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November 11, 2026

Grant us a vision, Lord

To see what we can achieve

To reach out beyond ourselves

To share our lives with others

To stretch our capabilities

To increase our sense of purpose

To be aware of where we can help

To be sensitive to your Presence

To give heed to your constant call.

from The Book of a Thousand Prayers.

A Message from the Rector

Dear Friends in Christ,

Last Sunday the Collect said, “O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God . . .” There’s a line from the famous hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God that says, “And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us . . .” All these make reference to “the devil” (notice it is not capitalized!) or to “devils” (notice it is in the plural!) That sounds like there’s an army stacked against us. I don’t know if that’s literally true or not. It certainly sounds formidable.

A modern interpretation of the devil’s work comes from the book The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis. In the book a devil briefs his demon nephew, Wormwood, in a series of letters, on the subtleties and techniques of tempting people. In his writings, the devil says that the objective is not to make people wicked but to make them indifferent. This higher devil cautions Wormwood that he must keep the patient comfortable at all costs. If he should start thinking about anything of importance, encourage him to think about his luncheon plans and not to worry so much because it might cause indigestion. And then the devil gives this instruction to his nephew: “I, the devil, will always see to it that there are bad people. Your job, my dear Wormwood, is to provide me with people who do not care.” 

Whatever we might believe about the reality of the devil, making people who don’t care is formidable. It’s easy not to care about the needs of others. It seems too formidable so we are tempted not to care. Yet Jesus’ consistent message is about caring for our neighbors. Consider the parable of the Good Samaritan. Consider the many times Jesus reaches across religious and cultural boundaries to bring healing and restoration. Jesus cared deeply about the needs of others. Caring is how we “destroy the works of the devil.” Doing the work of caring for the needs of others together, like we do in the church, the devil doesn’t seem nearly so formidable.

Faithfully,

Fr. Robert Harvey

Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Veteran's Day to all our veterans. Thank you for your service. Pictured here are flags in memory of deceased veterans buried in Calvary's churchyard.

For those in the Armed Forces of our Country

Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and

keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home

and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly

grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give

them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant

them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ending Soon!

Pixie Village Preschool Food Collection Drive

Pixie Village Preschool is collecting non-perishable food items and household essentials for the StrongWILL Food Pantry which supports local families experiencing food insecurity in the Williamsville School District.

Pixie Village is collecting the following; starred items in bold are most needed:

PANTRY STAPLES

• *Spaghetti sauce
• Catsup, mustard, other condiments
• Canned meats
• *Boxed or bagged instant potatoes
• *Cake mixes & pie fillings
• *Jelly
• *Peanut butter
• *Canned fruit
• *Canned yams

MEALS & SNACKS

• *Cereal (hot & cold)
• Ramen
• Rice
• *Snacks -- especially granola and breakfast bars

HOUSEHOLD & PERSONAL CARE

• *Toilet paper
• *Paper towels
• *Toothpaste
• *Deodorant

Donations may be dropped off on the table to the right of the elevator in the lobby outside the Pixie Village wing. No expired food or glass containers. The collection drive ends this Friday, November 13.

Memorial Service for Lou Butenschoen

Calvary Church will have a memorial service for Lou Butenschoen this Saturday at 10 a.m. A reception in Hughson Hall will follow the service.

Calvary's Mitten Tree Drive for School 30

Calvary's Annual Mitten Tree Drive brings holiday joy to students at Buffalo Public School #30. Every second and fourth grader at School 30 will receive a fleece jacket with the school's logo (preordered by the Outreach Committee) and a book that they or their teacher requested. This year we have expanded the Mitten Tree to give every first grader a hooded sweatshirt (also preordered by Outreach) and a book. The Mitten Tree drive will run from Saturday, November 14 through Sunday, December 13.

Parishioners may participate in the Mitten Tree in two ways:

1. If you are able to purchase a book:

• Select a mitten from the tree and submit your name and mitten information to a table volunteer.
• Pay $25 for the fleece jacket/sweatshirt only
• Purchase the book listed on the mitten.
• Return the mitten, the book, and $25 payment by December 13th.

2. If you cannot shop for a book:

• Do not take a mitten but submit your name to a table volunteer.
• Pay $40 for the fleece jacket/sweatshirt plus a book purchased by the Outreach Committee.
• Return the $40 payment by December 6th to give organizers time to purchase the book.

Please make checks out to Calvary Episcopal Church and write "Mitten Tree" in the memo. If you pay by cash, make sure that the table volunteer records your name and classroom number(s) on the cash sheet. Thank you for supporting the Mitten Tree drive and BPS #30!

