St. PJ's eNews: March 14, 2026 | | |
- Weekly Reflection: Duo Dickinson on Emily Dickinson, AI, and Lent
- Tomorrow, March 15: NeuroDivine service at St. PJ's
- Tomorrow, March 15: Bishop Holly Commemoration Service at St. Luke's, Whalley Avenue
- CORRECTED DATE: March 24: Return of the "Margins and Movements" social-justice book club
- Saturday, March 28: Polishing Party
- March 29 - April 5: Holy Week Schedule
- News from the Wider Church: Bishop Jeff on NewsNation, Episcopalians at the UN Commission the Status of Women, Remembering John Perkins, and more
- This Sunday at St. PJ's
- Cycles of Prayer
- Video: Last Sunday's Service and Sermon
- Lenten Adult Formation: "Harden Not Your Hearts"
- Reach out to Rev. Nathan to schedule your household visit
- There's Always More...
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Weekly Reflection: Duo Dickinson on Emily Dickinson, AI, and Lent
Duo Dickinson, our architect friend who has been very good to St. PJ's over the years, has been writing a series of reflections called "When Lent Happens" on the poems of Emily Dickenson at his blog, "Saved By Design."
I invite you to click the link above and peruse a few posts. Here is an excerpt from his March 9 post, "The Truth We Make," which discuss AI-generated fake images before stating:
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Now some recognize that 2,000 years ago something happened. There was no video, let alone written accounts in journalism to create intellectual history beyond the bare bones facts of time, place, people. A murder then, in a conquered territory filled with rebellion and anger, was commonplace. Whether executions or soldiers killing militants or people killing each other, it was just us being us. Like now.
But then a fact happened that was as fantastic as any AI invention. Like the images of spaceships on Mars, or Trump talking to Hitler, or babies dancing with bears, Jesus rose from the dead.
But this event did what no AI miracle, convoluted conspiracy theory backed up with scores of unrelated facts, or simply a bogus idea can, or does, do: It changed people.
...
We want to control the truth. We change everything to validate, even invent, the reality we believe in. But invention does not create truth, it reveals fear.
Fear of death left some 2,000 ago, then something touched, changed, billions more over 100 generations. That is not belief, that is just history. What happened.
The resurrection was not videotaped. It just flipped the lives who encountered it.
Nothing they, or we, control.
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Tomorrow, Sunday, March 15, 2pm:
NeuroDivine Service
If it’s hard for you, your autistic child, or a friend's neurodiverse family member to worship in church, then this could be the low-key, low-stimulation service you've been looking for. Designed and led by the Rev. Lynne Severance, NeuroDivine is an interactive service for families, groups, and people of all ages with stories, singing, and simple prayers.
All are welcome tomorrow, Sunday, March 15, 2 PM, at St. PJ's Episcopal Church at 57 Olive Street, New Haven. Come here how God loves YOU -- and please spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested!
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Also tomorrow, 3/15: Bishop Holly Commemoration Service at St. Luke's, Whalley Avenue
Did you know that the first Black man to serve as bishop in the Episcopal Church was first ordained a priest right here in New Haven? Before becoming Bishop of Haiti, the Rt. Rev. James Theodore Holly served as rector of St. Luke's from 1856-1861.
Tomorrow, Sunday, March 15, at 4 p.m., St. Luke's will hold a Bishop Holly Commemoration Service. The broader ECCT community is invited to what promises to be an auspicious and glorious occasion!
According to a brief biography shared by St. Luke's,
"His early years were spent in D.C. and Brooklyn where he connected with Frederick Douglass and other Black abolitionists... In 1856 Holly was ordained a priest in New Haven, Connecticut. That same year he co-founded the Protestant Episcopal Society for Promoting the Extension of the Church Among Colored People, which challenged the Church to take a position at General Convention against slavery. Theodore Holly would later become the first African American Bishop in the Episcopal Church. Holly served as rector at St Luke’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut until 1861 during which time he traveled and extolled the benefits of emigration to Haiti, a country where slaves had led a successful revolt and overthrown their European forces. He viewed Haiti as an opportunity for Black people to bind together and establish a Black nation in the Western hemisphere. Holly believed that bringing Anglicanism to Haiti would help to stabilize and develop the country more expeditiously."
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March 24: Return of the "Margins and Movements" social-justice book club
[We previously announced March 31. Oops, that's Holy Week! Please note the correct date of Tuesday, 3/24.]
Margins & Movements Book Club: Our social-justice book club returns for 2026. We will meet once per month for a different book each month, beginning on Tuesday, March 24, at 7 p.m. with a discussion of "The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You" by Dina Nayeri. From the publisher:
Aged eight, Dina Nayeri fled Iran along with her mother and brother and lived in the crumbling shell of an Italian hotel–turned–refugee camp. Eventually she was granted asylum in America. She settled in Oklahoma, then made her way to Princeton University. In this book, Nayeri weaves together her own vivid story with the stories of other refugees and asylum seekers in recent years, bringing us inside their daily lives and taking us through the different stages of their journeys, from escape to asylum to resettlement.
