This Week at St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo
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Sunday, June 30 - Third Sunday after Pentecost
8am - Holy Eucharist in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit
9:50am - Sunday school starts and infant/childcare provided
10am - Holy Eucharist in the Nave with the choir and organ
Food and fellowship follows in Bentley Hall
Last week for Sunday school and Choir until September
Wednesday, July 3
10am - Holy Eucharist in Chapel of the Holy Spirit
Thursday, July 4 - Friday, July 5
Church office closed in observance of Independence Day
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Dear Parishioners and Friends,
When preparing for today’s midweek Eucharist, I looked at the liturgical calendar, and found that today is a
feria.
That means that no special observance is set for the day, and that the readings and collect from Sunday get re-used. At face value, this seems repetitive, but the brilliance of Holy Scripture and the grace of the Spirit always come through.
On this particular morning, I was disturbed when I collected the newspaper from our driveway and unfurled it to find a ghastly sight on the front page. You may have seen it, too. It is a photo of Oscar Martinez Ramirez and his 23-month-old daughter Valeria lying face-down and dead in the muddy banks of the Rio Grande near Brownsville, Texas.
I went to the altar with this image and all that it represents weighing heavily on my heart. Like scripture, our liturgy also seems repetitious at first glance. But since it is mostly just scripture rearranged for public worship, it too can speak with clarity and strength to any situation.
The service began, as always, with the summary of the law. It was a struggle to speak the words of Jesus, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We heard St. Paul’s message to the Galatians, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” And from Psalm 22: "He does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; but when they cry to him he hears them."
In the Gospel, Jesus heals the Geresene demoniac. The response of the people was astounding. Instead of rejoicing with the man, they were seized with fear and asked Jesus to leave their town. The man he healed was the only one to go and tell all the good things God had done for him. Most of us are not policy makers, but as Christians and people of good will we can and must bear witness against the evil in this world. We have the choice to either ask Jesus to leave us alone, or we can go forth telling of his redemptive and healing love. We must show love, not fear, and we must carry on our Lord's work of healing the broken and welcoming the stranger—by this they will know that we are his disciples.
Blessings, Father Rick
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Congratulations George F. Baker Graduates
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The eighty-eighth commencement exercises of the George F. Baker High School were held on Wednesday with a graduating class of nineteen students. Fr. Rick and Sue Heywood were on hand to represent St. Mary's and present two scholarships to deserving students. The St. Mary's Scholarship is presented to a student who has shown determination and success in academic studies and the ability to lead and serve in the school and community. Congratulations to our recipients, Katiana Arcuni and Frank Menicola, and to all of the graduates. Please visit our Facebook page for
more photos
.
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June is LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Pride Month and we in the Episcopal Church have a lot to celebrate! The
NYC Pride March
starts at noon on Sunday, June 30th, and check-in for those marching with the Diocese of New York is at 4pm on 32nd Street between Madison and Park Avenues — please visit the
diocesan LGBT Facebook page
for more info. On Sunday, June 23rd, at 4pm, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine will host a
Spirit of Pride Choral Evensong
. Happy Pride!
While scripture and tradition are foundational in the Episcopal Church, we also believe that reason is a core part of our faith, and the church has struggled over the years about how to include LGBT people. Please visit the Episcopal Church
LGBT page for more information
.
Here at St. Mary’s, we believe God’s love is for everyone and the sacraments are open to LGBT people. While many great strides have been made, we acknowledge the hurt that has been done to many in the name of the church, and we strive to be a place of open doors and open hearts where people can share their stories and experience the healing and reconciling love of God. Join us!
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We trail angels exist, and we’ve been delivering fresh water to hikers on the Appalachian Trail for the past 20 years. Edie Sonne, who hiked the entire 2100-mile trail from Georgia to Maine in 1999 told us about the Trail Angels who helped her along the way. Since the trail passes through the northern part of Tuxedo, a small group decided to become Trail Angels and give what to hikers is the elixir of life – water. We’ve lost a few “angels” along the way (Lucy Edwards, Chris Sonne), and we welcome more volunteers. This is not a major commitment, but it is exceedingly rewarding. Our log book, left at the site, is filled with gratitude and love. We take gallon jugs of water every 3 or 4 days during the summer hiking season. We have a schedule, which means that each volunteer goes to the trail about every 10 days. If someone is going to be away for a period of time, we readjust and get subs. Please contact Sally Sonne if you can give some time at 351-5635, or
sallyso@optonline.net
. Thank you.
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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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