As my retirement date arrives this Sunday, please know we are going forward together and yet apart – it is a both/and - God makes us and keeps us as one family. You shall always be in my heart and abundantly sprinkled in memories so dear they shall never be forgotten.

Thank you for sharing in the greatest privilege of my life, serving you in this Spirit-filled parish. Thank you for every precious moment, prayers and celebrations offered together: weddings, baptisms, memorials, and the celebration of the Eucharist that makes us one in Jesus Christ. Thank you for all the rich pastoral moments in my office, in your homes or on the phone. Thank you for coffee hour hugs and conversations even though it has been ten months! Thank you for all the in-person fellowship of past events and fundraisers - they filled me with a such gratitude for being in your contagious energy of joy! Thank you for all the in-person meetings I attended in which I witnessed your wisdom and discerning hearts. Thank you for learning together how to worship and meet through Zoom and Facebook. Thank you for listening to my sermons, accepting the props I often used and, recently, for tolerating the sacred jokes I shared at the end of Sunday announcements (for “The joy of the Lord is my strength” Nehemiah 8:10)

I thank God for each of you! God has grown me in my love for you. I pray that God blesses each of you with every grace of love, faith and hope, to the Highest Power possible.

We will continue our life together at St. Francis as we worship together, study together, pray together, and share fellowship together in both familiar and new ways.

Email Jude+, or call - Office - 310-375 4617 x225, cell - 310-701-5966.

At the drive-by communion after the February 14th service, we will be handing out three things:

    1.  A Lenten Devotional Booklet (written by parishioners)

    2.  A baggie with a prayer card with a smudged ash cross on it for Ash Wednesday.

   If you wish to have this mailed to you, please email me by Feb. 5th.

    3.  An envelope inviting you to participate in a fund-raising Lenten practice for

Habitat for Humanity

Instead of Compline, I will lead an Ash Wednesday service.

During the imposing of ashes part of the service, we can impose ashes together, each from our homes, using the blessed ashes on the prayer card you received at the drive-by communion on Feb. 14th or received in the mail as requested.

Sunday services during Lent will reflect visually the simple, bare, and stark aspects of this holy season. The prayers in the worship services will point us toward self-examination, forgiveness, and gratitude.

Join us on zoom - Wednesday evenings - March 3, 10, 17 and 24 - zoom link details to follow.

Dr. Bill Creasy will be our Lenten series leader for the four Wednesday evenings in March. He is a much respected and much-loved Bible teacher and travel guide to the Holy Land, to the churches founded by Paul, and to other important sites in the history of Christianity. He will provide a video each week, available for viewing at any time, and then on Wednesday evenings, he and I will host a forum for questions and discussion to any and all who wish to join us on zoom. More information to follow. You can check him out at www.logosbiblestudy.com!

A fun and lively time was had during our Annual Meeting via Zoom. There were reports and thanks, and a farewell tribute to Paula.

Dick Briggs, Liz Cook, Holly Henebry and Peter Marshall.

Holly Henebry is the new Senior Warden and Mike Spalding is again Junior Warden.

Susie and Albert Zimmerman and Darryl Tillman. Tina van der Velden is the Alternate.

Join Jude+ for zoom Bible and Book Study

Meets: Jan 5, 12, 19, 26, Feb 2, 9 – 7:00-8:30pm

ALL are welcome. No experience necessary!!

Please join me for exploration and conversation, together on zoom!

Email me and I will send you the link and more information a few days ahead of time.

You do not need to have a Facebook page to view our content. Just click here to view our page. If you don't have a facebook account, or have forgotten how to log into it, just ignore any prompts to log in etc. The page should be visible to anyone. Still having trouble? Email Susan Marshall, for help.

Livestreams are also saved to our Facebook page, so you can watch again at any time if you miss one. Plus our sermons are also available as separate audio recordings here.

Zoom groups -

The Diocese has shared some useful links with us, and we pass them on to you, together with links to accurate sources on what is available and where. It's right to have questions, but be sure, always, when you read information about this subject that you check the source and make sure it is from somewhere reliable (major hospital/educational body etc.).

COVID-19 vaccine myths debunked, from The Mayo Clinic. This article addresses common mistaken information and fears about the COVID 19 vaccine.

Answers to common questions about whether vaccines are safe, effective and necessary. This additional article from a Mayo Clinic review team is a narrative discussion of vaccine efficacy and safety.

When and where can I get vaccinated? Sign up for the LA County Health Department Newsletters here. Bookmark the page for all the current information about vaccine availability, including links to the new major vaccination sites. Be warned - availability is still very low.

Beach Cities Health District newsletter - contains information about vaccination for over 65s. Plus more, including a link to sign up for regular news from them.

And finally - Information for Veterans

We are here to do our best to help you with whatever you may need. We know circumstances are difficult for many at this time. For help of any kind, or just for a Zoom or Facetime or phone call, please email or call Jude+ at any time.

If you are in a position to do so, (only if - no guilt), you may also donate to Jude+'s Discretionary Fund to help those at St. Francis in financial need. Send checks to 2200 Via Rosa, PVE 90274, made out to St. Francis Church, with 'Associate Rector's Discretionary Fund' in the memo line. Thank you!

Email Jude+, 310-701-5966.

Use automatic bill pay for your pledge to St. Francis. You choose the payment frequency and date that works for you.

Look for Bill Pay or similar when you’ve logged in to online banking. Then add St. Francis as a new payee. You don’t need the church bank details - only the address and phone number: St. Francis Episcopal Church, 2200 Via Rosa, Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274. 310 375 4617. And thank you!!

View or download our bulletins - bulletins will be posted in time for livestreaming.

Contacts:

Jude+, 310-375 4617 x225.

You are not interrupting our work - you ARE our work!