Dear Friends:
“With the doors locked for fear of the authorities. Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’” John 20
Imagine that upper room, after the crucifixion, if you can.
Devastated and feeling abandoned, uncertain, disappointed maybe, somewhat bereft, experiencing deep, deep loss.
Things changed for the disciples ~ traumatic change. The change was hard, so the disciples were in that transition period in the upper room.
So, come with me for a very brief moment into that upper room.
The doors, St. John tells us were locked.
The mood, well you can guess, somber, and quiet. Things changed for them.
In the midst of all of this, Jesus appears!
Some look afraid. Some are so dumb struck that it appears as if nothing has happened.
Some look absolutely shocked, and some stand up, as they move away from Him.
Some want to reach out and greet Him in the usual way, yet they stop in their tracks. Some simply stand and stare.
In this context, our Lord’s first words to them are, “Peace be with you.”
Notice he does not say…. “Do not be afraid.” He says, “Peace be with you.”
Jesus goes right to the heart. He touches the pulse of the moment
Yes, they were afraid. they were not only afraid of the authorities, they were afraid of all the things that get to us, in times of change and transition. We know those feelings, especially during these long months dealing with the covid -19 pandemic.
They were afraid of their very thoughts. They were afraid of their feelings. They were afraid of what was going to happen to them, not just the authorities.
My own experience has taught me, experience in life and ministry, that when change and transition happens, I know how easy it is for me to lock doors, firmly!
We enter rooms where we judge it is safe, and we close doors firmly, and we wait, we think, we are silent.
Often, in the midst of this, Jesus enters, and we are no different to the Disciples, we too pull back, stand in disbelief, stare.
The truth of the Gospel is that Jesus is in our midst, whatever our belief or not, whatever we may feel or not.
Jesus comes, again and again, saying, “Peace be with you.”
The resurrection message is clearer than ever before. No matter how much the rooms in our lives and souls have changed over the years, with doors open or locked, the hope of the Risen Christ will always be powerfully present.
So, it is my dearest friends, as we gather in the upper rooms of life, as always, Jesus will enter those rooms. Whatever your fear, whatever your concern, whatever is going on in your personal life, Jesus will enter and say, “Peace be with you.”
I conclude with the words of a hymn we often sang in South Africa, as we clung onto resurrection hope.
“Christ enough to break all barriers
Christ enough in peace in strife
Christ enough for old and lonely
Christ enough in life in death
Christ enough to save the sin sick
Christ enough for one for all.”
May the Christ of Easter Peace hold you all very close!!
Fr. Alan
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SUNDAY WORSHIP:
- Holy Eucharist Rite II at 9:30 am
WEEKDAY WORSHIP:
- Monday: Morning Prayer at 9:30am
- Wednesday: Noonday Prayer
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Services are now IN PERSON, but if you need to access our Live Stream at
any time during these services, please click on link above.
Instructions for live streaming:
- When the service is broadcasting live, you will see the service Episode listed below "Services at The Church of St. Mary...."
- To listen live, click on the play button (circle with arrow in it) on the left side of the Episode title that has the red LIVE box.
- If you do not see the Episode with today's date, click on the link again to refresh the webpage.
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Open Doors: We have Resumed Worship In the Church |
We invite you to take note of the following practical arrangements:
- Wearing masks at all times
- Sanitizing hands before services, during, before receiving communion and when leaving; please bring your hand sanitizer along with you
- Always keep safe distancing
- No coffee hour, for the time being
- The Holy Eucharist will be celebrated; the people receiving in one kind only (the host)
- Details of receiving communion will be explained at the time of celebration
All Services will be offered via Live Stream
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Click here for printable or viewable monthly calendar.
We need your OPINION: Don't miss SURVEY link below!
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In our home in CT, we have a sign on the dining room wall that serve as a daily reminder: "Thankful, Grateful and truly Blessed”
As we travel the roads of the journey called “Life”, the road is often straight and boringly flat. Sometimes, it winds around mountains, swoops into valleys, or curls up a hill. At times, we come across a detour, that takes us off-course! Yet, in most cases, there is an arrow pointing us in the right direction, or a sign that says “roadwork completed, safe to merge.”
On April 16th, Alan and I, celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary and a day later, we enjoyed a joyful time in CT, with our children and grandchildren. It was a cloudy but “lofty mountain” day, filled with joy, laughter, happy tears and hugs galore, as we reminisced about the exciting journey, we have traveled thus far.
This road trip, however, has also had its speed bumps (valleys and hills), along the way. The most recent, Alan’s cancer diagnosis, resulted in rigorous treatment, fatigue, anxiety, and worrisome side effects. The twisting bends were hard to follow and go through, depending on their severity!
