News from the Congregation January 23, 2018
A Message from the Wardens at Saint Saviour
“Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.”
Dear Members and Friends of the Congregation of Saint Saviour,
January Drive for Warm Hats, Gloves and Scarves continues through the end of January. Please bring hats, gloves and scarves for men, women or children to church with you January 28. A box will be placed near the congregation table at coffee hour after the 9:00 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. Each week’s collection will immediately be taken to CCC for distribution.
PLEASE NOTE: CLOTHING LEFT IN THE LARGE METAL BIN OUTSIDE NEAR THE #5 DOOR IS NOT GIVEN TO CCC; PLEASE BRING YOUR CLOTHING DONATION TO CHURCH ON SUNDAYS AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS TO CCC.
Faith, Hope, Reconciliation: The Church’s Role in Prison Reform
Monday, January 29, 2018
7 PM – 8:30 PM, Saint James Chapel
This program, sponsored by the Cathedral’s Society of Regents, should be of special interest to our worshipping community. So many of us remember Winnie Varghese’s stirring sermons when she was chaplain at Columbia University and took the pulpit at the Cathedral from time to time. We also remember Father Petero Sabune who fascinated us with his course on Christianity in Africa.
Both are participating with Ms Cheryl Wilkins in a panel discussion on the increasing need for American prison reform and the ways in which we can push for the fair treatment of both currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. The panelists have worked on ending the privatization of prisons, the Close Rikers campaign, and helping with reentry and will discuss how to push for change from both inside and outside the church.
The Reverend Winnie Varghese, moderator, is now the Director of Justice and Reconciliation at Trinity Church Wall Street. Reverend Canon Petero Sabune served for five years as the Protestant Chaplain of Sing Sing Prison, and for several years has served as Liaison for Reentry for the New York Department of Corrections and Community Service. Ms. Cheryl Wilkins is the Senior Director of Education and Programs at Columbia University’s Center for Justice, which works to advance alternative approaches to safety and justice through community collaboration, education, research and policy with the mission of reducing the nation’s reliance on incarceration.
Congregation Annual Meeting: Sunday February 4th 12:30
After a nourishing lunch, courtesy of the Events Committee, we will have an election to fill three vacancies on the vestry and one warden. We will share highlights of the annual report, discuss the state of the congregation, meet staff and clergy and talk about the search for a new vicar. We will hear your ideas and your concerns. The nominations committee is presenting this slate of nominees: http://www.saintsaviour.org/vestry-elections-2018/ Information has been mailed to contributing members and will also be available at the Congregation Welcome table during coffee hour. Please plan to come to this important meeting. To vote, one must be a contributing member of the Congregation. However everyone is welcome to come, have lunch and join the discussion.
Sorry Virginia, there are no pancakes! Lent begins on Wednesday, February 14. Rather than our usual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, we will turn Second Sunday in February into a pre-Lenten feast.
Lenten Retreat, Mariandale Retreat Center, March 9-11. Please join us for the annual Lenten Retreat for the Congregation of St. Saviour. This year we will use a book entitled Meditations on The Way of the Cross as our guide. This book was co-authored by Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Brother Roger, founder of an ecumenical Christian monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. In this retreat, we will use the book for reflection and as a meditation guide to aid us as we embark on our own journey on The Way of the Cross. You do not have to buy the book! Copies will be made available to those attending the retreat. Additionally, we will use some of the most poignant and beautiful music written by the Taizé Community as a way to frame our time of shared reflection and lively discussion. The retreat will be led by Deacon Kent Curtis. Reservations are due by February 16. For more information: http://www.saintsaviour.org/events/2018/1/11/congregation-of-st-saviour-lenten-retreat
All the best,
Tim Dwyer and Marsha Ra
A Message from Canon Patrick Malloy
If you are an adult and are interested in being baptized at the Easter Vigil this year, please contact me or Steven Lee so that we can set up a one-to-one meeting in the few weeks. We will be enrolling all unbaptized adults interested in baptism into the catechumenate* on Sunday, February 18, 2018. So we hope to have these one-to-one meetings completed in late January and early February. Throughout Lent, those who have enrolled into the catechumenate will receive instruction and formation in the Christian faith in preparation for their baptism at the Easter Vigil.
*NOTE: As the Book of Occasional Services describes, the catechumenate is "a period of training and instruction in Christian understandings about God, human relationships, and the meaning of life, which culminates in the reception of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation." This is an ancient form of preparation for adult baptism, practiced by the early church, which is being revived in the Episcopal church today.
JANUARY 23, 2018