PARISH NOTES 

Sunday 28 April 2019 

Peter Paul Rubens, Doubting Thomas (1613-1615)
Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium

FROM THE RECTOR

“Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house …” Saint John twice mentions twice the finding of the empty tomb and the appearances of the Risen Lord on “the first day of the week” (20:1, 19). The second recorded appearance, which includes the beloved story of “doubting Thomas,” occurs “eight days later,” which in idiom of the time means a week later, on the following Sunday. The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is an event that transcends time and history. Nonetheless, from the beginning, we see a recurring pattern of the Risen Lord appearing to the gathered disciples on the first day of the week, thus eventually establishing Sunday (rather than Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath) as the pre-eminent day for Christian worship. Easter Day is the high point of the Christian year; the following Sunday is known by contrast as “Low Sunday.” High or low, however, all Sundays of the year are occasions for the Christian community to assemble for worship and encounter the Risen Jesus present in our midst. – Fr. John D. Alexander

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Second Sunday of Easter (Year C)
Acts 5:27-32
Revelation 1:4-8
John 20:19-31

THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC

Healey Willan (1880 – 1968)—Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.

Coffee Hour – is being hosted by the Vestry in thanksgiving for the ministry of Phoebe Pettingell, who has served as Sacristan since 2011, and will soon be returning to Wisconsin. Please join us to help say thank you to Phoebe for her dedicated service at S. Stephen’s.

Flowers – at the high altar this Sunday are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Jeannine Lennihan Firestone (April 25, 2013) by Bruce Lennihan.

Saint Mark the Evangelist (April 25th) – a major feast of the church year, is transferred this year to Monday, April 29, with Evening Prayer at 5:30 pm, and Low Mass following at 6 pm.

Saint Philip and Saint James, Apostles (May 1st) – a major feast of the church year, will be kept this Wednesday with Evening Prayer at 5:30 pm, and Low Mass following at 6 pm.

Society of Mary American Region Annual Mass and Meeting – will be here at S. Stephen’s on Saturday 11 May: an opportunity for worship, devotion, food, fellowship, and education! The annual outdoor Marian Procession will take place at the end of the Mass at 11 am (and not on the Sunday). Luncheon and the meeting will follow in the Great Hall. S. Stephen’s is privileged to host this event, which draws SoM members from across the country; and it affords a unique opportunity for parishioners not only to help welcome our visitors but also to learn more about the Society of Mary and its work in the wider Anglican and Episcopal world. We hope that as many parishioners and friends of S. Stephen’s as possible will turn out to help make this event a success. For more details, please see the “Devotional Societies” page on the parish website.

The Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ – a principal feast of the Church calendar, is celebrated on the Thursday forty days after Easter (see Acts 1:3), falling this year on May 30th. Following the precedent set last year, we are planning a joint celebration with the other two East Side parishes (Saint Martin’s and Redeemer) to be hosted here at S. Stephen’s at 7 pm. We hope that you will mark this joyous event on your calendars and plan to attend. More details to follow.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Prayers have been requested for: Virginia, Elizabeth, George, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Beverly, Ethel, Henry, Norman, John, Shannah, Terri, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Gail, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

Birthdays this week: Jacob Ihnen (Thursday 5/2) and Robyn Noble (Friday 5/3).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Charles N. Williams, Sr. (3 May 1999) and Sarah Jean Lawton Volante (3 May 2014). Recently Departed: Raymond Haag and Mother Virginia of the All Saints Sisters.

Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (The Anglican Communion in Japan): The Most Rev’d Nathaniel Makoto Uematsu, Primate of The Nippon Sei Ko Kai & Bishop of Hokkaido; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for the people and clergy of St. Mark's, Warwick and of St. George’s, Central Falls, for the leadership and students of St. George’s School, Newport, and for the Bishop and members of his staff.

THE SUNDAY ROTA

Acolytes – MC D Malo, Thurifer B Rose, Torches C Sylvia and G Benziger
Lector – RG Noble
Ushers – Ernest Drew and Rhoda Steinhart
Coffee Hour – The Vestry

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S

PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS

Tuesday 30 April
Vestry  7 pm (Library)

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Saturday 4 May
Epiphany Soup Kitchen  2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

Sunday 28 April
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER (W)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Sung Mass  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm

Daily Office Lectionary: Easter II, Year One
Daily Mass Lectionary: Easter II, Year C

Monday 29 April
SAINT MARK THE EVANGELIST (R) (transferred from 25 April)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

Tuesday 30 April
George, Martyr, Patron of England, c. 304 (R) (transferred from 23 April)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Wednesday 1 May
SAINT PHILIP AND SAINT JAMES, APOSTLES (R)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

Thursday 2 May
Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, Teacher, 373 (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Friday 3 May
Friday in Easter II (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Saturday 4 May
Saturday in Easter II (W)
English Saints and Martyrs of the Reformation Era
Morning Prayer  9:30 am
Low Mass  10 am

Sunday 5 May
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER (W)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (5 May)

Third Sunday of Easter (Year C)
Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19

PARISH NOTES 

Sunday 21 April 2019 

Andrea Mantegna, The Resurrection (detail), 1457-1459. Musée des Beaux Arts, Tours, France

