St. Wilfrid of York Episcopal Church and School | | | | We are a Christian community seeking to know and unconditionally share God's unfailing love. | | |
This Sunday, April 13, 2025
The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday
In-person services at 8:30am and 10:30am
The 10:30am service will be livestreamed on our Facebook page.
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Sunday, April 13
- Palm Sunday celebrated at both services beginning on the patio
- Small Change Sunday to support our Laundry Love Ministry
- Godly Play at 10:30am in Room 9
- Episcopal PRIDE Alliance Potluck Luncheon at 12:15pm in Sacquety Hall
Monday, April 14
- Holy Monday Evening Prayer Service at 7pm in the chapel
Tuesday, April 15
- Grief Group Meeting at 9:30am in the office
- No Bible Study (it will resume on 4/29)
- Preschool Board Meeting at 5pm in the preschool office
- Holy Tuesday Women of the Cross service at 7pm in the sanctuary (see below)
Wednesday, April 16
- Weekly Holy Eucharist at 7:15am in the chapel
- Laundry Love at 5:30pm at Huntington Coin Laundry
- Lenten Book Study at 6pm in Sacquety Hall
- Holy Wednesday Evening Prayer Service at 7pm in the chapel
Thursday, April 17
- Maundy Thursday Candlelight Mediterranean gathering with appetizers, followed by sacred foot washing in Sacquety Hall at 6:30pm
- Gethsemane Prayer Vigil begins at 9pm in the chapel
Friday, April 18
- Good Friday Choral Eucharist, Solemn Liturgy, and Veneration of the Cross at 12pm in the sanctuary
- Good Friday Tenebrae and Veneration of the Cross service at 7pm in the sanctuary
Saturday, April 19
- Great Easter Vigil Service at 7:30pm beginning on the patio, and concluding in the sanctuary
Sunday, April 20
- Easter Sunday services at 8:30am and 10:30am
- Brunch and children's Easter egg hunt between services, beginning in Sacquety Hall (see below)
Monday, April 21
- Church office closed in celebration of Easter
Tuesday, April 22
- No Bible Study (it will resume next week)
Wednesday, April 22
- Morning Prayer Service at 7:15am in the chapel
Sunday, April 27
- Godly Play in Room 9 at 10:30am
- Healing Ministry Meeting at 11:50am in the Youth Center
Monday, April 28
- Vestry Meeting at 6pm in Sacquety Hall
Tuesday, April 29
- Rector's Bible Study at 11am in Sacquety Hall
- Engagement Committee Meeting at 6pm in Fr. Nathan's office
Wednesday, April 30
- Weekly Holy Eucharist at 7:15am in the chapel
- Adult Forum: How Should We Think About the Afterlife? presented by Bill Yarchin at 5:30pm in Sacquety Hall (see below)
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Thank you all so much for making Bishop Brookhart's visit a success. I am glad that so many of you had the opportunity to meet and engage with him. My favorite part of his visit was when Linda Edwards was confirmed, and Sheila Williams was received into the Episcopal Church. Once a week for the past month, Linda, Sheila, and I would meet to discuss our faith, Christian tradition, Scripture, and the Prayer Book. These conversations were absolutely delightful! I love seeing God's Spirit at work!
Speaking of God's Spirit working, I am delighted to announce that our parish's outreach program - Laundry Love (which provides free laundry, soap, dryer or fabric softener sheets, and dyer usage to anyone who comes to one of our local laundromats once a month) has won a deanery grant for $1000! This grant will provide a couple of months' worth of clean laundry to our Laundry Love guests. A special thanks to Steven Nadolny, who wrote the grant proposal, and to the entire Laundry Love team who faithfully help those in need every month. Your ministry is important; it makes a real difference in the lives of those whom you serve. Thank you!
This Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. I am so excited about the good services that we have planned. They are designed to move our spirits as we reflect upon Jesus' love, sacrifice, and resurrection. I hope that you will join us for as many services as you can. If you need a ride to any of our services listed below in this email, please reach out to me at nathan@stwilfridschurch.org and I will forward your information to our Ride Team so that they can work with you to provide transportation. A number of people have volunteered to help give rides, so please utilize their gifts. If you would like to offer a ride, let me know. This is another sign of our community and how we not only care for each other, but we also desire to help others whenever we can.
There is more good news to celebrate. On the second Sunday in the season of Easter (April 27), we will be celebrating Gretchen Hughes' advancement toward Holy Orders. At the most recent meeting of the Diocesan Commission on Ministry, Gretchen was approved to become a Postulant for Holy Orders. Although there are still more steps in the ordination process, we celebrate with Gretchen as she continues to move forward in discerning her call. She will be preaching at both services on April 27, and there will be a reception with her favorite kind of cake to honor the work that God is doing in her life. Come and celebrate what God is doing in our midst.
Wishing each you a very special and meaningful Holy Week,
Fr. Nathan Biornstad+
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Children are welcome at St. Wilfrid's!
