THE EPISTLE:

February 12, 2026

St. Thomas' Annual Meeting is THIS Sunday

Mardi Gras Sunday, February 15

The St. Thomas Annual Parish Meeting is THIS SUNDAY, February 15th, immediately following the 10:30am Holy Eucharist!

This year, moving our Parish Meeting to February is allowing for a report on the 195th Convention of the diocese by Mtr. Katie and 2026 delegate, Barbara Meyer, as well as the election of delegates for next year's convention in Birmingham. We will also hear reports from World Mission on the 2026 mission trip to Honduras, from the Bailey Cove Farmer's Market committee on plans for the 2026 Farmer's Market season, and from our 2026 Lobsterfest Queen and King, Lila and Zach House, on Lobsterfest 2026! Finally, Fr. Donavan will give us his "State of the Parish" report, and we will elect four new Vestry members.

And because February 15 this year is the final Sunday of Epiphany, also referred to as Mardi Gras Sunday, this year's Annual Meeting will offer everyone who attends a special Mardi Gras style lunch of homemade GUMBO and special Mardi Gras themed decorations! Thank you to our amazing Fellowship Committee team and our EYC Youth for helping to bring the Mardi Gras theme into our Annual Meeting this year!

PLEASE DON'T MISS ST. THOMAS' ANNUAL PARISH MEETING THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, BEGINNING IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE 10:30 HOLY EUCHARIST!

*Childcare is available*

The Slate for the St. Thomas Vestry Election THIS Sunday, February 15, is Available Now!

The election of new Vestry Members will begin immediately following the opening prayer at the beginning of the meeting this year. After voting begins, Fr. Donavan will present his "State of the Parish" report, followed by the presentation of the 2026 Budget by the Treasurer, recognition of members going off the Vestry, and announcements of important upcoming events. Before the closing prayer, Fr. Donavan will announce the newly elected members of the St. Thomas Vestry. 

The nominees for the vestry this year are Jane Allgood, Kurt Dietz, Belinda Greenaway, Linda Hanson, Crystal Knickelbein, Jennifer Leon, Carolyn Seaman, Mark Stucker, and Bob Thurber. 

Short Bios for each Vestry Nominee along with photos are available HERE.

TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY! Order BBQ for your Valentine's Weekend Feast NOW and help support FirstStop!

The St. Thomas BBQ Bandits will be out cooking their famous BBQ THIS weekend, February 14-15, in support of FirstStop and their important work to help the homeless in Huntsville and Madison County!

The BBQ Store website is open FOR ONE MORE DAY , so get your orders in by CLICKING HERE NOW or visit https://st-thomas-bbq-bandits.square.site/ to put in your orders TODAY!

BBQ Pickup Times:

Saturday, February 14 from 12-2 PM

Sunday, February 15 from 2-4 PM. Please note the time change on Sunday pickups due to our Parish Meeting. 

Bishops and Priests and Deacons, oh my! The Bible and the Clergy of the Church, continues THIS SUNDAY!

This Sunday, following the election just two weeks ago of our new Bishop here in the Diocese of Alabama, Fr. Donavan will finish his two week Adult Christian Formation class on where the roles and titles of the clergy today come from in the Bible. Delving into the Acts of the Apostles, I Timothy, and other books and letters of the New Testament, as well as the reading of those scripture passages by other Christian denominations in the West, Fr. Donavan will discuss where we as Episcopalians get our understanding of the role of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and just what the Bible has to say about those called to take on those roles in the church. Join us this Sunday, beginning at 9:30am, in the Parish Hall!

Laissez les bon temps rouler! 

Shrove Tuesday Celebration is THIS TUESDAY,

February 17!

Join us in the Parish Hall THIS TUESDAY, February 17, starting at 6pm, for our annual Shrove Tuesday Celebration! 

Feast on pancakes, gumbo, and bread pudding prepared by the St. Thomas Youth and Fellowship Committee, while the Kiddie Krewe present their parade through the Parish Hall before we move outside to bury the Alleluias for the season of Lent! The evening will conclude with the Burning of the Palms to create the ashes for Ash Wednesday the next morning. 



Invite your friends and don't miss this evening as we prepare for the Holy Season of Lent.

Calling all St. Thomas Youth Grades 7 - 12:

MARDI GRAS COOKS and DECORATORS NEEDED!

