St. Paul's Episcopal Church |
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From the Rector
By the Rev. Donna S. Mote, PhD
Dear People of St Paul’s,
Grace and peace.
Years ago, when I was living and teaching in East Tennessee, I also moonlighted as a museum interpreter at Historic Rugby, a community founded in 1880 on the Cumberland Plateau by British author Thomas Hughes.
During my years at Rugby we had an autumn happening known as the Ghostly Gathering. As one of the storytellers for this event, I would present a narrative history of Halloween drawing on the Celtic roots of many of our Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve) customs that were part of the Celtic end-of-year/new year festival of Samhain (pronounced “Sow-in”): bonfires, black cats, jack o’ lanterns, costumes, and so on, which were all connected to the religion of the Druids.
By the year 500, Christianity had reached most of the Celtic world, including the peoples of what are now Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and other parts of Britain, northern France, northern Spain, and some other parts of Europe.
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In the year 835, hoping to move these Celtic folks away from what it understood as their pagan celebrations of end-of year/new year in the Samhain festival, the Church created November 1 as All Saints Day. In the tenth century, November 2 was standardized as All Souls Day to commemorate all the faithful departed, even if they were not officially canonized as proper “saints.” |
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This Sunday, October 31, we will have our All Saints and All Souls commemorations on the Eve of All Saints Day. In effect, we combine All Saints and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. And in so doing we celebrate the fuller fellowship of what we affirm (in the baptismal covenant and the Apostle’s Creed, at a minimum) as our belief in the communion of saints.
We give thanks for the official, canonized saints who are exemplars for us of many Christian virtues and holy ideals. And we give thanks for the lives and examples of all those whom we love but see no longer. Particularly, we give thanks for and offer prayers for those who have died in this past year and throughout this strange pandemic season of the past two years.
For all the saints and all the faithful departed, we pray, as the prayer book says, that they “may go from strength to strength in a new life of perfect service.” We rest in the knowledge that they pray for us even as we pray for them.
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This Week's News Highlights
Evening Prayer Has Moved to 5:30PM
Each weekday, volunteers read morning and evening prayer (see below for details). This ministry has a loyal following.
Evening Prayer has moved from 5:00PM to 5:30PM.
Reminder: Masks Optional, Singing Returns
At this time, masks are optional. Congregational singing has returned.
Communion under one kind (bread) will be distributed at the altar.
Please remember that during The Peace we are maintaining social distancing protocols by remaining in place. Waves, smiles, and peace signs welcome!
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Join Us After the 10:00AM service
Please join us after the 10AM service on the side porch (cloister) for tea, snacks, and fellowship.
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Brick Project Ongoing
Purchase a brick! This is an ongoing way to support the restoration and preservation of St. Paul's. You can order your brick(s) here.
Proceeds help preserve our iconic church and grounds for future generations.
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Sunday's Service
Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 7:30AM and 10:00AM on Sunday. The 10:00AM service will also be streamed on Facebook. Please join us if you can.
To join via Facebook (at 10:00AM), go to the church Facebook page at the appropriate time and look for the window showing that "St. Paul's Key West is now live". Click on the window. (You may need to refresh the page a few times if the "live" window does not appear promptly at the appointed time.)
You can open or download the bulletin for the 10:00AM Sunday service here.
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Junior Warden's Report
By Greta Philips-Ford
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This week the volunteers will return to our regular weekly schedule – meeting at 9:00AM Saturday at the church. We have quite a few projects that need to be completed in preparation for the upcoming season.
We will start with removing the hurricane shutters this week – and, if possible, work in a little planting/weeding/chicken control.
JoJo (who does brick paver work for us) will be back this up-coming week to install the “family” memorial garden bricks and start working on the pathway in the garden on the south side of the Historic Rectory. Other projects on the top of the list include resurface/painting the sacristy walls; replacing the plexiglass in the front window box signs; and cleaning/painting/fixing the sign stands we use for our visitors to make them feel welcome upon their arrival to the church.
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Pictured in the photo is some spalling that occured on the south tower—needless to say its time to start planning restoration on the Towers before we have more issues. We were lucky that it didn’t hit our new mailbox or land on anyone!
This week we will be celebrating another baptism at our 10:00AM service, so we plan to gather in the Parish Hall after the service for a little social time. If anyone is interested in helping or contributing with snacks or sweets, please contact me via email.
I hope to see you then and catch up on everyone’s summer!
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Senior Warden's Report
By Ray Warren
We Hear You! Improvements Coming to the Online Experience.
A number of people have commented to me, Tim, and Padre Donna about continuing difficulty in hearing speakers during the Facebook broadcast of services. We are aware of the issue. Indeed, improvements have been made.
Speakers have been calibrated in the nave. New microphones have been installed. But, unfortunately, sound is not sent directly to the Facebook stream. We are still at the mercy of what a single computer on a single tripod picks up in the way of sound. But, please bear with us, this will soon change!
Under the leadership of music director Tim Peterson, new cameras will be installed in the church and the various microphones will be directly inputted to the stream delivered to Facebook. Instead of depending on whatever a single IPod can pick up, video and audio will be sent directly to the video stream. This should help tremendously.
(This improvement is being made possible by a gift from Joseph Lyles in memory of long time member Charles "Chuck" Hammond.)
