Outreach Committee May Focus - Women's Month:

During the month of May, we are gathering items for women to donate to Lydia House and St. Luke's Shower Program. Please search your home (or your budget) for any items you could provide that would be of use to the unhoused and under-resourced women of our community. Please consider donating new or gently used clothing jewelry, handbags, wallets, shoes, feminine hygiene supplies, duffel bags, backpacks, etc. Donations can be left in the bin outside the church doors or at the office. Thank you! View the flyer HERE.

Pentecost Readers Needed: 

Pentecost is on May 19th this year. It is our parish custom that on Pentecost, we hear the Gospel (John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15) read in various languages. If you speak (or at least can read) another language and would like to participate, please let Fr. Michael know either in person or by emailing rector@stgregoryschurch.com. Be sure to let him know what language you would like to do. And note that readers will be responsible for providing the Gospel text in their chosen language.

Mass in the Grass and Parish Picnic:

Our annual Mass in the Grass and Parish Picnic will be Sunday, June 2nd at 10:15. We will be in our usual spot at El Dorado Park (El Dorado West Picnic Areas A and B). As always, be sure to bring your own chairs or blankets for seating. As with last year, this will be a shared event with St. Thomas of Canterbury. The Parish Life Committee will provide hamburgers and hotdogs, and parishioners will bring side dishes (more information on how this will be structured in the next week or so). Please contact Kevin Wood in the Parish Office or sign up outside of church on Sunday! And for those who may not be interested in or able to attend the Mass in the Grass, there will be an 8:00 service at St. Thomas of Canterbury (5306 E. Arbor Rd., Long Beach).

Roamin’ Gregorians May Outing: 

The Roamin’ Gregorians are going to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on May 26th at 2:00 PM. We will carpool to the museum after church and most likely be there for two to three hours. The regular admission fees are Adults $25, Seniors $19, Students 18+ with ID $15, 17 and under are free. There is an additional fee for an exhibit called “The Oscar Experience.” If we have ten or more sign up for this event we can get a group rate. Prices for a group will be announced at a later date. If interested, please sign up near the Greeter’s table or contact Susan or John Mora at (562) 531-1883 / (310) 894-0731 or John at (562) 577-7562.

Altar Flower Donations:

Need a wonderful way to honor or remember a loved one or friend? Make a flower donation. There is a flower donation chart located on the Narthex wall that you can use to sign up for special dates to donate altar flowers. Simply fill out a donation form attached to the bottom of the chart and return the form to the Parish Office. Payment for flowers can be made by check or online at this link. Make sure you specify your donation is for Altar Flowers. The Altar Guild thanks you.

Episcopal News Updates: 

The Diocese provides weekly email updates to help you keep informed about what’s happening all over our six-county diocese. If you want to receive the Episcopal News, visit https://diocesela.org/episcopal-news/contact/ and enter your email address in the box provided.

Feed My Lambs & Food Bank Needs:

THANK YOU for your generosity and your donations.

Here’s the latest news on our parish feeding programs.

Feed My Lambs has the following needs: 100 HARDBOILED EGGS; HOMEMADE COOKIES

• Homemade cookies can be brought to church on any Sunday, in ziplock freezer bags, labeled "Feed My Lambs" to the kitchen.
• Wednesday, May 29 from 9:00am to Noon you can deliver to the office: Hardboiled Eggs & Homemade Cookies.
• Thursday, May 30 until 11:00am you can deliver to the kitchen: Hardboiled Eggs & Homemade Cookies.
• Friday, May 31 from 1:00 to 3:00pm you can deliver to the kitchen: Hardboiled Eggs.
• Our Guests always need white athletic socks and belts! Which you can put in the Feed My Lambs bin outside the church on any Sunday.
• Volunteers -- We need some additional help with serving our guests at St. Luke's on the first Saturday of every month. Contact Tamera if interested.

If you have questions about helping out with Feed My Lambs or dropping off items, contact Tamera Benedict (tlbenedict4@gmail.com, 562.301.6800)

Food Bank has the following needs:

• Volunteers -- We need volunteers to assist with the Food Bank distribution on the THIRD Wednesday of the month between 8:30am and 11am.

Please contact Kevin at the Parish Office (info@stgregoryschurch.com, 562.420.1311) for more information about the Food Bank.

Your continued support of our feeding ministries, through product and monetary contributions, is greatly appreciated!

Gratitude for Your Support of the Parish:

We continue to be humbled and so incredibly grateful for your generosity in supporting our parish and its ministries! While you may not be able to drop your donation in a real offering plate, there are still ways you can make sure your donation gets to the parish:

• You can mail your check to the parish office.
• Make donations through our online payment account, accessible through the parish website at http://stgregoryschurch.com/4721-2/.
• Scan the QR code found in the Sunday bulletin.

And again, THANK YOU for your continued support!

Online Parish Directory:

Our online parish directory is at https://www.instantchurchdirectory.com/. This is a secure site and can be accessed using the email address you had published in the parish directory. You can also download the "Instant Church Directory" on your smart phone. Versions are available for Android, iPhone, iPad, and Kindle.

One Body & One Spirit Annual Appeal:

The Diocese has established an ongoing campaign focused on raising funds to assist congregations, schools, affiliated institutions, and their communities who are faced with unprecedented challenges. We are invited to prayerfully consider making a donation to help others in our Diocese who may have unmet needs. More information is available at https://diocesela.org/annual-appeal/. 

Forward Day By Day:

For those who use the "Forward Day by Day" booklet for personal devotions and need the newest edition mailed, please contact Kevin: (562) 420-1311 or info@stgregoryschurch.com   

In Case of Emergency...Notify Your Priest! 

With our combined ministry program with St. Thomas of Canterbury comes additional coverage for pastoral emergencies. In the event of a hospital stay, illness, death in the family, or other pastoral emergency, please call Father Michael on his cell phone (909-373-6478) any day except Monday, his Sabbath day. Mother Sharon (562-833-3393) covers emergencies in both communities on Monday, just as Father Michael covers emergencies in both parishes on Friday, Mother Sharon’s Sabbath. And PLEASE, no excuses about not wanting to bother me. That’s why we are here – for YOU!

St. Gregory's Food Bank:

Our monthly Food Bank distribution takes place the first Wednesday of every month. This ministry helps us help our neighbors by providing a supplemental source of groceries. We CANNOT do this without your generosity. CLICK HERE for more information.

This month we served 58 people!