October 22, 2026

View our Sunday 10 am livestream worship service on our YouTube channel here.

Greetings beloved St. Georgians, 

It seems like autumn has finally arrived here in Fredericksburg, and this is my absolute favorite time of year. Crisp mornings, falling leaves, and the re-emergence of warm sweaters add a level of coziness to my daily rhythm that I welcome. This is certainly a season ripe with gatherings, with festivals and community events happening in the area every weekend. As we move closer to the end of our ordinary time season and the start of a new liturgical year, now is a great time to pause and focus on fellowship. What have we learned these past few months as disciples preparing for a life in Christ, and how might we put what we have learned into practice? Come join us at the church and help us answer this question. 

As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, this transitional season can also be a difficult time for many of us in regard to our mental health. One way in which we can put discipleship into practice is by paying closer attention to pastoral care. Our pastoral care ministries are an essential component of our life together as a parish, and many are led and maintained by lay volunteers. Here are just a few: 

• One Body Response Team – A different team of volunteers each week receives a short list of members in our parish who have a specific pastoral care need. Some could use a warm meal or a ride to an appointment, while others could just use a card or a quick phone call for encouragement. Volunteers select which needs they want to respond to that week based on the capacity they have. 
• Prayer Shawl Ministry – Knitters within our parish make shawls for folks who are healing from illness or a procedure. The shawls are then blessed by our clergy before they are gifted. Our knitters work at their own pace and occasionally get together as a group to socialize and share supplies. 
• Lay Eucharistic Visitors – Volunteers take communion to members of our parish who cannot be with us at the church on Sunday mornings. These visitors receive training on how to conduct an at-home communion service. 

If you are feeling called to partner with one of our existing pastoral care ministries, or if you have an idea for another ministry, please reach out to me. For we are reminded by St. Paul that those who help bear another’s burdens will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2) 

Your sister in Christ, 

Paige+

Sunday October 25, 2026

• 8 am: Holy Eucharist Rite I
  Fellowship and Coffee available immediately following the 8 am worship service.
• 9 am: Formation for all ages.
• 10 am: Holy Eucharist Rite II (Available for Livestream on Youtube)
• 11 am-ish: Fellowship and Coffee in Sydnor Hall
• 5:30 pm: Celtic Evensong Holy Eucharist 


Wednesday Holy Eucharist II at Noon

Want to read over and think about the lessons for Sunday ahead of time? This Bible study resource from The Episcopal Church offers brief and thoughtful reflections.

Thursday Morning Contemplative Prayer and Bible Study 
This group meets Thursdays at 8 am in Faulkner Hall for prayer and reflection, followed by Bible Study at 9:15 am. No previous experience necessary. Contact Susan Harrison for more information.  

Pastor Joe’s “On your Own” Lectionary Bible Study

Each week, our rector sends a short email to over 100 people who have signed up to read the Bible lessons assigned in our Prayer Book Daily Office Lectionary. Pastor Joe provides the schedule and a few resources for study and prayer. Make reading the Bible a daily habit. Email Pastor Joe to sign up.  

Daily Office on Zoom: 
Join a group of St. Georgians praying Morning and Evening Prayer, Monday – Friday at 8:00 am and 5:30 pm on Zoom. The service only takes about 20 minutes.

Click here to join.

• Meeting ID: 890 4918 9545
• Passcode: 638538
• Dial in: +1 301 715 8592

2027 Estimate of Giving/Pledge Campaign Begins this Sunday

As we look ahead to the coming year, the Vestry of St. George’s is asking everyone at St. George’s to prayerfully consider how you will give thanks to God and give thanks for the ministry of St. George’s through your financial offerings in the coming year.

By sharing your “estimate of giving” or “pledge” you are stepping out in faith and helping your Vestry responsibly plan an annual budget to support the people, place, and pastoral leadership of our parish. 

Vestry members will be calling parishioners in the coming week or so simply to remind them about the campaign and ask for prayerful consideration. They will NOT be asking for any information but will be glad to receive any questions or feedback you may want to share. Please take their call! 

Thanks be to God for all the blessings bestowed through our parish family and for this chance to participate in God’s work here through sharing a pledge for the coming year.

Necrology - Remembering Those Who Have Died

As we commemorate All Saints and All Souls, we take time to pray for those who have died in the past year, forming a list called the necrology which is included in the bulletin and will be read aloud on All Saints Sunday during the Celtic worship service. If you would like to add a name to the necrology, please do so here. Please submit names by October 26. 

Also, look for a box of ribbons and a marker on our graveyard fence as we remember all the saints and faithfully departed. Write the name of the saint or person you wish to remember on the ribbon and then loop it onto the fence.

Scary Music for Organ - Oct. 30, 7:30 pm

St. George’s will offer a free concert of Scary Music for Organ on Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 pm, featuring The Organists of St. George’s (Trystan Bennett, Brooks Kuykendall, Achim Loch, and Lucy Monte). Our most popular annual concert includes haunting renditions of works by J.S. Bach, Beaumont, Chaminade, Elfman, Gounod, Guilmant, Langlais, Mendelssohn, Messiaen, Mozart, and others.

The evening will be sure to be terrifyingly delightful and monstrously entertaining. Feel free to come in costume! The concert is free with donations accepted at the door.

St. George’s Moment in Time

To celebrate the 306 years of our parish, the St. George’s History Commission occasionally will present a moment in time from our past. 

