PARISH NOTES
Sunday 15 December 2019
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| Saint John the Baptist in Prison Visited by Two Disciples (c. 1455-1460) by Giovanni di Paolo (1403-1482). Tempera on panel. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. |
THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS
Isaiah 35:1-10
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC
Frank Campbell-Watson (1898–1980)—Prelude on Rorate Coeli
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525–1594)—Missa Ecce ego Joannis
Henry Smart (1813–1879)—Anglican Chant: Psalm 146:4-9
Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625)—This is the record of John
John Cook (1918–1984)—Fanfare
A WORD OF WELCOME
Welcome to Saint Stephen’s – S. Stephen’s Church is in the midst of Brown University and serves the communities of the East Side of Providence, North Providence, East Providence, and beyond. It is a parish of the Diocese of Rhode Island in the Episcopal Church in the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Anglo-Catholic tradition informs and shapes our life together. We are a diverse community uniting all sorts and conditions in the worship of the Triune God and aim to offer up the best we have in liturgy, music, preaching, teaching, fellowship, and service. Visitors and guests are always welcome! If you attend S. Stephen’s on any given Sunday, please join us for Coffee Hour following the 8 am Mass in the Narthex and following the 10 am Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs before or during the service, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you. We look forward to meeting you!
Joining us with small children? – We are so glad you will be here! Our Sunday School program and nursery are available throughout the program year ten minutes before and during the 10 am Mass, and the ushers will be happy to direct you.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Society of Mary Pilgrimage – The Our Lady of Providence Ward of the Society of Mary is planning a pilgrimage to the La Salette Shrine in Attleboro, MA this Saturday, 14 December, around 3 pm. If you would like to come, please meet in the church driveway between 2:30 and 3 pm to carpool.
Saint Thomas the Apostle (December 21st) – a major feast day of the church year, will be celebrated next Saturday, 21 December, with Morning Prayer at 9:30 am and Low Mass at 10 am.
Monthly Commemoration of the Departed – whose year’s mind falls during December will be offered Saturday, 21 December, at 10 am (preceded by Morning Prayer at 9:30 am). If you have any names to add to those to be remembered, please let Nancy Gingrich know. This Mass is sponsored by the Guild of All Souls, St. Stephen Protomartyr Branch: all are welcome and invited to attend!
College Ministry – Because of interest expressed at last Sunday’s meeting, the Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD (EMBR) will be meeting one last time for the semester this coming Sunday, 15 December, at 5:30 pm for Evening Prayer and dinner. All members of the Brown Community are most welcome and invited to attend!
Schedule of Christmas Services – Christmas Eve: (Tuesday, 24 December) Christmas Eve Family Mass - 5:30 pm; Solemn Mass of the Nativity - 10:30 pm. Christmas Day: (Wednesday, 25 December) Morning Prayer 9:30 am, Low Mass 10 am. (Please note that on Christmas Eve (Tuesday) Noonday Prayer and Low Mass will not be offered.)
Christmas Flower Offering – If you would like to make a Christmas offering of flowers to the church in thanksgiving or in memoriam, please fill out the envelope included with today’s Kalendar, and put it in the offering plate or bring it to the parish office no later than this Sunday, 15 December.
Christmas Decorations – We hope to engage a group of volunteers to decorate the church after the 10 am Solemn Mass for Advent IV (Sunday 22 December), in order to have the church decorated in advance of Christmas Eve services. If you are interested in joining in this festive tradition, including a pizza lunch, please contact Altar Guild Director Cathy Bledsoe via email, or phone at (401) 500-2263.
Christmas Eve Family Mass Participation – The Sunday School will present a Nativity play at the Family Mass at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, 24 December. Please let Modu Johnson know via email if your children would like to participate.
The Annual New Year's Day Dinner – will be held on Wednesday, 1 January, in the Great Hall. It is never too early to commit to volunteer. To sign up to help with the dinner, please click here. The committee is also seeking monetary donations to offset the cost of the food. Checks can be mailed to S. Stephen’s (Attn: John McGlashan); please put "New Year's Day Dinner" in the memo line. Please consider helping with this important ministry and outreach to the great Providence area!
Socks, hats, scarves, gloves, toiletries – We would like to offer these items to guests at the New Year’s Day Dinner again this year. There is a bin on the piano to deposit such items at Coffee Hour. If you would like to contribute, please bring items to the church before (or, if needed, on the morning of) the dinner on January 1st.
Milestones – We would like to feature important milestones from your life, to better get to know each other! Whether it be a special wedding anniversary, a new book you have authored and had published, an award or professional commendation, or something else entirely, please let us know. If you would like to contribute to this new section of the parish notes, please contact Jacob Ihnen via email.
FOR YOUR PRAYERS
Prayers have been requested for: Virginia, Richard, Beverly, Maxcine, Ethel, Carl, Kade, Sherri, Norman, John, Shannah, Terri, Beth, Lynne, Gus, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Hunter, Richard, Ann, Sandy, Antonio, Emma, Olivia, Raphael, Kiersten, Katie, Beverly, Tom, Gail, Deborah, Tree, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Elizabeth, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Crystal, Roger, Christopher, Beth, Sarah, Diana, Ruby, and Lola.
Birthdays this week: Louise Wells (Tuesday 12/17).
The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Mary B. Trask (15 December 1984), Constance Margaret Maxwell (17 December 1986), Dorothy Denison Dunlap (17 December 1986), and George Arthur Stiles (20 December 1997).
Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Dioceses of Sokoto (Nigeria): The Rt. Rev’d Augustin Omole, and El Salvador (Central America): The Rt. Rev’d Juan David Alvarado Melgar; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for the people and clergy of St. Thomas’, Greenville, and St. Thomas’, Alton.
THE SUNDAY ROTA
Acolytes – MC R Noble, SD J Ihnen, Th J Starks, Cr G Ryan
Lector at 8 am – J Leonard
Lector at 10 am – K Lester
Ushers – Simon Newby and Bobby Rose
Coffee Hour – Andrew Savchenko and Rhoda Steinhart
THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S
PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS
Saturday 21 December
Guild of All Souls 10 am (Lady Chapel)
EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S
Tuesday 17 December
Al-Anon Meeting 12:10 pm (Great Hall)
Saturday 21 December
Epiphany Soup Kitchen 2:30 pm (Great Hall)
LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE
Sunday 15 December
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Rose)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass 8:10 am
Solemn Mass 10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR 5:30 pm
Daily Mass and Office Lectionary: Week of Advent III, Year Two
Monday 16 December
Monday in Advent III (Rose)
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm
Tuesday 17 December
O Sapientia (Rose)
Raising of Lazarus
Noonday Prayer 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 pm
Wednesday 18 December
Wednesday in Advent III (Rose)
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm
Thursday 19 December
Thursday in Advent III (Rose)
Noonday Prayer 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 noon
Friday 20 December
Friday in Advent III (Rose)
Noonday Prayer 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 pm
Saturday 21 December
SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE (R)
Morning Prayer 9:30 am
Low Mass with Commemoration of December Departed 10 am
Sunday 22 December
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT (V)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass with Holy Baptism 8:10 am
Solemn Mass 10 am
NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (22 December)
Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year A)
Isaiah 7:10-16
Romans 1:1-7
