Preparing for In-Person Worship
This week the vestry will be reviewing the plan for reopening, which the Committee for Reopening has been working on, and after the plan is approved, it will be sent to the Bishop.
In the meantime, we continue to make preparations for reopening. Part of those preparations have involved a weekly effort to improve the quality of our recorded Masses. Many thanks to Randy and Alison Jandak for their weekly work of setting up and taking down various audio visual equipment needed to livestream Mass. (It involves a lot more work than one might think!) Thanks also to Fausto Beleno, who is helping operate the camera during the livestream, and Kathy Shanklin for her beautiful gift of music.
Other people play an important role in helping us prepare to worship together in person again, including the Reopening Committee members, the altar guild, ushers and lay servers. Because of the restrictions by which we must follow for in person gatherings, these ministries have been reimagined for our reopening. Several people have already volunteered to serve in these ministries, but we still need a few more people willing to serve as an usher or lay server. Training will be provided, and if enough people volunteer to serve, you will only need to serve once a month, or possible once every six weeks. Please email me if you would like to serve either as an usher, or a lay server. (Many thanks to those who have already contacted me).
We also need a couple of volunteers to help out with the check in process. When we arrive for Mass, our names will need to be checked off of a list of Reserved seats, so that we will have a record for contact tracing. This list will need to be logged and stored. ( More information about how to reserve a seat for Mass will be forthcoming). If you would like to volunteer to help with the check in process, please email Father Rob. Training will be provided.
Thank you all for the ways you contribute to our common life.
Blessings,
Father Rob+
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Lay Servers at In-Person Mass
As you can imagine, the Mass will look somewhat different. One difference will be that we will only be able to have one Lay Server due to social distancing and other safety protocol. The duties of the Lay Server will be as follows:
- Read the Lesson
- Lead the Psalm
- Lead the Prayers of the People
- Ring the bells during the Eucharistic Prayer
If you would like to serve as a Lay Server as we regather for public worship, please send me an email and let me know of your desire to serve. A training session will be scheduled before we reopen and new servers will be required to attend the training before they begin serving. You may serve as a Lay Server if you have previously served as a Lay Reader, Intercessor, or Lay Eucharistic Minister. You may also serve as a Lay Server if you have never served at the altar before, but you feel God calling you to begin serving in this way.
Thank you all for all that you do for God and the parish.
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Job Search
The following are job titles for parishioners who are in search of positions:
Knowledge Manager/Business Intel Analyst - Life Sciences & Healthcare
If you are aware of an opportunity, please email Alison and I will put you in touch with the job seeker. If you would like to post your job title here because you are searching for a job, please contact me.
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Noonday Angelus and Healing Mass
A Noonday Healing Mass will be celebrated on Wednesdays at Noon, preceded by the Angelus, beginning today, Wednesday, January 20th. This will be a virtual only Mass, livestreamed on Facebook Live from the Lady Chapel. You do not need to have a Facebook account in order to watch the service. The Mass will also be recorded and posted online for those who can not be present to watch it live. In order to view the livestreamed Mass on Wednesdays at Noon, click the following link on Wednesdays a few minutes before Noon:
Holy Day Masses will continue to be celebrated on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm and they will be announced in advance.
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Outreach
Just a reminder that Outreach is urging parishioners to deliver casseroles and pop top cans of meat to SHIP during the month of January. These can be delivered to the SHIP office at 87 E. High Street, Somerville, from 9 to 2 Monday thru Friday. If you are taking any donations, use the small parking lot behind their building and take the items to the back door. Please tell them you are from St. Martin’s. If you would like your donation picked up and delivered to SHIP please call Marlene at 908-704-9527.
In February St. Martin’s will be delivering Valentine cards to Complete Care at Green Knoll and mailing to elder members of our parish. Outreach is asking that parishioners, young and old, participate in this activity. If you are artistic, please feel free to make some cards. If not, inexpensive Valentine’s cards or blank note cards with a message written inside will be equally appreciated. You may sign your name but please also indicate the card is from St. Martin’s. A white styrofoam box will be at the church from noon on Saturday, February 6th until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, the 7th for your donations.
Our March activity is going to be Easter Baskets for families that are unable to provide them for their children this year. We will be working with St. John’s Episcopal Church in Somerville. We are mentioning this extra early so you can start to look around the house, down in the basement or up in the attic, for any baskets that would be suitable as Easter baskets. If you have baskets, please email mficzko@optonline.net with the number of baskets you have. We are trying to determine how many baskets we can provide to the community. We will be doing an Easter candy collection in the parking lot in March to fill these baskets. More information to follow in February.
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Covid Vaccine Registration
You can sign-up to receive the Covid 19 vaccination by using this link:
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Stewardship
Thank you to all who have continued to send in your pledge cards. We are currently at $149,124. This is still short of our predicted budget of $200,000. Please continue to send in your pledges and remember you can also pledge on our website by using the Donate button on the top of this newsletter. Any questions, please contact Kelly Slye: kelly@slye.us Thank you for your continued support of St. Martin's.
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Keeper of the Light
There is a light at St. Martin's that never goes out. We call it the "Sanctuary Light". It reminds us of the presence of Christ who is with us always. During this time when we are not able to be in our building, members of the parish have been taking turns caring for the light in their own home and then passing it on to another member for the next week, until we can all be together again in the church building. If you would like to be the "Keeper of the Light" for a week, email Philip with the subject "Candle" at philip.muniz@gmail.com.
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