The St. Paul's Epistle
January 16-31, 2006
Contents
Dear Members and Friends of St. Paul's
Thank You
A Defibrillator for St. Paul's
Mozart Trio
ECW
Christian Dialog on Contemporary Issues
Thankful for Christmas Decorating
Vestry Highlights
River Edge Manor Hosts Open House
Wine - Cheese - Fellowship
Hats, Scarves, and Mittens Warm Neighbors
SPY Corner
Dear Members and Friends of St. Paul's:
We had wonderful Christmas Eve services this year. There were many visitors from afar and guests from around the church neighborhood who remarked how special it was for them; not only the worship services, but how beautiful and awe-inspiring is our church building.
Many of our own parishioners had not seen our renovated Parish Hall until Christmas Eve and they, too, were very impressed by its beauty and functionality.
Up until this spring Tom Lincoln, as Sexton, faithfully and lovingly kept our church and parish hall organized, picked up and in order for church functions. During an interim period, while looking for a new Sexton, Louis Martin, our Assistant Sexton, stepped up to the plate to keep our buildings clean and functional, especially during the tearing down of walls and ceilings of our parish hall. During the summer months, Tom Milliman helped out, especially with night Sexton duties.
Now we are fortunate to have Keith Thompson as Sexton and Paul Ring as our night time Assistant Sexton. They are gracious people who want to help us use our buildings for the many ministries and programs we have. However, since Louis Martin has injured his back and may be out for several more weeks, Keith and Paul, along with a cleaning service, are doing their very best to carry out the many demands on our buildings. Please continue to be patient and understanding during this interim period. Continue to hold Louis in your prayers for a quick recovery. And continue to give thanks for the blessings we have to share our buildings for ministry with ourselves and our neighbors.
Faithfully yours,
Fred Reynolds, Rector
Dear People of St Paul's,
Along with several other caring communities, St. Paul's helped provide each of the 41 Sudanese young men an abundantly filled Christmas stocking, as well as new sweaters and sweatshirts. Each was beautifully wrapped by Jane Reynolds.
Please know what a gift it is for us to represent this caring place among these magnificent young men and to share their delight as they unwrapped gifts knowing that each of them was remembered personally at Christmas time. Your generosity and kindness touched their hearts and enriched ours.
With gratitude,
Jerry and Ann Marie DeLuccio
A Defibrillator for St. Paul's
A defibrillator will arrive at St. Paul's early in February. The defibrillator will be available for use in the church so that a timely response can be made to a heart-related emergency. This type of device is very safe and automated but does require a trained operator. We would like to have six parishioners qualified to use the device. Persons desiring to be qualified would have to participate in training that requires a fee and would also need to be re-qualified on an annual basis. If you have questions or would like to know more about qualifying as an operator, please contact Gail Pearson at 244-5086.
Mozart Trio
Rochester Philharmonic violinist Perrin Yang, cellist Ingrid Bock Yang and pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout, from South Africa, will present a concert at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Sunday, January 22 at 3:00 p.m. This gifted trio will feature Mozart's inspiring Trio in E major. Bezuidenhout, who has won accolades internationally, and regularly performs at festivals in the United States, Europe and Australia, will be heard in Mozart's Piano Sonata in F major and the delightful Rondo in D major. All three soloists have appeared with the Rochester Chamber Orchestra (RCO) under David Fetler and they are contributing their services as a benefit for the RCO.
Tickets are $15, seniors $8, students $5 and can be obtained at Wegmans, by calling 442-9778 or from Julie Doescher at St. Paul's.
ECW
On Thursday, January 19, Fred Reynolds will talk to the ECW about his sabbatical trip. There will be no business meeting that day but at noon we will gather for a "brown bag" lunch and fellowship. Dessert and coffee will be served. The program will begin at 12:45.
On Thursday, February 2, Grant Holcomb, the Director of Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, will present "What's Happening at the Gallery." A business meeting at 11:00 a.m. will be followed by a luncheon at 12:00. The program will start at approximately 12:45. Reservations for lunch are requested. Please call 271-2240.
Christian Dialog on Contemporary Issues
In October, 2004, the 73rd Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester passed A Resolution concerning a Covenant with Rural and Migrant Ministries and Ministry with the Rural Poor which includes:
- Praying for RMM and the rural poor
- Nominating up to three persons to serve on the RMM Board
- Financial support in the amount of $1000 per year for four years, beginning in 2006
- Encouraging the congregations of the diocese to explore further ministry possibilities with the rural poor, migrant farm workers, and family farmers.
