The Net Tender

Newsletter of St. Andrew & St. John Episcopal Church

315 Main Street, Southwest Harbor ME 04679

e-mail: saints315 [at] verizon [dot] net

April 2007 
 
 

RECTOR’S REFLECTION

A Few Words about Shingles 

No, this isn’t going to be about the garage roof!

Mrs. Swett was the assistant cook at Pendleton Street School.  She was one of those wonderful ladies with blue-tinted hair who called everybody “dear,” and could make a banquet out of the most humble of ingredients (even if we were always suspicious of any menu item that included the word “surprise”). Her biscuits were exceptional, particularly when one considers that she made them in batches of three hundred.

One day, Mr. Wilson told us that Mrs. Swett had come down with shingles; we sixth graders naturally thought our teacher was telling us a joke.  The class clowns (including the future priests) had great fun with it, until Mr. Wilson gave us his famous “look,” and we realized that this was no joke at all. He explained that shingles was a very painful ailment, and that for Mrs. Swett, this was no laughing matter. Indeed, she would very likely be out of work for weeks, even months.

Mr. Wilson, master teacher that he was, seized this moment to launch into an impromptu lesson on the Varicella Zoster virus. He asked how many of us had had chicken pox. Twenty-eight hands went into the air.  “Well,” said Mr. Wilson, “I see 28 people who may one day come down with shingles.  You see, the same virus that causes chicken pox also causes shingles. Those little chicken pox blisters were full of the virus, and even though most of it got washed away when you got better, some of it worked its way past your skin and into your nervous system. And it will hide there for years and years, just sleeping. One day, when you’re Mrs. Swett’s age, the virus might wake up and go to work. But this time, you could be much sicker and for a longer time. “ 

He went on to describe the symptoms of shingles:  the rash, fever, headache, chills and upset stomach.  Some (about 1 in 5) suffer from a painful condition called post-herpetic neuralgia.  This can last for weeks or months, as in Mrs. Swett’s case. We were horrified. There were no more jokes that morning. We did, however send a package of hand-made get-well cards off to our dear assistant cook that very day.

I hadn’t thought about shingles for over 40 years, until Northwood Kenway brought some important news to my attention.  The reason shingles is a problem for older folks is that, as we age, our immune systems, which have been keeping the virus at bay, begin to weaken.  Accordingly, after age 60, we need a little help.  That help has arrived, courtesy the Merck Company.  The FDA has approved a vaccine that has been shown to prevent shingles in about half of people 60 years of age and older. It also can make the symptoms less severe in those who do get shingles. There are few serious side effects (see Shingles Vaccine: What You Need to Know posted on the bulletin board.)

The shingles vaccine, called Zostavax, is available locally by prescription.  Carroll Drug can order the vaccine for you. The price is about $150 for the single dose.  Insurance coverage varies; you may be able to get assistance with the cost.  For example, Aetna “considers zoster vaccine (Zostavax) a medically necessary preventive service to reduce the risk of herpes zoster (shingles) in members 60 years of age and older.  Some doctors even recommend that those of us over 50 get the vaccine.  

For those who prefer to go the extra mile in preventing shingles, here’s another bit of news:  A recent study showed that tai chi (not to be confused with chai tea!), a slow-movement form of exercise, can strengthen the immune system in older folks, and when combined with Zostavax, can reduce the occurrence of shingles.

See www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/ 070323105002.htm

My thanks to Northwood for raising my awareness on this topic. Please consider getting the vaccine. You’re important to me!

Blessings,

Father Richard 

BETWEEN  THE SERVICES

April 1 Single Service—Palm Sunday

April 8 Easter

April 15 Forum on Worship

April 22 Lisa Meeder Turnbull on Stewardship

MEN’S GATHERINGS

The men of Sts. Andrew and John have been invited to attend the dinner/program at Church of Our Father on Monday, April 16th at 6 p.m. The speaker will be Ralph Stanley who will be talking about Jack London’s connection to Maine.  So they may plan intelligently, please let Frank Barnes (244-7985) or me know by Sunday, April 15th. if you will be attending.       