FROM THE RECTOR

Concluding his Lenten series on the liturgies of Holy Week, Canon Jeremy Haselock remarked that Christ’s Resurrection “is emphatically not an eleventh-hour reversal of the defeat on Good Friday but the confirmation of a victory already won, the sign and seal of the Father’s acceptance and approval of Christ’s self-offering in his Passion.” The solemn liturgy of Easter Day sums up and fulfills the deepest meaning and purpose of all that has been happening during Holy Week: Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem; his Last Supper with his disciples; his betrayal, arrest, trial, condemnation, suffering, death, and burial; his Sabbath rest in the sepulcher. What God has been doing all along comes into focus on the first day of the week when the spice-bearing women come to the tomb at early dawn. Easter Day, Pascha, is the culmination of the entire Christian year: an opportunity to rejoice in the promise of eternal life in the One who has conquered sin and death on our behalf. Come, join the Paschal celebration! – Fr. John D. Alexander

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Easter Day (Year C)
8 am Mass
Exodus 14:10-31, 15:20-21
Romans 6:3-11
Luke 24:1-12

10 am Solemn Mass
Acts 10:34-43
1 Corinthians 15:19-26
John 20:1-18

THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC

Gerre Hancock (1934 – 2012)—Missa Resurrectionis

Francisco Guerrero (1528 – 1599)—Maria Magdalena (Parts 1 & 2)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. Please join us for Coffee Hour following the 10 a.m. Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.

Easter Egg Hunt – An Easter egg hunt will take place immediately following the 10 am Easter Day mass. Children wishing to participate meet in the Library at the conclusion of mass.

Monthly Commemoration of the Departed – whose year’s mind falls during April will be offered Saturday 27 April 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 Fr. Alexander know. This Mass is sponsored by the Guild of All Souls, St. Stephen Protomartyr Branch: all are welcome and invited to attend!

Society of Mary American Region Annual Mass and Meeting – will be here at S. Stephen’s on Saturday 11 May: an opportunity for worship, devotion, food, fellowship, and education! The annual outdoor Marian Procession will take place at the end of the Mass at 11 am (and not on the Sunday). Luncheon and the meeting will follow in the Great Hall. S. Stephen’s is privileged to host this event, which draws SoM members from across the country; and it affords a unique opportunity for parishioners not only to help welcome our visitors but also to learn more about the Society of Mary and its work in the wider Anglican and Episcopal world. We hope that as many parishioners and friends of S. Stephen’s as possible will turn out to help make this event a success. For more details, please see the “Devotional Societies” page on the parish website.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, George, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Beverly, Ethel, Henry, Norman, John, Shannah, Terri, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Gail, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

Birthdays this week: Leonard Gaucher (Tuesday 4/23).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: King David Stamps (22 April 1985), William Brazil (24 April 1995), Kenneth Raymond (24 April 2010), Hazel G. Wyss (25 April 1991), and Jeannine Lennihan Firestone (25 April 2013). Recently Departed: Raymond Haag.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and the People of the Land of the Holy One.

THE SUNDAY ROTA

Acolytes – MC F Pisaturo, SD J Ihnen, Thurifer J Starks, Crucifer TBD, Torches L Verdelotti and R Noble
Lector – P Pettingell
Ushers – Tom Bledsoe, Alison Huff, Muriel Jobbers, and Bruce Lennihan (counter)
Coffee Hour – Rhoda Steinhart, Andrew Campbell, and Andrew Savchenko

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S

PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS

Sunday 21 April
Acolyte Rehearsal (for Easter Day)  9 am (Nave)

Saturday 27 April
Guild of All Souls  10 am (Lady Chapel)

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S
Friday 26 April
Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) Meeting  4-11 pm (Great Hall)

Saturday 27 April
Epiphany Soup Kitchen  2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

21 April
THE SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION: EASTER DAY (W)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass of the Resurrection  10 am

Daily Office Lectionary: Easter Week, Year One
Daily Mass Lectionary: Easter Week, Year C

22 April
Monday in Easter Week (W)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

23 April
Tuesday in Easter Week (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

24 April
Wednesday in Easter Week (W)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

25 April
Thursday in Easter Week (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

26 April
Friday in Easter Week (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

27 April
Saturday in Easter Week (W)
Morning Prayer  9:30 am
Low Mass with Commemoration of April Departed  10 am

28 April
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER (W)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Sung Mass  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (28 April)

Second Sunday of Easter (Year C)
Psalm 150
Acts 5:27-32
Revelation 1:4-8
John 20:19-31

PARISH NOTES 

Sunday 14 April 2019 

Alexander Gibbs, Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest (1883-1884). Saint George’s Church, Belfast, Northern Ireland

FROM THE RECTOR

Most commentaries on the paired liturgies of Palm Sunday – the Liturgy of the Palms and the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion – emphasize the sea-change that occurs somewhere in between them. We begin by celebrating the Lord’s triumphal entry into the holy city, the king arriving to take possession of his rightful capital, and we end by processing out in mournful silence, as the the shouts of “Hosanna in the Highest” have yielded to the cries of “Crucify him!” That emphasis is not inappropriate. But, as Canon Jeremy Haselock reminded us in his Lenten lectures this year, the crucifixion is not a defeat but the beginning of victory; despite outward appearances, the cross is the throne from which Jesus begins to reign as King and to draw all human beings to himself. The fullness and completion of his victory is, of course, made manifest on Easter Day with the finding of the empty tomb and the first appearances of the Risen Lord to the women and disciples. So, we do well to understand the Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday as anticipating not only the Lord’s Passion and Death, but also to his Easter Victory. Come, join in the celebration! – Fr. John D. Alexander

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Palm Sunday (Year C)

Liturgy of the Palms:
Luke 19:28-40

Liturgy of the Passion:
Isaiah 50:4-9a 

Philippians 2:5-11 
Luke 22:(14-71)–23:1-49(50-56)

THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC

Thomas Weelkes (1576 – 1623)—Hosanna to the Son of David

Plainchant—Missa VI (Kyrie Rex genitor)

Antonio Lotti (1667 – 1740)—Crucifixus à 8

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. Please join us for Coffee Hour following the 10 a.m. Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.

