From our Senior Warden-

Our annual Spring cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, June 4th -but it looks like we’ll probably be using the rain date of the 5th after church. 

Watch for an email on Friday.

eClare

St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church

Blue Hill ~ Maine

June 2, 2022

A Message from

Fr. Brent

June 1, 2022

Dear People of St. Francis,

I was almost overcome on Monday when someone dropped off a complete Memorial Day Bar-b-que in a box. Burgers, potato salad, beet salad, a lovely lemon poppy seed cake with blueberry sauce on the side and to top it off, homemade hamburger buns. This was on the heels of Sunday afternoon when Kate Mulrenin, her partner Anne and a couple of neighbor kids from Newbury Neck came over to help put in a big sunflower patch. 

The generosity of you all, your patience and restraint, your care and prayer... it preserves my faith in The Church. It surely increases my faith in you as an outpost of the Church. And from what I hear, things are going well at St. Francis. I wish I was with you in person. I am in spirit.

As for me... the nautical term doldrums applies quite aptly. The Doldrums are a region of the equatorial Atlantic characterized by calms, sudden storms and light unpredictable winds. The past couple of weeks have been hard ones. Now I am on a steroid course to shake things up and yesterday was the best day I have had in two months; but then I only slept three hours last night. Last week I had what promised to be an unpleasant test involving injections into the spinal fluid and being suspended by my ankles to make sure the dye got all the way up. It turned out to not be as bad as I had feared; but the results were, again, inconclusive. I start physical therapy next week to see if this is originating in my neck. That could take a while. Local doctors are talking to Mass General. My neurologist gave me the “one day at a time” talk. The doldrums.

   My spirits are holding up, thanks be to God. At the end of April, coming back from a trip to Mass General, I decided that I can’t just keep my head down and wait it out. I decided, less grudgingly than I had expected, that I am going to have to figure out how to live with this. Not long term, (this is not a concession speech!), but how to live each day as we are in this acute time. How to live ungraceful days gracefully, that is my daily question to myself. (We had a little trouble with one of my pigeon releases so pigeoning is off the graceful practice list for a bit 🙄 ).

    So for now it is my daily prayers, the brilliant support of Windy and the girls, your love and stability as a community of committed Christians, a good Bishop, the beauty of this place, God’s overwhelming love for the Creation, including us and homemade hamburger buns will get us all through. Pentecost is almost here. Another turn of the Earth. Another season ends. Another begins. Christ is Risen!

Blessings,

Brent

From our Senior Warden-

Happy June, perhaps the most beautiful month of the Maine year! We extend an open-arms welcome to those returning to our little slice of Heaven.

Fr. Brent continues to struggle, yet is finding strength within and outside of himself which make things a tiny bit better. The family is so very grateful for meals as these represent one less item to take their time and attention. And fabulous cooks abound in our church family!!

The St. Francis dance card is quickly filling up:

Our first gourmet fundraising dinner will be Wednesday June 29 at 5:30 pm so get your reservations to Barbara ASAP. You may want to consider reserving a table for friends and family.

A memorial celebration for Terri Stevens Smith will be held on Sunday, June 12 at 2:00 pm.

We are in the process of assessing our audio and video technology and getting bugs worked out.

Adult Education will resume soon and any suggestions are welcome.

We are asked to attend to church needs (Stewardship), local needs (Outreach) as well as worldwide needs (Refugees) and God will guide each of us to do His will.

Enjoy the beauty, both within and outside!

Blessings,

Milissa

The Calendar

*****

Spring Clean-up

(see above)

Morning Prayer

Tuesday-Friday

8:45 am

Contemplative Prayer

Fridays at 9:15 am.

Join us on Zoom.

Service for

Terri Stevens Smith

June12, 2 pm

CAFÉ FRANÇOIS Dinner

Wednesday, June 29

5:30 PM

(As always, the Sunday Service Bulletin will be sent separately from the church office.)

We Pray for:

Amelia, Andrea, Bob Andretta, Art, Christina, Harry and Marie Bissell, Mary Boyd, Bill Casale, Cynthia, Edward Dufresne, Diane Dumond, Edward Dufresne, Charles Farinelli, Giffy Full, Brinley Hall, Grace High, Bethany Hill, Catherine Husted, Jill, Kayla, Keagan, Jo-Anne Krestan, Alix Kirkpatrick, Kira and John Klinger, Michelle Liberty, Lisa Looke, Fred Marston, Sophia Partridge, Susan Reddy, Diana Robson, Rolande, Ronan, Rya, Carla Rosenzweig, Donny Smith, Peter Smith, Marshall Smith, Peggy Smith, Fred Stine, Carolyn Taylor, Judy Thomas, Fr. Brent Was, Holly Whelan, and Persis Williams 

Those with June Birthdays

Marie Bissell, Mark Boechat, Tim Boggs, Camdyn Chung, Betty Creighton, Judith Dullnig, Mary Gallant, Lois French, Brinley Hall, Maddie Heilner, John Higgins, Tyler Knowles, Bob Publicover, Miquel Reinoso, Fr. Brent Was, Jean Wheeler, Ray Yardy

Those in the Armed Services 

Abigail, James Crowe III, Brian Haley, Sean Haley, Douglas Hamilton, Kyler Hall, Peter McGuyer, Kyle Carino Mings, Eric Partridge  and Kevin West. 

We pray for those who have been injured or lost or are in harms way in Ukraine

We pray for the families and their loss of so many children and teachers in Uvalde, Texas



From Suzanne Decrow-

A Message from the St. Francis Altar Guild

We are in desperate need of some additional Altar Guilders.

Due to both Covid and non-Covid issues, we presently number only 3 full-time members along with 2 part-time (summer) members.

If we had 4-5 full-timers and then a few more (summer) part-timers, we would be in very good shape.

     We know everyone has busy lives BUT if you can spare a few hours on a Sunday every 4-5 weeks and if you can operate a washing machine and an iron, PLEASE contact either Suzanne Decrow or Prudy Heilner. 

     We will train you and even give you a special Altar Guild pin!!

Setting the Lord's table is an important part of the church service and a special privilege.

     We await our phone to ring off the hook!!

A big Congratulations to Anne Gilchrist, Cathy Thompson, and Julie Boardman who, along with others, worked with The Brooklin Garden Club, Healthy Peninsula, and The Simmering Pot to gift 78 bud vases of daffodils for a terrific Mothers Day Project!

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How wonderful to have Ellen Young back from Las Cruces, New Mexico!

"I arrived on Wednesday and will be staying until June 28. My son Jack came a few days earlier to start opening up; my first major task was to acquire a new clothes washer. There's always something.

I was so glad this Sunday to worship at a church which does not cut short the liturgy to keep the service shorter."

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From Lynne Yurosko---Coming Soon

Dinner CAFÉ FRANÇOIS

Look for a very special invitation for an elegant "French Dinner at CAFÉ FRANÇOIS!" (Seating will be limited)

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Jane Reinoso has returned from Ecuador.The gifts bought with your Outreach dollars are a big success!

Vaccinations are required for in-person services or events at St. Francis by the Sea

For the safety of the most vulnerable, only fully vaccinated* people may attend in-person worship.  Exceptions will be made for those unable to be vaccinated due to health conditions or eligibility (such as children under 2).

If you are not fully vaccinated, you would put our children and others who may be medically fragile at higher risk.  

PLEASE do the loving thing and get vaccinated, if not for yourself, then for our children.  Otherwise, you are welcome to continue on Zoom for the time being.

Memorial Day

2022

 “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.”- William J. Clinton