 
 
 
 
 

The men should also save time on their calendar’s for Monday May 21st when Sts. Andrew & John will host other Island men’s groups with the program originally scheduled earlier in March.  The dinner gathering will be at 6:00 p.m. that day and Lcdr. Jim McCown, USCG, Supervisor, Sector Field Office Southwest Harbor will relate how the Coast Guard has changed since the Department of Transportation days (pre 9/11) and how the CG in Maine has changed.  We’ll be looking for volunteers to plan the meal and set up for and clean up after the event.  Joe Wright will be coordinating the evening.

Ted Bromage (244-3227) 

QUIETSIDE FESTIVAL 2007 UPDATE

The date of the festival this year is Saturday, July 14. You are invited and encouraged to attend the first of several planning meetings on Wednesday, April 11 in the church undercroft beginning at 8:30 am. For those early birds we will gather at Sipps at 7:30 for coffee and conversation. Our goal for 2007 is to raise $10,000. Good planning, plenty of help in all phases, and a positive spirit will go a long way in helping to achieve or even surpass our goal.

Mary Mitchell and Ted Bromage 

SAVE THOSE PLANTS

The winter is over (we hope!!) and already in my garden I can see lilies and lots of other perennials coming up.  Some of those will benefit from being divided, and you are encouraged to get digging, and save some of those divisions for the plant table at the July Quietside Festival.  Please call me if you have some to offer, or if you;d like advice on dividing and potting those plants.   Both your garden and our church will be helped!!! Thank you.

Mimi Barnes----244-7985 

SPRING CLEANING?? 

Don't forget to set aside those gently used household items, costume jewelry, toys and games, etc. for St. John's "Treasure Trove" at the Quietside Festival this summer-- but no clothing, please. Thank you./ Ann Benson 

NAME TAGS

We want you to know that Michele Daley has produced a new format for our name tags, furthermore she has made new tags for each member and they are available in the rack at the back of the sanctuary. With the coming of warm weather and the arrival of visitors you are encouraged to wear your name tags in church and at the coffee hour. It is pleasant to identify the person with whom you are conversing and helps to make introductions easier. Wear your tag as a way to extend hospitality to others in our parish and to visitors. If by chance you do not find your tag let Michele know with a note or an e-mail and one will be prepared.

Frank Barnes 

 

OUR COMMITTEES ARE WORKING 
The Music Committee of St. John's met in March with good discussion about several matters. There was considerable conversation about the choice of hymns for Sunday services, many of which have been unfamiliar to the congregation. Difficulty of some of the service music and problems for some folk to locate that music in the hymnbook was discussed.  Bill Voorhies, our organist, says he would welcome input from the congregation in the choosing of hymns. It was suggested that, subject to the rector's approval and input, the music committee pick the hymns at its monthly meetings. The church, always open, is available for piano lessons, practice, and for concerts. Two organ concerts were suggested---one in August, another in October.  More information to follow on that. Susan Buell will investigate ways to promote this use of the church buildings. This committee plans to meet monthly, and welcomes input from members of the parish.  Spencer Ervin is the chairman.  Members are: Fr. Richard Tardiff, Joan Bromage, Susan Buell, Floy Ervin, Jan Hofstra, Bill Voorhies, Joe Wright, Fred Benson, Ellen Gilmore and Margot Haertel. 

An Education Committee is in the process of forming with plans for an active future.  Members include Father Richard, Rita Redfield, Karen Craig, Lisa Leighton, Mary Vekasi, and Floy Ervin. Our vision for education at St. John's is to engage, enlighten, and empower everyone from toddler age to old with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We have set as our goals to establish time for education; and to target small children, youth, adults, and the community. 