Holy Week and Easter – the schedule of 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 at sstephens.org/holy-week-2019. We hope that all parishioners will note the service dates and times and make every effort to attend.

Passiontide Red High Mass Set – this Palm Sunday we are using for the first time a new set of vestments made for S. Stephen’s by renowned liturgical artist David d’Ambly of Philadelphia. (Passiontide red is more somber than the bright festive red used on Pentecost.) The embroidery on the celebrant’s cope was recycled and restored from one of our old chasubles (sadly worn beyond repair) formerly used at Low Mass; that vestment’s color scheme of blue orphreys against a red background was carried forward into this new High Mass set. Anyone who would like to make a donation to help offset the expense of vestments, please speak to Fr. Alexander – for a suitable donation, memorial tags indicating the donor’s name and / or intention can be sewn into the vestment’s lining.

Bring 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, please bring it and join in.

Vigil at the Altar of Repose – There is a signup sheet in the narthex for the Vigil in the Lady Chapel before the Blessed Sacrament, which begins on Maundy Thursday, 18 April, after the completion of the 7:30 pm Liturgy, and ends at midnight. Come watch with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

Good Friday Offering – By a venerable tradition, the collection taken at the liturgy 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 and cash received in the offering on that day will be forwarded to Episcopal Church headquarters for this purpose. Also, you may make a donation for this purpose online via the “Give” page on the parish website. For more information on the Good Friday Offering, please visit: www.episcopalchurch.org/global-partnerships/good-friday-offering

Easter Vigil Reception – Those attending the Easter Eve Great Vigil on Saturday, April 20 are invited to bring a small tray of sweet or savory treats for the reception immediately following. All items should be ready to serve and not require heating, refrigeration or utensils. Please leave items in the library upon arrival for the liturgy.

Easter Flowers – If you would like to make a flower offering at Easter – in thanksgiving or in memoriam - please fill out the flower offering envelope you can find in your Kalendar or available in the Narthex and either place it in the offering plate or return it to the parish office no later than Wednesday 17 April. Flower donations can also be made online through the giving portal on the parish website here.

Easter Egg Hunt – An Easter egg hunt will take place immediately following the 10:00 am Easter Day mass. Children wishing to participate meet in the Library at the conclusion of mass.

Society of Mary American Region Annual Mass and Meeting – will be here at S. Stephen’s on Saturday 11 May: an opportunity for worship, devotion, food, fellowship, and education! The annual outdoor Marian Procession will take place at the end of the Mass at 11 am (and not on the Sunday). Luncheon and the meeting will follow in the Great Hall. S. Stephen’s is privileged to host this event, which draws SoM members from across the country; and it affords a unique opportunity for parishioners not only to help welcome our visitors but also to learn more about the Society of Mary and its work in the wider Anglican and Episcopal world. We hope that as many parishioners and friends of S. Stephen’s as possible will turn out to help make this event a success. For more details, please see the “Devotional Societies” page on the parish website.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS 

Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, George, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Beverly, Ethel, Henry, Norman, John, Shannah, Terri, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Gail, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

Birthdays this week: Fr. John Alexander (Sunday 4/14), Brian Ehlers (Sunday 4/14), Rhoda Steinhart (Tuesday 4/16), Francesco Pisaturo (Friday 4/19), and Barbara Osborne (Saturday 4/20).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Marie Lopez (14 April 1983), Steele Wade Martin, Priest (14 April 2005), Cristine Marie Parrillo (17 April 1989), John Rankin Laird (19 April 1991), Winifred D. Bonner (20 April 1983) and Frances Cecilia Jarvis Hall (20 April 1987). Recently Departed: Raymond Haag.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem & The Middle East: The Most Rev’d Suheil Dawani, Archbishop, Jerusalem & the Middle East & Archbishop in Jerusalem.

THE SUNDAY ROTA 

Acolytes – MC J Ihnen, SD F Pisaturo, Thurifer L Verdelotti, Torches C Sylvia and G Benziger
Lector – T Oakes
Ushers – Simon Newby, George Ryan, and Joy D’Ambra
Coffee Hour – Society of Mary

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S 

PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS

Sunday 14 April
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm (Lady Chapel)

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Saturday 20 April
Epiphany Soup Kitchen  2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

14 April 

PALM SUNDAY: THE SUNDAY OF THE PASSION (R)
Low Mass  8 am
Liturgy of the Palms & Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Passion  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm

Daily Office Lectionary: Holy Week, Year One
Daily Mass Lectionary: Holy Week

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

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

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

18 April
Maundy Thursday (W)
Maundy Thursday Liturgy  7:30 pm
Vigil at the Altar of Repose (until midnight)

19 April
Good Friday (Black)
Good Friday Liturgy  12 noon
Confessions following until  3 pm

20 April
Easter Eve (V/W)
Great Vigil of Easter  7:30 pm

21 April
THE SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION: EASTER DAY (W)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass of the Resurrection  10 am

