What’s Happening at St. Paul’s 8.21.20
| What’s Happening at St. Paul’s |
The state of Maine is a beauty! My vacation featured the beauty of Down East as my dog Sophie and I traveled from Quoddy Head Point State Park to Bar Harbor. I took my folding chair and little folding table, put Sophie on a lead, and set up to write correspondence and read at Schoodic Point nearly every day. My cabin grounds overlooked Flanders Bay to Cadillac Mountain in the distance. I thank God for the time away to rest. I thank YOU for bringing me to Maine seven years ago. I thank our Wardens, staff (Susan Tyler, Carolyn Farr, Randy Day) and lay leaders for your strong sense of mission, and for guiding us through this summer of the pandemic and giving me a chance to recharge. Weren’t the weekly Friday articles wonderful to read? I was energized by everyone. Thank you Cliff Ruprecht, Paul Womer, Pat Ryan, the Rev. Katie Holicky, the Rev. Mary Lee Wile, Myrna Koonce, and Katy Rivera for sharing your faith with us. Thank you, Lay Worship Leaders, for keeping your strong, faithful presence in our digital daily prayers, and to Mary Lee Wile and Rick for filling in for me on Wednesdays. Our clergy, Mary Lee and Katie demonstrated to all of us their clear voice of transformation in their sermons on Sunday and for the Thursday Healing Service. Thank you all. Just before I left for vacation, Carol Kalajainen, a choir member and one of the founders of New Mainers Support Group contacted me to inquire about the availability of the house we own (known as The Barnes Building) adjacent to our parking lot on Union Street for a family of nine asylum seekers who had been seeking housing as their lease was expiring. They had searched for over a month and found nothing. For over a year, St. Paul’s has sought to find a commercial lessee and searched unsuccessfully among the many non-profit organizations and other commercial enterprises. Carol, the cultural broker navigating the family through the housing search, Nancy Whitehouse, and Hugh Savage, led a tour through the building, and the family found it quite suitable. I called a special Vestry meeting to discuss the possibility of leasing the building as a single-family dwelling and to decide whether or not we would fund the renovations needed to make this commercial property a home. Our former contractor whom we trust from his excellent work to restore the Nave, Fraser Ruwet offered a proposal and the Vestry unanimously elected to enter into a renovation agreement of up to $13,000 and to lease the space to the family through the Maine Housing Authority. We believe strongly in this mission to share a resource we have and that has been standing empty for months. The Barnes Building will be a home located near shopping, transportation, and schools. We do not know the final outcome of the renovation costs as once we were refitting the house for a dwelling, there were additional costs. But Nancy Whitehouse, our treasurer who has ably and faithfully cut costs and recruited “sweat equity” from the Holy Stitchers and the Men’s Group, was able to keep renovation costs down. I want to thank Nancy Whitehouse and the Holy Stitchers who are now called the “Holy Paint Rollers,” Hugh Savage and Paul Womer, for their work this summer to make our Barnes Building a home. We also received a generous financial contribution to aid in the renovations. Thank you! And we received an in-kind donation of a stove for the kitchen. Thank you! The best part of being asked to help house a family in our Barnes Building is that we said “yes” to God’s call to serve. This is no surprise to me since listening to God and serving is what we do. On the budget side of saying “yes” to this opportunity, we will now be receiving income that we had not counted on for our 2020 budget. This income will not only help offset the renovation costs but also will provide income for our 2021 budget. You will see in the Announcement Bulletin an invitation to participate in a “Housewarming Staples Shower” for the family. I hope you join us as we welcome Alrindo Missioni and Milagre Christina Joao and their seven children into our neighborhood. Thank you, good people, of St. Paul’s in this faith-filled demonstration of generosity! With love and gratitude, Carolyn + The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost August 23, 2020 |