  
   Specific programs we have discussed include Vacation Bible School for young children, and Godly Play.  For the youth, Father Richard will investigate "Journey to Adulthood," and will hold youth events such as the Friday evening informal get together with a movie and/or music.  One has already been held successfully with an attendance of about 10 young people.  For the adults, we will be looking at a study of the Book of Common Prayer, an inquirer's class, Education for Ministry, Confirmation Class, Cursillo, and topics such as aging, estate planning, and wills.   Lisa Leighton has suggested that she would lead a study of Supreme Court decisions relating to Church and State.  We will focus on community interaction with other churches.  Bible study was a possible topic to launch this interaction.
 

Pamela Tardiff will act as Assistant Superintendent at the Vacation Bible School. Floy volunteered to act as Superintendent as long as she has plenty of advice from Pamela.  We also will work on public relations.  A brochure and a poster will be developed.  Father Richard would like to work with youth in a Habitat for Humanity project.  Stay tuned for further information on times and specific details.

Floy Ervin 
 

WESTSIDE FOOD PANTRY NOTE 
Dear friends, 
First thank all of you who have already donated so generously to the pantry.  Without your help, we would not have been able to get through this winter season. A new bit of information.  The Feinstein Foundation has contacted the pantry by letter informing us of the opportunity to participate in a nationwide food pantry donation program. This year especially, we feel that it is important to take advantage of this wonderful offer. 
The Feinstein Foundation donates a million dollars to be shared among those pantries that participate in the program. Basically, all funds collected during the months of March and April will receive a donation, part of that one million, based on the amount we are able to raise. The Feinstein Foundation is based in Rhode Island and has expressed an earnest desire to help those in need throughout the country.  In the past it has been very helpful to our pantry and many others. Please consider a donation to the pantry during this period. 
Thanks for your help. 
The Westside Food Pantry Committee  

QUESTION OF THE MONTH 
How is the date for Easter Day determined each year? 
The answer appears elsewhere in this issue. 
 
DIOCESE HELPING IN NEW ORLEANS

On Monday April 9th, 12 members of our diocese, led by the Bishop, will gather in New Orleans to spend the week working in houses severely damaged during Katrina. Working with the disaster relief arm of the Diocese of Louisiana, we will be staying in the parish house of a local Episcopal church, sleeping on cots and preparing our meals in their kitchen. During the day we will be transported to a house where the task is to remove all the water damaged materials, taking the building down to the studs in preparation for rebuilding. Members of the team include:

      Chilton Knudsen, team leader

      David Andrews

      Rebecca Grant

      Anne Hunter

      Sarah Flynn\

      Pamela Smith

      Dick and Gail Gilchrist

      Skip and Diane Greenlaw

      Ralph and Nancy Davison

      Deborah McKean

      Suzanne Roberts

The hope is that some of these people will want to put together additional teams to go later.  There is much to be done.  Look for a more complete report after we return.

Sarah and Pamela 

YOU'RE INVITED.............

....to come HOME FOR SUPPER on Friday, April 27th.  You're surely invited to be a guest at someone's home, or perhaps you'd enjoy hosting that evening.  If you'd like to host you'd be notified of the 6 or 8 folks to call, asking each one to bring part of the meal----bread, salad, dessert, etc, and you would prepare a SIMPLE main dish. These suppers are always casual, interesting and fun ways to get to know fellow parishioners better.  There is no other agenda. Sign-up will be at St. John's on Sunday, April 8th (Easter) and on Sunday April 15th or call the church office.

                         

EASTER BASKET ITEMS SOUGHT

We are helping St. Saviour’s with their project "Easter Baskets" again this year. They are requesting monetary donations and/or cake mix, frosting, and chocolate Easter bunnies. There will be a box at the back of our Church for the food donations. Deadline for the products is Thursday, April 5th. These baskets contain an Easter dinner and will be delivered to folks who come to the Westside Food Pantry. Anyone wishing to help in the delivery on April 7th, please call the Cerratos, 244-9828. 