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (21 April)

Easter Day (Year C)
8 am Mass
Exodus 14:10-31, 15:20-21
Romans 6:3-11
Luke 24:1-12

10 am Solemn Mass
Acts 10:34-43
1 Corinthians 15:19-26 

John 20:1-18

PARISH NOTES 

Sunday 7 April 2019 

Peter Paul Rubens, Jesus in the House of Simon the Pharisee (1618-1620)
Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

FROM THE RECTOR

We’re coming round the final bend of Lent and entering the home stretch leading to Palm Sunday and Holy Week. In this Sunday’s Gospel, set “six days before the Passover,” Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus’ feet from “a pound of costly ointment of pure nard” and wipes them with her hair. For this loving action, Judas Iscariot criticizes her, complaining that the ointment was “not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” Jesus rebukes him: “Let her keep it for the day of my burial.” Apart from this ominous reference to his impending death, the point to note is the extravagant generosity of Mary’s gesture. As we finish up our Lenten commitments, as we plan our attendance at the liturgies of Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter, we do well to put into practice a similar generosity of our time and attention to the Lord. – Fr. John D. Alexander

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Fifth Sunday in Lent (Year C)

Psalm 126
Isaiah 43:16-21
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8

THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC

Plainchant—Missa X (Alme Pater)

Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704)—De profundis

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. Please join us for Coffee Hour following the 10 a.m. Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.

Fish Fry – This Friday 12 April we conclude our Ecumenical Stations of the Cross (see announcement below) with a Fish Fry in the Great Hall starting at 6:30 pm. Co-sponsored by the Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD (EMBR), S. Stephen’s Church, the Brown-RISD Catholic Community (BRCC), and Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), this event affords a unique opportunity to support and get to know some of the students engaged in Christian activity in and around S. Stephen’s. Congregational music will be provided by the RUF praise team. All are most cordially welcome and invited to attend!

Ecumenical Stations – This year, the Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD (EMBR) has teamed up with the Brown-RISD Catholic Community (BRCC) to offer Stations of the Cross at S. Stephen’s at 6 pm on Fridays in Lent. The turnout has been encouraging, and we have had the opportunity to experience this moving devotion as practiced in both the Roman Catholic and Anglican traditions. Final sessions this Lent are Fridays April 5th and 12th at 6 pm. This is a great opportunity to experience this moving devotion anew or indeed for the first time! The April 12th Stations will be followed by a Fish Fry (see announcement above) at 6:30 pm in the Great Hall.

Lent Supper and Lecture Series – takes place on the Sundays in Lent, concluding tonight, April 7—a great opportunity for food, fellowship, intellectual stimulation, and spiritual enrichment. The evening begins with a pot luck supper at 6 pm: all participants are asked to bring a food item to share – such as bread, cheese, soup, casserole, pasta, or salad. The program starts at approximately 7 pm, featuring the Rev. Canon Jeremy Matthew Haselock on “The Sacrament of Easter: An Introduction to the Liturgy of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.” Each evening concludes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 8 pm in the Lady Chapel. All are cordially invited to attend all or any part of the evening.

Sorrowful Mysteries – Another opportunity for regular Lenten devotion is recitation of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary on Saturday mornings at 10:30 am (following 10 am Mass and 9:30 am Morning Prayer) through April 13th. These devotions are sponsored by the Our Lady of Providence Ward of the Society of Mary. All are welcome; no prior experience needed!

Holy Week and Easter – the schedule of 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 at sstephens.org/holy-week-2019. We hope that all parishioners will note the service dates and times and make every effort to attend.

Vigil at the Altar of Repose – There is a signup sheet in the narthex for the Vigil in the Lady Chapel before the Blessed Sacrament, which begins on Maundy Thursday, 18 April, after the completion of the 7:30 pm Liturgy, and ends at midnight. Come watch with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

Easter Vigil Reception – Those attending the Easter Eve Great Vigil on Saturday, April 20 are encouraged to bring a small tray of sweet or savory treats for the reception immediately following. All items should be ready to serve and not require heating, refrigeration or utensils. Please leave items in the library upon arrival for the mass.

Easter Flowers – If you would like to make a flower offering at Easter – in thanksgiving or in memoriam - please fill out the flower offering envelope you can find in your Kalendar or available in the Narthex and either place it in the offering plate or return it to the parish office no later than Wednesday 17 April. Flower donations can also be made online through the giving portal on the parish website here.

Easter Egg Hunt – An Easter egg hunt will take place immediately following the 10:00am Easter Day mass. Children wishing to participate meet in the Library at the conclusion of mass.

Society of Mary American Region Annual Mass and Meeting – will be here at S. Stephen’s on Saturday 11 May: an opportunity for worship, devotion, food, fellowship, and education! The annual outdoor Marian Procession will take place at the end of the Mass at 11 am (and not on the Sunday). Luncheon and the meeting will follow in the Great Hall. S. Stephen’s is privileged to host this event, which draws SoM members from across the country; and it affords a unique opportunity for parishioners not only to help welcome our visitors but also to learn more about the Society of Mary and its work in the wider Anglican and Episcopal world. We hope that as many parishioners and friends of S. Stephen’s as possible will turn out to help make this event a success. For more details, please see the “Devotional Societies” page on the parish website.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS 

Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, George, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Beverly, Ethel, Henry, Norman, John, Shannah, Terri, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Gail, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

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

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Paul Joseph Conley (8 April 2000), Carl Randolph (11 April 1983), and Doris Johnson (13 April 2004). Recently Departed: Theodora Shaw.

Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Church of Ireland: The Most Rev’d Richard Lionel Clarke, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and Metropolitan; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for the people and clergy of Church of the Beloved, Pascoag.

THE SUNDAY ROTA 

Acolytes – MC R Noble, SD B Rose, Thurifer J Starks, Torches L Verdelotti and J Ihnen
Lector – P Martin
Ushers – Rhoda Steinhart and Patricia Barnes
Coffee Hour – Nancy Gingrich, Tom Oakes, and Louis Verdelotti

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S

PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS

Sunday 7 April
Lenten Supper and Lecture Series  6-8:30 pm (Great Hall/Lady Chapel)

Friday 12 April
Fish Fry  6:30 pm (Great Hall)

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Saturday 13 April
Epiphany Soup Kitchen  2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

7 April
THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT (V)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament  8 pm

Daily Office Lectionary: Week of Lent V, Year One
Daily Mass Lectionary: Week of Lent V

8 April
Monday in Lent V (V)
William Augustus Muhlenberg, Priest, 1877
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

9 April
Tuesday in Lent V (V)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Pastor, Teacher, Martyr, 1945
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

10 April
Wednesday in Lent V (V)
William Law, Priest, Spiritual Writer, 1761
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

11 April
Thursday in Lent V (V)
George Augustus Selwyn, first Bishop of New Zealand, 1878
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

12 April
Friday in Lent V (V)
Zeno, Bishop of Verona, Martyr, 371
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm
Ecumenical Stations of the Cross  6 pm

13 April
Saturday in Lent V (V)
Morning Prayer  9:30 am
Low Mass  10 am
Holy Rosary  10:30 pm

14 April
THE SUNDAY OF THE PASSION: PALM SUNDAY (R)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (14 April)

Palm Sunday (Year C)

Liturgy of the Palms:
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Luke 19:28-40

Liturgy of the Passion:
Psalm 31:9-16
Isaiah 50:4-9a 

Philippians 2:5-11 
Luke 22:(14-71)–23:1-49(50-56)

PARISH NOTES 

Sunday 31 March 2019 

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, The Return of the Prodigal Son (1667-1670) National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

FROM THE RECTOR

Mid-Lent Sunday (a.k.a. Mothering Sunday, Rose Sunday, and Laetare (“Rejoice”) Sunday) lightens the Lenten mood a bit before we enter the home stretch towards Palm Sunday and Holy Week. It reminds us that Lent is not all dreary gloom and gloom. Rightly understood, the season’s fasting, prayer, and almsgiving are occasions of joy. The first word of the Introit states Mid-Lent Sunday’s thematic exhortation: “Rejoice!” This year’s appointed Gospel, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, emphasizes this theme: as the father declares to the jealous older brother, “It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” This Gospel challenges us: Are we willing not only to repent of our own sins, but also to forgive those who have sinned against us, and indeed to rejoice in our reconciliation? Are we indeed willing to accept the invitation to join the party and “make merry” in the cosmic celebration of God’s Kingdom? – Fr. John D. Alexander

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Fourth Sunday in Lent (Year C)

Psalm 32
Joshua 5:9-12
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC

Plainchant—Missa IV (Cunctipotens Genitor Deus)

Ned Rorem (b. 1923)—Sing, my soul, His wondrous love

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. Please join us for Coffee Hour following the 10 a.m. Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.

Society of Mary – meets this Saturday, April 6, beginning with Holy Rosary following the 10:00 am Mass and a brief meeting (for coffee and bagels) to follow in the Great Hall. All are welcome and invited.

Holy Week and Easter – the schedule of 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 at sstephens.org/holy-week-2019. We hope that all parishioners will note the service dates and times and make every effort to attend.

Vigil at the Altar of Repose – There is a signup sheet in the narthex for the Vigil in the Lady Chapel before the Blessed Sacrament, which begins on Maundy Thursday, 18 April, after the completion of the 7:30 pm Liturgy, and ends at midnight. Come watch with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

Lent Supper and Lecture Series – takes place on the Sundays in Lent, continuing tonight, March 31—a great opportunity for food, fellowship, intellectual stimulation, and spiritual enrichment. Each evening begins with a pot luck supper at 6 pm: all participants are asked to bring a food item to share – such as bread, cheese, soup, casserole, pasta, or salad. (Dishes containing meat are perfectly appropriate, but during Lent the Church discourages sweets, cakes, cookies, etc., as well as alcoholic beverages.) The program starts at approximately 7 pm, featuring the Rev. Canon Jeremy Matthew Haselock, retired Vice Dean and Canon Precentor of Norwich Cathedral, and a Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen. Canon Haselock’s topic is “The Sacrament of Easter: An Introduction to the Liturgy of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.” Each evening concludes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 8 pm in the Lady Chapel. All are cordially invited to attend all or any part of the evening.

Ecumenical Stations – This year, the Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD (EMBR) is teaming up with the Brown-RISD Catholic Community (BRCC) to offer Stations of the Cross at S. Stephen’s at 6 pm on Fridays in Lent through April 12. This is a great opportunity to experience this moving devotion anew or indeed for the first time! (Advance Notice: on Friday 12 April, concluding our series of Lenten Stations of the Cross, we will end with a Fish Fry in the Great Hall. Stay tuned for more details.)

