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September 2024 Newsletter | |
A Note From Father Michael | |
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Dear Friends in Christ,
As the long, sun-filled days of summer begin to give way to the cool, crisp air of autumn, I find myself filled with gratitude for the warm welcome you’ve extended to me over the past couple of months. My move to Barnstable in June marked the beginning of a new chapter, not only for me but, I hope, for all of us together at St. Mary’s. Charles and I have been overwhelmed by your kindness, openness, and generosity as we’ve settled into this beautiful community.
It’s been a joy getting to know you and our wider community. Highlights of my summer include participating in a real hometown Fourth of July parade, the All-Parish Cookout, Big Nick’s Ride bike blessing and the Evensong at St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, to name a few. These events gave me a sense of the heart and spirit of this wonderful parish. I’ve also enjoyed the many meet-and-greet opportunities, each one an occasion to learn more about your history at St. Mary’s as well as your dreams and visions for our parish.
As we transition into the fall, I’m excited about the energy and enthusiasm that naturally comes with this time of year. With many of you returning from a summer of travel and hosting friends and family on the Cape, and with routines starting to fall back into place, it’s a perfect time to come together and re-engage with our church community. We have a lot to look forward to in the coming months, beginning with the Season of Creation, a time when we celebrate our Gospel calling to protect and care for the Earth, our common home. It is both a season of prayer and a season of action, and I look forward to how we will embody our commitment to God’s creation together. I thank Pastor Russ for leading this annual effort.
I’m also thrilled to announce the formation of our new Outreach Action Team, which was created in August, and which is headed by Beth Hearn. This group will focus on identifying and organizing opportunities for us to engage in hands-on outreach ministry. I hope many of you will consider participating in its initiatives. This is a wonderful way for us to live out our faith in a tangible, practical way, making a difference not only in the lives of those we serve but also in our own spiritual journeys.
I encourage you to regularly check the church’s calendar and to stay tuned for more to come, including the annual fall stewardship campaign!
As I reflect on these past two months, I am deeply thankful for each of you. Your kindness and support have made my transition into this new parish smooth and joyful. I also am grateful for the amazing staff that I am privileged to work with at St. Mary’s – they are pearls of great price. I look forward to continuing this journey with you, discovering more about each other and growing together in faith, hope, and love. May this season bring us closer to God, to each other, and to all of creation.
With every blessing,
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Meet and Greets with Father Michael Continue:
We have added more opportunities to meet with Father Michael Horvath. If you have not signed up to attend an event yet, please take another look at the on-line sign-up. There are meet and greets scheduled in parishioners homes as well as in Walden Hall. Click here for the online sign-ups. Your hosts will reach out to you with any specific information or directions a day or so before the gathering. Please be sure to sign-up in advance to help our hosts plan. Thank you!
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Save the Date for a Celebration of New Ministry!
Please join us on Tuesday, September 10 at 6pm as we celebrate with Fr. Michael, his installation as the eighth rector of St. Mary’s! The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bishop Diocesan will officiate. Reception in Walden Hall to follow.
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Save The Dates!
A 3 Part Educational Forum - Sept. 8, 15 and 22
Putting Our Affairs in Order - Planning today for the living of tomorrow
Please join us for a 3-part Educational Offering of Saint Mary's Church for adults of all ages, recognizing the gift we give to ourselves and those we love - parents, children, and others when we plan today for the eventualities of tomorrow.
Sundays 11:30 - 1:30 in Walden Hall
A light lunch will be provided
- September 8 - Legal & Financial Considerations
- September 15 - Living Considerations
- September 22 - End of Life Considerations
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Creation Care Forums
St. Mary’s will observe the Season of Creation 2024 beginning the weekend of September 7-8 and concluding with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 5-6. The theme for this year is “To hope and Act with Creation”. Our liturgy will be drawn from the New Zealand Prayer Book with special readings on the theme of environmental justice. In addition, St. Mary’s will offer a series of three special adult forums during coffee hour. Grab a cup of coffee and join us in the carpeted area of Walden Hall from 11:15 to 12:00. Please click here for more information on the 3 forums that will take place in Walden Hall on September.
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Putting Our Affairs in Order
Planning today for the living of tomorrow
Please join us for a 3-part educational offering of Saint Mary's Church for adults of all ages, recognizing the gift we give to ourselves and to those we love - parents, children, and others, when we plan today for the eventualities of tomorrow. All are welcome to participate in any of the sessions.
Sundays 11:30 - 1:30 in Saint James Room
A light lunch will be provided
Please click here to R.S.V.P. or call the Parish Office at 508-362-3977
- September 8 - Legal & Financial Considerations
- September 15 - Living Considerations
- September 22 - End of Life Considerations
Please click here for the flier
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R.O.A.R. Rolling By..
