PARISH NOTES 

Sunday 5 April 2020

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem (1617) by Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641). Oil on canvas. Indianapolis Museum of Art, IN.

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Palm Sunday (Year A)

Liturgy of the Palms:
Psalm 118:19-29
Matthew 21:1-11

Liturgy of the Passion:
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:10-18
Philippians 2:5-11
Matthew 27:11-54

THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC 

(pre-recorded) 

Patrick Hadley (1899 – 1973)—My song is love unknown

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.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Virtual Offices and Masses – To access and view the LIVE (and archived) services, please visit the parish Facebook page here. To access accompanying Daily Office and Low Mass readings and resources (as well as archived services), please visit the parish website sermon page here.

Blessed Palms – The palms that are blessed at this Sunday’s liturgy will be available for pick-up and personal devotion later this year.

An Update from the Search Committee – The search committee has nearly finished our first round of video conversations with all of the rector candidates. We’ve been impressed by the breadth of their experience, their ideas for the future, and their love of our Anglo-Catholic liturgy. Soon we will move to the next phase, which involves prayerfully considering and discussing the candidates in order to select a small number of finalists. Please continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us through this process. Deborah Abel

Virtual Coffee Hour – This Sunday, 5 April, we will be hosting our second virtual coffee hour at 11:30 am through the Zoom application. We are hoping it will continue to be an uplifting platform to catch up with one another and see each other’s smiling faces. To receive an invitation to join the meeting (and download Zoom, if you don’t have it already), please contact Junior Warden Alison Huff. Call or text her at 401-465-8029 or email her at alisonhuff12@gmail.com. Thank you!

Concerning Pledges and the Sunday Offering – A key worry in this time of physical distancing is that our inability to gather as a church damages our income. A parishioner reached out wondering whether it was safe to send pledge envelopes in the mail. We have heard nothing from the public health authorities about the risks of virus transmission through the mail, so feel free to mail your check to the church. Alternatively, it is quite straightforward to give online by clicking here to visit S. Stephen’s online giving page, where you can use the payment portal week by week or set up a recurring direct deposit program with your bank. We are grateful for your generous response to our appeal for pledges in this transition year. Now the challenge is for us to receive and collect these pledges. We don’t know how long this period of physical distancing will have to last. If you are experiencing financial difficulties which hurt your ability to keep a pledge you made before this crisis of the coronavirus, please do not hesitate to let us know. You may contact Father Mead at 917-592-5947 or email him at andrewcraigmead1@gmail.com. Thank you for your love of S. Stephen’s.

Holy Week and Easter – The schedule of virtual services for Holy Week and Easter, including the liturgies of the Triduum Sacrum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil), is available on the parish website here. We hope that all parishioners will note the service dates and times and make every effort to tune in.

Gather your bells – Traditionally, bells are rung at the beginning of the Gloria in excelsis at the liturgies of both Maundy Thursday and Easter Vigil. If you have a bell at home, dust it off and give it a ring!

Virtual Adoration after Maundy Thursday Liturgy – On 9 April, there will be Virtual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after the completion of the 7:30 pm Maundy Thursday Liturgy from 8:30-9:30 pm. Watch with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

Good Friday Offering – By a venerable tradition, the collection taken on Good Friday is given to support the work of the Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. This support is vital in the region where Christianity originated but Christians are now a threatened minority. All checks, cash, and online donations earmarked for that day will be forwarded to Episcopal Church headquarters for this purpose. To make a donation for this purpose online, simply visit the giving page linked to above. For more information on the Good Friday Offering, please visit here.

College Ministry – The Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD (EMBR) continues its meetings virtually this Sunday, 5 April, at 5:30 pm for Evening Prayer on the EMBR Facebook page. All are most welcome and invited to participate!

FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Prayers have been requested for: Virginia, Richard, Beverly, Patti, Maxcine, Ethel, Chipper, Donna, Carl, Kade, Sherri, Norman, John, Shannah, Terri, Beth, Lynne, Gus, Harrington, Joan, Robyn, Sandy, John, Dylan, Phebe, Jack, Hunter, Bruce, Richard, Ann, Sandy, Nancy, Antonio, Emma, Olivia, Raphael, Kiersten, Katie, Beverly, Tom, Gail, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Susan, Beverly, Empy, Elizabeth, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Crystal, Roger, Christopher, Beth, Sarah, Diana, Ruby, and Lola.

Birthdays this week: Kathleen Lester (Saturday 4/11).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Tanya Jones (5 April 2007), Kathryne Farnum Ripley (6 April 1990), Paul Joseph Conley (8 April 2000), and Carl Randolph (11 April 1983).

Anglican Cycle of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean: The Most Rev’d James Richard Wong Yin Song, Archbishop, Province of Indian Ocean & Bishop of the Seychelles.

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S 

PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS

Friday 10 April
Virtual Stations of the Cross  2:30 pm

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Saturday 11 April
Epiphany Soup Kitchen (Meal Pickup Only)  2:30 pm

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

* ALL IN-PERSON SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY SERVICES CANCELLED
* ALL SERVICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS

Sunday 5 April
PALM SUNDAY: THE SUNDAY OF THE PASSION (R)
Virtual Liturgy of the Palms & Low Mass  10 am
Virtual Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm

Daily Mass and Office Lectionary: Holy Week, Year Two

Monday 6 April
Monday in Holy Week (R)
Virtual Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Virtual Low Mass  6 pm

Tuesday 7 April
Tuesday in Holy Week (R)
Virtual Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Virtual Low Mass  12:10 pm

Wednesday 8 April
Spy Wednesday (R)
Virtual Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Virtual Low Mass  6 pm

Thursday 9 April
Maundy Thursday (W)
Virtual Maundy Thursday Liturgy  7:30 pm
Virtual Adoration  8:30-9:30 pm

Friday 10 April
Good Friday (Black)
Virtual Good Friday Liturgy  12 noon
Virtual Stations of the Cross  2:30 pm
Virtual Ringing of the Chimes  3 pm

Saturday 11 April
Easter Eve (V/W)
Virtual Great Vigil of Easter  7:30 pm

Sunday 12 April
THE SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION: EASTER DAY (Gold)
Virtual Low Mass  10 am

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (12 April)

Easter Day (Year A)
Acts 10:34-43
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 

Colossians 3:1-4
John 20:1-18