Birthdays

April 1

Sarah Flynn

April 3

Reg Hudson

April 6

Margaret Fletcher

April 8

Mary Parkman

April 12

Robert Burchell

April 13

Susy Ogden

April 14

Kristin Vekasi

Christian Stanton

April 15

Fuzz Harrison

April 16

Mike McEnroe

April 17

Dencie McEnroe

April 22

Diane Krueger

April 28

Ken Cochrane 

Wedding

Anniversaries

April 13

Bob and Julia Winglass

April 19

Jim and Mary Vekasi

 

REPORT FROM ECUADOR 
For the second year in a row I traveled, in February, to Ecuador with the Hancock County Medical Mission. HCMM sponsors a group of doctors, dentists, nurses, and assistants to go to Ecuador to provide health care to needy indigenous people in the outlying areas of the country. Seventeen folks from the county left Bangor on February 10 for the two week venture. We were joined by eighteen others in Atlanta. Dr. Charlie Hendricks and Dr.Lynn McRoy were the lead physicians from MDI.

We flew to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, then traveled north to Ibarre and on to the hospital in Cotacachi. The group was split into two teams. The medical team went to the outlying areas each day giving medical and dental care. Cass Wright's cousin’s wife, Kathy Cousins, a nurse, brought her own microscope to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of various medical conditions. My primary function was the care, cleaning, wrapping, and sterilizing of 500 medical instruments used in surgery by Dr. Hendricks and other surgeons. One surgeon from Virginia performed a vein ligation but was without one instrument he required. I had a crochet hook which I sterilized; it was exactly what the doctor needed.

One unhappy note -- a large luggage bag containing $6,000 worth of medications and other supplies evidently never was put on our plane out of Bangor and was lost. Replacements had to be purchased from pharmacies in Ecuador.

The surgical team performed many operations during the two weeks including, among others, hysterectomies, surgical measures for birth control, cesarean sections, and hernia repairs. We worked from 8 am until 4:30 pm each day. We were fortunate to have Dr. Hendricks's in-laws as translators.

I remember one little 3 year old boy with 3rd degree burns. He will probably never have the reconstructive procedures he would need. His mother didn't even have enough food for her family. Our team shared our lunches and I gave this child a Beany Baby -- one of the dozens collected by members of St. John Church.

Our team had morning devotions each day, often lead by Father Chuck Bradshaw from Church of Our Father. Also Charles Kowalski (Vesta's son) was there with the team to help with translation and provide spiritual support. Many of the very sick patients asked for special prayers.

During the weekend between the work weeks, four of us went to the town of Otavalo. We stayed at a hotel and went to the large open air market to buy items to carry back to Maine. We visited some of the beautiful old churches and other sites in the town. I plan to return to Ecuador in 2008 and hope that others of our church would join me and the team from HCMM. It is a very satisfying and rewarding experience.

Mary Mitchell, as told to the editors 
 
Editors' note: Perhaps you would want to help in this important outreach. Mary plans to sew surgical instrument wraps -- the ones she used this year were too small. She also plans to have scarves, blankets, shirts, and other items from Ecuador for sale during this year's Quietside Festival on July 14th. Another idea: might we offer a community supper to raise funds to purchase Ecuadorian goods to bring to Maine for sale? Each member of the group going to Ecuador pays his or her own way. Could we help underwrite some of this expense? Mary will talk to us sometime soon at a between-the- services hour. We will keep you posted.

 

THANKS FOR…

SUSAN BUELL’S FLOWER MINISTRY 

After thirteen years of faithful service, Susan Buell has resigned as a most important and devoted member of the flower arranging team.  She has always had just the right touch in providing flowers, branches, greens, berries, grasses (she knows where everything grows!) to provide the perfect complement to our worship at all times of the year.  We hope many of you saw her March display at the Southwest Harbor Library, describing how George Price, our rector at the time, encouraged her in this ministry. Susan is decorating the altar through Easter Sunday; we hope you will take special notice of her work.  We are grateful that she will continue to support the raised bed garden, which has provided many of the flowers for the altar during the summer.

