S. Stephen's Church
"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:56)
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Cancellation of Services
Dear friends,
On the advice of Bishop Knisely and Governor Raimondo, we have decided to take the extraordinary step of cancelling all church services for the time-being. By all accounts, reducing social interaction is the most effective means of stemming what has suddenly become a pandemic of COVID-19. Corporate worship is at the very foundation of Christian practice but we must remember that “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” We hope and pray that we are able to return to our usual and customary practices soon.
In the meantime, some parishes in the Diocese are streaming the celebration of Mass and/or other Offices, and we foresee sending out links to those presentations and our own commentary on scripture texts in the next few days. The office phone lines will be monitored periodically, please let us know if you have pastoral or other needs (shopping or assistance with meals, transportation to medical appointments). If there are urgent pastoral needs, please contact Fr. Mead directly at (917) 592-5947. For other needs, please reach out to Senior Warden Tom Bledsoe at (401) 480-8701 or Junior Warden Alison Huff (401) 465-8029, and leave a message.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and all the members of our community, and for all of humanity.
O Lord, look down from heaven, behold, visit, and relieve thy sick people. Look upon them with the eyes of thy mercy, give them comfort and sure confidence in thee, defend them in all danger, and keep them in perpetual peace and safety; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Mead, Tom Bledsoe, Alison Huff