| 10:30 Spiritual Eucharist from the Diocese of Maine Click to link to Worship Booklet Click to link to Announcements Click here to join the St. Paul’s Zoom Coffee Hour Sunday, at 11:30 am Readings Exodus 1:8-2:10 Psalm 124 Romans 12:1-8 Matthew 16:13-20 The Lectionary Page Family Worship Sunday, August 23, 9:30 a.m. Rev. Katie Holicky and musician Susan Brown will lead us in a time of song, prayer, story, and sharing with our friends! Here is the link for the Zoom gathering. Click here for the 9:30 Family Worship Booklet Worship Spotlight As St. Paul’s transitioned to on-line services during the pandemic, we sought ways to continue our tradition of lay participation in worship. In early June, our Lectors began reading lessons in the Sunday morning service on Facebook. In mid-June, our Lay Worship Leaders joined the clergy in leading online weekday services Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. These twelve weekday services have gathered a virtual praying community that serves not only our own parishioners but also many from near and far. As this pandemic continues, it has become clear that some of the new ways of doing things will likely continue. Our virtual weekday Morning Prayer and Compline services are one of these. God has greatly blessed this ministry, and we now recognize it as a vital part of St. Paul’s offering to the community. Parish Announcements Today – Sunday, August 23 at 10:30 a.m. – The pre-recorded “Spiritual Eucharist” will be our St. Paul’s worship, offered by the Diocese of Maine. It will feature members of St. Paul’s and our clergy. This worship service will be viewable on St. Paul’s Facebook page. Daily Morning Prayer and Compline — Join us every morning and evening on St. Paul’s Facebook Live for Morning Prayer and Compline, 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Precautions to Observe While you are in the building of St. Paul’s We want parishioners and guests to be able to contact staff members in person while at the same time we take the Maine CDC recommended precautions. The hallway off the Union Street parking lot to the office and the office itself are the only areas open. Call or email the staff member working that day to alert them you’ll be coming and use the intercom at the parking lot door to call them to open the door when you arrive. Wear a mouth and nose covering when in the building. We have a mask to give you. Use hand sanitizer to wash hands. (Restrooms and kitchen will be closed.) We will provide hand sanitizer stations along the hallway off the Union Street parking lot. Please be sure to sign in. Observe distancing precautions: 6 feet apart. No more than four will be in the building at a time. Click here to see St. Paul’s office hours. Outdoor Fellowship Gatherings — You are cordially invited to an Outdoor Fellowship Gathering. St. Paul’s is hosting this chance to get together for fellowship. Following CDC guidelines, the groups will be small and outdoors, so we have multiple dates & times available. We will provide the seating, six feet apart, and great conversation. You provide your presence and a snack and beverage not to share (to keep the risk low but against our St. Paul’s love for hospitality!) Each gathering will be for one hour. We invite you to join us as you feel comfortable doing so. · Sunday, August 23: Abigail & Bob Patterson at 12:30 · Wednesday, August 26: Caroline Russell at 1:00 · Thursday, August 27: Tim & Anne Banks at 4:00 · Saturday, August 29th: Macauley & Carol Lord at 5:00 · Saturday, September 5: Nancy Pennell at 5:00 in the Memorial Garden · Sunday, September 13: Patsy & Phil Studwell at 2:00 RSVPs are required, please contact Patsy Oehl poehl56@yahoo.com or Charla Spann chaspann13@gmail.com with your first and second choice. Prayer Requests Pray for the summer chapel congregations of St. George’s in Tenants Harbor and Christ Church Dark Harbor in Isleboro, and for Our Lady of the Evergreens in Harborside. Pray for Anderson, Andrew, Cedric, Jason, Michael, Richard, and all in the military. We pray for: Christy, Mathew, Ryan & family, Ethel, Ray, John, David, Judi, Carolyn B., Nick, Bob, Linda, Kathy, Skip, the Blackburn family, Willow, Tierra, Bill, Ann, Susan, Jessica, Jim, Lollie, Steve, James, Jennifer, and JohnReeve, Victor, Travis & family, Ben, Diane, Nate, Elijah, Priscilla, Rick R., Alison, Garrett, Elliot, Marcia, Hannah, Lynn, Peter, Carolyn, Patricia, Patrick, Bill, Bob, Paul, Sue, Julie, Matthew, Herb, Marijka and baby Savannah Melissa & family, the Hawkes family, Marnie, Gair, Sharon and family, baby Thomas, Jason, Peg & family, Annie, Sarah, Carole, Patrick, Liam, Arline, Franklin, Terry, Mark, Ronda, and Donelda Call or email the parish office if you would like a name to be placed on the prayer list. The names will be removed after