The Diocese has contributed financially for many years, so this is a step toward more personal involvement. The Christian Dialog on Contemporary Issues committee thought it would be appropriate for us first to discuss our feelings about farm workers and farmers in this area generally. A Forum is scheduled for January 22 at 11:30 a.m. The intent of this session is to have the opportunity to listen to all views before moving ahead with any further ministry in this area. One of the reasons for taking this action as a diocese was to allow individuals who wanted to get involved to do so even if their parish was not particularly active, as well as to explore opportunities at the parish level.
Thankful for Christmas Decorating
What a wonderful season it was and I hope that everyone in our St. Paul's family had a memorable and blessed Christmas. I am particularly thankful for how beautiful our worship space looked on Christmas Eve and through New Year's Day due to the hard work of many caring and devoted helpers. The decorating of our church is a serious and time consuming ministry and done with great care by many wonderful people. I would like to point out that four of these volunteers were new to the ministry this year and all have said that they would like to help again! We have lots of fun and laughs while we work and the "pay off" is when we are finished--to stand back and see how wonderful our Sanctuary looks! So, thank you to all of you who made it so: Eleanor Burns, Pat Blackmun, Joyce Crofton, Susan Hyde, Jane Kitchen, Connie Messner, Sally McGucken, Gail and Jack Pearson, Sue Smith, Sally Tait and Anne Vilas. Many of us continue to work in this ministry with the fond memory of our friend, Fran Speer, who loved to plan and decorate our worship space with such joy.
We are always open to suggestion, so please feel free to pass on any comments to me, the clergy, or any of the above. My personal thanks to all of this year's helpers-I could not have done it alone!
Jennifer Marini
Vestry Highlights
These are the Vestry highlights from the December 20 meeting:
- The Vestry voted to allocate any year end surplus for 2005 to the property reserve.
- The Vestry voted to support the candidacy of Peter Harter for ordination.
- The Vestry voted to approve the acceptance of a gift of defibrillator.
- The Vestry voted to approve the 2006 budget.
River Edge Manor Hosts Open House
River Edge Manor, independent living apartments for seniors, part of Episcopal SeniorLife Communities, will hold an open house on Sunday, January 15, 2006 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 535 Mt. Hope Avenue in Rochester.
Anyone interested in exploring award-winning senior living is invited to attend this event which will feature tours, live music, refreshments and a chance to learn more about the River Edge Manor community which includes affordable full size apartments, a daily dinner meal, housekeeping, a computer lounge, fitness center, convenience store and beauty and barber shop at a convenient location close to the cultural activities of Rochester.
Courtesy transportation is also available for residents as well as a wide array of social and recreational programs. The building also features 24 hour emergency response. For more information contact Courtney McGinness at (585)546-8400, ext. 3710.
Episcopal SeniorLife Communities (ESLC), the 2005 Quality of Life Award recipient and one of the most trusted names in senior services in western New York, has been providing superior services and affordable, quality housing to seniors and their families for more than 138 years. ESLC includes: The Episcopal Church Home (skilled-nursing, rehabilitation, hospice), River Edge Manor (independent living), Brentland Woods (enriched living), Broumowsky Rehabilitation Center and Seabury Woods (patio homes, enriched living, memory-care).
Wine - Cheese - Fellowship
All parents of SPY age children (grades 6 - 12) are invited to share wine, cheese and fellowship on Saturday, January 28 from 4 - 6 p.m. in Wainwright Hall. This event is for adults only.
Hats, Scarves, and Mittens Warm Neighbors
Peter Doyle and his family delivered boxes of winter outerwear to Wilson Commencement Park during the week before Christmas. Fifty young families and more than 150 children in the day care program there have put the hats, scarves and mittens to good use on cold days. Many thanks from the Church School for supporting the Mitten Tree Project.
SPY Corner
January 22, Soup Lunch with Parishioners
12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
We will meet in Parish Hall where we will break into small groups to take soup and bread to the homes of some of our older parishioners.
Upon our return to Parish Hall we'll share our experiences and make ice cream sundaes.
Please RSVP to Laura Hayden by January 19 (383-8808 or lhayden@rochester.rr.com)
Save the date: February 12, Polar Wave!!!