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Parish Weekly September 18, 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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Dear St. Thomas' Beloved,
St. Thomas' theme for the 2026-2027 program year is "Encircle with Love." We know how to do this, especially within the parish community. We live it out by writing notes
of care to each other, praying for one another, our family and friends, and we prove
it by showing up in important ways and rites of passage. Many of us expressed it in
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tangible forms: you added hands and feet to preparing
for the program kick-off through song, voice, setup,
cleanup, baking, preparing the grounds, and takedown. Sunday's Kickoff was a blast, and I am so grateful for you!
If you were not able to attend, no worries; there are many opportunities in the near future. (See additional offerings below.) Community is where we experience and learn
the power of love. The first formation opportunity to build capacity is with RRRN. Join me as we learn how to be allies to our neighbors and encircle them with love.
Rochester Rapid Response Network (RRRN) Ally Training
Sunday, September 27, After Worship, Great Hall
This training is for community organizations, churches/faith-based groups, and neighborhood groups looking to protect their neighbors. This can be in partnership
with RRRN or a broader coalition of organizations formed specifically to prevent
ICE detentions. Led by Anne Schuler.
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Training Goals
- To learn the mission of RRRN and the working groups within it that carry out this mission, providing information on how to get involved in a variety of ways to support our immigrant neighbors
- To introduce the Roc Watch coalition that specifically targets reducing the number of detentions in our area, its relationship to RRRN, and how to join
- To know what to do as an unaffiliated bystander when you see ICE activity, how to report it, community action, safety, rights, and bystander guidelines
- To understand the basics of documentation, including tips for capturing video on your phone during immigration enforcement incidents
- To provide actionable resources and next steps for all of the above
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Adult Choir Rehearsals Begin, Sunday, September 20, 8:45 am, Choir Room
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Sunday School Classes Begin, Sunday, September 20, 10:00 am, Lower Hall Sunday School Classrooms
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Youth Group Meetings Begin, Sunday, September 20, 11:15 am, Youth Room
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Rochester Rapid Response Network (RRRN) Ally Training, Sunday, September 27, after worship, Great Hall
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Adult Choir
September 20 marks the Adult Choir's return
to worship. All teens and adults are invited to join
us for our first rehearsal at 8:45 am on Sunday, September 20. We meet in the Choir Room most Sundays at 8:45 am, and on Wednesday evenings when preparing for special liturgies. Contact Rhonda Wright at organist@stthomasrochester.org if you are considering joining or would like more information. Newcomers are welcome and encouraged!
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Children's & Youth Ministries
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The Vineyard Workers
This week in Sunday School, the children will hear the story of the vineyard workers found
in Matthew 20:1-16. In this passage, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a vineyard
in which a landowner hires workers throughout the day. At the end of the day, the landowner pays all the workers the same wage no matter when they started working. This week's lesson will focus on God’s generosity and the gifts each of us has been given.
Please direct any questions to Rev. Lydia at lydia@stthomasrochester.org.
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Youth Group
Meetings begin this Sunday, September 20, at 11:15 am in the Youth Room. Parents are encouraged to join us for the first 30 minutes to discuss communication and what the coming year will look like. Then, we will explore the program year theme, Encircle with Love, through gratitude practices and community-building activities. Please direct any questions or concerns to Rev. Lydia at lydia@stthomasrochester.org or Paula Gitlin at paula@stthomasrochester.org.
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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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Altar Flowers
If you have a special occasion to celebrate, give thanks for, or wish to honor a loved one, consider sponsoring altar flowers
for a weekly worship service. Altar flower sponsors can have St. Thomas' Watchcare ministry either deliver them to a homebound parishioner in need of floral cheer or take them home after the service. Sign-up dates are still available.
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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Greater Rochester Interfaith Builder's Drive-Thru BBQ
Kick off the fall at the Greater Rochester Interfaith Builder's Drive-Thru BBQ on Saturday, September 19, at the Atonement Lutheran Church in Brighton. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity.
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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.
| | Many ministries made this past Sunday's Kickoff a success! I am deeply grateful for the time, effort, and love that so many of you gave. I will risk naming some folks who contributed in various ways, and I pray that if your name is missing, you will grant me grace and know I thank you too. | |
Saturday Yard Work: Susan Chazan, Lisa Hand, and Amy and Mark Holowczenko
Special Musicians: Michael and Stefanie Brown, Molly Maenner, Deacon Andrea Stridiron, and Rhonda Wright
Picnic Lunch: Jane Andrews, Anne Bauer, Linda Coleman, Donna Dinse, Lisa Hand, Susan Hughes, Mary Beth Reidy, Barb Skornia, Mary Scollan, and Jim and Nancy Stefano
Welcome Guides and Chair Set-up: Kearie Baumgartener, Jim Pulcini,
and Charlie Zettek
Set-up and take-down were a true community effort - thank you all!
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Seeking Lay Delegates for Diocesan Convention
St. Thomas' is seeking two lay delegates to represent
our parish at this year's Diocesan Convention. Diocesan Convention 95 will take place on Saturday, October 24,
from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at Hobart & William Smith Colleges, 300 Pulteney Street, Geneva, NY. Delegates must be members in good standing and known to the treasurer.
If you are interested in serving, please contact Amma Leslie
at leslie@stthomasrochester.org.
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Formation Opportunities
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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Get Ready
for Sunday
Read the Revised Common Lectionary
for the seventeenth 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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