News from the Congregation February 3, 2023
‘‘‘ ’ ; ‘Marsha Ra’s Last Column as Warden’ ” | Dates to Remember | Sunday Programs: 10:30am Worship Service In-Person and Online, 11:30am All Are Welcome Coffee Hour, 11:45 St. Saviour Annual Meeting | Weekday Programs: M-S Morning and Evening Prayer (Zoom)
A Message from the Wardens
Senior Warden Marsha Ra reflects on her experience as Warden
Dear Friends,
This coming Sunday, February 5, we will gather after the 10:30 service for the annual meeting of the Congregation of Saint Saviour. It is a rare chance for us to get together as a body and talk about where we are and what we hope for. A short business meeting will include a report on our finances, an election of a new warden and three vestry members and a chance to ask and answer questions. So after the service ends, grab a cup of coffee or tea and a snack at the coffee hour and come to Saint James Chapel to be checked in. We should begin the meeting before noon and end when we are done! To prepare for the meeting I hope you will read the annual report which is now on the Congregation Website along with information on the candidates for warden and vestry.
This will be a particularly meaningful meeting for me personally. For the past six years I have had the privilege to serve as one of your wardens. It has been an amazing time in my life and I hope I have served you well. We went through several transitions together, including a period led by an interim vicar followed by a period of about 5 months without a vicar at all during which the wardens, Tim Dwyer and I, had to take on some of the roles that clergy normally carry out. We were blessed by the selection of Steven Lee (then a deacon) to be our vicar. We have seen three deans during these years, lived through a fire and then, hardest of all, nearly two years of lock-down during the COVID 19 pandemic. During the pandemic I underwent treatment for cancer (it looked worse than it felt!) and ended 2022 with knee replacement surgery. I’m hoping to be able to energetically continue to serve the congregation and the cathedral, now that I can stand and walk again. What was particularly special about these sometimes difficult years was all that the members of the congregation taught me about kindness and loyalty. Love can be something very abstract when it is not expressed with action. You supported me by your many generous actions.
As the years go on, it is my prayer that the Congregation of Saint Saviour will grow not only in numbers but in strength and in action: that we will continue to support the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, reaching out in warm welcome to visitors and pilgrims, to do good works for those who need our support, but also that we will do some important “in-reach” work, strengthening and supporting one another in the Christian life.
NEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL - Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (stjohndivine.org
DATES TO REMEMBER
Feb 5 - Annual Meeting of the Congregation of Saint Saviour at the Cathedral
Feb 14 - Renewal of Vows service at the Cathedral
Feb 15 - Mother Eva Suarez begins at the Cathedral
Feb 19 - St. Martin's Episcopal Church worships at the Cathedral in celebration of its 95th anniversary and its rector, the Rev. Patrick Williams, will preach
Feb 22 - Ash Wednesday
NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE Home - Episcopal Diocese of New York (dioceseny.org)
NEWS FROM THE CONGREGATION
The Weekly Sunday Hospitality continues.
Research shows that the more you give the more you get. The more you help, the more invested you become in your church and the more it feeds you. Isn’t that amazing? Do you enjoy the coffee and the treats--the time together every week for conversation and welcoming of visitors? To keep this ministry going we need to expand the number of people involved. If you are on the list of helpers and providers of snacks, THANK YOU! If you haven’t volunteered yet— why not join the team? There is nothing exclusive about it. All are welcome to help out. If you can come once a month or every 6 -8 weeks to set up before the service and clean-up after the coffee hour, please contact Marsha Ra or Sue Sobolewski. Or talk to us on any Sunday. We will get you started on this ministry.
NEWS FROM THE VESTRY
The Nominations Committee is pleased to announce the following candidates for Warden and Vestry to be elected at the Annual Meeting on February 5. Candidate biographies will be available on the Congregation website in the coming days.
Warden: Robert Deming
Class of 2024: Michael Nixon
Class of 2026: Paula McKenzie, Cecilia Amadi, Gail Felix
From the bylaws: "The Nominations Committee shall also post as nominees the names of any other qualified lay voters who have been proposed in writing by not less than ten qualified voters; any such names must be received not less than two Sundays prior to the Annual Meeting and shall be promptly posted. No other nominees shall be considered at the Annual Meeting."
GIVE/SERVE
Questions about Realm, the Congregation’s Online Hub for Giving, Volunteering, and Reaching Out to One Another
The Admin team would love to hear from you. Whether you need help making the shift to online donations, setting up your account, or just want to know what Realm can do for you, please contact Laura and Bob at this email address: info@saintsaviour.org
THIS SUNDAY
In-Person Worship at the Cathedral
10:00 am - Doors to Cathedral open.
10:30 am - Eucharist Service
11:30 am - All Are Welcome Coffee Hour
11:45 St. Saviour Annual Meeting
You can also watch a Livestream of the Cathedral Worship Service
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/StJohnDivineNYC
On the Cathedral website: http://www.stjohndivine.org
WEEKLY CATHEDRAL CONGREGATION PROGRAMS
Monday-Saturday | 8:30 AM Morning Prayer | 5:30 PM Evening Prayer
Wednesday 7:30 pm Bible Study | Paul’s Letter to the Romans | Congregation Zoom Link (On Hiatus until April)