So please continue to tune in and, even better, if in Key West, consider attending in person. The estimated vaccination rate in Monroe County is approaching 82%. The nave is large and well ventilated and cases are down sharply.
Christianity was never intended to be a consumer product for spectators. It is by being physically together that we most fully experience our faith. But, when circumstances make online the best option, that too will soon improve.
Outreach And Our Role in Making It Happen
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As posted on the church Facebook page, Padre Donna was visible again in the community this past week. Following up on her blessing of the police department’s equine (horse) members a few weeks ago, she has also made sure that the canine members (and their human partners) received a blessing.
Outreach beyond the walls of St. Paul’s is a gift we can give to the community. St. Paul’s can be more than where we, the “members and friends”, worship. St. Paul’s can reclaim its place as a center of community life for all of Key West. The corner of Eaton and Duval streets can once again be the natural place where the community comes together to mark both civic and religious milestones.
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To reach out, however, requires a level of maturity and engagement within. We can only afford one paid minister. And while her duties focus on the spiritual needs of our own congregation, we will be wasting an important opportunity for outreach if we don’t also provide time and resources for her to reach out beyond our own needs.
Sharing our rector with the community means we must step up to plan and do the mundane things to keep our parish moving--so that the administrative burden doesn’t fall only on her shoulders. And it means recognizing that sometimes our leader will be ministering to the needs of others--like our public servants or the clients at KOTS--instead of being only visible to us.
Seeing our priest with our police chief and the men and women in blue gladdens my heart. It's our job as a community to facilitate more such interactions.
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Contacts:
Church office phone:
305-296-5142
Church mailing address:
401 Duval Street, Key West FL 33040.
Pledges and offerings can be mailed here or made electronically at the church giving page.
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Reminder from Tim
By Tim Peterson
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"From the Organ" Concerts and Chancel Choir
"From the Organ" is back! After taking the month of October off, this popular monthly organ recital returns on Thursday, November 4, 2021 at noon. This month we welcome John Penkoske, Tom Scheck, and Tim Peterson to the organ console. We will have an in-person audience, and we will stream live on St Paul's Facebook page. This concert series is free to the public, and is always informative and enjoyable. We hope to see many of you there!
Our Chancel choir will be back leading us in worship starting on Sunday, November 7, 2021. Rehearsals are weekly on Saturday mornings from 10AM - 11:15AM in the choir room. They also meet Sunday mornings at 9:15AM for a short warmup and review of the anthem and hymns for the 10:00AM service. We are always looking for and needing new members to sing and lead the congregation. Please consider joining us in the choir loft. We have a choir robe which will fit you perfectly!
You can find prior recordings of many past concerts and musical offerings on St Paul’s Facebook page, or on YouTube.
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We Pray Each Day
Morning and Evening Prayer is being offered daily on Facebook Live at 7:30AM and 5:30PM on weekdays.
Thanks to Bruce Hagemann, Lisa Laskow, Mary Simmons, Samantha Hall, and Tim Peterson for volunteering to officiate at these sacred moments.
To join in the prayers via Facebook, go to the church Facebook page at the appropriate time and look for the window showing that "St. Paul's Key West is now live." Then click on the window.
"Like" us and turn on live notifications to get a reminder whenever we are offering prayers.
Please pray this week for healing for
Brittany (Sherri Hodies’ daughter), Beth and Jon Peterson (sister-in-law and brother of Tim), Al (Kitty Roberts’ partner), Don Curry, Joanne Nanos, Joan Neinmen, and Ray Warren
We pray for the departed and their loved ones
June Klausing (mother of Nadia Hall), Bruce Woodard (friend of the Ford family), Donald Whiteside (uncle of Mark Whiteside), James Hamilton, and Richard Bervaldi, Jr.
"Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servants."
(Send your prayer requests to Tim@stpaulskeywest.org for future publication and to be included in the Sunday service. By default requests will be listed for four (4) weeks. But if the need continues, please let us know.)
We Celebrate these October Birthdays:
Rebecca England 10/01
Danielle Mariscal 10/01
Peter Graniela 10/02
Betty Toppino 10/03
Edward Cabrera 10/04
Richard Pischke 10/08
Aleida Alexander 10/10
Denise Graham 10/11
Tiffany Hendry 10/13
David Horan 10/14
Kim Grizzle-Malgrat 10/15
Katherine Ward 10/17
Tom Bond 10/19
Martin Hindsley 10/20
Julie Wallace 10/20
Ross Neagley 10/21
Frankie Grizzle-Malgrat 10/22
Eric Whiteside 10/23
Terry Garcia 10/25
CloeAnn Garrison 10/25
Shirley Sweeting 10/27
Stanley Kuzmech 10/28
Mary Simmons 10/28
Kathleen Bratton 10/29
Jan Malpass 10/29
Angela Richardson 10/30
(If your name is missing from this month's birthday list please send a note to info@stpaulskeywest.org so we can add it.)
We celebrate October Anniversaries:
Walter & Joanna Schmida 10/17
Tony and Barbara Tirman Marcussen 10/25
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Reminders
Sunday School will resume when possible.
Back issues of The Epistle are available here.
Send questions and comments to the editors of this newsletter here.
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Tel. (305) 296-5142
Pastoral Emergencies (305) 735-1867
The nave of the church, the grounds and gardens are open for prayer and meditation daily.
The church office is located in Holy Innocents Hall
Rector's Drop In Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1 - 5PM
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