August 29, 2008
Dear parishioners and
friends of Holy Apostles,
As I write in late
August, the first
crispness of fall is in
the air, and much is in
the works for the new
season at Holy Apostles.
I want to share with you
some of the special
events that are planned,
and to invite and
encourage you to
participate as much as
you are able. A calendar
of parish events is
included for your
reference as the fall
unfolds.
On Sunday, September 7,
our choir will return to
our Parish Eucharist with
their wonderful gifts of
music. On that day, we
will also begin singing a
new (to us) mass setting
written by our own David
Hurd, so please plan to
come to church a little
early so we can rehearse
before the service.
September 7 also marks
the beginning of our new
church school year for
children grades K-6.
Speak with Ellen Knudsen
(eknudsen@nyc.rr.com)
for more information
about the church school,
or to volunteer to help
with our children’s
ministries. Alex Harper
will be on hand to
provide child care for
our youngest
parishioners, and the
monthly service for small
children, their families
and friends (“kids’
church”) continues on the
3rd Sunday of
each month at 9 AM. More
information will be
coming soon from Ellen
about possible programs
for teenagers in our
parish.
Many
of you have already met
the Rev. John Denaro, who
has joined us as
Assistant to the Interim
Rector. We are delighted
to have him with us! He
will be formally
introducing himself to
the parish after coffee
hour on September 7, so
please plan to stay that
day and get better
acquainted with him.
Plan
to stay the next Sunday,
September 14, as well.
We will have a parish
forum about the
transition, including
both the needs and
opportunities of the
interim time and a report
from our search committee
about their process and
progress in looking for
our new rector. This
will be one of several
opportunities to talk
about the journey we are
on together, and I hope
as many parishioners as
are able will be a part
of it.
September 21 is the date
of our annual fall
brunch, a chance to
welcome new parishioners,
welcome back those who
have been away over the
summer, and enjoy each
other in the best Holy
Apostles style. There
will be great food, of
course, as well as
entertainment. We need
your best culinary
contributions; speak to
John Covington about what
you would like to bring.
The last Sunday in
September, our new
seminarian from GTS,
Cristina Paglinauan, will
be introducing herself
following the coffee
hour. She joins two
returning seminarians,
Andrea Dedmon and Cheryl
Fox. In addition,
Gretchen Roeck, who
served as a seminarian
during her last two years
at Union Seminary, will
be with us as a part-time
pastoral associate while
she completes a year of
Anglican studies.
Also in September, Andrea
Dedmon will be leading a
Tuesday night series
entitled “Imagining
Church,” starting on
September 9 and building
on her “Imagining God”
series last spring. Using
scripture, theology and
our own creativity, this
seems like a particularly
fruitful topic to explore
as we ponder who we are
and where we are going as
a parish family. More
information will be
coming soon about other
opportunities to learn
about and grow in our
faith this fall.
Looking just a little
further ahead in the
fall, we will observe the
Feast of St. Francis of
Assisi with the Blessing
of the Animals on Sunday
afternoon, October 5 at 3
PM. All animals and their
people are most welcome
to attend! The annual
parish retreat will be
held October 10–12 at
Little Portion Friary.
Its topic is “Blessing;”
please speak with me for
more information, and
call the parish office to
let us know if you plan
to join us.
We celebrate the 164th
Anniversary of the
founding of Holy Apostles
this All Saints Day,
which will be observed on
Sunday, November 2, with
a Festival Eucharist and
party. All Souls’ Day,
when we remember all the
faithful departed, will
be transferred to
Tuesday, November 4.
After that Eucharist and
time of community
reflection, those who
want to will shift gears,
move to the Mission House
and watch the election
returns together.
This is also the time of
year when we focus
intentionally on our
stewardship of God’s
gifts to us, and consider
how we might be called to
offer our gifts to God
and God’s people. Once
again a goodly number of
parishioners have agreed
to be stewardship
callers, and they will be
commissioned on October
5. Each member of Holy
Apostles will receive a
canvass call – an
opportunity to share
thoughts and questions
about the parish and to
consider your financial
support of our life
together. (Stewardship is
certainly not just about
money, but also it is
about money!) Our
ingathering of pledges
will be on October 19.
One of my favorite parts
of the stewardship season
is the lay homilies, and
this year Denise
Peterson, Jack Newman and
Marnie Evans will be
sharing with us something
of why they give to Holy
Apostles.
And indeed, there are so
many reasons to give.
Please take some time to
think and pray about what
Holy Apostles means in
your own faith journey,
about the needs of the
parish and about your own
need to respond to God in
trust and gratitude. More
than ever in this interim
time, I am acutely aware
of how precious this
community is: in the
depth and beauty of its
worship, in the warmth of
its welcome, and in its
witness to justice and
inclusion. Holy Apostles
needs our prayers, and
needs the support of each
of us in time, talent and
treasure to sustain the
wonderful heritage that
is here, and to move
forward into the new life
to which God calls us.
Finally, as we begin the
fall, please remember
that your clergy welcome
the opportunity to talk
with you about your
concerns and questions,
your sorrows and joys,
your spiritual life. We
particularly encourage
you to call if you or a
family member are
hospitalized, bereaved or
facing some important
passage in your life and
faith. I can generally be
reached through the
parish office Monday-
Thursday 9:00-6:00, or at
home in an emergency.
Messages for Fr. Denaro
and Fr. Signorelli can
also be left at the
parish office.
I am so grateful for each
one of you and all that
you bring to our life and
mission, particularly in
this time of transition.
I look forward to seeing
you in church, and to
sharing these
opportunities for
worship, study, service
and simply having fun
together. May God
continue to bless us,
each and all.
Faithfully,
The Reverend Elizabeth G.
Maxwell
Interim Rector