Thank you, Susan, on behalf of us all.

Joan Bromage

 

SPECIAL EVENTS SIGN

Thanks go to Ted Bromage for so loyally seeing that the "special events" sign in front of the church is always up-to-date---inviting all who pass to join services and activities at St. John's church. 

PRAYERS AND VIGILS FOR PEACE

On Saturday, March 17, 36 parishioners and friends joined together in St. John’s from 11 a.m. to 12 Noon, for silent prayers for peace, and for the reading of 30 names of Army and Marine Corps victims, accompanied by tolling of the church bells.  We prayed not only for Americans, but for all involved in the war.  Printed prayers of mourning and for peace were available for people to take home.  Grateful thanks to all who shared in reading the names and ringing the bells.   

Following this vigil, many of us joined with nearly 200 on the Pemetic School Green to witness to the need for the war to end.  After that, many met in the undercroft for sustaining refreshments (donated by parishioners—thanks!) and conversation. 

The Westside Peace Committee will continue peace vigils, every Saturday morning, from 11 a.m. to Noon, most likely on the Pemetic Green.  All are welcome to join whenever they are able.  
 

PLEDGE UPDATE

AS 2/28/07

Pledged for 2007

$109,800

Pledges received to date

$26,760 

INCOME &EXPENDITURES UPDATE

AS OF 2/28/07

Budgeted income

$9,834

Income received*

$5,594

Budgeted expenditures

$16,072

Actual expenditures

$16,848

Budgeted surplus/deficit

-$6,238

Actual surplus/deficit*

-$11,254 

*$15,226 pledges for 2007 paid last year

not included

 

NEWS OF OUR MARCH VESTRY RETREAT

Your Rector, wardens and vestry gathered at Saviour’s on Saturday, March 10, for a retreat morning. We began with Morning Prayer in the church with the Rector, Wardens & Vestry of St. Saviour’s, who held their own planning session that morning.

This time of prayer and a period of getting to know more about each other provided a fine background for our wide-ranging discussions about parish life and the ministries of each one of us.  I smile as I write because of the great energy I felt in the sun-filled library in St. Saviour’s rectory building.  Fr. Richard had planned an agenda, which as he said, proved to be a place to begin but not to follow “line by line.”  This proved to be true! 

We began by briefly affirming the roles of rector, wardens and vestry members.  Fr. Richard’s responsibilities are to lead and facilitate worship, to provide pastoral care, and to supervise staff.  We, the wardens and vestry, are his extra “eyes and ears,” supporting his ministry.  We do this by being actively involved in parish life, listening to all points of view, and seeking input and ideas from all parishioners.   

Central to our talks was revisiting the four Parish Goals set by the Vestry in 2001, following parish-wide discussions (remember Field of Dreams?) and the assistance of consultant John Bird. 

1.  To become a more visible Christian presence in our larger community

2.  To implement a strategy for becoming a truly welcoming community

3.  To develop a mission-based comprehensive plan for physical facilities

4.  To provide Christian educational opportunities for all ages

(These are incorporated, with more detail, in Strategic Planning Report of June 2001; copies are available in the church office) 

In ways both obvious and behind the scenes, we have grown in each of these areas.  And now with Fr. Richard with us and energizing us, we can truly focus our own spirit and energy in ways difficult to do as we spent much energy in the search process, and lived with only part-time clergy (as wonderful as they were!)   

