Clergy Conference: 

Clergy Conference is May 12-14. All clergy in the diocese will gather in Riverside to reconnect with each other and with our call to ministry in this time and place. Mother Sharon will be in the office early Monday morning and all day Thursday to catch up with office work. Please note there will be no Morning or Evening Prayer on May 13 and 14, but we will have the usual offices on Thursday along with the Benedict class. Please keep all the clergy of the diocese in your prayers as we all prepare for a new bishop and a new time in the life of our diocese.

Outreach “Inreach” Volunteers:  

At our Outreach annual planning meeting, we talked about doing a little "inreach" by seeking a group of volunteers to write letters and cards to our homebound parishioners. Details will be developed by the group if it is established. If you are interested, please email Dana Lindsay at dlindsay01@yahoo.com.

May Outreach Focus – Baby Supplies: 

For our May outreach project, we are partnering with Christian Outreach in Action (COA) to provide money and goods for new mothers struggling to secure basic needs for their babies. COA helps these mothers/young families with baby formula, diapers and wipes, etc. What they are requesting is:

• Unopened, unexpired baby formula (any kind)
• Money for diapers and wipes (The need in diaper sizes is always fluctuating, so with cash they can buy exactly what is needed as opposed to getting random sizes).

The Prayer Book Tour: 

While Father Michael is away, we are also on sabbatical – and sabbatical often means trying things that are new and different. And since Father Michael is traveling, it will be fun for us to do some traveling through the Anglican Communion as well. So beginning May 18, we will take a tour through New Zealand, Australia, England, Scotland, and Canada, all courtesy of the Book of Common Prayer (or equivalent) in that country. We’ll find things that are similar and things that are quite different, and I invite everyone to take note of what speaks to us and what doesn’t. We’ve timed the tour so that we’re in Scotland at the same time as Father Michael. We’ll also take a quick one-week break on June 8 to celebrate Pentecost in the park with our usual Mass in the Grass liturgy. I look forward to traveling with you all! – Mother Sharon

Getting to Know You: 

As we move into our sabbatical season, I want us to get to know each other better. We’ll be learning a lot about St. Gregory’s through a simple survey and through conversation, but I also want to know what’s on your minds in a more informal way. If you have something you want me to know; if there’s something you think St. Gregory’s does really well; if you see an area that might benefit from improvement; please contact me and we’ll make time to chat. I will spend as much time as I can hanging out at coffee hour, and I’m also most happy to meet with you other times during the week. I look forward to hearing what the Spirit is helping to bubble up in you. Blessings, Mother Sharon.

Up Close and Classical Concert at St. Gregory's:

The Up Close and Classical chamber music series will present a free concert at St. Gregory's on Sunday, May 25th at 4:00 PM. The program includes string quartets by Mozart and Smetana. For more information: https://upcloseandclassical.org.

Mass in the Grass and Parish Picnic:

Our annual Mass in the Grass and Parish Picnic will be held on June 8 at 10:15am. We will be in our usual spot at El Dorado Park (El Dorado Park West Picnic Areas A and B). There will be signs starting at Willow and Studebaker directing you to the picnic area. As a reminder, please bring your own chairs and blankets. Parish Life will be providing hamburgers and hotdogs with all the trimmings. We are asking those attending to provide any of the following items to share, bottled water, soda(cans), baked beans, chips, coleslaw, potato salad, brownies, cookies, watermelon, or strawberries. There is a signup sheet for both attendance and food in the Narthex or you can call Kevin in the office. Please sign up and let us know how many are coming so we can make sure we have enough food for all. For those who do not wish to or are unable to attend Mass in the Grass there will be an 8:00 am service at St. Gregory's as usual.

Wildfire Relief:  

Those wishing to help provide relief from the Los Angeles fires can make donations to one of the following:

Episcopal Relief and Development, the relief agency of the Episcopal Church, provides funds to help in disaster relief and recovery. They have established a “Wildfire Response Fund” to provide help with the Los Angeles fires. You can make a donation at https://www.episcopalrelief.org/what-you-can-do/give/donate-now/individual-donation/

One Heart & One Spirit Annual Appeal is a relief fund established by the Diocese of Los Angeles. Currently, all money donated to the One Heart & One Spirit Annual Appeal will go to help parishes and families affected by the fires. You can make a donation at https://diocesela.org/annual-appeal/

Thank you for your generosity.