ROAR is a motorcycle ride that raises funds for Cape Cod individuals in need of transitional structured housing moving forward in their continuum of addiction recovery and care. You are all invited to join us in "Blessing the Bikers' " as they roar by next Sunday, September 8, 2024 at noon. Please consider staying a bit longer after Fellowship to show our support for these riders.
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7th Annual Ride, Run, Walk for Homes
Sunday, September 15, 2024
NEW FOR 2024 – Run/Walk Option along the Cape Cod Canal
Aptucxet Trading Post, Bourne, MA
It is not too late to join and help raise funds for this important partner in ministry. Click here to learn how you can help. Their are different levels of fundraising and the option to ride, run or walk.
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Movie Theology Returns!
Film buffs will be happy to see that our Movie Theology Ministry will be starting up again this September. The full schedule for the year is still a work in progress but, for now please save the dates for the following Sunday afternoons. We provide the popcorn, the film and the discussion questions. We hope you will join us!
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Children's Church Returns!
Exciting News! Thanks to the passion and dedication of a team of our parishioners, we will be offering some faith formation for children this coming school year. Save the Date!
Our first Children's Church will be on Sunday on October 6, 2024
Although, there may not be a lot of children in church lately the team is moving forth with the optimism of "If we build it they will come."
We would love your help to spread the word about this opportunity for children and families. If you know of any families with young children who may enjoy participating in a once-a-month Children's Church offering please let one of the Co-Chairs, (Barbara Hersey, Stella Bearse, or Robin Greene) know so they can share information and invite families. All are welcome!
Children’s Church will be in the carpeted part of Walden Hall, during the 10:AM Sunday Worship surface, with one exception on the weekend of October 6th when we will be meeting in the Saint James Room due to the Ministry Fair ocurring in Walden Hall. The Children will be invited to Children's Church from roughly from the reading of the Gospel to the Exchange of Peace.
The team plans to work off of a Godly Play framework to explore Scripture. Godly Play is a Christian curriculum that uses a Montessori approach to teach Bible stories, parables, and liturgical lessons to children and adults. It's a creative way to help people explore the mystery of God's presence in their lives, and to develop their faith and spirituality. Godly Play values openness, community, discovery, and process. It encourages participants to make personal connections between faith stories and their own experiences through wondering questions, silence, and open-ended responses. The curriculum also uses Christian language to help people understand God and make meaning in their lives. Godly Play can help children prepare for worship by developing language and communication skills, thinking skills, and empathy. It can also help people learn to hear what God is saying and respond creatively
All are warmly welcomed to join these discussions and efforts. If you are interested in participating in the Children's Church Team, please attend the next meeting set for Sunday, September 22 at 11:15 AM in the Library. Any questions? Please reach out to Barbara Hersey.
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Join us for the ordination and consecration of the Rev. Julia E. Whitworth as our diocese's 17th bishop diocesan!
The service will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at 11 AM
Registration is required. Please click here to register.
Doors open for general seating at 9:30 a.m.
The procession begins at 10:30 a.m.
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Tales of Cape Cod - 2024 Programs
Our neighbors across the street at the Olde Colonial Courthouse have a full schedule of fabulous authors and speakers throughout the Summer and into the Fall. Please click here to see the full schedule of speakers. Every Monday night from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Saint Mary's shares our parking lot on these evenings.
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A special invitation from our friends at the Unitarian Church of Barnstable for a free evening cruise on the Whale Watcher out of Barnstable Harbor. Details on the flier below: | |
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Voices From Our Parish & Ministry News
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Please click here to read the Vestry minutes from the June 13, 2024 meeting. Please note the July Vestry minutes have not been approved yet as the Vestry took a well deserved break in August. Minutes are not published until approved at the subsequent Vestry meeting. | |
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Creation Care by Pastor Russ
With all the dire warnings about climate change, here is some good news for a change:
In 2004, it took the world a whole year to install a gigawatt of solar-power capacity (a gigawatt is a billion watts of power). In 2010, it took a month; in 2016, a week. In 2023 there were single days which saw a gigawatt of installation worldwide. Over the course of 2024 analysts at Bloomberg expect to see 520 to 655 gigawatts of capacity installed: that’s twice as much as in all of 2004 EVERY DAY!
Britain’s Climate Change Committee said: ‘We totally failed to see that solar power
would come down so much… In 2008 we were thinking that capital costs would come down
19% by 2020. When we got to 2020 they were down 95%.’
The Rocky Mountain Institute, a think-tank, calculates that the cost of a kilowatt-hour of
battery storage has fallen by 99% over the past 30 years.