Deadline Sunday!

Nominations for 2027 Parish Election

Calvary's Vestry has approved the following people to serve on the Nominating Committee: Dennis McCoy (Chair), Helen Cochran, Bruce Davidson, George Faeth, Samantha Maciejewski, and Emily Sityar. The committee is seeking to fill positions of those rotating off the Vestry: one warden and three vestrypersons.

Please help Calvary recruit good leaders by submitting names of potential candidates to run as Warden or Vestrypersons in the 2027 Parish Election. Download a nomination form, fill it out, and drop it off in Nominations Box in the Reception Room. The deadline for vestry nominations is Sunday, November 15.

Vestry Invitation

All are welcome to attend a hybrid Vestry Meeting on Tuesday, November 17 at 7 p.m. 

Please keep in mind that guests are silent observers with neither voice nor vote during the meeting. Come in person or use this Zoom link for the Vestry meeting. To listen by phone, call 646 558 8656  and use Meeting ID 853 1394 2359 and Passcode 773398.

Friends of Night People

Calvary Team 1 volunteers will be serving dinner at Friends of Night People on Thursday, November 19. Sign up in the Reception Room. Volunteers will meet at Calvary's parking lot at 4 p.m. to carpool and return by 8 p.m. Click here to watch training videos for volunteers.

Contact Ro Cherpak 716 863-4267 or Chris Coburn-Miller 716 597-5263 for more information.

Good Grief

The Good Grief Support Group will meet on Saturday, November 21 at 9:30 a.m. in the Reception Room. This meeting date is earlier in the month than usual. Good Grief is a non-denominational Grief Support Group that offers fellowship and support to anyone who has suffered any type of significant loss. For more information, contact Ellen Marshall, 716-689-2133.

Attention All Knitters!

It is the season for giving warm hats, mittens and scarves to refugees. Journey's End is always in need of men's, women's and children's sets. Individual pieces are also welcome. Many thanks to our knitters and crocheters who are members of Calvary's Hands to Hearts Group for taking on this project. Should there be other parishioners who would like to contribute hand-made items please contact Betsy Greno at 716-864-4817 elizabethgreno@gmail.com.

The deadline for contributions is Sunday November 22.

Stewardship

When I was young, I looked up to Annie, an older girl in my Pittsburgh neighborhood. She was so smart, had a wonderful personality, and dated my brother, Freddy. Little did I know that she would grow up to win the Pulitzer Prize for her brilliant personal narrative, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. She is Annie Dillard.

There is a quote from Annie’s book that I thought of often while on the Mission Trip to Our Little Roses with Team Calvary. Upon my return from Honduras, I found the sentence that so beautifully describes how I was feeling.

“I have been my whole life a bell, and never knew it until at that moment I was lifted and struck.”

At Our Little Roses, interacting with those beautiful children, I felt called to that place at that time, filled with the sense that it was my purpose. Perhaps there have been times that you have been a bell … realizing it as you were “ lifted and struck”. For many of you, I imagine those times have been associated with Calvary Church. Our Parish provides us with so many opportunities to be called.

As Co-Chairs of the Stewardship Campaign this year, Guy Whalen and I have witnessed such gratitude in giving, such incredible generosity. We have heard bells ringing … have seen many instances of those giving of themselves … their time, talent, and treasure.

Are you being called?

Faithfully,

Janet Metcalfe 

2027 Stewardship Campaign

Our Church continues to thrive as a place of worship, Christian hospitality, and witness because of your faith, your generosity, and your commitment to our shared ministry. There is so much life and light in our parish. At the heart of it all is you--the people of Calvary--faithfully and compassionately living out your baptismal promise to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves.

Click here if you wish to fill out a 2027 Calvary pledge card online. Calvary's Giving website has further information about ways to make a gift to Calvary.

All pledges will be blessed on November 22, the Sunday before Thanksgiving. As of Tuesday, 139 households have pledged $411,128 in support of Calvary in 2027. Thank you to those who have pledged.

Capital Campaign?

Calvary is considering undertaking a capital campaign. Before making any decisions, the leadership wants to carefully assess the needs of our buildings, the priorities of our parish, and our collective ability to support such an undertaking. To assist us in this process, Calvary has engaged The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS) as a consultant to guide a period of discernment and a feasibility study.

As part of the feasibility process, TENS will also conduct a review of potential charitable giving capacity, sometimes referred to as a "wealth screening." This process considers an individual’s history of charitable giving and other information available from public sources to help assess the potential financial support for a capital campaign.