In these pages, a couple fall in love over the phone, and women gather to prepare the noodles that remind them of home. A closeted queer man tries to make his case truthfully as he seeks asylum, and a translator attempts to help new arrivals present their stories to officials.
Nayeri confronts notions like “the swarm,” and, on the other hand, “good” immigrants. She calls attention to the harmful way in which Western governments privilege certain dangers over others. With surprising and provocative questions, The Ungrateful Refugee challenges us to rethink how we talk about the refugee crisis.
Consider either checking out a copy from a local library or buying one from https://bookshop.org/shop/pjs, where proceeds benefit the church.
Come if you've read the whole book, listened to the whole audiobook, just read a few chapters, or didn't read but are interested in hearing from those who did. Above all, invite your friends! Multiple St. PJ's members brought friends to the fall discussions, and others came who saw flyers at coffee shops.
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March 28: Polishing Party
Please join the Altar Guild for the annual polishing party on Saturday, March 28, at 2 p.m. See Janie Lange for more details.
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Holy Week Schedule
HOLY WEEK 2026 AT ST PJ’S
Palm Sunday, March 29
- 10:30 AM: Blessing of the Palms & Second-line Jazz Parade
Holy Wednesday, April 1
- 12:30 PM: Quiet Communion
Maundy Thursday, April 2
- 6:30 PM: Eucharist with Agape Supper and Footwashing
Good Friday, April 3
- Noon: Solemn Collects and Passion
Easter Sunday, April 5
- 10:30 AM: Resurrection Celebration with full jazz band
ADDITIONAL HOLY WEEK SERVICES IN NEW HAVEN
Holy Wednesday, April 1
- 6:30 PM, both Christ Church and St. Thomas’s: Tenebrae
Maundy Thursday, April 2
- 2-4 PM, Trinity on the Green: Outdoor Service with Community Foot Washing
Good Friday, April 3
- 10 AM, Trinity: Prayer Walk for children and their adults
- 5:30 PM, Christ Church: Evening Prayer & Stations of the Cross
- 6:30 PM, St. Thomas’s: Liturgy with choir
- 7 PM, Trinity: Solemn Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion
Holy Saturday, April 4
- 11 AM, Christ Church: Liturgy for Families & Children
- 6:30 PM, St. Thomas’s: Easter Vigil
- 7 PM, Trinity: Great Vigil & First Eucharist of Easter
- 8 PM, Christ Church: Great Vigil & First Mass of Easter
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Easter Music & Flowers
Contributions to brighten our beautiful Easter celebration can be made in honor or memory of someone special, who will then be named in our Easter bulletin.
Giving envelopes will be available on the usher’s table at the Chapel St entrance tomorrow. You may also donate online; if you choose this option, please check the "add note" box and write that the donation is for Easter music and flowers, along with who it is in honor or memory of.
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Come at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, Sunday, March 15 -- Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent -- for Holy Eucharist, children's Sunday School, coffee & community, and adult formation after church.
Serving this Sunday:
| | | Celebrant | The Rev. Nathan Empsall | | Preacher | The Rev. Nathan Empsall | | Liturgical Assistant | David Tate | | Lectors | Chloe Starr & David Boyer | | Adult Formation Leader | Kelly Park | | Altar Guild | Suzy McDowell | | Bread Baker | Maggie King | | | |
Sunday
10:30 a.m.
Jazz Eucharist
In person and online
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Wednesday
12:30 p.m.
Simple Communion
In person only
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Thursday
12:30 p.m.
(new day!)
Midday Prayers
In person only
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Cycles of Prayer and St. PJ's Prayer List
In the Episcopal Church in Connecticut's cycle of prayer, we pray this week for Good Shepherd, Hartford; Grace, Hartford; Haven Community, Hartford; for prison ministry & prison chaplains; and for the ECCT Faith Behind Bars & Beyond Ministry Network.
