This Week at St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo
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Thursday, February 21
11:00 a.m. Chapel for Preschool 2s
Saturday February 23
5:00 p.m. Saturday evening service
Sunday, February 24
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit
9:50 a.m. Sunday School and Infant/Childcare provided
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist in the Nave with the choir and organ
Food and Fellowship follows in Bentley Hall
11:30 a.m. Vestry Meeting
Tuesday, February 26
2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sloatsburg Food Pantry is open
Wednesday, February 27
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit
11:00 a.m. Chapel for Preschool 3s and 4s
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Dear Parishioners and Friends,
In last week’s readings, I was struck by the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.” In hearing this passage, I could not help but think of our church, built in an eccentric yet vernacular style which seems to grow right our of the earth upon which it sits. It is also located quite near to the Augusta Brook, that stream of living water that flows from the hills of our community and carries the rain and snow melt down and out into the world. The symbolism is beautiful.
In recent years, we have seen the effects of a growing secularization in society: namely decreased attendance, and concurrently decreased giving. Sunday church attendance is no longer a given, but rather just one of many competing options. For families with children, this is especially true. And even if we retain our members (and even perhaps gain some new ones), dropping from three to two, or even one Sunday a month really impacts our numbers. To be clear, it is not all about numbers, but about our church family coming together. While there is never a diminution of the effect of the Sacraments, more people make more of a sense of community.
Many people, myself included, are eager to turn this trend around. Turning a church is like turning the Titanic—it is slow, but it will happen with time and patience. There is still much to do together, but already our work is bearing fruit. For 2019, we currently have 15 new pledges totaling $28,000. That means that 1/5 of our pledges are coming from people who have never pledged before, or who have not done so in a while. This says to me that there is a renewed faith and enthusiasm for our mission and ministry in the Tuxedo community. It is great news and very encouraging, but we still have not heard from everyone. If you have not yet pledged, please do so now. You can do it
online
, or by filling out a card, or even by Facebook messaging me. I got a generous pledge that way just today!
Remember the words of Jeremiah: Our trust is in the Lord. Our trust is the Lord. We do not cease to bear fruit.
Blessings,
Father Rick
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St Mary’s parishioners, led by the Outreach Committee, are involved in assisting and supporting our neighbors of all ages when we are made aware of need and how we can help. Many of these concerns can be temporary, and with timely assistance lead to current obstacles being surmounted.
Some of the assistance we give provides access to educational opportunities that help individuals to move forward in their lives, gaining experience and knowledge that was just beyond their grasp because of financial limitations. We have given monetary scholarships to St Mary’s preschoolers [based on a nationally accredited means test], camp sponsorships for children whose parents couldn’t afford to send their children to Summer Camp, ESL classes for our immigrant neighbors, and financial support for college students who have proved their academic aptitude in their chosen fields, and are working hard, showing determination and initiative in getting the education they so desire. While aspirations are high, their budgets make attaining their goals a challenging uphill battle. All shall remain anonymous except to the Rector and St Mary’s Outreach Committee.
One young person, recently brought to our attention, has a job to support rent, transport and living expenses with wages that also have to cover college fees, books and other educational necessities! This student is tackling everything with energy, optimism and good spirits proving to really merit the assistance we are able to give. There are more students in similar situations.
This is where the Tuxedo Community comes in! We are dependent on your generosity, hoping you will donate to partner with us in helping Tuxedo’s children and young people. They need support now, to make their dreams for the future come true.
Donations, which are all tax deductible, will be gratefully received and can be made
online
specifying ‘student support’ or ‘local outreach’.
Checks
to St Mary’s Outreach will also be welcome, again making a specific designation in the memo. Please visit our website for a
full report of 2018 activities
.
Thank you for your support!
Sue Heywood, Outreach Chair
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Helping Hands Outreach Center, serving the homeless in Spring Valley, is now back in action following a devastating fire in December 2018. Their current and urgent need is for towels, particularly bath sized, though all sizes are needed, as the showers are up and running again. During the repairs and renovations the large store of towels have all been stolen! If you can help, please leave your donated towels in St Mary’s office. We will deliver them! Thank you.
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Over the past year, we've realized that our various lists of parishioners and friends at St. Mary's are not up to date. It is very important that we have the most accurate contact information for you (especially emails and mobile phone numbers), because we want to be sure we can reach you in times of need, but also to make sure you receive proper invites to parish events! Please take a moment to update your contact information for our parish directory and rest assured that we will never release personal information to any outside organization.
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Our wonderful Preschool program continues to inspire and educate some of the youngest members of our community. Registration is now open for the 2019-2020 school year. Please
visit our website
for registration information and check out our
latest newsletter
.
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All are truly welcome at St. Mary's, which is located within the historic gates of Tuxedo Park and serves the entire Tuxedo community. Please tell the gatehouse you're going to St. Mary's, proceed thru the gates and we're on the right (plenty of parking available).
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How to contact us...
Office: 845.351.5122
PreSchool: 845.351.2389
Physical Address: 10 Fox Hill Rd, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 637, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987
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