The Epistle

St. Paul's Anglican / Episcopal Church | Iglesia San Pablo

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

December 22, 2024

Dear George,

Fund collection for Tres Magos toys is going well (see Padre Rangel to contribute). We will venture five very poor communities (lacking electricity, schools, safe-water, adequate housing etc.) and so the adults are very much struggling in these pueblos as well. If you have clothes you might offer, please give than a wash and drop them off to Pepe our Sexton for distribution in the campo on Tres Magos, January 6.

Paula Hebert's second year of our "Reverse Advent Project" collecting food for Christmas dispensa packets has proven again quite successful! There remains time to add your list of items to the box just outside the parish kitchen.

Norma Robinson has festooned our gardens with poinsettias / Noche Buenas for Christmastide (as she festooned us with marigolds / Cempazuthitl for Dia de Los Muertos...flowers sound so much ore exotic in Spanish!). Today Laurie Marino and Adrian Ross are decking the Parish Hall for Christmas.

Pepe Bustamante will be in office this coming week (7:3pam - 3pm) every day save Tuesday. Padre Rangél and Canon Woodward meet with the Bishop in Mexico City on Monday and with Diocesan Clericus Tuesday, returning to office Wednesday. Our parish administrator is on vacation this week, in accordance with the vacation schedule of her significant. In future, vacations will not be taken in December or end-of-Lent / Easter.

On the Fourth Sunday of Advent our older Youth Group will present a Large Christmas Card they have been working on for Alma, our local retirement home.

Andrea Spessard, diligent Stewardship Chair (Andrea is just...diligent. Our community is blessed to have her in so many ways)...Andrea draws our attention to Stewardship and Pledge materials (see below.) We are about half-way to budget. It is the Vestry's hope that the majority of pledges might be received by December 31 in order to plan an accurate 2025 budget for presentation at the Annual Meeting January 19, 2025.

Andrea's Stewardship You Tube (five minutes) may be viewed HERE

Today, the Third Sunday in Advent, is Gaudette Sunday, Gaudetter being the Latin for 'Joy'. May Advent Joy suffuse your hearts and homes!

GFW+

"WALK IN LOVE" shall be the theme for our 2025 Stewardship Endeavors, now launched. For preparation of the 2025 budget, it is hoped most pledges will be received by December 31.

A Link to online direct Pledge is HERE

A Link to our Pledge Letter is HERE

A Link to the Pledge Card for printing and return is HERE

A Link to Stewardship Chair Andrea Spessard's 5 minute Stewardship YouTube video may be viewed HERE

ECCLESIASTICAL PARAMENTS SOUGHT:

Ecclesiastical designer Cliff Chally recently delivered our Laudian Frontal, together with a Gold Set and a Green Set of Antependiums, Orphreys, Burses and Veils (the Green Set shown above). The Laudian Frontal and Green and Gold accoutrements were commissioned by the Reverend Canon Dr. Barbara Stewart and Canon Woodward.

Three more sets (Antependiums, Orphreys, Burses and Veils are desired...one for the Lenten Season (2025), one for the Advent Season (2025) and one Red Set for the Feast of Pentecost and Saints' Days. Each set costs $3,093. These may be donated by individuals, couples, or collaborating participants (as by Stewart and Woodward).

If all three sets are purchased together a 10% discount applies: $8351 ($7,351 remainder needed USD). Should you wish to commission, contact the Rector at StPaulsRectorSMA@gmail.com

The Liturgy for Advent Three (Gaudette) may be found HERE

Andrea Spessard's YouTube Stewardship talk (five minutes) may be viewed HERE

The appointed lessons for The Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 22, may be found HERE

Los lecciones para el Quarto Domingo de Adviento, estan AQUI

WOMEN'S SPIRITUALITY GROUP

Meetings are generally the first Saturday of each month at 10AM - 11:30 in the parish Church.

ST PAUL'S BEREAVEMENT GROUPS: Martha Hamill, thanatologist and bereavement counselor, leads groups in English and in Spanish. The pain of loss can be overwhelming, but there are healthy ways to cope and heal. The groups are free of charge and are on recess until January 14, 2025.

Saturday Breakfast Group -

The Saturday 9:30 breakfast group meets at Ataño Cuatro HERE

Book Club information may be had by contacting Susan Robinson at: sporterrobinson@gmail.com

Jeff Arnold

erardo Arteoga (stage four colon cancer) and partner Carlos

Virginia Barron (hospice care)

Jonathan Brown (surgery recovery)

Emma Candelaria

Nolan Xavier Cavanagh (infant hemophilia A; grandson of Cheryl Cavanagh)

Robert Davis

James Fred

Lynne Gleason

Dorothy Glenn

Mireille Grovier

José Guadalupe

Israel Habacuc

Ariadna Marlene Guzmán Hernández (Ariadna's mother, bereaved)

Linda Hickerson (cerebral tangle: friend of Carol Troys)

Deborah Holsworth

Laura Holleman (addiction recovery)

Laura Holleman (addiction recovery)

Ouida Huber (John Baker's mom)

Kathy Lapsys

Tim Noel Marinello

Marni McGee

Anne McAfee

Lindy McKay (brain bleed)

Margie McKinley (macular degeneration)

Tracey Montauriol

Santiago Munguia

Francisco Ortíz

Karen Ramirez

Karina Yañez Rios (Padre Miguel's wife)

Susan Robinson

Elaine Sells

Father Jeff Sells+

Rosalba Suárez (leukemia)

Pamela Summers

Fr. Ernie Townsend+

Paul in Brussels (friend of Carol Troy)

FOR OUR COMPANION COLLABORATIONS

All Saints'-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Montecito, California

Trinity Episcopal Church, Folsom, California

Santiago Apostol, Querétaro

UPCOMING DATES/EVENTS

• Christmas Eve December 24 is at 5pm
• Christmas Day December 25 is at 10:15am
• Tres Magos Deliveries Monday January 6, 2025
• Annual Meeting January 19, 2025
• Conversion of St. Paul Patronal Festival January 26, 2025