Hey St. Thomas Youth! Are you ready for the Last Blast Before the Fast!? If so, join us for EYC THIS Sunday, February 15th, from 6-8pm, and come back for the big event on Shrove Tuesday, February 17th, at 5pm! We need your help flipping pancakes, making centerpieces, and ensuring that Saint Thomas is properly festive for Mardi Gras! DINNER WILL BE PROVIDED on Sunday, February 15! Got questions? Reach out to Ethan Evans | youth@stthomashuntsville.org

Ash Wednesday Holy Eucharist & Imposition of Ashes

February 18

7 AM, 12:10 PM, & 6 PM



St. Thomas will enter into the Lenten Season again this year with three Ash Wednesday services inside the church on February 18. The Ash Wednesday liturgy will include the Imposition of Ashes & Holy Communion and will be offered at 7 a.m., 12:10 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. The 6:00 p.m. Ash Wednesday liturgy will include special music by the St. Thomas Choir. Come begin your Holy Lent next week on Ash Wednesday here at St. Thomas.

A Message from Little Free Pantry Chair, Jennifer Leon

Thank you so very much for all your donations to the Little Free Pantry! Every donation, no matter the amount, is appreciated and honored. 

With the start of 2026, a new direction is being taken. Firstly, foods are being collected according to season. At the moment, donations of oatmeal, ramen noodles, canned meat, crackers, and canned stew, chili, or soup would be appreciated. Secondly, there is now access to a refrigerator which enables fresh food to be placed in the pantry. Thirdly, there is a sign in information hall that lists the foods being gathered. The list of foods will change with the seasons. Lastly, I serve as the new chair for the Little Free Pantry. Please feel free to contact me for more information HERE or at knoxdrewife@yahoo.com.

UPCOMING

LENT IS COMING!

The Great Litany & Rite I Eucharist for 8 AM arrive on February 22

Next Sunday, February 22, will be the first Sunday in the 40 day season of Lent. In the Episcopal Church, the first Sunday of Lent is often observed with the recitation of the first liturgy ever to be translated from Latin into English, the Great Litany (pgs.148-153 in the BCP). This year at St. Thomas, we will again begin our Sundays in Lent with this deep and moving prayer, spoken at the 8am and 5pm Holy Eucharists and sung with our choir and the sound of a bell at the 10:30am Holy Eucharist. 

And to go deeper into our Lenten worship at St. Thomas again this year, beginning on the First Sunday of Lent, the 8am Holy Eucharist will use the older liturgy of Rite I from the Book of Common Prayer ( found on pgs. 323-349). Rite I in our Prayer Book uses more traditional English language and can help our worship feel and focus more profoundly on repentance and God's mercy during the Lenten season. Fr. Donavan will be ready to help everyone at 8am prepare for the changes in the prayers and responses this year with a quick practice on Sunday morning, February 22, just before we begin the Great Litany. So, get ready for "The Lord be with you. And with THY SPIRIT!” beginning on the First Sunday of Lent, during the 8am worship service!

So, if you've never experienced the more traditional language and Anglican worship of both the Great Litany and the Rite I Holy Eucharist in the Episcopal Church, this is your opportunity again to step back into the history of our church and follow Jesus more deeply into the desert over the forty days of Lent at St. Thomas.

Lenten Quiet Day

Saturday, February 21, in the Parish Hall at 8:30 AM

On Saturday, February 21, the Daughters of the King will be hosting a quiet morning in the Parish Hall and all are invited to attend.

We will begin with coffee at 8:30 a.m. followed by the program 9:00 a.m. and concluding at 12:30 p.m. Fr. Donavan lead us this year and will offer reflections on spirituality and practice as we prepare our hearts for Lent.

Whether you are new to the church or a longtime member, this time of prayer, reflection, and stillness is open to everyone. Come set aside a few hours for quiet, renewal, and community as we enter the Lenten season together.

ST. THOMAS BLOOD DRIVE FEBRUARY 22, 2026

7:30 AM - 1:00 PM

St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Bailey Cove Road will host a blood drive on February 22, 2026. A few minutes of your time could save a life — or three! Please consider this gift to someone in need.

If you are able, please sign up by clicking HERE, or just drop by the LifeSouth bus in the St. Thomas parking lot between 7:30 a.m and 1:00 p.m. on February 22, 2026. All donors receive a FREE tote bag and e-gift card!

First Local & National Outreach Meeting coming February 23!

