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Apalachicola, Florida
April 10, 2026
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We are a little over a week away from the Instructed Eucharist, scheduled for April 19 during our regular 10:30 am Sunday service. In the last Bay View issue, I described the intention of this liturgy: to simply open up worship so your experience is far more than just attending worship. All our worship services invite you to dive deep into your relationship with God and your beloved Trinity community.
In preparing for the service, I have been crafting a bulletin that will look different than our regular bulletins. As you open the booklet, the left-hand side will contain the liturgy itself (that is, the service) and the right-hand side annotations about each portion of the service. With this method, you can participate in the service while learning about what we do and why we do it. It’s a great day to attend and to invite visitors!
The planning and crafting have afforded me an opportunity to slow down and reflect on my own piety, i.e., personal religious practices. I was asked about one, very specific practice I have during Communion: I look people in the eye as I offer the Body of Christ. To put it simply, I am not looking at you when I do that, nor do I ever intend to make that interaction awkward. I’m not just being my polite self. I’m actually doing it for a simpler reason I learned in being a priest at Trinity.
We know that God is everywhere. We know that Jesus loves us and is made present in each of us. So when I hand the bread to you, and you look at me, every time I see Christ looking back through your eyes. I see Jesus in your brown, blue, hazel, and green eyes. I see Jesus in the smiling and shut eyes, the pensive and the lost eyes; happy or sad; the eyes that say, “Thank you” and the eyes that say, “Help me Jesus.”
I wasn’t prepared the first time I experienced it. I was stunned and choked up. I moved to the next person, and there he was again! And it hasn’t stopped since that moment.
What an amazing gift you give me, and you never knew it! You probably weren’t expecting me to tell such a personal story. It’s one example of
millions of actions happening in every house of worship around the
world and in every whispered prayer. I wish there was room in our
Instructed Eucharist to tell the full tale. If nothing else, may the
April 19th service ignite a desire to learn more.
Love Big and Be Well,
Stephen +
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Historic Apalachicola
Home & Garden Tour
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Mark your calendar for May 2 and join us for Trinity’s Historic Apalachicola Home & Garden Tour, a beloved annual celebration of beauty, creativity, and community. This year’s tour features seven beautiful homes, including striking before‑and‑after renovations, a rare look at a project guided by world‑renowned Modernist architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen, and several historic homes from Apalachicola’s lumber‑era heyday.
Guests will also enjoy tours of Trinity Church led by costumed docents, a special art and photography exhibit at Live Oak Gallery, and a visit to the Apalachicola Community Garden, where you can meet the gardeners and explore what’s in bloom. Check‑in and ticket sales begin at 9 am, alongside our curated Silent Auction, featuring unique items, experiences, and fresh plants.
Tickets are available online at ApalachicolaHomeTour.org. Follow
@ApalachicolaHomeTour on Instagram and Facebook for updates and sneak peeks. We extend heartfelt thanks to our Trinity parishioners who are graciously opening their homes for this 32nd annual Home & Garden Tour.
| | Palm Sunday & Easter at Trinity | | --- Photo Credits - Debbie Hooper | | Now Open: Trinity's New Online Store | | |
For years, our vintage antique pieces were shared during the annual Tour of Homes event—each piece finding its next home through connection and discovery. As times changed, so did we, transitioning thoughtfully to an online experience.
Now, that same care, character, and sense of history remains—accessible from anywhere via ETSY. Our online inventory focuses on smaller ready-to-ship pieces, allowing us to deliver these finds safely and efficiently, while a mix of other items and wonderful finds will remain part of the in-person experience in May.
Have a shippable vintage item to offer as donation?
Please email 1-2 clear photos & brief description to our team for consideration:
Email: colleen.zester@verizon.net & type “ETSY” in subject line
Team will reply within 24-36 hours to discuss &/or arrange delivery or pick-up.
PLEASE DO NOT drop off any items at Benedict Hall before emailing.
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Listen Up, Everyone
Do you need hearing aids or assistive listening devices in the church to hear the service? Are they the new kind of hearing aids that connect to your smartphone?
If so, you are in luck, for Trinity just installed a new broadcast system through its public WIFI.
The audio plays through a free app installed on your smartphone. Ask Father Stephen for a demonstration of the app, or see the simple Audiofetch instructions in this article.
| | Trinity Hosts "Becoming Beloved Community" Workshop on May 16 | | On Saturday, May 16 Trinity welcomes our Diocesan Commission on Racial Justice and Reconciliation who will conduct a workshop for up to 30 attendees that examine the impacts of racism, bias, and white privilege, and ways that we can work together to create a Beloved Community. All are welcome to attend, including the general public. This is the first of several notices planned for this event. See Father Stephen with questions. | | |
Beckwith Sunday April 26! The loose plate collection (monies not otherwise designated for pledges) on 4/26 will be directed to Beckwith Camp & Conference Center. Eleanor Reeves, Beckwith’s director, sent us information about this day set aside every April across our diocese to celebrate the ministry and impact of Beckwith in the lives of so many.
Here’s what Eleanor wrote:
This year’s celebration is especially meaningful as we gather on campus for a day of fellowship, worship, and thanksgiving. We will mark the occasion with Holy Eucharist at 10:30 am, followed by a 12 noon cookout and pool party, as we joyfully celebrate and consecrate Beckwith’s newly renovated swimming pool—a space that will serve campers and guests for years to come.