St. George’s Timeline:  81 years ago

On October 24, 1945, two months before he was tragically killed in a vehicle accident in Germany, General George Patton wrote a letter to Captain W.W. Goolrick Jr. in Fredericksburg, who was recovering from war wounds. In it, Patton humorously inferred that his aggressive leadership in the war may have played a part on Goolrick’s wounding and suggested how he might get even with him: “If you want to get even for any nastiness I did to you, go in the churchyard of the Episcopal church and you can stomp on the tombstones of a number of Pattons, Mercers, Thompsons, etc.” General Patton was proud of his Fredericksburg ancestors, including Hugh Mercer and Fielding Lewis. One of the last burials in our graveyard was that of Anthony B. Patton, a cousin of the general.

Youth Pumpkin Patch Trip - This Saturday, Oct. 24

St. George's is inviting all youth members (6th-12th grade) to join us for a trip to the pumpkin patch this Saturday! We will go to Belvedere Farm from 6:30 pm-9:30 pm for farm exploring and a bonfire with s'mores! Youth should bring cash or card to purchase any additional snacks or drinks they would like. Please fill out this registration form to let us know you would like to join us.

Financial Update - In case you missed it

Last Sunday our parish Treasurer, Peggy Mathias, gave a brief update on the finances of our parish during the 10 am service. Here is a link to the upddate, in case you missed it.

Have Questions About Your Giving?

In 2026 St George’s transitioned to a new financial management platform. Like all such transitions we have had to work out a few issues with our data reporting. Because of that, you may have noticed that there has not been the quarterly mailings of Generosity Statements as we are accustomed to. We are working to get the next round of statements ready and are preparing for end of year as well. In the meantime, if you have questions about your giving to St George’s please reach out to our Parish Finance Director Jake DeNap.

ECW Meeting - Wednesday, Oct. 28

Just in time for Halloween! Fredericksburg Area Museum's Curator of Collections, Kylie Thomson, will share artifacts and stories that reveal the city's eerie and somber past. Explore mourning customs and tombstones, the history of local cemeteries, the devastation of war, the toll of disease, and more in this captivating journey through Fredericksburg's darker side. Our thanks to Cindy Helton for her research on St. George's ghost stories which Kylie will incorporate into her presentation. Meet in Sydnor Hall at 5 pm. Following social time and a business meeting, we will walk next door to FAM for the program. All women of St. George's and their guests are welcome. For additional information contact Maureen Aylward (757.652.0447.)

All Saints Day Neighborhood Remembrance Service: Thursday, Oct. 29 

Join with our neighbors at Micah for a special All Saints Remembrance Service on Thursday, Oct. 29. We will meet at the Methodist Green (green space outside of Fredericksburg United Methodist Church). The campsite vigil begins at 5.30 pm, with the candlelight service beginning at 6.30 pm. This important community event gives us a chance to set aside time to remember those in the Micah community who have passed away this year.

Community Dinner - at FUMC through October

On Monday nights we share a meal and a time of fellowship with our neighbors in need. Note that due to the construction in our kitchen, we are continuing to host community dinner with the help of our neighboring churches. All dinners in October will be held at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church (308 Hanover St). Please consider joining us! We are looking for volunteers to assist on the second and third Monday each month. We are also looking for donations of fruit to share with our neighbors. You can sign up here. For more information or assistance signing up, please contact Nana Noi. 

Veterans Fellowship Group - First Meeting: Nov. 7 at 9 am

We are excited to announce the formation of a new ministry at St George’s for all active duty and veteran military personnel. Our first meeting will be held in Faulkner Hall on Saturday November 7th starting at 9am. This first meeting will consist of introductions and discussing how future meetings can meet the needs of participants. Coffee and donuts will be provided.  If you have any questions please contact Rogers Lawson.

Godly Play Training - Nov. 21

St. George’s will hold a Godly Play training session on Saturday, November 21 from 9 am - 12 noon in our Godly Play classroom located on the lower level with the preschool. The Rev. Dr. Rosemary Beales will lead a condensed training session for any and all people interested in learning more about Godly Play and Christian education. All are welcome. Learn more about Rev. Dr. Rosemary and Godly Play here. Contact Stephanie Dolezal or Paige Trivett for more information. 

Housing still needed for fellow parishioners

We continue to be on the lookout for a room or apartment for a couple of parishioners who are seeking a stable housing situation and are income-limited. Please contact Rev. Joe Hensley for a confidential discussion (with no pressure) if you know of a potential place.

My St. George's Story

For our 2027 Annual Giving Campaign, we are celebrating the People, Place, and Pastoral Leadership that support the ministries of St. George’s. Some St. Georgians – just like you – have generously shared their St. George’s story. We will include them in our e-newsletter over the next few weeks. We hope you enjoy them!

Tricia and Daniel Dumas (with Heartley) came to St. George’s about a year ago. Tricia is our seminary student. They both volunteer with The House and are active with Education for Ministry (EfM) and our virtual Daily Office group. 

In Daniel’s words since joining St. George’s, “This year has been a growing year and learning year. Lots of new things and new people and new traditions that we get to learn and take part in.”

We hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch the video and hear their St. George’s Story.

St. George's Episcopal Church | 540 373-4133

905 Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 | StGeorgesEpiscopal.net