether it is in loving memory of a deceased loved one, in celebration of a joyous event, a wedding, a baptism, a graduation, or in thanksgiving for something important in your life. We are very blessed to have a team of talented flower guild members who always work to create beautiful arrangements holding your intentions in their hearts. We also have a paper sign-up on the bulletin board in the sunroom as well. Please note that dates do need to be shared as we have a large community to honor and celebrate together. There are NO flowers during Advent or Lent. You are welcome to dedicate Altar Arrangements during Advent but please understand the arrangements will not include flowers, just seasonal greens.

Thank you!

Sharing Your Thoughts

Your Vestry has decided to set up an on-line Let's Talk Box in addition to the physical ones around campus. Please click on the image below to share your thoughts, questions, concerns, ideas etc. The hope is this additional pathway of communication will help our Vestry members know what is on the hearts and minds of our parish.

• Weekly E-News deadline: Wednesday at noon.
• In an effort to keep it brief we will only highlight happenings of the next 10 days in our E-News.
• The deadline for submissions for our January E-Newsletter will be December 15th!
• For your convenience, the Monthly Newsletter (printed out) will be available in the sunroom and the back of the church for those who would like a paper copy. If you know of someone who would enjoy receiving a paper copy in the regular mail please let Allison know.

     Saint Mary's Episcopal Church

P.O. Box 395

3055 Main Street

Barnstable, MA 02630

508-362-3977

www.stmarys-church.org