I invite you to consider walking with the St. Mary’s CROP WALK team on Sunday,September 27. We will gather at St. Mary’s courtyard at 1:45 p.m. and kick-off at 2:00 p.m. We will have a map with two route options – a one mile walk or a three mile walk. These are suggested routes, you can of course choose your own route, as this year we are engaging in a distanced walk. You may also go on the CROP WALK page and make a donation to the St. Mary’s team. Please help us raise money to end hunger in our communities. If you do not wish to walk please stop by as I will be outside in the courtyard with a table and snacks for walkers, as well as bottles of water. St. Mary’s is one of nine congregations participating in the McHenry Country CROP WALK. See this newsletter for links to the CROP WALK page and other information. Thank you to everyone who has made a donation already to our team.
In addition to the CROP WALK we have a few other outreach opportunities that you can support this fall.
CROP WALK Sunday, September 27 (walk and/or make a donation)
Help St. Mary’s staff the Crystal Lake Food Pantry once a month. To sign up to help contact Cate Williams. The dates for the rest of 2020 are, September 21, October 14, November 11, December 2, and December 30.
Donate to the REVIVE Christmas Basket Program. This is an Episcopal Charity that helps secure Christmas gifts for families in need. The Rev. Peter Lane, the Interim CEO and priest in the Diocese of Chicago, will be with us on Sunday October 25 at all our services to tell us more about this program. St. Mary’s has participated in this program for many years.
There are many ways to that we can help families, individuals and seniors in need as individuals and as a community of faith. Please consider joining us in making a difference in the lives of others.
This Sunday please join us in person at our 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services, or on ZOOM at 9:00 a.m. for Morning Prayer followed by a virtual coffee hour. If you are with us in person please stop in the courtyard afterwards for coffee and snacks. Let us gather safely outdoors while the weather allows.
To participate by phone only: 312-626-6799; phone meeting ID: 826 0737 1151
If you are participating by phone, you can access the same service document that Zoom participants can see. Click here to view the service on your computer. (The Zoom link, phone number, and ID will remain the same every Sunday.)
10:30 a.m. In-Person Eucharist
10:30 a.m. Upcoming Live-streamed services: September 27, October 11, 25
CROP Walk ~ Sunday September 27
Gather at St. Mary’s, 1:45 p.m.
Kick off at 2:00 p.m.
The McHenry County CROP Walk will be held Sunday September 27, kicking off at 2:00 p.m. There are several ways that you can help the St. Mary’s team raise money to help eradicate hunger.
You can register to walk with our team (link below): Meet at 1:45 p.m., and we will kick-off from St. Mary’s at 2:00 p.m.
You can do a one-mile or three-mile walk. We will have a map available, or you can choose a route of your own.
You can go to our Crop Walk Page and make an online donation to help us reach our $1,000. Goal. (link below)
You can write a check and bring it to church, or mail it in to the church office. All checks should be made out to CWS/CROP. These checks will be turned in by our team leader, Rev. Fran. These must be turned in no later this Sunday morning September 20th in order for the donation to be credited to our team.
Please note that Living Waters Lutheran church is the host this year, however because of the pandemic we are doing a distanced walk of our own to raise the funds. Rev. Fran will be outside of St. Mary’s to sign up our walkers and to pass out special treats when the walkers return.
Bishop Lee has announced that the Bishops and Trustees have approved the sale of the Diocesan headquarters at 65 E. Huron in Chicago. The sale will take place in 2021. The property is underused, and has put a strain on the Diocesan budget in recent years.
Women's Bible Study meets in the Great Hall every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. All precautions are in place: hand sanitizer is available, chairs are distanced, and masks are required. All women of the parish and their friends are welcome.
Men’s Bible Study meets virtually every Saturday morning, at 8:00 am, on ZOOM. All men of the parish and their friends are welcome. If you are new to the group, please contact Peter Carroll for the ZOOM link and further information.
In-Person Worship Guidelines
Maximum of 40 person in the pews.
Stay home if you feel sick.
Masks are required.
Sanitize and wash hands (sanitizer is available throughout the building).
Keep a distance of 6 ft from people you are not quarantined with at this time.
No singing is allowed in the church.
Coffee Hour will be held outside following both services, weather permitting.
Communion will be available in a pre-sealed cup with bread / wine, or gluten free bread / juice.
One person in the bathrooms at a time in order to be distanced.
Rev. Fran will be on the altar with one LEM. We will not be using ushers, acolytes, or the altar guild at this time.
Disinfectant is being used to clean the church and bathrooms.
Online Resources Available for Worship / Devotions
Washington National Cathedral: Live-streaming of daily morning and evening prayer, Sunday worship, and many other resources.
Diocese of Chicago: Links to online prayer and worship from churches throughout the Diocese; Homilies and Sermons from Bishop Jeff Lee; pandemic updates and other helpful resources.
National Episcopal Church: Meditations and sermons from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry; and a wealth of information/resources regarding the national Episcopal Church.
