This Week at St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo
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Upcoming Calendar
Thursday, August 30 - Charles Chapman Garfton, Bishop, 1912
11:30am - Salad and Sandwich Luncheon & Day by Day Reading Reflection Time

Sunday, September 2 - The Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost
8am - Holy Eucharist in the Chapel
9:50am - Infant/childcare available and Sunday School begins
10am - Holy Eucharist in the Church with music; coffee & lemonade follows

Monday, September 3 - Labor Day
Church office closed
 
Wednesday, September 5 - The Boris and Gleb (Romanus and David) Princes and Martyrs, 1015
10am - Holy Eucharist in the Chapel
From the Rector
Dear Parishioners and Friends,

I will never forget a night long ago in Louisiana in which I got to hear and later meet the late, great Texas governor, Ann Richards. When asked about the political process, she remarked, "The word politics comes from the Latin word poly, meaning many, and ticks, which are little blood-sucking insects." We all had a good laugh, and were unaware of the direction our national conversation would take in the new millennium, post-9/11, and with the explosion of social media.

This week our nation comes together in a way rarely seen these days to mourn the loss of a true American hero and statesman, Arizona Senator John McCain. From the beginning, he devoted himself to a life of service in the military. After enduring more than five years in a Vietnamese prison camp he returned home, not embittered, but with a love of country and an eagerness to continue a life of service. Though he rose to be a towering figure in the US Senate, most of us outside Arizona got to know him during the 2008 presidential campaign. During that campaign, we saw a man who may have had strong disagreements with his opponent, but who never resorted to the use of personal attacks or misinformation for his own benefit. He famously corrected a misinformed elderly woman who believed that then-Senator Obama was "an Arab." He did so with grace, both to Senator Obama and to the woman.

And so our nation grieves, not so much for the loss of one man, but for the loss of that which he represented. Honesty, integrity, courage, and the ability to challenge any threat to our great country, from without or within. A member of a party, but not a partisan. Idealistic, but not an ideologue. At this time in our history, we all feel like we are boxed into our corners. Anyone who's not for us is against us. Everyone feels attacked. How do we move forward? Perhaps one way is to honor Senator McCain's legacy by living it ourselves. Honor duty, seek truth, refute falsehood, show no one blind allegiance. Do not be silent on things that matter, but do not feed the outrage machine. This, I think, would make him proud.

May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. And may God bless America.
Father Rick
Music at St. Mary's
Thank you to all of our musicians who provided special music during the summer months:
  • Dawn Crumpler, flautist
  • Jeffrey Peter Knight, bass soloist
  • Aileen Mahoney, soprano soloist/clarinet
  • Sandy McGrady, guitar/vocal soloist
  • Bob Pollsen, bass soloist
  • Noah Webb, pianist
  • Alex Wise, piano/vocal soloist
  • Bruce Xu, organist
Your musical talents are very much appreciated!

Our full choir returns on Sunday, September 9th at 10am. Please also join us on Sunday, September 30, at 3pm, for a concert at St. Mary's featuring Paul Van Ness, concert pianist and a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. The program will feature music by Brahms and Chopin played on our Steinway grand piano in the main church. A freewill offering will be taken, followed by a reception in Bentley Hall. All are welcome!

Jimrae K. Lenser, Music Director
Opportunities for Children and Youth
At St. Mary's, we have several ministries dedicated specifically to the formation of children and youth, including a fine community preschool for ages 2-4, Sunday childcare for children under 6, Sunday School for ages 6-12, and EYF (Episcopal Youth Fellowship) which is open to young people of all denominations in grades 4 and up. Please visit our website to learn more about these programs.

Fall is a particularly exciting time for youth at St. Mary's! Some of the exciting upcoming events include:
  • September 9 - Sunday School fall kickoff (drop off at 9:50am)
  • October 6 - Tuxedo Family Fun Day at Murphy Field - stop by the St. Mary's EYF table!
  • October 7 - St. Francis Day Blessing of the Animals during the 10am service - bring your pets to church!
  • December 24 - Christmas Pageant during the 4pm Christmas Eve service
Contact the office for more information about how your children can get involved!
Fall Outreach Update
When you are cleaning out your closets and preparing for the new school year, please donate your unwanted/outgrown clothing and shoes to St Mary's.

These will be gratefully received and will be reused in several ways:
  1. To sell at our next Yard Sale which is scheduled for Saturday October 27th.
  2. To be donated to local children at the request from teachers who identify individual children whose family budget is stretched too far.
  3. To be donated to Helping Hands of Rockland County for their free thrift shop serving the homeless.
  4. To be carried by me to South Africa at the beginning of October when i visit our sponsored orphans and destitute families being supported by Carryou. South Africa is going into Spring at the moment so Summer clothes are particularly needed.

Your donations can be brought to St Mary's any weekday between 9 am and 1 pm or at other times by arrangement. Please, everything must be clean and in good repair!

Sue Heywood, Outreach Chair

P.S. For more information about how St Mary's supports the children and families of Carryou, click here
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).
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