Yet, Alan persevered, remained focused and steadfast and so brave. His faith and trust in God and his medical team never wavered! He continued to plod along each day, never missing a service, assuring all that he was doing okay and walking to, and sometimes across, the bridge on Quaker Road daily, even when he felt too exhausted to do anything. By his actions, he encouraged the children and me, to be strong and hopeful!
Thank you to everyone at St. Mary’s, who joined our friends and family across the world, in an unprecedented show of support. The encouraging cards, notes, emails, messages and uplifting prayers kept coming and lifted our spirits!
Please accept my sincere gratitude for your faithfulness and for your love of Alan, me, our children and grandchildren! You were the buoys that carried us and filled us with hope and strength!
This past year has certainly been a journey of challenging routes for many, especially during this pandemic. I hope that you are all beginning to feel, that the scenery ahead and in the rearview mirror, is changing. May we soon, be able to follow the navigation of God’s Purposeful Scheme (GPS) for our lives, and may peace, wellness and safety be the pathways of our journeys, in the days ahead!
Our family will always be grateful, thankful and truly blessed, by you all!
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The Egginton Family: A Farewell |
Hersey, Quincy and baby Abigail Egginton moved to Chappaqua in the spring of 1982 and joined St. Mary’s that summer. Abby started nursery school at Chappaqua Center for the Nursery Years in the parish hall. Emily came along two years later and the two girls attended church and Sunday school
In the years since, the Egginton’s have served in virtually every volunteer role that the church has had to offer, including altar guild, flower arranger, Sunday school teacher, Director of Christian education, Warden, vestry person, acolyte, Strawberry Festival face painter and volunteer Auction Dinner mural painter, cook and clean-up crew. Not to mention usher, lay reader, capital campaign planner and solicitor and at one unforgettable Christmas service, (thanks to the indulgence of Peter Frost) choristers!
They will be forever grateful for the St. Mary’s church family and will miss the Sunday services, our thoughtful and dedicated Rectors and music directors, and the fun times we’ve had through church activities. They want to thank all the parishioners who have helped to support the girls’ growth and have helped them during times of family crises, most notably Abby’s cancer and Hersey’s recent cardiac arrest. "We will always remember the love we felt during these trying times” they shared. Abby and Emily will take with them a knowledge and love of the Episcopal liturgy, a dedication to volunteering and an appreciation of the lasting value of a diverse and accepting church family.
Lasting memories include Midnight Runs with Claire, youth group ski trips with Bill Harper and Tim Ives, making cotton candy and learning to acolyte with Rich Comstock, confirmation classes with Susan Richmond and Tim Ward, C. S. Lewis Lenten conversations with the Everetts and Fays, pancake breakfasts with Jean Pierre Dammann, strawberry hulling with the McNamaras, junior choir practice with Dr. Heschke and Tim Vernon, watching Field of Dreams in the rectory with the Keay, Hughes, Halinan, Savio and Weber kids, thought provoking homilies by Joel, and big Sabin bear hugs on every single trip home from college. Below are some glimpses of those wonderful memories.
In May, they will sell their Chappaqua home (of 40 years!) and move full time to East Hampton.
Their mailing address will be Box 312, Wainscott, NY 11975.
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News from Senior Warden, John Priscantelli |
We need your help!
As we come out of the pandemic one of my big concerns is not having enough help to be ready for the upcoming year. We need to be ready for the upcoming challenges that lay ahead. The communications Vestry position and the Newcomers Vestry position are still open.
Not only are these positions still open but we have many projects going on that need attention. Some of us on the Vestry still have 9-5 jobs and cannot do everything that is needed. So please when we reach out, please give our requests careful consideration. If you can serve a year great, longer than that is even better. We would like fresh faces; it is unfair for the same people to be filling these positions.
If you have been overlooked, believe me this was not intentional, reach out to me. I know many of you have other causes you are busy with but our cause is also a worthy one. It may not be glamourous, it may not be newsworthy but it is vital to our world’s balance.
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Meeting Minutes are available on bulletin board outside of Parish Hall office or by contacting Rich at juzumas@verizon.net. |
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Happy Easter Tide
St. Mary’s had an amazing Easter Service at the outside Altar. It was so good to see all of your smiling faces.
Our Monthly zoom conversation group on how to shrink the racial divide continues. We are still reading and discussing the book: “Caste”: The Origins of our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. Please join us.