Sorrowful Mysteries – Another opportunity for regular Lenten devotion is recitation of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary on Saturday mornings at 10:30 am (following 10 am Mass and 9:30 am Morning Prayer) through April 13th (except on March 23rd). These devotions are sponsored by the Our Lady of Providence Ward of the Society of Mary. All are welcome; no prior experience needed!

No EMBR Meeting – tonight, Sunday, 31 March, as Brown concludes its Spring Recess.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, George, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Ethel, Henry, Norman, John, Shannah, Terri, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Gail, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

Birthdays this week: Richard Noble (Thursday 4/4).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Elizabeth Kershaw (31 March 2007), Richard Sherman Nutt (1 April 2006), Roy Sumner Bent, Sr. (4 April 1986), and Kathryne Farnum Ripley (6 April 1990). Recently Departed: Angelica Garlatti, the Rev. Vernon Austin, SSC, Priest, and Theodora Shaw.

Anglican and Diocesan Cycles 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; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for clergy widows and widowers of the Diocese.

THE SUNDAY ROTA

Acolytes – MC F Pisaturo, SD J Ihnen, Thurifer L Verdelotti, Torches R Noble and B Rose
Lector – M Johnson
Ushers – Tom Oakes and Ernest Drew
Coffee Hour – Susan Rozzero

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S

PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS

Sunday 31 March
Lenten Supper and Lecture Series  6-8:30 pm (Great Hall/Lady Chapel)

Saturday 6 April
Society of Mary  10:30 am (Lady Chapel/Great Hall)

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Friday 5 April
Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) Meeting  4-11 pm (Great Hall)

Saturday 6 April
Epiphany Soup Kitchen  2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE
31 March
THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT: Laetare Sunday (Rose)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament  8 pm

Daily Office Lectionary: Week of Lent IV, Year One
Daily Mass Lectionary: Week of Lent IV

1 April
Monday in Lent IV (V)
Frederick Denison Maurice, Priest, Teacher, 1872
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

2 April
Tuesday in Lent IV (V)
James Lloyd Breck, Priest, Founder of Nashotah House, 1876
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

3 April
Wednesday in Lent IV (V)
Richard, Bishop of Chichester, 1253
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

4 April
Thursday in Lent IV (V)
Isidore, Archbishop of Seville, Teacher, 636
Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights Leader, Martyr, 1968
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

5 April
Friday in Lent IV (V)
Vincent Ferrer, Priest, Dominican Friar, Missionary, 1419
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm
Ecumenical Stations of the Cross  6 pm

6 April
Saturday in Lent IV (V)
Morning Prayer  9:30 am
Low Mass  10 am
Holy Rosary  10:30 pm

7 April
THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT (V)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament  8 pm

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (7 April)

Fifth Sunday in Lent (Year C)
Psalm 126
Isaiah 43:16-21
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8

PARISH NOTES 

Sunday 24 March 2019 

Dirk Bouts, Moses and the Burning Bush, c. 1465-1470
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

FROM THE RECTOR

What is the difference between a warning and a threat? In their simplest form, both usually comprise a statement of some imminent danger, such as a “winter storm warning” or a “terror threat.” At a slightly more complex level, they combine two elements, namely a present course of action, and unpleasant consequences. For example: “Current levels of production and consumption will make the earth uninhabitable within a century.” Is that a threat, or a warning, or both? A variant on this two-part form is “Do x or suffer y”—Move out of your house by nightfall or be burned out (threat); Move inland or risk being drowned in the approaching hurricane (warning). The difference turns on the malevolent or benevolent intentions of the speaker. A threat serves the speaker’s interests and is intended to frighten and intimidate; a warning serves the recipient’s interests and is intended to protect and save.

In terms of this distinction, it is clear that God frequently warns but never threatens us. In this Sunday’s Epistle, Saint Paul writes of disobedient Israelites who perished in the wilderness: “Now these things are warnings for us, not to desire evil …” In this Sunday’s Gospel, speaking of Pilate’s recent massacre of a group of Galileans, and the collapse of a tower in Jerusalem, Jesus repeats the solemn warning: “unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” During Lent, the Church’s liturgy pays a bit more attention than usual to such divine warnings. But they are precisely warnings, not threats. They are always given for our good by the God who loves us and desires nothing more than our salvation and life. – Fr. John D. Alexander

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Third Sunday in Lent (Year C)

Psalm 63:1-8
Exodus 3:1-15
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9

THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC

Plainchant—Missa XIII (Stelliferi Conditor orbis)

Herbert Howells (1892 – 1983)—Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. Please join us for Coffee Hour following the 10 a.m. Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.

The Annunciation of our Lord Jesus Christ – a principal holy day of the Church year, will be kept with Sung Mass in the Lady Chapel tomorrow, Monday 25 March, at 7 pm. Canon Haselock will preach.

