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 Dear Friends-

This Sunday, October 4^th, we will celebrate ‘The Blessing of the Animals’ at our 10:00 service. We invite you to bring your pets, stuffed animals or pictures of pets to receive a blessing during the service. 

We bless animals as part of our gratitude for all creation on the Sunday nearest to St. Francis Day. In addition to founding the Franciscans, St. Francis of Assisi, is the patron saint of animals and the environment. Stories abound of how St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) could communicate with animals and felt at one with all creation. One of my favorites is about him preaching to the birds.  See you Sunday!

                                                                  --George

St. Francis Preaches to the Birds

Father Francis and his companions were making a trip through the Spoleto Valley near the town of Bevagna. Suddenly, Francis spotted a great number of birds of all varieties. There were doves, crows and all sorts of birds. Swept up in the moment, Francis left his friends in the road and ran after the birds, who patiently waited for him. He greeted them in his usual way, expecting them to scurry off into the air as he spoke. But they moved not.

Filled with awe, he asked them if they would stay awhile and listen to the Word of God. He said to them: “My brother and sister birds, you should praise your Creator and always love him: He gave you feathers for clothes, wings to fly and all other things that you need. It is God who made you noble among all creatures, making your home in thin, pure air. Without sowing or reaping, you receive God’s guidance and protection.”

At this the birds began to spread their wings, stretch their necks and gaze at Francis, rejoicing and praising God in a wonderful way according to their nature. Francis then walked right through the middle of them, turned around and came back, touching their heads and bodies with his tunic.

Then he gave them his blessing, making the sign of the cross over them. At that they flew off and Francis, rejoicing and giving thanks to God, went on his way.

Later, Francis wondered aloud to his companions why he had never preached to birds before. And from that day on, Francis made it his habit to solicitously invoke all birds, all animals and reptiles to praise and love their Creator. And many times during Francis’ life there were remarkable events of Francis speaking to the animals. There was even a time when St. Francis quieted a flock of noisy birds that were interrupting a religious ceremony! Much to the wonder of all present, the birds remained quiet until Francis’ sermon was complete.

—retold by John Feister

September Update from Strategic Planning Committee

Dear Parishioners, please use the link HERE to view the blast email sent out on Thursday, Sept. 22nd for the full details of this month's update from the Strategic Planning Committee.

Anti-Racism Book Club:

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

“Horse isn’t just an animal story—it’s a moving narrative about race and art.”

— TIME

As we continue the Christian work of anti-racism, join us in reading Horse by Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks. Members and non-members are welcome!

Brooks traces the story and the legacy of one horse from Kentucky in 1850, through New York City in 1954, to Washington, DC in 2018, shedding light on the roles of slavery and racism at large throughout, and working to preserve the "the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success."

"Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred, Lexington, who became America’s greatest stud sire, Horse is a gripping, multi-layered reckoning with the legacy of enslavement and racism in America."

In order to find an October evening that best accommodates everyone's schedules, please select a date via this Google Form by the end of September!

Please contact Rachel Schachter at rachelmarieschachter@gmail.com or Mike Iacono at iaconomv@gmail.com with any questions

George on Vacation!

I’ll be out of the country with my wife Margaret celebrating our 20^th anniversary from October 3-11. Our Parish Administrator Emily will be holding down the fort in the office, and the Rev. Andrew Suitter-Bentley of St. Elizabeth’s in Sudbury will be covering for pastoral emergencies. Andrew can be reached at St. Elizabeth’s at: (978) 443-6035.

Next Sunday’s services will be covered by the Rev. Adrian Robbins-Cole. Adrian has been the Rector of St. Andrew’s in Wellesley since 2013 and brings a wealth of experience to St. Peter’s. I trust that you’ll welcome him warmly! 

A Pastoral Note

Earlier this week, Gene Booth, husband of Flora Booth passed away. We’ll be holding a service here at St. Peter’s on Saturday, October 15 at 11:00 a.m. Condolences to Flora and the rest of the family can be sent to 26 Golden Ball Road, Weston, Massachusetts 02493. May his soul, and the souls of all the departed, rest in peace. 

We joined Instagram! 

Follow us at @stpetersepiscopal_weston

If you are interested in adding to our profile, please send any pictures and/or announcements to Emily at office@stpetersweston.org

Afghan Ministry Update

We are nearing the first year anniversary of St.Peter’s involvement with the Afghan refugees that resettled in Manchester NH. We started by delivering meals, prayer rugs and Qurans to families and individuals in hotels who were arriving from military bases across the United States. It continued with St. Peter’s and members of the community providing winter clothes, toys, diapers and personal hygiene items while they lived in hotels. When the men started finding jobs, through connections, we provided bicycles for transportation.

Through the generosity of parishioners, families received chrome books to assist them in learning english, sewing machines and Joanne Fabric and Saver gift cards. Your donations funded our weekly Tuesday cooking get-togethers which became the nucleus of a newly formed community where none existed. And when they moved into apartments we coordinated furniture, bedding, curtains, pots & pans, rugs (lots of rugs), dishes and glassware …. basically everything needed to get started. We collected carseats and boosters, cribs and everything needed for the babies. We conducted toy drives, clothing drives and got help from local Girl and Boy Scout troops. You contributed games, snacks and the money to hire an ice cream truck to celebrate the end of summer and “Camp Brookside”. And last week, the kids went back to school with backpacks fully loaded with the supplies they needed, some new clothes and huge smiles. 

There has been such a huge outpouring of love and support for these families and we are excited to celebrate our anniversary with a visit from some of our new friends on Sunday, November 6th. We will break bread and enjoy each others company at a cross cultural potluck brunch after the 10:00 am service. George has agreed to fund the cost of a bus that will provide the transportation needed to make this happen. The Afghan Mom’s will be bringing some delicious food and we will be asking all of you to contribute your favorite dish to the potluck. More details and a request for volunteers to help will follow.

In the meantime, thank you to everyone for your continued support of this ministry and be sure to save the date.

Though many of St. Peter's parishioners have returned to worshiping and receiving Holy Communion in person inside our church building, we know it is not yet safe for all of us to do so. We will continue to live-stream our services so that we may include as many as possible in our offerings of praise and thanksgiving to God.

If it is not yet safe for you to worship with us in person, and you would like to receive Holy Communion and/or a share a time of prayer at your home, please contact the Parish Office.

If you would like to schedule a time during the week for private prayer in the church, please contact the church office.

St. Peter's is committed to continuing to make our worship space safe and welcoming to all. We hope to have you back with us in person as soon as doing so is the right choice for you.

Do You Have a Pastoral Need?

For pastoral support or emergencies or for any other church matter, please call the church office number (781-891-3200) and press 2 or email George. We encourage you to let us know if you are in the hospital or have some other need that calls for pastoral support.

St. Peter's Episcopal Church | 320 Boston Post Road | Weston, MA 02493

www.stpetersweston.org