The figures here are not typos. They’re from “The Sun Machines”, an article in The
Economist—a British journal that has been promoting capitalism since 1843. The Economist is not from the “tree huggers” who are ridiculed by those who specialize in climate denial. The
Economist is the voice of business advocates who know which way the world is going.
See: “Can the World Run on Sunshine?” at:https://www.earthday.org/can-the-world-run-on-sunshine/
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Monthly Creation Care Sheet
Another member of our Creation Care Ministry, Amy Crocker has shared these monthly creation justice action ideas or reflections that corresponds with the liturgical/seasonal calendar Click here for the September ideas and inspiration.
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Pastoral Care Column
This month the Pastoral Care Team is sharing an article on Pain, the different types of pain and how to know what steps you can take for relief. Please click here or on the image below to read the full article.
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Aging Gracefully By Pastor Russ | |
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BLESSING FOR OLD AGE
May the light of your soul mind you
May all your worry and anxiousness
about becoming old be transfigured,
May you be given a wisdom with the eye of your soul,
to see this beautiful time of harvesting.
May you have the commitment to harvest your
life, to heal what has hurt you, to allow it to come
closer to you and become one with you.
May you have great dignity, may you have a sense of how
free you are
And above all may you be given the wonderful gift of
meeting the eternal light and beauty that is within you.
May you be blessed, and may you find a wonderful love in
yourself for yourself.
From ANAM CARA (Soul Friend) by John O’Donohue
To listen to Krista Tippett’s interview with John O’Donohue,
“Inner Landscape of Beauty” see:
https://onbeing.org/programs/john-odonohue-the-inner-landscape-of-beauty/
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Saint Mary's First Trunk or Treat
Have you ever heard of Trunk or Treat?
We are excited to be offering a fun new event for the youth in our community. We will be hosting a Trunk or Treat in the Saint Mary's parking lot on the eve of Halloween. We are inviting the children and families from Our World United Preschool to participate and hope to attract more young families with the help of social media posts, a giant banner out front and word-of- mouth. We need your help to make this a success.
The basic idea is that young children can trick or treat in a designated area out of the trunks of cars rather than at different homes. The car trunks however, are NOT you standard car trunk. People go ALL-OUT decorating their car trunks with fun, spooky decor and creative themes. Here is a great article about Trunk or Treating to give you an idea of what the fun is all about.
We are looking for more volunteers to help us run this event. Please reach out to Allison Bresette if you would like to help. We will need commitments from people to create a trunk. Feel free to partner-up or carpool with folks to help with the decorating of your vehicle and with the candy purchasing. Costumes are strongly encouraged! We can't wait to see everyone's Halloween Spirit!
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Saint Mary's Art Gallery
Thank you to all the talented artists and crafters who submitted works to adorn our hallways this Summer. Saint Mary's Art Committee welcomes contributions of art made by parishioners and their families -- photos, paintings, and crafts of all kinds. We anticipate a new rotation of artwork shortly. Thank you for helping us celebrate and appreciate our artists. Any questions? Please reach out to Barry Olofsson .
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Lutheran and Episcopalian Friends
We continue to build our collaboration and friendship with the First Lutheran Church in West Barnstable. Our next Episcopal/Lutheran Friends Meeting is this coming Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 6:00 PM in the St. James Room. Please feel free to join the group and, as always everyone is invited to participate in the following regular meetings at First Lutheran Church:
- Tuesdays - Silent Meditation Group meets at 12pm
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Wednesday Nights - Sacred Journey (Via Sacre) Worship Service. Potluck Supper at 6:00 PM and Worship at 7:00 PM
Learn more about everything that is happening at First Lutheran Church by visiting their website.
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In-reach Volunteer Opportunities
Hosts Needed for Lemonade on the Lawn/Coffee Fellowship
After the 8:00 AM once a month
After the 10:00 AM every Sunday - contact Hub Mathewson for more information and see the sunroom bulletin board to sign-up.
Thank you!
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Putting Your Time in Where it Matters!
Did you Know Angel's Treasure is the single biggest source of revenue for our parish Outreach efforts? It takes a lot of people to make the little shop hum along. Maybe working in retail isn't your thing? Do you enjoydoing dump runs, cleaning out and culling, maybe you are skilled at painting, polishing or refinishing wood? How about making social media posts, videos and reels? There are so very many ways you can help at Angels' Treasures. Just give Janis Umschlag a call and she will find a way for you to volunteer that works for you and for the shop.
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Saint Mary's Garden Committee
Seeking More Members!