We invite your parish to be part of this celebration in whatever way feels meaningful—whether by joining us on campus or by sharing Beckwith’s story within your congregation. Those interested in attending their own church service and joining us for the cookout and pool party are welcome to arrive at noon. Beckwith Sunday information and prayers for the service can be found on our website: www.BeckwithAL.com/Beckwith-Sunday
Thank you for helping us tell the story of Beckwith and for all the ways you support this ministry across the diocese. We are grateful for your partnership.
– Eleanor Reeves
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Email Scams Across the Diocese Continue. If you are feeling like you are seeing more suspicious emails and texts, you aren’t wrong! Scammers are becoming increasingly proficient at making scam emails harder to detect. To combat the risk of fraud, please remember to verify suspicious emails or texts before acting. Here are some recent common scams: asking for gift cards, clergy impersonation, asking for urgent favors, requesting church directory access, fake invoices sent from 'vendors’ demanding payment, and even offering a donation of a beloved piano….
To be clear, we never communicate any kind of requests like this via email or text. If Trinity needs you for something, you will hear personally from the priest Stephen Pecot or our parish administrator Jean Bush. I never have nor will ever ask anyone to buy gift cards or anything of the sort! Living with technology means dealing with all that comes with it. We are not such a large parish that you can’t call with questions. If you suspect it’s fake, it probably is!
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer. For churches and ministries: on April 12, we pray for Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile; on April 19, we pray for Christ Church Parish, Pensacola and the Commission on the Integrity of Creation. For prisons: on April 12, we pray for the prisoners, families, and staff of the Northwest Florida Reception Center & Annex, Chipley, FL; and on April 19, we pray for the prisoners, families, and staff of the Okaloosa Correctional Institution, Crestview, FL.
| | CELEBRATING FAMILY & FRIENDS | | Cliff & Denise Baker welcomed family and friends who are FSU students for an Easter celebration. Pictured with them are (l to r): Jalen, Izzy, Grandson Ryan, Ethan, Grandson Ethan, Daughter Blair & Son-in-Law David. | | |
The TRINITY TEN, a ten-point questinnaire that provides a light-hearted,
yet sincere, profile of Trinity parishioners, is designed for us to get
to know each other a little better. Your responses, along with a
photograph, will appear regularly in the Bay View.
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Ellen Loyd was born in Longview, Texas and grew up in the middle Tennessee town of Lawrenceburg.
Involved in her community, she served as President of the Magnolia Bay Homeowners Association for three years. Currently, she is a member of Apalachicola’s Philaco Women’s Club and works full-time as a real estate agent and home designer.
At Trinity, Ellie is a vestry member and serves on the Tour of Homes committee.
Greatest influence on your life (person or experience): My Dad. He is a philanthropist, and has always been known for his “love of humanity”. I strive to follow God’s will for my life, as he does.
How would someone else describe you: Kind, caring.
One thing people might be surprised to know about you: I was the 2014 Middle Tennessee Pie-eating Champion.
Favorite part of living here: The wonderful community, fresh seafood, and the best sunsets.
Dogs or cats: Both, but usually cats.
Bacon or broccoli: Broccoli
Coleslaw - vinegar or mayo: Vinegar.
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One thing you are good at:
Home-making.
One thing you’d rather not do:
Public speaking.
What drew you to Trinity: My mom grew up in an Episcopal Church, so I wanted to see what it was like. I love it!
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Watch our Sunday sermons online:
Generosity is a key component of our successful ministry: You can share your generosity easily and safely through our secure Electronic Giving platform.
| | | COMMUNITY EVENTS OF INTEREST | | |
Ilse Newell Fund for the Performing Arts Thanks Supporters
The Ilse Newell Fund for the Performing Arts proudly concluded its most successful concert season in its 41-year history this past March, delivering a diverse and engaging lineup of eight performances to enthusiastic audiences.
Six concerts were held at Trinity Episcopal Church of Apalachicola, with two additional performances hosted at the Holy Family Center in support of the Elder Care Community Council of Franklin County. This season showcased an eclectic mix of musical styles, including singer-songwriter, Broadway, jazz, classical, and bluegrass.
The success of the concert series is a direct result of strong community support. The Fund extends its sincere appreciation to local sponsors, advertisers, dedicated volunteers, Trinity Episcopal Church, and the Tourist Development Council of the Forgotten Coast. Additional thanks go to Duke Energy for its grant support, as well as volunteers who contributed to post-performance receptions and the team at Elder Care.
“The continued growth and success of our concert series would not be possible without the generosity and enthusiasm of our community,” said Steve M. Watkins, President of the Ilse Newell Fund for the Performing Arts. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who supports our mission to promote music arts and provide opportunities for music education and cultural enrichment.”
-- Steve Watkins, President, Ilse Newell Fund
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Your Bay View: Trinity's bi-weekly e-newsletter, the Bay View, reaches members and friends every other Friday, sharing news and inspiration for and about our parish. Please send information and announcements, as well as photographs, to info@trinityapalachicola.org or call the church office at 850-653-9550. The deadline for submission is noon on Wednesday of each publication week. (next deadline is April 22)
-- Kay Carson, Editor
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Worship Service at 10:30 am Sunday
Morning Prayer at 8:15 am Wednesday
Compline at 8 pm Wednesday - Facebook Live
Church address: 79 6th Street, Apalachicola, Florida 32320
Office address: 76 5th Street, Apalachicola, Florida 32320
Mailing address: PO Box 667, Apalachicola, Florida 32329
Phone number: (850) 653-9550
Email: info@trinityapalachicola.org
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