Our programs are divided by age with all children rejoining their families for the Eucharist. Visiting children are always welcome.
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Godly Play
- For children ages 4yrs to 5th grade
- Montessori based and hosted by a dedicated team of trained volunteers
- Bible stories, manipulative play, art, and prayers
- Located in Room 9
- Godly Play is available at the at the 8:30am service on the 1st and 3rd Sundays, and at the 10:30am service on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month. On months with a 5th Sunday, it will be offered at both services.
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Little Lambs
- For toddlers to children 4yrs of age
- Bible stories, art, and outdoor play (weather permitting)
- Available during both services on Sunday and as needed for other services in Room 1 or 8
- Begins 15 minutes before the service starts
| | We enter the sanctuary together on Palm Sunday with joy, waving palms as the crowds once did in Jerusalem, shouting “Hosanna!” But as the week unfolds, the mood shifts. In the quiet of Holy Monday and Holy Wednesday, we pause for prayer, preparing our hearts for what is to come. On Holy Tuesday, we gather for Women of the Cross, moving liturgy that brings to life the stories and faith of the women who stood at the cross and the empty tomb. Maundy Thursday brings us to the table, where we break bread as Jesus did, then kneel, imitating him washing the disciples’ feet. Afterwards, the altar will be stripped. After the service, our Garden of Gethsemane Prayer Vigil begins, as we remember how Jesus prayed throughout the night before his arrest. The night turns to betrayal, leading us to the sorrow of Good Friday, where we stand at the foot of the cross in grief and reverence. Darkness lingers through Holy Saturday, but as the first fire of Easter is kindled at this evening service, hope is rekindled with it. On Easter Sunday, the tomb is empty, and we rejoice— Christ is risen! Journey through Holy Week with us! | | |
Palm Sunday – April 13th
Services at 8:30am and 10:30am beginning on the patio and processing into the sanctuary
Holy Monday – April 14th
Evening Prayer Service at 7pm in the chapel
Holy Tuesday – April 15th
Women of the Cross Service at 7pm in the chapel
Holy Wednesday – April 16th
Evening Prayer Service at 7pm in the chapel
Maundy Thursday – April 17th
Candlelight Mediterranean gathering with appetizers, followed by sacred foot washing in Sacquety Hall at 6:30pm. The service concludes in the sanctuary, with the Stripping of the Altar and moving of the Monstrance
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Garden of Gethsemane Prayer Vigil – April 17th to April 18th
Beginning at the conclusion of the Maundy Thursday service, sign up to spend an hour in prayer during our Gethsemane Vigil. The hour symbolizes the hours that Jesus asked his disciples to pray with him. The Vigil will continue throughout the night and conclude at noon on Good Friday. Sign-up on the easel in the narthex.
Good Friday – April 18th
Choral Eucharist and Veneration of the Cross at 12pm (noon) in the sanctuary; Holy Eucharist, Tenebrae, and Veneration of the Cross at 7pm
Holy Saturday – April 19th
Great Easter Vigil Service at 7:30pm, beginning with a fire on the patio and processing together into the sanctuary
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Easter Sunday – April 20th
Services at 8:30am and 10:30am
Brunch and children’s Easter egg hunt between services
| | This poignant liturgy, researched and created by Episcopal priest, The Rev. Ginna Benson, is an expression of faith and love shown through the lens of the women in the Bible, who were present at the Crucifixion, and later, at the tomb of Jesus. Featuring scripture, stories, song, and moments of silent reflection, the women of St. Wilfrid’s will bring these stories to life for us all. | | How to Help During Holy Week | | |
Palm Sunday
If you would like to donate palm branches, please contact Lynette Hansen via email at lynettehansen2001@yahoo.com or by texting her cell at (714) 336-9220. To ensure freshness, please cut branches as late as possible and bring them to the church on Friday, April 11th, or Saturday, April 12th.
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Maundy Thursday
We invite you to help create a warm and welcoming Maundy Thursday gathering by signing up at the SCRIP table to bring specific items, or by making a free-will donation to help cover the costs of the food. In addition, we are collecting battery-operated candles and tea lights to softly illuminate our gathering. Candles can be dropped off on Sundays at the SCRIP table, or during the week in the office. If you have questions, please contact our Hospitality Chair, Linda Mendelssohn, at (714) 381-2072 or lindamendelssohn@verizon.net.
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Gethsemane Prayer Vigil
Help us transform St. Wilfrid’s chapel into the Garden of Gethsemane for our overnight prayer vigil. This sacred space will provide a place for quiet reflection and prayer. We invite you to lend potted plants to help create a lush, meditative setting. Plants can be brought directly to the chapel (labels will be available on the counter) or dropped off at the office.
