BAPTISMS AT ST. THOMAS
Beginning with All Saints Day (this year on November 3
rd
) St. Thomas will observe the five baptismal dates that are authorized for baptism. This is a departure from our practice of scheduling baptisms as requested. I am choosing to do this to bring to the occasion the importance of both the date and the event, as is the purpose and design of the Episcopal Church’s liturgical commission.
Chronologically, here are the baptismal days that have been set aside as authorized:
The Feast of the Baptism of our Lord
(always the Sunday after the Epiphany; in 2020, it will be January 12
th
at the 10:00 am service)
The Easter Vigil
(in the Early Church and through the 4
th
century or so, this was the only authorized day one could be baptized. It is Easter Eve, and an evening service. In 2020, it is Saturday, April 11
th
at 7:30 pm)
Pentecost
(the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, 50 days after the Easter Vigil. This will be Sunday, May 31
st
at the 10:00 am service)
All Saints Day
(officially November 1
st
, or the Sunday closest to it but not before. In 2020, it will fall on November 1
st
, and the baptisms will be at the 10 am service that Sunday).
The Bishop’s Visitation
. This is not necessarily a yearly event. We will be having a visitation this year on September 22
nd
(unexpected, but delighted to welcome Bishop Shin. As we just had baptism / confirmation / reception on May 5
th
, we do not anticipate any others for this visit).
I had received a request for a baptism for September 29
th
prior to this decision. I will honor it because of pastoral considerations, but intend to stick with the decision to observe authorized dates going forward.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. If you have persons who wish to be baptized, determine what event works best for your family and let me know that as well.
Blessings,
Carol
BISHOP’S VISITATION ON SEPTEMBER
22
nd
On Sunday, September 22
nd
, The Rt. Rev. Allen Shin will be visiting St. Thomas. Bishop Shin was last with us in September of 2015. We look forward to his being with us that day at the 10:00 am service. More details to follow.
LARCHMONT TEMPLE
DIGNITY OF DIFFERENCE
SERIES
For the program year 2019-20, the Larchmont Temple has named it the year of the "Dignity of Difference". As part of this initiative, the fourth Friday of each month has been set aside as
Celebrating the Sacred Other.
On Friday, October 25
th
, our congregation has been invited (up to 50 of us) to join the temple’s congregation for a Shabbat family-style dinner and conversation at 6:30, followed by Shabbat worship at 8:00pm. During worship, Carol will be given 15 minutes to highlight and share key aspects of our worship tradition and spiritual practice that will engender dialogue and shared discovery. This is a very exciting opportunity for us as part of the drive among Larchmont-Mamaroneck clergy to strengthen our interfaith ties as we learn from each other.
A sign-up sheet for this event will be in the church mid-September. Any questions, please speak with Carol or Tami.
ST. THOMAS HONORED BY
WASHINGTONVILLE HOUSING ALLIANCE
On Tuesday, October 15th at 6:00 pm, St. Thomas will be one of the two honorees at the annual Washingtonville Housing Gala,
Ritz on the Rails
. The event will take place at Modern on the Rails in Mamaroneck. We are to receive the Good Neighbor Award, in recognition of our outreach initiatives to the community. It would be wonderful to have as many folks from St. Thomas there as possible, especially if you have been involved in outreach. Here is a link to the information for the evening:
