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Many thanks to the Rev. Heidi Truax who celebrated Eucharist with us this past Sunday. She gave a great sermon on the saints who inspired us and walk among us! We listed some on the poster paper.

This Sunday November 8 at 9am, the Rev. Robert Woodroofe returns to celebrate Eucharist with us. We hope you can join us!

And the choir made a mighty sound on Sunday!

November Celebrations! 

We will have much to celebrate in November! 

On the 8th, we will gather our pledges to Trinity in a special service. We will then gather for a special coffee hour to celebrate our commitment to the church and one another. In addition, we will welcome staff from the Northwest CT YMCA who will help us learn more about our guests at the NW CT Emergency Cold Weather Shelter, which is scheduled to open 1 December 2026. Please be sure to join us for this full, rich day!

On the 22nd, we will welcome our new Rector, Father E. Wayne Rollins as we celebrate The Eucharist for the first time together. We will then welcome him at another special coffee hour, featuring full breakfast, complete with cake for dessert! Rich and Tiffany Santiago, Ella Frauenhofer, and Mary and Bobby Naeher are working on this event. Please contact one of them if you would like to contribute to this celebration!

Transition Update: Father Rollins has found housing and is planning his move. We are still on track to welcome him to Torrington on Sunday, 22 November 2026! Please keep him in your prayers through this transition in his life.

Click here to read a short biography on him.

Reminder to Lay Leaders and Preachers:

We have a schedule on the books for Eucharists and Morning Prayer Services starting with 29 November 2026.

Please look at the schedule and sign up for open slots to lead Morning Prayer on January 3, February 21, March 7 and March 21.

If you need access to the schedule, please contact Mel in the office (860.482.6027) or one of your Wardens.

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Are you interested in learning how to become a Lay Leader? Contact Marsha McCurdy Adell, Director for Lay Vocations and Ministry at 203.639.3501 x127 or email her here.

Winter is almost upon us...

The Northwest CT Emergency Cold Weather Shelter will open for the season on 1 December 2026. It will be open every night until 15 April 2027.

Once again, the NW CT YMCA's amazing staff will be running the Shelter this season.

Shelter Guest check in will start nightly at 7:00 pm and Shelter Guests will leave no later than 8:00 am. 

There will be a maximum of 25 beds for men in the Upper Parish Hall, a maximum of 14 beds for women in the Chapel area in the lower level and a maximum of six beds for families in the Living Room area of the Rectory. 

Shelter Staff tells us the following donations are gratefully accepted:

• NEW Twin sized bedding - sheets, pillows, pillowcases, blankets, comforters, etc. NO USED BEDDING, please.
• Cup o' Noodles and other self-contained meals to which boiling water may be added. (Guests will have access to ONLY the Shelter-provided microwave this season)
• Pre-packaged snacks and food: Protein Bars, Granola Bars, portion packed snacks, etc.
• Gift cards to Walmart, Big Y, Stop & Shop

Also desperately needed are:

• Donations to the NW CT YMCA to assist with staffing and other programming costs
• Donations to Trinity Episcopal Church to help defray the exponential increases in heating, electricity and building maintenance costs

Items which the Shelter CANNOT use and which are a burden to them:

• Clothing - Bring clothing donations to Harbor House of Litchfield County at 21A Prospect St., Torrington - 860.201.4246 - or email them here
  
• Food which requires a kitchen to prepare - Shelter Guests do not have access to a kitchen. Our kitchen will not be accessible to the guests this year.
  
• Used bedding

Cold Weather Emergencies will be partially housed at Trinity's Upper Parish Hall during this season. In a slight change, Torrington City Hall will be the primary warming center on weekdays during Cold Weather Emergencies as declared by the Governor. The Emergency Shelter will open when Torrington City Hall closes at 4:00 pm during Cold Weather Emergencies. The Upper Parish Hall will serve as a Warming Center 24/7 on weekends (when Torrington City Hall is closed) during Cold Weather Emergencies. 

We are honored to be able to once again provide this service to our community members in need of shelter and are grateful to the wonderful work which the YMCA and its staff do to make this program work. We are also grateful for our partnerships with the Torrington Fire and Police Departments, without whose work this program would not succeed. We are honored by this opportunity to provide hospitality in the name of Christ and hope that all who enter our doors will feel welcomed in His love. 

Please be sure to join us at Coffee Hour on Sunday, 8 November to meet Willem Donahue and Dan Lamont, the directors of the NW CT YMCA Shelter Program. 

Recommendations Requested!

We need someone to do some work on the walkway leading to the Maiden Lane entrance of the Community Kitchen - remove the existing pavers / surface, build up the underlayment to bring the surface flush with the area around it and replace the pavers / surface.

Do you have someone you would recommend for this work? Please contact Mel in the office with recommendations!

A Bequest to Trinity

The estates of the Reverend Herb and Ruth Mohlenhoff left Trinity a generous bequest of more than $135,000! We thank them and their family for their incredible generosity.

Your Vestry has voted to add $80,000 of that bequest to the endowment, reserving the remainder for critical infrastructure work, possibly including repaving of the parking lot, work on the Maiden Lane entrance to the Community Kitchen, brickwork in the courtyard and more.

Is Trinity a part of your estate plan? 

