THE EPISTLE:

February 19, 2026

The 2026 Annual Parish Meeting was a huge success!

There are so many people to thank as we look back at the success of our Annual Parish Meeting this past Sunday afternoon! Thank you to our Fellowship Committee who provided a wonderful lunch for all. Thank you to each of those who stood for elections this year. Rarely has there been such a robust slate of highly qualified candidates, both for our Vestry and for the 2027 Convention. Thanks to all who gave reports, attended and paid attention, asked great questions, stayed through the voting process, and contributed to the fellowship that makes St. Thomas such a wonderful church family.

And a big congratulations to our new 2026 Vestry Members: Mark Stucker, Crystal Knickelbein, Kurt Dietz and Belinda Greenaway, and our newly elected 2027 Convention Delegates, (from top to bottom, left to right) Jinx Cole, Kathy Heim, John Hanson, Barbara Meyer, and Belinda Greenaway, with alternates Ethan Evans and Linda Hanson.

Pray the Rosary for Lent!

Tomorrow, February 20,

12:05 PM

Each Rosary prayer session lasts about half an hour and includes a scripture passage for each of the five decades, focusing on the Sorrowful Mysteries during Lent.

If you have never prayed the Rosary before, rosary beads and printed guides are always available so you can participate fully in this meaningful, scriptural, and contemplative prayer.

For Lent, every other Friday we will offer the Stations of the Cross. Additional Rosary dates this year for the season of Lent include March 6 and March 20.

More information on the Stations of the Cross will appear in next week’s Epistle, so stay tuned.

LENT IS HERE!

The Great Litany & Rite I for 8 AM Eucharist

This Sunday

This 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 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Holy Eucharists and sung with our choir and the sound of a bell at the 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist. 

And to go deeper into our Lenten worship at St. Thomas again this year, beginning on the First Sunday of Lent, the 8 a.m. Holy Eucharist will use the older liturgy of Rite I from the Book of Common Prayer (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 8 a.m. 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 8 a.m. 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

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

This 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.

Deeper Spirituality During These Forty Days: New Adult Sunday School Class led by Fr. Donavan

Join Fr. Donavan during the five Sundays in the season of Lent this year for a series of classes on how to dive deeper into a life of prayer, Bible study, and discipleship. Fr. Donavan will discuss different forms of prayer, how to use portions of the Prayer Book, ways to enhance your time in the church on Sundays, and share personal stories and experiences from his own spiritual practices. If you have questions about how to make the most out of your Lenten disciplines this year, this will be a class you will not want to miss. Join Fr. Donavan in a discussion on the many ways you can enrich your faith during the season of Lent THIS SUNDAY at 9:30am in the Parish Hall.

ST. THOMAS BLOOD DRIVE FEBRUARY 22

7:30 AM - 1:00 PM

St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Bailey Cove Road will host a blood drive on February 22. 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. All donors receive a FREE tote bag and e-gift card!

Pi Kappa Alpha Appreciation Dinner

Saturday, March 28, 2–5 PM

Help Needed! Sign-Up in Information Hall THIS SUNDAY!

The Lobsterfest Steering Committee is providing a dinner to the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity for their support to Lobsterfest. Lobsterfest could not be the success it is without the support that the fraternity guys provide to St. Thomas.

The dinner is Saturday, March 28, 2-5 p.m. We have the Kitchen and Parish Hall reserved from 12-6 p.m.

We are providing pork tenderloins and chicken, but need home cooked side dishes and desserts. We also have a need volunteers to serve the meal and help clean up.

A sign-up sheet, with a tentative menu, is posted in Information Hall.

It has been a very tough month for the fraternity guys with the loss of one of their brothers, so we need to show them all the love that St. Thomas offers!!

If you can provide a side dish or dessert, please sign up in Information Hall! For questions contact Tom Perry at perrytbne@aol.com or 256.348.4313.

World Mission Committee

Open Invitation to Meetings

THIS Sunday, February 22

6:15 PM in Conference Room

As co-chairs of the World Mission Committee, we would like to invite anyone who is interested in St. Thomas’ World Mission work to attend our quarterly meetings. Since we are in a new location in Honduras, working with Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in La Ceiba, we believe this is the ideal time to spread the good news about our work there. We invite you to come to any or all of our planned quarterly meetings. The first meeting will be a general overview of our work in Honduras, but the subsequent meetings will focus on specific aspects of our work in Honduras and other areas of World Missions.