Vigil at the Altar of Repose – There is a signup sheet in the narthex for the Vigil in the Lady Chapel before the Blessed Sacrament, which begins on Maundy Thursday, 18 April, after the completion of the 7:30 pm Liturgy, and ends at midnight. Come watch with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

Lent Supper and Lecture Series – takes place on the Sundays in Lent, continuing tonight, March 24—a great opportunity for food, fellowship, intellectual stimulation, and spiritual enrichment. Each evening begins with a pot luck supper at 6 pm: all participants are asked to bring a food item to share – such as bread, cheese, soup, casserole, pasta, or salad. (Dishes containing meat are perfectly appropriate, but during Lent the Church discourages sweets, cakes, cookies, etc., as well as alcoholic beverages.) The program starts at approximately 7 pm, featuring the Rev. Canon Jeremy Matthew Haselock, retired Vice Dean and Canon Precentor of Norwich Cathedral, and a Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen. Canon Haselock’s topic is “The Sacrament of Easter: An Introduction to the Liturgy of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.” Each evening concludes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 8 pm in the Lady Chapel. All are cordially invited to attend all or any part of the evening.

Ecumenical Stations – This year, the Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD (EMBR) is teaming up with the Brown-RISD Catholic Community (BRCC) to offer Stations of the Cross at S. Stephen’s at 6 pm on Fridays in Lent through April 12. This is a great opportunity to experience this moving devotion anew or indeed for the first time! (Advance Notice: on Friday 12 April, concluding our series of Lenten Stations of the Cross, we will end with a Fish Fry in the Great Hall. Stay tuned for more details.)

Sorrowful Mysteries – Another opportunity for regular Lenten devotion is recitation of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary on Saturday mornings at 10:30 am (following 10 am Mass and 9:30 am Morning Prayer) through April 13th (except on March 23rd). These devotions are sponsored by the Our Lady of Providence Ward of the Society of Mary. All are welcome; no prior experience needed!

No EMBR Meetings – tonight, 24 March, or next Sunday, 31 March, as Brown will be on Spring Recess.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, George, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Ethel, Henry, Norman, John, Shannah, Terri, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Gail, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

Birthdays this week: Emily MacLean (Saturday 3/30).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Virginia Marie Disley (24 March 1990), John F. Brazil (26 March 1982), Bette Drayton (26 March 2004), Dorothy Adams Bellman (27 March 2005), Mary Weis (29 March 1993), and Charles John McCloughan (23 March 1984). Recently Departed: Angelica Garlatti and the Rev. Vernon Austin, SSC, Priest.

Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui: The Most Rev’d Paul Kwong, Archbishop of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui & Bishop of Hong Kong Island; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for those who are preparing to serve God as ordained ministers in the church.

THE SUNDAY ROTA

Acolytes – MC B Rose, SD F Pisaturo, Thurifer R Noble, Torches C Sylvia and G Benziger
Lector – K Lester
Ushers – Sharon Lloyd Clark and Bruce Lennihan
Coffee Hour – Muriel Jobbers

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S

PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS

Sunday 24 March
Lenten Supper and Lecture Series  6-8:30 pm (Great Hall/Lady Chapel)

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Saturday 30 March
Epiphany Soup Kitchen  2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

24 March
THE THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT (V)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament  8 pm

Daily Office Lectionary: Week of Lent III, Year One
Daily Mass Lectionary: Week of Lent III

25 March
THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (W)
Evening Prayer (said)  5:30 pm
Sung Mass  7 pm

26 March
Tuesday in Lent III (V)
Harriet Monsell, Founder of the Community of Saint John the Baptist, Clewer, 1883
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

27 March
Wednesday in Lent III (V)
Charles Henry Brent, Bishop of the Philippines, and of Western New York, 1922
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

28 March
Thursday in Lent III (V)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

29 March
Friday in Lent III (V)
John Keble, Priest, Tractarian, 1866
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm
Ecumenical Stations of the Cross  6 pm

30 March
Saturday in Lent III (V)
Innocent of Alaska, Bishop, 1879
Morning Prayer  9:30 am
Low Mass  10 am
Holy Rosary  10:30 pm

31 March
THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT (Rose)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament  8 pm

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (31 March)

Fourth Sunday in Lent (Year C)
Psalm 32
Joshua 5:9-12
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

PARISH NOTES 

Sunday 17 March 2019 

David Roberts, Jerusalem (1839)
Color lithograph. Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio

FROM THE RECTOR

Journeying towards Jerusalem: In the first installment of the Lenten lecture series last Sunday, Canon Jeremy Haselock emphasized the importance of the early Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the development of the Western Church’s Holy Week and Easter liturgies. Pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the great annual festivals was, of course, ancient Jewish practice. Jesus himself was making the pilgrimage for Passover when he was betrayed, arrested, tried, and crucified. In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, still in Galilee, Jesus has set out “on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying towards Jerusalem” (Luke 13:22). Some Pharisees approach Jesus and warn him: “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you” (13:31). The threat is more than credible, as Herod has already beheaded John the Baptist. But Jesus refuses to be intimidated. He must continue, casting out demons and performing cures along the way, “for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem” (13:33). At the beginning of Lent, we began our own spiritual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On Palm Sunday, we shall liturgically re-enact our Lord’s entry into the holy city. In the meantime, we continue on the way of our Lenten disciplines. Just as Jesus refused to be deterred from his pilgrimage, so we need to be steadfast in perseverance on ours. May God grant us the grace to complete the good work he has begun in us. – Fr. John D. Alexander

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Second Sunday in Lent (Year C)

Psalm 27
Genesis 15:1-12,17-18
Philippians 3:17--4:1
Luke 13:31-35

THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC

Plainchant—Missa XI (Orbis factor)

Johann Christenius (1565 – 1626)—Jerusalem die du tötest die Propheten

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. Please join us for Coffee Hour following the 10 a.m. Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.