All of us at St. Thomas agree that we are saved by faith and not by good works, and that good works are the way we show the world our faith. In the spirit of this belief, and as the new Chairman of the Local and National Outreach Committee, I would like to invite any and all to join the committee. We are revamping many things about the LNOC in an effort to allow as many people who would like to be involved in church outreach to join. 

     We will be having meetings once a quarter, and each meeting will have a theme. The dates and themes are as follows:

February 23 - Food Ministries

May 25 - Construction Ministries

August 24 - School Ministries

November 2- Holiday Ministries

Each meeting will begin around 6:00 pm. and will end no later than 7:15 p.m.! Each meeting will feature representatives speaking about ministries at St. Thomas that are currently ongoing or that the church is wanting to start. During the meetings you will not only learn about different outreach opportunities, but also learn about ways to become involved with each ministry presented. Also, you will get the chance to be involved in voting on the distribution of moneys raised by St. Thomas for our own ministries, and for ministries outside St. Thomas. Lastly, each meeting will be held in the Conference Room. We hope you will join us for this important ministry here at St. Thomas!

ONGOING

Compline Online

Mondays at 8 PM

with Dcn. Jeannie

Looking for a new prayer opportunity and a way to center yourself in prayer each week? Every Monday at 8 p.m., you’re invited to join Dcn. Jeannie online for Compline. Compline is a brief evening prayer service and a peaceful way to set your week with intention and to end your day with a sense of completion and stillness.

The service lasts just 15 minutes and can be accessed on St. Thomas’ Facebook page. You simply need a Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and to turn to pg. 127.

It will be LIVE every Monday at 8 PM.

Please contact jrann228@gmail.com or the front office for more information.

Morning Prayer at St. Thomas St. Anne's Chapel in Hiers Hall

Thursdays 7 AM

Every Thursday morning, join us for Morning Prayer in St. Anne’s Chapel at the end of Hiers Hall. Simply enter Hiers Hall and follow the hallway all the way to the end. There will be signs directing you. As we seek to expand our options for praying together during the week, we hope to see our early birds and any brave night owls at this service of prayer and Scripture. You don't have to know how to read Morning Prayer; we'll teach you!

Pray the Rosary

Every other Friday

12:05 PM

Join us to Pray the Rosary every other Friday at 12:05 pm in the Nave of the church. Each prayer session lasts around half an hour and includes the reading of each scripture passage for the five decades of either the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, or Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. If you’ve never prayed the Rosary before, we always have Rosary beads available and written directions to help you fully participate in this meaningful, scriptural, and contemplative prayer practice.

Mark your calendars for these dates: February 6, February 20, March 6, March 20

Do you have questions about the Bible? Have you wondered about what everything in the Book of Common Prayer means? Come to Youth Sunday School to try and answer those questions and more! 7-12th graders meet during formation time in the Youth Room at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday to talk about Covenants in the Bible!

7-12th Graders! Weekly EYC (Episcopal Youth Community) continues! EYC meets Sunday evenings from 6-8 p.m. Got Questions? Contact our Youth Minister, Ethan Evans, HEREfor more information.

Children's Sunday School Sundays from 9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m.! Join us in Hiers Hall as we share a year of faith, love, and fun! 

Godly Play class for Pre-K through 1st graders is led by Renee' Redfield in Hiers 4. 

Storymakers for 2nd and 3rd graders is led by Carey McIntyre in Hiers 6. 

Thou Art class for 4th through 6th graders led by Laura Beth Bestor in Hiers 2.  

Our nursery is open from 7:45 a.m.-12 p.m. on Sundays for our Pre-K and under children. We have our Play'n'Worship curriculum available for those in the nursery to enjoy on Sunday mornings. Contact our Children's Ministry Coordinator via email at children@stthomashuntsville.org.

Treble Choir

The Treble Choir sings approximately once a month at the 10:30 a.m. worship service and our special services this year will include special music on March 1st, Palm Sunday, Easter morning, and on Mother's Day! All children in 2nd-8th Grades are invited to join! Bring a friend!

The Treble Choir schedule is available HERE and is posted on the bulletin board leading to Hiers Hall, the choir bulletin board in Hudson Hall, and the St. Thomas Website. Rehearsals are Sunday afternoons 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. Please email Miss Kathy at music@stthomashuntsville.org for details!

Join the St. Thomas Adult Choir



You don't have to be a kid to sing!

Click HERE to see and hear the St. Thomas choir practicing.

Delegates of St. Thomas at Camp McDowell for the 2026 Diocesan Convention.

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org