In the Anglican Communion Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the Nippon Sei Ko Kai
On the St. PJ’s prayer list, we pray for: Rachel, Doug Parker, Anne Matthies, Calvin Griffin, Rev. Walter MacNutt, Kevin Gerbe, Leota Tucker, Edwina Johnson, Cynthia King, Paul D'Agostino, Richard Holcomb, Tiras Jaske, Uli Mackert, Charlie & Bridget Farrell, Alyce, Pam, Tommy, Beverly Lett, Stephen Lett, Vanetta Lloyd, Janea Barthle, Lydia Hamnquist, Rev. Nihal de Lanerolle, Heather de Lanerolle, Marietta D’Albero, Maria Rodriquez, Marietta Coppola, Paul Mangels, Alexandra Sanseverino, Dr. Milton Coke, Pam Yesner, Rev. Carl Scovel, Karl Mini, Patrick Reynolds, Margaret Perry, Ryan Welch, Jack Welch, Andy & Karla Codney, Kyle Park, Carol Brennan, Fr. Tom, George Moore, A. J. Crosby, Adrienne Brady, Jeannie & Clemente Campos, Marilyn Bergen, Lydia Albers, Jean Douglas, Melissa & George Cunningham, Joan Cappella, Ruby Slade-Wooten, Yvonne Scott, Joan Farrell, Bishop Gretchen Rehberg
Candidate for Ordination: Milton Gilder
Birthdays: Charles Amore (3/15), Sarah Hill (3/20)
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Lenten Adult Formation:
"Harden Not Your Hearts"
From Kelly Park, Seminarian Intern
The St. PJ's Lenten adult formation series is based on "Harden Not Your Hearts," a 2022 online offering from the Ignatian Spiritual Network.
In-person conversations are taking place at church after Coffee and Community on most Sundays in Lent.
Additionally, there is also an optional email portion that began on Ash Wednesday. Each morning you can receive reflections, invitations, and the daily INS link in your inbox. Send an email to kelly.park@yale.edu to be added to the list!
You can receive the emails, come for the conversations, or both! It is my hope that through this time of prayer, penitence, and reflection we will be able to grow together as a community of faith and to shore up our dedication to being Christlike in our hearts, minds, and actions.
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VIDEO: Last Sunday's Service and Sermon
Last week, the Rev. Lynne Severance preached and our priest-in-charge the Rev. Nathan Empsall celebrated Communion for the third Sunday in Lent.
If you either missed or want to revisit last Sunday or other recent Sundays at St. PJ's, you can find the recorded livestream on our Facebook and/or YouTube pages.
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Support Loaves & Fishes and Sunrise Cafe during renovation
The long-awaited replacement of the steps to the undercroft, right on the corner of Chapel and Olive, is underway! This means that our front yard along Olive Street is fenced off. Please direct questions to Brian Fillmore as Capital Campaign Project Manager.
Sunrise Cafe and Loaves & Fishes continue to operate, using alternate entryways to the undercroft. We acknowledge that though fruitful in the long run, this is an inconvenience for now, so please donate to either important organization if you can:
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Reach out to Rev. Nathan to Schedule Your Household Visit
By the Rev. Nathan Empsall, priest-in-charge
By now, you've likely heard me say that I want to visit every St. PJ's household. I want to hear about who you are, what makes you tick, what you believe and love, your history at St. PJ's, and your hopes for the future of our common life together. Ideally this meeting would be at your home, where I can get to know you in your own environment and also offer a home blessing, but coffee shops and walks in the park are okay too.
These meetings are happening, and I have greatly enjoyed them -- but I am also realizing that I am my own bottleneck when it comes to scheduling, as I reach out to families one or two at a time. To try and speed things up, I invite you to reach out to me with some suggested times and dates we might meet.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are ideal, but Fridays and Saturdays are okay too. While weekday daytimes are certainly best, I understand that work schedules can necessitate evenings or Saturdays. Please email me at revnathan@stpaulstjames.org, and I hope to see you outside the church building soon!
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There's always more...
Please remember that there is a blue Lost & Found bin in the church office.
If you would like to submit an item for consideration in the eNews or bulletin announcements, please let Rev. Nathan know at revnathan@stpaulstjames.org by next Wednesday afternoon.
Please contact Monifa Atkinson in the church office at office@stpaulstjames.org or (203) 562-2143 if you are interested in receiving more information about any of the following:
- Renting space at St. PJ's for your next party, meeting, concert, wedding, or other event. More info at the St. PJ's website here >>
- Volunteering with St. PJ's
- Adding a name, birthday, or anniversary to the St. PJ's prayer list
- Arranging pastoral care needs
- Purchasing grocery-store gift cards to benefit St. PJ's
- Reserving a place in the St. PJ's columbarium or purchasing a plaque on the Memorial Wall
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St. PJ's Staff and Contacts
Administrative Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - Noon
Priest Office Hours: Tuesday - Thursday by appointment
office@stpaulstjames.org
(203) 562-2143
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Priest-in-Charge: The Rev. Nathan Empsall, revnathan@stpaulstjames.org, (203) 278-9199
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Administrative Director: Monifa Atkinson, office@stpaulstjames.org
- Sexton: Sammy Rodriguez
- Children's Ministry: Molly Clayton + Sarah Hill
- Interim Director of Music: Dylan Rowland
- Tech and Music Intern: Dontae James
- Seminary Intern: Kelly Park
- Vestry: Bill Evans (co-warden), Juhani Jaske (co-warden), David Hill (treasurer), Maggie King (clerk), Maurice Harris, Pam Sayre, Vanetta Lloyd, Lynne Severance, David Boyer, Roni Holcomb
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