September 18th - Kick-off Sunday
Blessing of Students and Teachers
Students and teachers are invited to bring their school backpacks and/or briefcases for a special blessing at the conclusion of the Mass.
Parish Picnic after 10:30 Service
Parish Picnic (Burgers, hot dogs provided; potluck for everything else), Sunday School starts, Youth Group activities planned. Sign up for the picnic here:
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Canticles for Life
AIDS Benefit Concert
Sunday, Oct. 2, 4-6 pm
St. Martin’s is once again hosting Canticles for Life – a concert whose proceeds benefit three NJ charities helping those deal with HIV/AIDS. Performing this year in our acoustically magnificent church are Triad Arts Ensemble (a 30-voice choir), the Dan Crisci Jazz Trio, and Mad Agnes (a trio singing intricate harmonies). Admission is free, and there will be a free-will offering. St. Martin’s will also host a reception in the undercroft following the concert. If you have questions about the concert, see Diane Lester (dianelester29@gmail.com). Let Alison know if you can provide a baked good or a finger food appetizer for the reception. We hope to see you there!
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St. Martin's Women's Group
In September, the Women's Group of St. Martin's will hold its first meeting of the year. on September 25th after the 10:30 service. The hope is to hold an event every month, or every other month so that we can get together in fellowship. Contact Alison if you have any questions.
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Prayer Requests
- Anne Marie Verdaramo severely injured her right thumb, and her father, Vincent, was recently diagnosed with Covid.
- From Maureen Prendergast: For strength and peace of heart for her daughter Katelyn who is grieving the loss of her father.
- Marilyn's grandson, Ian, and a dear friend, Mary.
- Yvonne Comeau's aunt, Pat Sailer, has many health issues and recently had surgery and a heart attack while on the operating table.
- Jenn Persson has asked for prayers for her 103-year-old grandmother, Carol Speiser, and her uncle, Patrick Sisbarro, who passed.
- Healing prayers for Karen Bockus after her hip surgery.
- Susan Cacciatore, Len's former wife, has passed.
- Raymond Okonsky, Denise's father.
- Olivia, prayer request from Fr. Rob
- Dwight, a childhood friend of Fr. Rob's
- Audrey, Bill Valiant's wife
- Bill Valiant
- Fr. Rob's mother, Evelyn.
- Kathy Picazio asks for prayers for Doug Newton, his wife, Zhenya, and her adult daughter.
- Bonnie Whalen requested prayers for her 28 yr old grandson.
- Linda Virtue
- Chris Semanchik
- Mary Irwin
Please send your prayer intentions to Philip at philip.muniz@gmail.com. Also, if you want a name removed, you can email Philip.
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Save the Date: Confirmation and Reception- November 13, 2022
Bishop Stokes will be visiting us on Sunday, November 13 (St. Martin's Sunday). On this Sunday youth and adults will be Confirmed by the laying on of hands by the Bishop, and newcomers who were confirmed in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Lutheran Churches may be received by the laying on of the hands by the Bishop, thereby becoming a full member of the Episcopal Church.
If you wish to be confirmed (youth and adults), or if you are already confirmed and wish to be received as a full member of St. Martin's, or if you are confirmed and wish to reaffirm your faith in a public way, please contact Father Rob. Confirmation classes for youth and adults, (and for those wishing to be confirmed or received) will be conducted in September and October (with an overnight retreat on September 23-24). More information will be forthcoming.
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OUTREACH
During September we will collect items for the military for Project Yellow Ribbon. These items will be used to make Christmas stockings for the military stationed overseas during the holidays. Some suggested items would be Chewing gum; chewy or hard candy; small tubes of toothpaste; toothbrushes; body wash; medicated foot powder; sunscreen lotion; or protein bars. A more comprehensive list is posted on the bulletin board in the back of the Church. Items will be collected until Sunday, September 25th. A good source of these items is dollar stores.
We are no longer collecting egg cartons. The food bank received a large shipment and does not need any at this time.
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St. Martin's/St. John's Youth Group
The Joint St Martin's/St John's Youth Group will have its first meeting at St John's Episcopal Church in Somerville on Sept 18 at 5 PM. The next meeting, on October 9, will be at St. Martin's. Be looking for more information about this new venture.
Sunday School for Youth is also changing. In place of Rite 13 and J2A, there will be one joint youth Sunday School program for middle school and high school students. Genevieve Williams and Fausto Beleno will be co-leading this group. The group will meet in the Lady Chapel on the First Sunday of each month from 11:30 AM-12:15 PM, beginning the first Sunday in October.
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Beautifying the Church
The vestry and I would like to ask for your help beautifying the church grounds in preparation for Kick Off Sunday on September 18, and the Bishop's visitation in November.
There is a lot of work that needs to be done: all of the beds around the church need to be weeded and mulched, bushes need trimming, some trees have fallen that need to be removed, and the Red doors need to be painted. Because of the enormity of the work to be done, the vestry has asked the men who cut our grass to do this work. However, this is a significant extra-budgetary cost, and we are asking that you consider helping in one of two ways:
1) Consider making a one-time special donation to help offset the cost of landscaping and tree removal
2) Consider dropping by the church when you have some free time and do some weeding. This will help reduce the overall cost of the work.
Steve and Deb Mock have already cleaned out the picnic tables area near the playground. We are very grateful for their help.
Moving forward, the vestry will be promoting an "Adopt a Plot" program to help with landscaping maintenance. More information will be presented in the Fall.
Many thanks for everything you do to make St Martin's a hospitable and welcoming space. You may either drop a check in the plate at Mass or make a one-time contribution online. There will be a tab for "Landscaping" for your convenience.
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Facebook Livestreaming
We are looking for help with our Facebook Livestreaming every Sunday. If Randy or I cannot be at church, the livestream does not happen. If you are interested in any aspect of Audio/Visual work, please contact us. Young adults and teenagers are welcome as well.
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GRACE for ALL
Coming in Fall 2022 (beginning on Tuesday, September 20)
Grace for All is a prayer and support small group for LGBTQ+ Christians. People from any Christian tradition and people from no religious tradition at all are welcome to join us for a time of mutual sharing and support. This is a safe space for people struggling to reconcile their faith with their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. It is a space to be nurtured and affirmed by the Church and to celebrate God's loving grace for us all. We will meet on Tuesdays from 7-8 pm in the Lady Chapel. Please share this information with LGBTQ+ people in your life who may benefit from this kind of supportive small group.
Contact Fr. Rob if you have any questions.
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