The committee structure of the parish is being better defined and expanded – already the Worship Committee has resumed meeting (written guidelines for service participants have been developed,) there have been two Christian Education Committee meetings, and a new Music Committee has met.  The Finance & Investment committee continues its faithful oversight.  Buildings & Grounds, Communications, Outreach, Parish Life, and Stewardship are other important areas where we will be fine-tuning responsibilities and offering opportunities for new involvement for all parishioners. We shared a wide range of questions and comments in all these and more areas of our life together. 

Major discussion focused on the third goal listed above, improvement to our physical facilities.  Paul Haertel outlined the plans for handicap access to the church, undercroft and restrooms.  Full accessibility has been discussed since 1998 and was incorporated in expansion plans drawn up by Chris Glass and adopted (as a goal) by the Vestry in December, 2005.  We discussed possible ways to present this vision, to finance it happening (fund-raising, grants, public funding, Diocesan assistance), to create building-ready plans from which to solicit contractor quotes.

This project will be the beginning of implementing the wider dream of expanding our space to make more room for all that goes on now and to allow room for growth in our parish and our ministries within the community.  These discussions and decisions continue to be informed by our other three goals. 

Please ask Fr. Richard, Paul Haertel or any member of the Vestry, for their impressions of our gathering.  In addition, the wonderful notes taken by Michele Nadder, Clerk of the Vestry, help capture the spirit of our discussions.  You can read them in the Vestry notebook at the back of the church.    

As we have looked within ourselves and our parish during Lent, let us work together with joy in the Easter season and beyond.

In peace and hope,

Joan Bromage

 

---------------- 

BITS AND PIECES…

Each week in church, we remember in the Prayers of the People family, friends and neighbors who are sick or otherwise are in special need of prayer.  To keep that list up to date, could you please let Michele know when we might add or remove a name, still keeping those people in our minds and hearts.  Thank you. 

We are saddened and diminished by the deaths of two seasonal parishioners.

--Joseph L. Grant, a familiar face at St. Andrew’s, died on February 16, in Vermont, after a cross-country skiing accident.

--Alan Mace, a summer parishioner in Southwest Harbor, died on March 1 in Maryland after a short illness.

We send our prayers, love and sympathy to their families. 

Terri Cobb has been hired as our new cleaning person—please make her welcome!  As she’s an early bird, you may have trouble catching her, but we’ve already seen how her hard work has made the church, undercroft and office look great.  We thank Marlene Bennett for her hard work over the past year. 

SERVICE TIME QUESTIONNAIRE – Susan Buell and Michele Nadder thank you all for your input.  They are compiling the results; after the Vestry reviews them (hopefully on March 29) they will be presented as part of the Forum on Worship on Sunday, April 15. 

-------------------------

Directory changes and corrections

Agnes Butler phone is 244-5735

Buyers-Basso email is becky.buyersbasso [at] gmail [dot]com

Patsy Fogarty email is patsyfog3 [at] verizon.net

Ron and Evelyn Rowland winter address is 315 N. Main St., Suite 500, Madison GA 30650

Pamela’s last name is VanWechel

Mary Vekasi    email is mary.vekasi [at] gmail.com (there’s a dot after Mary)

Neela Zinsser  email is nzinsser [at] verizon.net  
 

 
 

FOR YOUR CALENDARS – “SAVE THE DATE”         

Thursday, April 19 – Vestry Meeting 6-8 p.m.

Sunday, May  27  - Day of Pentecost – One service (9:00 a.m.) at St. John

Sunday, June 3 – Trinity Sunday - St. Andrew opens, 8:00 a.m. (St. John 10:00 a.m.) 