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Great Easter Vigil
As we gather in darkness on Holy Saturday, April 19th, at 7:30pm, we proclaim the joy of Christ’s resurrection in our Easter Vigil. This ancient liturgy calls us to celebrate with light and sound. We encourage you to bring handheld bells from home to join in ringing, singing, and proclaiming in joy as we welcome the risen Christ.
| | Great Easter Vigil Prayers | | Write your prayers and intentions on the colorful squares of paper in the Narthex. These will be burned at the Great Easter Vigil, symbolizing renewal and hope as we mark the significance of the resurrection. Share what’s on your heart as we prepare for this holy time. | | Bishop Coadjutor Search Committee opens diocese-wide survey; listening sessions continue | |
The Bishop Coadjutor Search Committee's survey, conducted by Holy Cow! Consulting, is now open and accepting responses from all in the diocese. The survey is available in English here and in Spanish here.
Bishop Coadjutor Search Committee Co-Chairs Thomas Diaz and KC Robertson provide an update on the search and introduce the survey in a video here. The survey closes April 20. Information about listening sessions is available here.
| | What's Your Favorite Worship Music? | |
Do you have a hymn or praise song that always lifts your spirit—or grounds you when you need peace? Maybe there's a melody that brings comfort, a chorus that sparks joy, or lyrics that remind you of God’s presence in tough times. We’re putting together music for upcoming special services—like Mother’s Day and our summer Sundays—and we’d love to include your favorites.
Whether it’s a classic hymn that’s close to your heart or a praise song that gets you singing, let us know! We’ll be drawing from your suggestions in the months ahead.
Since our services feature different musical styles, we’ve created two separate forms:
| | St. Wilfrid’s has several fundraiser events throughout the year. These occasions provide fun and social opportunities, which build community. They also help us to balance our budget. Philanthropic Opportunity Planners, or POP, are needed! Interested? Have ideas? Please see or contact Steven Nadolny, vestry member and Stewardship Chair. Call or text his cell at (714) 536-5172 or connect via email at steven@jimbocosw.com. St. Wilfrid’s needs you! | |
Adult Forum with Bill Yarchin
How Should We Think About the Afterlife?
Wednesday, April 30th at 5:30pm
Save the date! St. Wilfrid’s friend Bill Yarchin will give a special presentation on Wednesday, April 30th. Join us for a potluck dinner from 5:30pm to 6:15pm, followed by Bill's presentation from 6:15pm to 8:00pm.
| | Remembering 1965 Selma civil rights march: (at left) Parishioners cross bridge into parish hall at St. George's, Laguna Hills. Photo by Jean Klein. (At right) In Harlem, a 1965 march in solidarity with Selma protesters. Library of Congress photo. | | |
Laguna Hills parish marks 60th anniversary of Selma civil rights march by taking courage for present-day issues
by Bob Williams
Singing out in call-and-response April 5, an interfaith congregation crossed a blue wooden bridge linking the patio of St. George’s Episcopal Church, Laguna Hills and its parish hall to evoke the 1965 experience of civil rights marchers trekking from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
“On this bridge they stood so strong; facing fear they marched along,” the Rev. Canon Pat McCaughan, vicar of St. George’s, chanted in a powerful voice met by those of more than 100 attendees. “Beaten down but not defeated, their courage keeps our hearts repeated. We stand for justice; we stand for right; we walk in justice; we march in light. The fight’s not over; the dream lives on. Together we rise; together we’re strong!”
Among presenters sharing at the South Orange County interfaith event was the Rev. Willie Sargent, retired pastor of Irvine’s Bethesda Baptist Church, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s and experienced the brutal beating back of Birmingham, Alabama, protesters by infamous Sheriff Bull Connor.
Sargent was first to share a reflection in the afternoon’s program titled “Remembering Selma Then: We March Now!” The gathering occurred concurrently with “Hands Off” protest marches held from coast to coast to decry U.S. policies being implemented by the Trump administration.
“Just as we came together then, we come together now to oppose injustice,” Sargent said between program segments featuring music of the “Trust 1” gospel trio and documentary video segments including footage from the Bloody Sunday crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965.
Read more
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Diocesan Sanctuary Task Force to lead border mission
Bishop John Harvey Taylor will join the Sanctuary Task Force in leading a mission to the Mexico-U.S. border Friday, May 2, and invite participation. The event will be a day trip to see the conditions on the ground for migrants in Tijuana. The group will walk across from the San Ysidro border crossing near San Diego at 8 am and take a chartered bus to visit a shelter, early learning center, and school operated by Nest Global; tour the new Episcopal Diocese of San Diego-sponsored shelter for women and children; and hold a prayer service followed by a bag lunch in Friendship Park before returning to the U.S. by the early afternoon. A donation of $75 to defray the cost of transportation and support migrant ministries is requested. A passport is required. The visit will be guided by Nest Tijuana director Vanessa Esquivel and Episcopal Diocese of San Diego Immigration Missioner Robert Vivar. For more information and to reserve a space, contact the Rev. Dr. Greg Kimura, fathergreg@sjcsp.org.
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