We recognize that financial information is personal and that some parishioners may be hesitant to participate in this aspect of the study. Your participation in the wealth screening is entirely voluntary. To learn more or to opt out, click here. The wealth screening process will commence after December 2.

Call for Diocesan Delegates

In addition to the vestry election at Calvary's Annual Parish Meeting in January, parishioners will also elect 3 diocesan delegates and up to 3 alternates to vote in the May Diocesan Election for a new bishop as well as attend the regular convention in October. These delegates will be responsible to attend meetings and forums in April to meet the candidates and to hear from the congregation about their priorities for a bishop. The electing convention will be May 1 and the annual diocesan convention will be October 29-30.

If you are interested in being a diocesan delegate, please submit your name to the church office by email or call 716 633-7800. Do not submit someone's name until you have confirmed that they are willing to be a delegate. The deadline to nominate delegates for the Diocesan Bishop Election is Monday, November 30.

COLLEGE STUDENT CARE PACKAGES



We need your help! The Congregational Care Committee sends Care Packages to all our college students, so they know that we are thinking of them and to wish them well as they complete their fall semesters. Our little remembrances go out right after Thanksgiving to any students in a two- or four-year college, trade school, or graduate program. Please send your college students’ names and addresses to Elizabeth Harten even if they are living at home and/or if they will be back home by early December.  

Sharing the Our Little Roses Mission Trip through Stories & Pictures

Come to a Potluck Dinner in Hughson Hall on Wednesday, December 2^nd from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for good food and the opportunity to hear more about Calvary’s recent mission trip to Honduras from those who went.

If you come, please bring a dish: a main dish, a salad or other side dish, or a dessert. The Church will provide the beverages and paper products. Please sign up using the sheet in the reception room by Sunday, November 29^th.

Great Music Concert

Many thanks to Music Director Roland Martin and the Calvary Choir, and guest musicians tenor soloist Tyler Huk, oboist Anna Mattix, and the Buffalo Chamber Players for their glorious performance last Sunday! We are grateful for your tremendous talent and effort. Thanks to the Fellowship Committee for providing food and organizing the reception after the concert. And thanks to all Great Music at Calvary supporters. Click here to watch the concert again.

Coffee Hour Farewell for Helen Slominski

Last Sunday, Calvary wished a fond farewell to Helen Slominski, who is moving to the Pittsburgh area to be near her family. Blessings and best wishes to you, Helen! We will miss you.

2026 Areas of Ministry & Vestry Liaisons

Each area of ministry at Calvary is assigned a Vestry member liaison. The liaison serves as an intermediary between the committee and the whole Vestry. These are the liaison assignments for 2026:

• Worship & Music - Janet Newall and Fr. Robert Harvey
• Christian Formation -
• Adult Education - Ryan Fleming
• Children's Education - Ted Andrews
• Fellowship - Howard Craig
• Pastoral Care - Karen Davidson
• Outreach - Karen Davidson
• Communications - Helen Cochran and Laurie Kaiser
• Property - Bryan Gorney
• Giving/Development - Dennis McCoy and Janet Metcalfe
• Finance - Guy Whalen

A Prayer for our Bishop Search

Gracious God, we give thanks for your loving care for the people of the Diocese of Western New York and the members of the Bishop’s Search and Transition Committees. Give us wisdom and understanding as we discern your will. We ask for the gifts of honesty, to speak the truth in love; openness to the gifts and ideas of others and to the Holy Spirit; and willingness, to see your Light shining among us and on the path ahead. Prepare for our Diocese a bishop who will be a faithful pastor, and equip us for the ministries to which we are called in these changing times. Help us to love and serve your world and one another in the Spirit of Christ, trusting in you to be our steadfast helper and guide. Amen.

Diocesan and Church News



• For more news about the Diocese of WNY and to sign up for emailed newsletters, go here.
• The Episcopal Church website offers resources for individuals, congregations, and various ministries. 

Worship at Calvary

In-person worship

• Sunday 8 a.m. Holy Communion
• Sunday 10 a.m. Holy Communion. This worship service is also live streamed.
• Saturday, 4 p.m. Holy Communion
• Wednesday, 7 a.m. Holy Communion

Online worship

• Sunday 10 a.m. Holy Communion is also live streamed. The link to Calvary's 10 a.m. service can be found on the Calvary website or streamed on Facebook and YouTube. All three places will have the recording to watch later.

Attendance

On November 8, online viewers for the 10 a.m. service came from NY, FL and MA.

Rouse our spirits, Lord Jesus,

that whenever you come to the door and knock

you may find us awake,

ready to admit and serve you.

from A New Zealand Prayer Book.