We are always in search of more volunteers to help out in the gardens. Our next Garden Committee Meeting is Tuesday, September 3,2024 at 4:00 PM in the St. James Room. We are looking for new leadership and members. If you are interested, this is the meeting to attend. Our next Garden Work Day is scheduled for September 14, 2024 at 9:00 AM.
Saint Mary's Gardens are for ALL and All are ALWAYS welcome!
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Out-reach Volunteer Opportunities
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Faith Family Kitchen
This program provides nutritious meals to anyone who is hungry at the Faith Assembly of God at 154 Bearses Way in Hyannis. Our volunteers are expected to arrive on the fourth Monday of every month at 4:30 PM to help set up for take-out meals and dine-in dinners. Serving and clean-up generally take until 7:30 PM. Please contact Carolyn Thomas or Beth Hearn if you wish to volunteer with this program.
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Miracle Kitchen
Once a month on Wednesday, Saint Mary's has the privilege of creating healthy food and fabulous desserts to serve for lunch for 30 to 50 people at the Salvation Army on North Street in Hyannis. This Ministry needs cooks, bakers, delivery people, and servers. Please contact Sally Cameron if you would like be part of this team.
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Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod
Saint Mary's Parishioners have a long tradition of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod (HFH-CC). HFH-CC partners with families in need of an affordable home to help them build one of their own; fostering stability, self-reliance and a strong sense of community. The elevated cost of housing and living on Cape Cod makes this a very needed ministry in our area. There are many different ways to volunteer with Habitat, and they do not all involve swinging a hammer. SOme of our parishioners, make quilts, some provide snack and home baked treats for the workers, some help with administrative tasks in the office, some help with site landscaping. Click here to learn more about volunteering with Habitat.
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Amazing Grace of Cape Cod
Did you know that Amazing Grace Camp offers programing for children and families affected by incarceration year-round ? Many Saint Mary's Parishioners were involved with Amazing Grace during its formation and many are still actively involved.
It takes a community to create and offer a camp experience and a year-round program. Whether you have an hour, a day, or a week, there are many ways you can share your gifts and passions. We need volunteers to work with children at the week of camp and at our monthly activities, and we also need volunteers to help us create programming, promote our work, and oversee administrative tasks.
Volunteer opportunities:
- Camp Mentor: Interact with our amazing kids during morning, afternoon, or overnight shifts the week of camp.
- Camp Specialist: Offer 1-3 hours during the week of camp, sharing a skill or talent.
- Activity Volunteer: Interact with our amazing kids at school-year activities and events.
- Program Developer: Help us find and create fun things for our Amazing Grace kids to do at camp and/or at monthly gatherings.
- Amazing Grace Story-Teller: Help us spread the word about Amazing Grace and its work.
- Recruiter: Help us find kids to join our program, and help us find volunteers to support our work.
- Fundraiser: Help us find financial support to do our work.
- Implementer: Help us with behind-the-scenes support.
Click here for the Volunteer Application.
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Legacy Giving
1891 Society members help grow our endowment which in turn, supports Saint Mary’s community outreach, contributes to key programs and protect the church from unanticipated adverse financial circumstances. Most importantly, the commitment from members of the 1891 Society, empowers future generations of Saint Mary's parishioners to make visible the extraordinary light that comes from God.
In each monthly newsletter, we hear from current members of the 1891 Society about what becoming a legacy donor to Saint Mary's has meant to them personally.
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Recognizing Our 1891 Society Members
A Note from Peter and Judy Scarafile
The 1891 Society at Saint Mary’s is a group of parishioners who have planned to leave a legacy gift to Saint Mary’s endowment fund in ANY amount. Your gift will empower future generations to make visible, the extraordinary light that comes from God. Every gift, of ANY amount is celebrated because it is our generous hearts that matter. For Judy and me it is about our gratitude for being part of a loving and caring community with dedicated leaders.
Please consider being part of the 1891 Society by filling out the response card or by contacting Linda Gadkowski at 508-292-5500 or at lgadkows@capecod.net
Peter Scarafile & Judy Walden Scarafile
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Please mark your calendars for the following special events:
- Saturday, October 5, 2024, 4:00 PM - Blessing Of The Animals, Patio and Gardens
- Sunday, October 6, 2024, 11:15 AM - Ministry Fair, Walden Hall
- Sunday, October 6, 2024, 11:15 AM - Fellowship Hour, Speaker from Habitat for Humanity, Walden Hall
- Sunday October 6, 2024, 10:00 AM - First Day of Children's Church, St. James Room
- October 30, 2024, 5:00 PM, St. Mary's Trunk or Treat Halloween Celebration, Parking Lot
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Saint Mary's Episcopal Church
3055 Main Street
P.O. Box 395
Barnstable, MA 02630
Phone: (508) 362-3977
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