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Parish Weekly April 17, 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.
| | Happy Easter, and blessed confirmation and reception to these beloved humans. | |
Those Who Were Confirmed
David Brown, Michaela Brown, Elizabeth Elias, Mercedes Houck,
and Philip McLean
Those Who Were Received
Riley Flaum, Beth Kecskemety, Brent Kecskemety, and Mary Beth Reidy
Let us continue to celebrate as Eastering people, a people who
are becoming.
With Love,
Amma Leslie
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UTO In Gathering, Sunday, April 19
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Diocesan Youth Retreat, April 24-26, Silver Lake
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Spring Cleanup, Sunday, May 3, following service (see details below)
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Fiber Arts Ministry, Tuesday, May 5, 1:30-3:00 pm, Lounge
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United Thank Offering Ingathering
Join us for the United Thank Offering Ingathering this Sunday, April 19, as we come together in gratitude and generosity.
The UTO awards one-time grants to support innovative projects that promote the health
and well-being of those in need. Last year,
The Episcopal Corps/Young Adult Service Corps was awarded $51,000 to support education and professional development through its Resiliency, Education, and Visioning program. The Young
Adult Service Corps is a ministry for Episcopalians, ages 21-35, interested in exploring their faith in new ways by living and serving in communities around the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Envelopes will be available in this Sunday’s bulletin and will be collected at the church. Alternatively, checks may be mailed to the church with "UTO" noted in the memo section. Take a moment to notice the blessings around you and give thanks to God through the UTO.
Wendy Petry, UTO Chairwoman
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Altar Flowers
If you appreciate the beauty of altar flowers,
have an occasion to give thanks for, wish to celebrate a special event, or want to honor a loved one, consider sponsoring flowers for our weekly worship services. There are many available dates in the coming months for you to make a donation.
Signing up is easy and fast! Call the Parish
Office at 585.442.3544 or click the link below.
For more details, contact Vicky Rupley at vrupley@gmail.com or 585.233.2546.
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Push Pay Online Giving Login
Effective as of Wednesday, April 15, 2026, the appearance
of the STC Online Giving login page will change. Although
the login page appears different from the previous version,
your login and account security remain unchanged..
Please contact Anita Herring, Director of Finance
& Administration, at finance@stthomasrochester.org
or 585.442.3544, regarding assistance with setting
up an account or navigating the site.
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Volunteers Needed for Spring Window Cleanup
Come chip in to spruce up the church's interior
and exterior windows for spring on Sunday, May 3. Cleanup volunteers will meet in the Lower Hall following the service, where paper towels and Windex willbe distributed to the crew. All are welcome to join in, as many hands will make light work of the effort.
For more details, contact Lisa Hand at lisahand711@gmail.com.
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Brighton Food Cupboard Requests
The Brighton Food Cupboard is a program
of Jewish Family Service of Rochester
in partnership with the Brighton Central School District and Foodlink. April donation needs for the Brighton Food Cupboard include toothpaste, toothbrushes, and shampoos, which will help keep our neighbors smiling and looking great.
Drop off your donations in the collection boxes located at each church entrance. Thanks for caring and sharing in the love!
| | Children and Youth Ministry | | |
The Road to Emmaus
This week in Sunday School, we
will read the story of Jesus’ walk with two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, found in Luke 24:13-35. After his resurrection, Jesus appears to two of his disciples on their walk to Emmaus, but they do not recognize Jesus. When they arrive at Emmaus, they invite Jesus in to stay with them. They share in the breaking of the bread, and in that moment, the disciples realize the stranger walking with them was their beloved teacher all along. Our lesson this week will focus on how Jesus surprises us throughout our lives. We will also discuss how we often meet Jesus in other people and how other people meet Jesus in us.
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Youth Group
This week in Youth Group, we will be participating in the Episcopal Church’s Asiamerica
Ministries project to pray for detained immigrants. The youth will make paper cranes
with prayers for those detained written on the inside. The cranes will be sent to the
Diocese of Olympia and shared as a symbol of peace and solidarity at a detention
center in Tacoma, Washington.
| Please contact either Rev. Lydia at lydia@stthomasrochester.org or Paula Gitlin
at paula@stthomasrochester.org with any questions or concerns. | | |
Children and Youth Ministries Survey
As we prepare for our next program year at St. Thomas’, we are hoping to hear the
needs of the families in our parish. If you are a parent of a child(ren) in our parish,
please fill out the survey below. Thank you in advance for your participation.
Questions, concerns, or further thoughts may be directed to The Rev. Lydia Arnts at lydia@stthomasrochester.org.
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Diocesan Peace & Justice Committee
St. Thomas' member, Carolyn Mok, has been asked to convene a diocesan Peace
& Justice Committee. If you would like to serve on this committee, please contact
Carolyn at dokmok@gmail.com.
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A special thank you to our wonderful
group of assistants, Rob Ferris,
Kelli Mok, Nancy Newton, Jim Pulcini, Jane Smith, and Laura Thomas,
who helped in the office during
Holy Week. Your generosity of time, talents, and willingness to lend a hand were greatly appreciated.
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Thank you to Tom Dinse for sharing his gift
of refurbishing furniture with us. Tom stripped, sanded, and stained the pew that needed some TLC in the office wing of the building.
All are encouraged to see Tom's handiwork
up close at the end of the office hallway.
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Thank you to our Altar Guild ministers whose work you see each Sunday
and throughout the high holy seasons. During Holy Week, the group has extra responsibilities, one of which is setting up and decorating our sacred space
for Easter worship. Thank you for your hard work and ministry of hospitality and love.
With gratitude,
Amma Leslie
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St. Thomas' Parking: Avoid a Fender Bender
Please be sure to keep a five-foot space away from the Church driveway entrance when parking on the street to prevent unnecessary fender benders with anyone pulling out of the driveway. This useful street parking rule applies anytime and anywhere when parking near a driveway. Thank you for your help!
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A Yummy Fundraiser
On Wednesday, April 22, from 11:00 am to 9:30 pm,
Adelita's Mexican Cocina & Tequila in Pittsford Plaza
will be donating 15% of its entire day's proceeds to
Family Promise of Greater Rochester. Formerly known
as RAIHN, the homeless shelter assists families at risk
of or experiencing homelessness to achieve sustainable independence by providing person-centered, holistic services in collaboration with the greater community.
The fundraiser includes lunch, dinner, and takeout orders. Come and enjoy a great meal, and assist Rochester's families in housing crises.
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Get Ready
for Sunday
Read the Revised Common Lectionary
for the Third Sunday
of Easter
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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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