three months unless otherwise notified. St. Paul’s Celebrates 175 Years of Our Body of Christ The Gratitude Project Update: 175th Anniversary Committee. We surpassed our goal of 175 items of warm clothing, but if you’ve got items you had intended to donate, please don’t hesitate–still bring or send them in! Our present array consists of everything from coats and jackets and sweaters to socks and hats and headbands, not to mention scarves and gloves and flannel shirts, and even boots! If you need someone to pick up your items, please let Carol Martin know (cmartin@northpark.edu). Housewarming The Rector shared with us the story and details of how a family of asylum seekers, having moved from Brunswick Landing, came to live in our building called “the Barnes Building. This is the invitation to our parish for their housewarming.Being that Arlindo Missioni and Milagre Christina Joao and their seven children are soon to take up residence in our Barnes Building, some of us thought it might be nice to welcome them to our neighborhood and community with a “staples shower,” greeting them with a supply of food and cleaning supplies. (We’ve checked to be sure we are providing things they actually use.) If you would like to participate in our small-scale welcome wagon, please bring your contributions to the church and let Carol Martin know when you expect to be there; she’ll collect items and put them inside the church. You can reach her either by phone (844-8133) or e-mail (cmartin@northpark.edu). We expect the move-in to happen within the next two weeks. Thank you in advance for your St. Paul’s generosity! Foods our family eats: Rice, beans (the one dry), pasta – all kinds, flour, sugar, salt, canola or soy oil, tomato sauce (can), olives, corn (in the can), chickpeas (can or dry), green peas (can or dry). I’m told they use a lot of oil. Household and cleaning items they can use: Toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, laundry detergent, dish detergent, toilet cleaner, all-purpose cleaner. Christmas Fair (Socially Distanced) Our Attic Treasures Sale Needs Your Gently Used Goods! Please look around for items you could donate to our September 19 sale. This is the first event in our modified, Covid-19 year Christmas Fair. To donate items, contact Nancy Johnson at (978) 387-6058 or write Jan DeBlieu at jdeblieu@mindspring.com so drop off or pick up of items can be coordinated. Volunteers are needed too. This is a major fundraiser for our Outreach Fund. All proceeds will go to non-profit organizations. Please help as much as you can, and thanks! Mark the date: Saturday, September 19 Outdoors (rain date Saturday, September 26) Also, we are planning a second in-person event for late November or early December. This will be a simplified version of our famous Christmas Fair, with limited access to the church and controlled numbers of shoppers allowed inside at once. More details will follow! Rest assured that if the incidence of Covid-19 in Maine increases, or if events conspire to make it unwise to hold the fair events, they will be canceled or perhaps moved entirely online. What can you contribute to this major annual effort to help people in need? Please write to Jan at jdeblieu@mindspring.com if you can help. There are lots of tasks, for instance: Help photograph items for a possible online sale, and for advance publicity. Help build plastic shields to be used between shoppers and customers Donate to help offset expenses for safety supplies and face shields (mail checks to church with memo “Christmas Fair”) Help with set up, clean up, and staffing tables. Please volunteer! Community Information Diocesan Anti-Hunger Campaign Update — Thanks to an amazing group of volunteers and OOB staff we just finished distributing 35,500 pounds of free food acquired by the USDA to our neighbors in Old Orchard Beach, Saco, Biddeford, and others. Special thanks to the Saco PD who delivered 30 boxes of food to homebound seniors!!! Please consider making a contribution. You can donate by check made out to Episcopal Diocese of Maine with subject line “Food Insecurity Fund” mailed to Attn: John Hennessy. Episcopal Diocese of Maine, PO Box 4036, Portland, ME 04101 They also have set up some ways for you to give electronically: Mobile app – Download the GivePlus mobile app on the App Store or on Google Play, enter our zip code “04101”, select “Episcopal Diocese of Maine” and give. Visit episcopalmaine.org – Easily enter your donation from the website. Click on the “donate” button on the top of the home page. |
Celebrating the Season of Creation