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

AT ST. JOHN’S

Sunday, April 1

9:00 a.m. – Palm Sunday Service

Monday, April 2

7:30 a.m. – Morning Prayer

Tuesday, April 3

7:30 a.m. – Morning Prayer

Wednesday, April 4

7:30 a.m. – Morning Prayer

5:00 p.m. – Evening Prayer 
Thursday, April 5

7:30 a.m. – Morning Prayer

9:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist

5:30 p.m. — Maundy Thursday Agape Supper

Stripping of the Altar 
Friday, April 6

7:30 a.m. – Morning Prayer

12:00 Noon – Good Friday Service

Seven Last Words of Christ 
5:00 p.m. – Good Friday Liturgy

Saturday, April 7

7:00 p.m. – Acadia Easter Vigil

at Church of Our Father

Easter Sunday, April 8 
8:00 and 10:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist

Easter Monday, April 9

7:30 a.m. – Morning Prayer

 

ACADIA REGION EPISCOPAL PARISHES GATHERING - MARCH 20

Saint John’s hosted the third meeting of the five local Episcopal churches.  Ted Bromage led the meeting, with 26 clergy & parishioners representing each parish, particularly our own.  The purpose of the group is to seek ways to more effectively share our resources to serve God in our region. Ted had circulated a proposed agenda, inviting group members to add items they would like to see discussed. Evensong, led by Spencer Ervin preceded the meeting.

We began by reviewing the growing number of ways our parishes are building relationships.  Our clergy now have bi-monthly meetings; our wardens have met once and plan to meet again after Easter at St. Dunstan’s.  Our programs are moving beyond the men’s gatherings, as we publicize and share more events with each other (Lenten study, Education for Ministry (EFM), etc.)  We will plan a collective and joyful service and celebration when the Bishop is here September 29 and 30 for her last Confirmation service on the island.  Although communications have improved, we all need to update our websites (http://saints.weblogger.com/) to feed our common website with links to each other’s program calendars.

There are many other opportunities we can pursue for shared programs.  We are all interested in a more effective ministry to our youth, and suggestions were made to look into putting on programs successful in other parishes (bringing a Christian rock band to the Island, participating in Soulfest, held yearly in New Hampshire.)  We hope to finalize plans to schedule a U2charist, and find opportunities for our youth to volunteer, such as a Crop Walk, or a Super Bowl of Caring.  The next step would be to appoint a contact from each parish to work on the projects chosen.  There was general agreement that we should attempt to have St. Andrew’s Lutheran church in Ellsworth join our group. 

There are more administrative opportunities for collective action as well.  We could consider leveraging lower bids from auditing firms if we present ourselves as a package, just as we did with the fuel oil pre-buy purchase (which the group agreed to continue.)  Other purchases could be made jointly as well.  We all agreed that it would be useful for our parish administrators to meet soon and share ideas, problems and solutions.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 22nd at St. Dunstan’s and will conclude with Compline. For questions or comments, please feel free to call Ted Bromage (244-3227) or Patsy Fogarty (244-9410). 

TAIZE AT ST. JOHN'S CHURCH

The April Taize service will be held at St. John's church on Sunday, April 29 at 5 pm. The service lasts  an hour or less, and is made up of quiet time, prayer, scripture and chant-like songs from a Taize service book.  If you have not experienced Taize---this is a good time to see if iit's meaningful to you.  Call if you want to know more.

Mimi Barnes, 244-7985 

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

June 25-29

9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon 

for children ages 5-11.  

 

All musicians, artists, teachers, mothers and fathers, grandparents – volunteer your time and talent to this project.  Please call Floy Ervin at 244-4195, fervin [at] adelphia.net; or the Church Office at 244-0697,

Saints315 [at] verizon [dot] net.  

ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF THE MONTH 
Rules for Finding the Date of Easter Day 
 
Easter Day is always the Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox on March 21, a date which is fixed in accordance with an ancient ecclesiastical computation, and which does not always correspond to the astronomical equinox. This full moon may happen on any date between March 21 and April 18 inclusive. If the full moon falls on a Sunday, Easter Day is the Sunday following. But Easter Day cannot be earlier than March 22 or later than April 25. 
 
The Book of Common Prayer, Tables and Rules for Finding the Date of Easter Day, p.880, September, 1979, The Seabury Press, New York