Saint Joseph (March 19th) – a major feast of the church year will be kept this Tuesday with Noonday Prayer at 12 noon, and Low Mass following at 12:10 pm.

Lent Supper and Lecture Series – takes place on the Sundays in Lent, continuing tonight, March 17—a great opportunity for food, fellowship, intellectual stimulation, and spiritual enrichment. Each evening begins with a pot luck supper at 6 pm: all participants are asked to bring a food item to share – such as bread, soup, or salad. (Dishes containing meat are perfectly appropriate, but during Lent we discourage sweets, cakes, cookies, etc., as well as alcoholic beverages.) The program starts at approximately 7 pm, featuring the Rev. Canon Jeremy Matthew Haselock, retired Vice Dean and Canon Precentor of Norwich Cathedral, and a Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen. Canon Haselock’s topic will be “The Sacrament of Easter: An Introduction to the Liturgy of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.” Each evening concludes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 8 pm in the Lady Chapel. All are cordially invited to attend all or any part of the evening.

Ecumenical Stations – This year, the Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD (EMBR) is teaming up with the Brown-RISD Catholic Community (BRCC) to offer Stations of the Cross at S. Stephen’s at 6 pm on Fridays in Lent through April 12. This is a great opportunity to experience this moving devotion anew or indeed for the first time! (Advance Notice: on Friday 12 April, concluding our series of Lenten Stations of the Cross, we will end with a Fish Fry in the Great Hall. Stay tuned for more details.)

Sorrowful Mysteries – Another opportunity for regular Lenten devotion is recitation of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary on Saturday mornings at 10:30 am (following 10 am Mass and 9:30 am Morning Prayer) through April 13th (except on March 23rd). These devotions are sponsored by the Our Lady of Providence Ward of the Society of Mary. All are welcome; no prior experience needed!

Spring Organ Recital – This Friday 22 March at 7:30 pm, we welcome International Concert Organist Katelyn Emerson, who will be offering an organ recital on the Goddard Memorial Organ at S. Stephen’s. This event is co-sponsored by the RI American Guild of Organists (RIAGO) and S. Stephen’s Church.

Lenten Quiet Day – is this Saturday 23 March with meditations by the Rev. Carlos de la Torre. A Quiet Day is like a mini-retreat without going away. The program begins with Morning Prayer and Mass at 9 am and concludes with tea at 2 pm. In between we have coffee, lunch, and three addresses interspersed with periods of silent reflection and prayer: the perfect opportunity for deepening Lenten devotion and preparing spiritually for Holy Week and Easter. Fr. Carlos de la Torre is Curate at Christ Church, and Director of Saint Hilda's House, New Haven, CT. He will soon be taking up his new call as Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, Bellefonte, in central Pennsylvania.

The Annunciation of our Lord Jesus Christ – a principal holy day of the Church year, will be kept with Sung Mass in the Lady Chapel on Monday 25 March at 7 pm. Canon Haselock will preach.

College Ministry – The Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD (EMBR) welcomes all students, both undergraduate and graduate, to join us in fellowship this semester. EMBR meets every Sunday at 5:30 pm for Evening Prayer, followed by a meal. All are most welcome and invited!

FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, George, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Ethel, Henry, Norman, John, Shannah, Terri, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Gail, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

Birthdays this week: Jon Berberian (Monday 3/18), Betty Jane Berberian (Thursday 3/21), and Ernest Drew (Friday 3/22).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Betty Louise Claunch (18 March 1999), Edna Brazil (19 March 2008), Richard A. Mayforth (22 March 1998), and Corinne Esther Joslin (23 March 1984). Recently Departed: Florence T. Bustamante, Elias Bustamante, James Stephen Clarke, and Angelica Garlatti.

Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Church of England: The Most Rev’d and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for the members and ministries of the Episcopal Church Women.

THE SUNDAY ROTA

Acolytes – MC J Ihnen, SD R Noble, Thurifer J Starks, Torches TBD and F Pisaturo
Lector – A Campbell
Ushers – Simon Newby and Joy D’Ambra
Coffee Hour – Society of Mary

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S

PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS

Sunday 17 March
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm (Lady Chapel)
Lenten Supper and Lecture Series  6-8:30 pm (Great Hall/Lady Chapel)

Friday 22 March
Organ Recital  7:30 pm (Nave)

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Saturday 23 March
Epiphany Soup Kitchen  2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

17 March
THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT (V)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament  8 pm

Daily Office Lectionary: Week of Lent II, Year One
Daily Mass Lectionary: Week of Lent II

18 March
Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, 386 (W)
Edward, King and Martyr, 978
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

19 March
SAINT JOSEPH (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

20 March
Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne, Missionary, 687 (W)
Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, 1711
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

21 March
Thursday in Lent II (V)
Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1556
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

22 March
Friday in Lent II (V)
James de Koven, Priest, 1879
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm
Ecumenical Stations of the Cross  6 pm

23 March
Saturday in Lent II (V)
Gregory the Illuminator, Bishop and Missionary of Armenia, c. 332
Morning Prayer  9 am
Low Mass  9:30 am

Noonday Prayer  12:15 pm

24 March
THE THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT (V)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament  8 pm

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (24 March)

Third Sunday in Lent (Year C)
Psalm 63:1-8
Exodus 3:1-15
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9

Altar Mosaic, Dominus Flevit Church
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem