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Parish Weekly September 25, 2026
Mission: St. Thomas' Episcopal Church is a welcoming spiritual community dedicated
to following the teachings of Christ Jesus. We grow through learning, celebrate joyful worship, and serve our neighbors.
Vision: We open hearts and minds to create community in Christ.
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Encircle With Love
Love is a choice that we make every day. Love needs to be nurtured, learned, nourished, and, like most things in life, love must be practiced. In the Bible, God's ancient instruction is to love God, love our neighbor, and to love ourselves. We love God when we love our neighbors, but we don't always know how to love others well, the way that they need us to love them.
In this spirit, we will learn how to love and serve as allies to our beloved neighbors from the Rochester Rapid Response Network (RRRN),
a Rochester-area mutual aid group formed to support immigrants facing detention or deportation. Anne Schuler of RRRN will help us understand the needs and different ways we can support and care for our immigrant, migrant, and refugee siblings living
in our communities.
I hope you can join me.
Faithfully,
Amma Leslie+
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Rochester Rapid Response Network (RRRN) Ally Training, Sunday, September 27, after worship, Great Hall
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Blessing of the Animals Service, Saturday, October 3, 10:00 am, Lawn
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God, Scripture & Gender Series, Sunday, October 4 & Sunday, October 11, 11:15 am, Location TBD (see details below)
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Safe Space: Understanding LGBTQ+ Identities Presentation, Sunday, October 18, 11:30 am, Great Hall (see details below)
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Join us for a thoughtful and enriching fall season of formation. Please register so we may prepare and provide adequately.
God, Scripture & Gender Series
Sunday, October 4 & Sunday, October 11, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm
Location TBD
Led by: The Very Rev. Leslie Burkardt
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Safe Space: Understanding LGBTQ+ Identities Presentation
Sunday, October 18, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Great Hall
This presentation will cover fundamental information about sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Participants will learn about their communities and history, ever-changing terms and identities, and be given suggestions on how
to create safe and inclusive places where LGBTQ+ people feel welcome. Led by
Scott Fearing.
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Beyond the Headlines: How Current Laws & Policies Affect Transgender
& Nonbinary People & Those Who Support Them
Sunday, November 8, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Great Hall
Led by: Dr. Emma Forbes-Jones
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Water from a Rock
This week in Sunday School, we will read Exodus 17:1-7. This passage continues last week’s Old Testament lesson when the Israelites complained about not having food to eat. In this story, they begin to complain about not having any water, and God instructs Moses to take his staff and strike the rock
at Horeb. When Moses does this, water flows out
of the rock, and the Israelites rejoice. This week's lesson will focus on the ways God provides for us. We will also talk about different ways we can share our extra resources with others by making a connection to St. Thomas’ collection for the Brighton Food Cupboard ministry. Please direct any questions to Rev. Lydia at lydia@stthomasrochester.org.
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SMSJ Empty Bowls 2026 Fundraiser
The annual SMSJ Empty Bowls event will be held
on Friday, November 6, at St. Mark's and St. John's Episcopal Church on Culver Road. Proceeds from this year's event will benefit St. Mark’s and St. John’s Food Shelf Ministry and E.D.E.N Gardens. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased online by scanning the QR code (on the flyer) or clicking the link below.
Contact Rev. Maria Hartz-Clienburg at mhartz@stmarksandstjohns.org regarding soup donations, raffle prize donations, or volunteering time for the event, and for more details.
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Congratulations to Rosie (Feller) and Dan Quick on their wedding last weekend! And congrats to DeWain and Amy Feller—the proud parents.
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Adult Choir
Adult Choir rehearsals will be held in the Choir Room every Sunday at 8:45 am and on Wednesday evenings for special liturgy preparations. Contact Rhonda Wright at organist@stthomasrochester.org for more details, and if you are interested in joining the group. Newcomers are welcome!
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Keeping Each Other Safe: Red Light, Green Light
You might notice as you walk through the building that there are red, yellow, and green
dots on some of the walls. The dots have been placed in these specific locations to remind our youngest members which areas are safe to play.
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Get Ready
for Sunday
Read the Revised Common Lectionary
for the eighteenth Sunday
After Pentecost
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Parish Weekly Deadline
The deadline for submitting articles for
the Parish Weekly is Tuesday at 9:00 am. Unless noted, the newsletter is published
on Fridays at 10:00 am. Please send
articles directly to Amy Holowczenko at communications@stthomasrochester.org.
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Sunday Live Stream Service at 10:00 am is available on St. Thomas' YouTube channel—St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Rochester, NY. The live stream can
be viewed any time after 10:00 am throughout the week.
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Brighton Food Cupboard
(585) 271-5355
Centers for Disease Control
cdc.gov
Episcopal Relief
& Development
(faith-based response
to epidemics)
bit.ly/2VMcNuu
Interpersonal
Violence Hotline
(for physical and mental related to interpersonal violence and trauma)
(585) 275-HEAL
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Monroe County Department of Health
monroecounty.gov/health-coronavirus
National Child
Abuse Hotline
(800) 342-3720
National Suicide Prevention
988
New York State Mental
Health Provider Hotline
(844) 863-9314
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NYS Office of
Addiction Services https://oasas.ny.gov/
Rochester AA Support
(585) 232-6720
Willow Domestic
Violence Center
(585) 222-SAFE
The Trevor Project
(for LGBTQ youth, 13-14)
1 (866) 488-7386
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St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church of Rochester, New York, is proud
to stand with the Greater Rochester Black Agenda Group and its declaration that “Racism is a Public Health Crisis." As a community
of faith and followers of Jesus Christ, we believe that every person
is continually made in the image of God beautifully and wonderfully.
We are committed to doing the hard work of love. We are dedicated
to the practice of growing and learning how to know and love our neighbors as we seek to create community. We hold the hope that
love does win through forgiveness, kindness, and transformation.
We desire to be a people who work for the equity of all. We work to acknowledge our complicity
and part in racism, and we are committed to working together to tackle injustice in our lives, in our church, in our community, and in the world.
| | Copyright ©2026 St. Thomas' Church of Rochester, NY. All rights reserved. |
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