Our Next Music at Four:

Angels in the Life of Christ; A Hymn Festival

Please join us for our next Music at four on Sunday, June 1st at 4:00pm. From the birth of Jesus, foretold by the Archangel Gabriel, to the appearance of angels at his second coming in Revelations, angels played a significant role in the life of Christ. Local Episcopal congregations join to present a service of readings, hymns and anthems illuminating angels in the life of Christ.

A free-will offering will be received during the concert.

Join us for a reception following the concert in the Parish Hall.

View the 2025 Music at Four Calendar HERE.

Fr. Michael Sabbatical Update:

Fr. Michael will be sending periodic updates from his travels during his sabbatical...

Father Michael

at the Catalina Falconry Experience.



Looks like his sabbatical is off to a flying start!

Altar Flower Donations:

Need a wonderful way to honor or remember a loved one or friend? Make a flower donation. There is a flower donation chart located on the Narthex wall that you can use to sign up for special dates to donate altar flowers. Simply fill out a donation form attached to the bottom of the chart and return the form to the Parish Office. Payment for flowers can be made by check or online at this link. Make sure you specify your donation is for Altar Flowers. The Altar Guild thanks you.

Episcopal News Updates: 

The Diocese provides weekly email updates to help you keep informed about what’s happening all over our six-county diocese. If you want to receive the Episcopal News, visit https://diocesela.org/episcopal-news/contact/ and enter your email address in the box provided.

Feed My Lambs & Food Bank Needs:

THANK YOU for your generosity and your donations

Here’s the latest news on our parish feeding programs. 

• Feed My Lambs
• Homemade cookies can be dropped of any time. Please put your homemade cookies in Ziploc Bags and label them with the date and "FML" (this way we know they are for Feed My Lambs and not other purposes).
• Please do not bring hardboiled eggs. Due to issues with eggs, we now have a dedicated team responsible for providing hardboiled eggs.
• Volunteers – If you are interested in helping out Feed My Lambs, contact Tamera Benedict at (tlbenedict4@gmail.com, 562.301.6800).
• Food Bank The Food Bank relies on your financial support and appreciates all donations of
• funds or non-perishable food items. We also can use more volunteers at:
• bagging and distribution the THIRD WEDNESDAY of each month from 8:30 to 11:00 AM
• any other time you may have available and could assist with assembling our bags (e.g. on Sunday before or after service, or any time the office is open for access)

Please contact Kevin in the Parish Office (info@stgregoryschurch.com, 562.420.1311) or Bill Eldon (billeldon@gmail.com, 562.234.9920) for more information about the Food Bank.

Food Bank Business Cards! Help get the word out about the Food Bank by giving a card to someone in need. You'll find a stack on the table in the Narthex. Please take a few to distribute and help advertise this valuable ministry.

Your continued support of our feeding ministries, through product and monetary contributions, is greatly appreciated!

Gratitude for Your Support of the Parish:

We continue to be humbled and so incredibly grateful for your generosity in supporting our parish and its ministries! While you may not be able to drop your donation in a real offering plate, there are still ways you can make sure your donation gets to the parish:

• You can mail your check to the parish office.
• Make donations through our online payment account, accessible through the parish website at http://stgregoryschurch.com/4721-2/.
• Scan the QR code found in the Sunday bulletin.

And again, THANK YOU for your continued support!

Online Parish Directory:

Our online parish directory is at https://www.instantchurchdirectory.com/. This is a secure site and can be accessed using the email address you had published in the parish directory. You can also download the "Instant Church Directory" on your smart phone. Versions are available for Android, iPhone, iPad, and Kindle.

One Body & One Spirit Annual Appeal:

The Diocese has established an ongoing campaign focused on raising funds to assist congregations, schools, affiliated institutions, and their communities who are faced with unprecedented challenges. We are invited to prayerfully consider making a donation to help others in our Diocese who may have unmet needs. More information is available at https://diocesela.org/annual-appeal/. 

Forward Day By Day:

For those who use the "Forward Day by Day" booklet for personal devotions and need the newest edition mailed, please contact Kevin: (562) 420-1311 or info@stgregoryschurch.com   

In Case of Emergency...Notify Your Priest! 

In the event of a hospital stay, illness, death in the family, or other pastoral emergency, please call Mo. Sharon on her cell phone (562-833-3393) any day except Friday, her Sabbath day. And PLEASE, no excuses about not wanting to bother me. That’s why we are here – for YOU!

St. Gregory's Food Bank:

Our monthly Food Bank distribution takes place the first Wednesday of every month. This ministry helps us help our neighbors by providing a supplemental source of groceries. We CANNOT do this without your generosity. CLICK HERE for more information.

This month we served 66 people!