St. Mary, Church of Ascension in Mt. Vernon and Trinity St. Paul’s in New Rochelle have extended the Lenten Program to finish reading and discussing the book: Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices by Gunn and Shobe. Meeting via zoom on Monday evenings at 7:00PM.
Click Below for the Easter Tide Collection of Poems, Prayers & Inspiration
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Church School News
Grades PreK-7th Grade
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From Director of Church School, Coleen Macgreevey |
We hope you all had a blessed Easter! It was a joyous occasion to be able to worship and celebrate the Resurrection in person, outdoors, and together!
Afterward, we had fun participating in the Easter egg hunt and playing games!
(Thank you Mark Dennis for some wonderful photos of the day.)
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Zoom classes will take place on the following Sundays at 3:30PM:
- May 16 ~ Christian behavior and social action
- June 13 ~ The Christian life walk (a journey through the sacraments)
Confirmation Date TBD.
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ADULT EDUCATION & SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION SURVEY |
Please Respond!
What programs and activities would you like to participate in at St. Mary's?
Kindly complete and return the survey (links above or below)
You may do this online or print the survey, fill out and return via snail mail, email or text!
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Or CLICK HERE to print survey and return via mail or text. |
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Our Trivia Night was held on Saturday, March 20th via Zoom
A good time was had by all!
Rick Romeo and Laurane Carnevale tied for 1st place.
Could you have answered the following?
(Answers are listed below)
- What are the two cities in Dicken’s “A Tale of Two Cities”?
- Who is third in line to the throne following Queen Elizabeth?
- Who in Hollywood is known as “The Voice of God”?
- What two books in the Old Testament are named after women?
- “Call me Ishmael” is the first line of what great American novel?
- Chambord is a liqueur made from what fruit?
- According to an Emily Dickenson poem, what virtue is “the thing with feathers that perches in the soul”.
- Who is considered to be the founder of the Episcopal Church?
- What is a group of geese called?
- What is the last word of the New Testament?
Answers: 1. London and Paris 2. Prince George (William’s Son) 3. Morgan Freeman
4. Esther and Ruth 5. Moby Dick 6. Raspberry 7. Hope 8. King Henry VIII 9. A Gaggle 10. Amen
Thanks to all……Janet Priscantelli
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In Memory of Rick Dammann |
Rest in peace Rick,
Rick was the beloved son of Sandy Dammann and beloved brother of Eric Dammann. Rick always had a smile a kind word and a friendly manner. He was one of the first parish members to greet us when we became parishioners.
He was never one to shy away because of his disability, he seemed at peace with himself.
I’m sure you all have as fond memories as we do.
Rest in peace Rick.
-John Priscantelli
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Thank you Doug.
Doug Hunter was a regular at the 8:00 am service for many years and most recently passed.
He was very soft spoken and kind. He was on the front lines for many years, a sergeant on the New Castle police force, a former Commissioner of the New Castle fire department and a member of the department for many years. He was predeceased by his wife Janette whom I didn’t know.
In the past years, he would live his winters in Florida and come back north in the summers. His health had been failing in past years and it was hard to see him suffering. I would ask him time to time if he wanted to get involved at the Strawberry Festival but he never felt well enough to help. One of his regrets he used to tell me was not giving enough of his time to help the church.
For many of us Doug gave his friendship which was more than enough.
-John Priscantelli
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NEIGHBORS LINK
Meal Delivery-Wednesdays in May and June
Denise Hanchet is coordinating drivers for Neighbors Link to deliver meals for families in need. Those interested are welcome to Sign Up through the link below. Contact Denise if you have any questions about this mission: hanchet@verizon.net or cell (914) 671-0128.
Neighbors Link May Sign Up Genius Link for Wednesday Evening Meal Deliveries:
Neighbors Link June Sign Up Genius for Wednesday Evening Restaurant Meal Deliveries
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The interior of the church was beautifully adorned for the Easter Season!
Thank you Durrie Golding and the Altar Guild!
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CLICK HERE FOR MONTHLY CALENDAR |
Church of St. Mary the Virgin
191 S. Greeley Avenue
Chappaqua, NY
Office Contact:
parish-office@smtv.org
Tel: 914 238-8751
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THE MISSION OF
THE CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN
Chappaqua, NY
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We are called to be a holy people who witness God's love to the world and serve others.
Our Mission is to provide an environment for worship, learning, and service by encouraging
participation through the effective use of the commissions:
Worship and Music, Christian Education, Outreach, Communications, Parish Life, Finances, and Stewardship.
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Submissions for the Bell can be sent to
BELL EDITORS
at smtvbell@gmail.com
Mary Ann Bayer, Blair Childs & Sophia Childs
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