February 22 – Honduras 101, an overview of our ministries in Honduras THIS SUNDAY at 6:15 PM in the Conference Room.

May 18 – Education Mission

August 10 – Medical Mission

October 26 – Other projects, construction, outreach, ad hoc needs

Each of the other meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last one hour. Please note that these dates are subject to change. At each meeting, you will have the opportunity to learn about the work of the World Mission group, how to become involved in World Mission work, and will participate in determining how that work is brought about and funded.

Linda Hanson and Brett Tomlin, World Mission Co-chairs

First Local & National Outreach Meeting

Monday, 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. 

Our meetings are 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 p.m. 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!

UPCOMING

Sin Snippets: Finding Lent in Pop Culture

Wednesdays in Lent, beginning February 22!

What do bluegrass songs, scary movies, Saturday Night Live sketches, Bob Dylan, and the Blues have to teach us about Lent and how to live into our baptismal covenant? Join Mtr. Katie and Fr. Donavan for lots of Lenten laughs, smiles, cheers, and maybe a tear or two on Wednesday nights this Lent! We will be looking at how popular music, movies, and comedy can help us live out our promise to "persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever [we] fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord." 

Evening Prayer (see info below) will kick things off in the nave at 5:30 PM and a Lenten supper of soup and salad will begin being served at 5:45 PM in the Parish Hall (The first Wednesday's menu will be Red Beans and Rice). The program will start at 6:15 PM.

Don't miss this year's exciting Lenten Soup and Salad Series, "Sin Snippets: Finding Lent in Pop Culture," beginning Wednesday, February 25, in the Parish Hall.

Join Us Wednesdays in Lent Holden Evening Prayer

5:30 PM in the Nave

Holden Evening Prayer will be used for worship at the Wednesday evening Lenten services beginning February 25th. The music, composed by Marty Haugen, is a contemporary setting of an evening hymn, Psalm 141, and the Magnificat.

The service will be accompanied by piano and the Bell Choir. Worship begins at 5:30 p.m. Come for the prayer and then stay after for dinner and this year's Lenten program! We'd love to see you there!

2026 LENT DEVOTIONAL IS ONLINE!

This Lenten season, Episcopal Relief & Development and Sister Monica Clare, a nun of the Community of St. John Baptist and beloved TikTok personality, invite us to reflect on the"Holy Habits" that bring us closer to God. Through daily meditations, we’re invited to think deeply about our faith, transforming this Lenten season into a time of holy habit-building. Join us as we build our Holy Habits at www.episcopalrelief.org/Lent, where you can subscribe to daily emails, read the meditations, and explore resources.

Everybody's Pub Theology

Thursday, February 26

Sit down with Fr. Donavan and Dcn. Jeannie Thursday, February 26 from 6-7:30 p.m., at PaPPo's Pizzeria, at 7540 Memorial Pkwy SW, Huntsville, for great fellowship, good food, tasty drinks, and hearty discussion!

Holy Hike “Spring Season”

Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve, Saturday, March 7 at 9 AM

March 7th – Chapman Mountain We’ll kick things off with a hike at Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve on Saturday, March 7. We’ll meet at the Chapman Mountain parking area 1263 U.S. Hwy 72 E, Huntsville, AL 35811. Plan for a moderate hike of a couple of miles, with time to pause, reflect, and take in the surroundings.

Other Spring Season Holy Hike Dates

April 4 at Monte Sano State Park

May 2 at Wade Mountain

For each hike, we will meet at 9 a.m. CST. Contact Brett Byford at HERE or 256.808.5776 with any questions. Feel free to bring binoculars and/or hiking sticks if you’d like, along with something to drink. We hope you’ll join us for these mornings of fellowship, fresh air, and time together on the trail!

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.

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!

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.

A photo made with an earlier photo from Fr. Donavan's FIRST Sunday at St. Thomas after his FIRST Annual Meeting with his FIRST newly elected vestry members, Richard Williams, Kathie Clayton, David Hattaway, and Grace Casey, all of whom, three years LATER, have just finished their vestry terms!

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org