PARISH NOTES
Sunday 22 December 2019
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| Joseph’s Dream (c. 1620-1630) by Daniele Crespi (1598-1630). Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. |
THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS
Isaiah 7:10-16
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC
Jean-Adam Guislain (1680–1739)—Suite du premier ton sur le Magnificat: 1. Plein jeu, 2. Duo, 3. Trio, 4. Recit
Francisco de Peñalosa (1470–1528)—Missa Ave Maria
Matthew Camidge (1758–1844)—Anglican Chant: Psalm 80:1-7
Jesse Antin (b. 1977)—The Annunciation
Jean-Adam Guislain—Suite du premier ton sur le Magnificat: 7. Dialogue
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 Our Lord Jesus Christ 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
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 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, or simply stick around after the Mass. Thank you!
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: Katherine Rejto (Friday 12/27).
The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Kathleen Herbert Congdon (22 December 2005), Julia Blackwood (22 December 1996), George Wightman Williams (24 December 2004), Frances S. Sloan (26 December 1993), Mary Gowdey (27 December 1992), Albert E. Godfrey (27 December 1993), and John Seville Higgins, Bishop (28 December 1992).
Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for Christians in other denominations and the work of the ecumenical movement: His Holiness Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome; His All Holiness Archbishop Bartholomew of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch; The Rev’d Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches; Bishop Ivan M Abrahams, General Secretary World Methodist Council; The Reverend Chris Ferguson, General Secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for the people and clergy of S. Stephen's, Providence; St. John’s, Barrington; St. John the Evangelist, Newport; and the Chapel of St. John the Divine, Saunderstown.
THE SUNDAY ROTA
Lector at 8 am – S Bartlett
Lector at 10 am – TBD
Ushers – Alison Huff and Sharon Lloyd Clark
Coffee Hour – NO COFFEE HOUR (decorating church; pizza and soda will be provided for volunteers)
CHRISTMAS EVE ROTA
Acolytes – MC R Noble, SD J Ihnen, Th L Verdelotti, Cr G Ryan, Torches N Callanan, D Callanan
Lector at 5:30 pm – TBD
Lector at 10:30 pm – M Bledsoe
Usher at 5:30 pm – Alison Huff
Ushers at 10:30 pm – Tom Bledsoe and Patricia Barnes
THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S
PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS
Sunday 22 December
Christmas Decorating 11:30 am (Nave)
EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S
Tuesday 24 December
Al-Anon Meeting 12:10 pm (Great Hall)
Saturday 28 December
Epiphany Soup Kitchen 2:30 pm (Great Hall)
LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE
Sunday 22 December
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT (V)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass with Holy Baptism 8:10 am
Solemn Mass 10 am
Daily Mass and Office Lectionary: Week of Advent IV, Year Two
Monday 23 December
Monday in Advent IV (V)
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm
Tuesday 24 December
CHRISTMAS EVE (W)
Christmas Eve Family Mass 5:30 pm
Solemn Mass of the Nativity 10:30 pm
Wednesday 25 December
THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (W)
Morning Prayer 9:30 am
Low Mass 10 am
Thursday 26 December
SAINT STEPHEN, DEACON AND PROTOMARTYR (R)
Noonday Prayer 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 noon
Friday 27 December
SAINT JOHN, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST (W)
Noonday Prayer 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 pm
Saturday 28 December
THE HOLY INNOCENTS (R)
Morning Prayer 9:30 am
Low Mass 10 am
Sunday 29 December
FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS (W)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass 8:10 am
Mass with Hymns 10 am
NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (29 December)
First Sunday after Christmas (Year A)
Isaiah 61:10— 62:3
Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7