ECCT Convention Updates

Parishioners Dana Farr and Lydia Babbitt attended the 242nd Convention of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut as delegates from Trinity Torrington on October 23rd and 24th. We were joined by parishioners Naomi Cardello as a member of the Diocesan Mission Council and Greg Farr in his role and Archivist of ECCT. 

As always, it is powerful and inspiring to be a part of such large group of faithful followers of Christ gathered under one roof - there were more than 500 of us there! 

Also inspiring was the respectful, thoughtful, prayerful conversation and debate which occurred around all of the Resolutions presented at the Convention. One debate lasted just under an hour! 

I recommend to you the Bishop's address from the Saturday Eucharist, linked here (on YouTube). It's a bit long but worth the watch, so get a cup of your favorite libation and settle in for the duration.

If you have any questions about Convention, please feel free to contact Lydia or Dana or visit the ECCT website.

SOUND HEALING
RETURNS THIS SATURDAY!

SOUND HEALING returns to Trinity Torrington! Join us for a highly relaxing hour of singing bowls and guided meditation from Richard Ruiz, a local practitioner. His rain drum is a neat new sound, too!

Sound Healing will be held 
this Saturday November 7 at 1pm.

Sit in a pew, or bring a yoga mat or blanket if you wish to enjoy this hour lying down.

The session is free but donations are appreciated.

Sisters of Ruth will meet on Sunday November 8 at 6pm in the Upper Parish Hall for a potluck followed by fellowship.

Join us, and contact Naomi if you have any questions.

Men's Breakfast will be held on Saturday November 21 at 9am at Twin Colony Diner. It's a short prayer of thanks followed by a hot breakfast and warm conversation.

Contact Conrad with questions.

Join us for Compline on Wednesday November November 11 at 7pm in the Sanctuary.

Compline is a quiet, peaceful and contemplative service lasting less than 30 minutes.

As the last of the daily offices, it is the liturgical equivalent of getting ready for bed.

Come and see what you think!

We have started a new book in Formation on Sunday, Oct 11, the Gospel of John! Some of us will also be reading The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary, by David F. Ford, but that is not a requirement for participation. We will look each week at short passages from John, working our way through this important Gospel and taking time to discuss its riches.

Please consider joining us! 

COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

We definitely need some people to step forward and host Coffee Hour.

Remember - 
no hosts, no Coffee Hour.

Hosting Coffee Hour is very easy and very appreciated! Just sign up for a date, then bring in some snacks (home-made or store-bought), set up the table, percolate percolate percolate, then clean up.

If you have any questions, please ask Ella, Tiffany or Richard. The sign-up is in the Upper Parish Hall.

Happenings Around Town and Beyond...

An Evening with Senator Chris Murphy at the National Cathedral - via Zoom!

Wednesday, Nov 18 | 7 pm

Join U.S. Senator Chris Murphy in conversation with Dean Randy for an evening exploring the challenges facing civic life today. Drawing from his new book, Crisis of the Common Good, Senator Murphy will discuss trust, connection and what it means to rebuild a sense of shared purpose across differences.

Click here for details and registration.

Come Away to Camp Washington for Thanksgiving!

Rooms available Wednesday and Thursday nights

November 25-27, 2026

Join us for a Thanksgiving Celebration with delicious food & the exceptional hospitality you have come to expect at Camp Washington.

Join us for one night, two, or just for Thanksgiving Day and dinner. Come with family, friends, or come alone and make new friends. There is a place for you at the table!

Relax by the fire, participate in worship, go for a hike, do a puzzle, take a nap, read a book, watch the game or just simply be. Leave the holiday stress behind.



Come away to Camp Washington and make our Thanksgiving tradition yours.



Thanksgiving Dinner Menu:

Roast Turkey with brown butter gravy

Butternut squash and goat cheese gratin

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes

Green Beans and crispy shallots

Cornbread stuffing with apples and sausage

Honey roasted carrots with carrot top pesto

Fresh cranberry sauce

Brussel Sprouts with candied bacon and walnuts

Spring greens

Assorted dinner rolls

Traditional pies with Kimberly Farms ice cream  



Thanksgiving Day Ticket includes Meals & Activities    9 AM - 6 PM    

$60.00 per person   

Pricing for overnights & additional meals is available by clicking the Registration link.

Thanksgiving at Camp Washington tentative schedule:

Wednesday, Nov 25 - Thanksgiving Eve    

3 PM: Arrival / Check-In    

6 PM: Dinner - for overnight guests

Thursday, Nov 26 - Thanksgiving Day    

8:30 AM: Breakfast - for overnight guests

9AM: Continental Breakfast available - for day guests

9AM - Noon: Macy's Parade Viewing / Hiking / Walking / Puzzles / Games / Crafts    

Noon: Thanksgiving Day Eucharist    

2 PM: Thanksgiving Dinner    

3:30 - 6 PM: Afternoon Activities    

6:30 PM: "Leftovers" Supper - for overnight guests

Friday, Nov 27 -         

9 AM: Breakfast - for overnight guests

11 AM: Check-Out / Departure

THEOLOGY VIA MEMEOLOGY

If you have an announcement or event that you would like publicized, or if you are a parishioner involved in an event that you would like to share with the parish, please send it to The Portal at announcements@trinity-torrington.org, and we can then direct your announcement to the best method of communication.

This newsletter was created by a human being, 
not by Artificial Intelligence.

You're welcome.