PARISH NOTES 

Sunday 7 June 2020

Holy Trinity, Central Panel from the High Altar of the Trinity Church, Mosóc (1471) by Master GH (c. 1400-c. 1500). Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary.

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Trinity Sunday (Year A)
Genesis 1:1—2:4a
Psalm 8
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Matthew 28:16-20

THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC

J. S. Bach (1685 – 1750)—Choral “Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g’mein,” BWV 734

J. S. Bach—Fugue à la Gigue, BWV 577

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.

AN INTRODUCTION BY FATHER LOCKE

 

Dear People of S. Stephen’s,

I am delighted to take on a new role here at S. Stephen’s as your Interim Rector. I join you in giving thanks for Fr. Mead’s leadership over the past year, and I am personally grateful for his invitation to me to be part of the weekday Masses since last June.

I have been engaged in interim ministry for the last several years, with S. Stephen’s now being the eighth parish I have served in that capacity. I find that I can draw on my experience of being a rector for nearly 20 years and bring that to the interim setting, which is at once a time of some stress and uncertainty as well as a time of anticipation and maybe even a new thing or two. Throw in now a pandemic and we find ourselves in interesting times.

I am glad to say that Fr. Pearson is continuing his involvement with S. Stephen’s by way of covering the Offices and Masses on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as assisting with pastoral care. His offering to our parish in this time of transition is invaluable.

Please feel free to be in touch by phone or email (421-6702; rector@sstephens.necoxmail.com). I eagerly await the time when we can easily meet in person.

Faithfully,

Fr. Locke

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

A Warm Welcome – to Fr. Bill Locke on his first Sunday at S. Stephen’s as Interim Rector!

Virtual Offices and Masses – To access and view the LIVE (and archived) services, please visit the parish Facebook page here (you do not need a FB account to tune in). To access accompanying Daily Office and Low Mass readings and resources (as well as archived services), please visit the parish website sermon page here.

Fr. Mead’s Sendoff – Please join us virtually for a formally informal sendoff at this Sunday’s Coffee Hour on 7 June at 11:30 am. To attend, please click here. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact Junior Warden Alison Huff via call or text at 401-465-8029 or email (alisonhuff12@gmail.com), or Jacob Ihnen via call or text at 712-348-5848 or email (jacob_ihnen@alumni.brown.edu). Thank you!

A Note About Easing Restrictions – While the Governor has issued permission for reopening churches to the public, we are intentionally going slowly for safety’s sake, following Bishop Knisely’s counsel. The participants you see at our online Masses may if they wish receive Holy Communion with the Priest/Celebrant. For the time being, we are limiting total in-person participants to five. Then we shall see about enlarging these numbers as we learn the various protocols for avoiding COVID-19 infections.

Recurring Email Scam – It has been brought to our attention that a common scam has returned where an email sent from someone claiming to be our priest asks for a favor. Please do not respond to this email if you receive it. For more information on this scam and how to report it, please see this article from the Federal Trade Commission.

Vestry Meeting – The Vestry will virtually conduct its monthly meeting this coming Tuesday, 9 June, at 7 pm.

Saint Barnabas the Apostle (11 June) – a major feast day of the church year, will be celebrated this coming Thursday with Virtual Noonday Prayer at 12 noon and Virtual Low Mass at 12:10 pm.

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. 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. Thank you for your love of S. Stephen’s.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS

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

Anniversary of Ordination to Sacred Diaconate: Fr. Norman J. Catir, Jr. (6/11/58) and Fr. Andrew C. Mead (6/11/71).

Birthdays this week: Jane Malone (Monday 6/8) and Althea Latimer (Saturday 6/13).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Arria Sargent Huntington (7 June 1996), Peter C. Barnes (10 June 1979), Warren Davis Phillips (13 June 1986), David Hale Baldwin (13 June 1999), and Maria DiMezza Nicolella (13 June 1968). Recently Departed: Maxine Faith (Troyer) Bontrager (6/7/2020).

Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico: The Most Rev’d Francisco Moreno, Presiding Bishop of La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico & Bishop of Northern Mexico; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for the people and clergy of Trinity, Cranston; Trinity, Newport; Trinity, North Scituate; Holy Trinity, Tiverton; St. Columba’s, Middletown; and St. Barnabas’, Warwick.

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S 

PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS

Tuesday 9 June
Vestry Meeting  7 pm

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Saturday 13 June
Epiphany Soup Kitchen (Meal Pickup Only)  2:30-4:30 pm

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

* ALL IN-PERSON SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY SERVICES LIMITED TO 5 PEOPLE TOTAL
* ALL SERVICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS

Sunday 7 June
TRINITY SUNDAY (W)
Virtual Low Mass  10 am

Daily Office and Mass Lectionary: Proper 5, Year Two

Monday 8 June
FERIA (G)
William, Archbishop of York, 1154
Virtual Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Virtual Low Mass  6 pm

Tuesday 9 June
FERIA (G)
Columba, Abbot of Iona, 597
Virtual Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Virtual Low Mass  12:10 pm

Wednesday 10 June
FERIA (G)
Ephrem of Edessa, Deacon, 373
Virtual Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Virtual Low Mass  6 pm

Thursday 11 June
SAINT BARNABAS THE APOSTLE (R)
Virtual Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Virtual Low Mass  12:10 pm

Friday 12 June
FERIA (G)
Virtual Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Virtual Low Mass  12:10 pm

Saturday 13 June
FERIA (G)
Anthony of Padua, Priest & Doctor, 1231
Virtual Morning Prayer  9:30 am
Virtual Low Mass  10 am

Sunday 14 June
CORPUS CHRISTI (W)
Virtual Low Mass  10 am

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (14 June)

Corpus Christi (Year A)
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a
Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 

John 6:51-58