Logo and sketch
Weekly E-Newsletter
Week Ending
March 19, 2010
Dear Parishioner  

St. Thomas the Apostle is an Episcopal Parish in the Anglo-Catholic tradition.  We are called by God to be a holy place where love is found, where all are named and where hearts are freed to change the world.
In This Issue
Rector's Corner
LA Marathon
Passion Sunday
LA Schola: A Lenten Journey Tomorrow
Easter Flowers
Easter Vigil Desert Reception
Gourmet Easter Brunch
Easter Egg Hunt
Census 2010: It's in Our Hands
Holy Week & Easter Service Schedule
Socks Needed
Lent Study Course
Meeting of the Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham
Mother Knows Best
Parish Directory
Treasurer's Report through February 2010
ePrayer List
Rector's CornerFr Davies in Hat

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I have just been reading news of the Liverpool Diocesan Synod held last week. The Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones, is urging all Anglicans to commit ourselves to continuing dialogue and the need to appreciate diversity in our Anglican Communion- most especially in the area of sexuality and same gender relationships- this is a very significant statement since Bishop Jones is the leading voice among Evangelical Bishops in our Communion. Some people have accused Bishop Jones of 'betraying' his Evangelical heritage: Bishop Jones is firm in his commitment and says that this arises "out of the experience of a dialogue between dioceses in Africa, America, and England. I believe that this experi�ence of dialogue between Christians of different persuasions could be helpful to the Primates [the Archbishops, Metropolitans and Presiding Bishops] as they take responsibility for the future of the Communion." It is very refreshing to learn of patient, courteous dialogue - an important element in our Lenten commitment.

On Sunday we will be hearing about Sts Mary, Martha and Lazarus: in anointing Christ, Mary understands generosity that is reckless and animated by love that is the heart of the true prophet, which can evoke an alternative, sacramental world, in which the worship of God is the foundation of liberating, redemptive action.


I pray that we may be animated by generosity of heart and profound courtesy as we make our journey into this last segment of Lent and then into the mystery of Holy Week,

with my love & prayers,



IED Signature
 
The Rev'd Fr I.E. Davies, B.D. (Wales & Cantab) M.R.I.Ph.
LA Marathon this Sunday
LA Marathon

The LA Marathon returns to Sunday morning this year and will take place this Sunday, March 21, 2010.  While the course route does not cross St. Thomas the Apostle, the course will impact traffic in the area.  The course does go on Sunset by Gardner, just a few blocks south of the Church.  Please consult the route map to determine the best way to make it to Church.

Remember you can come to the Vigil Mass on Saturday with LA Schola or beat the traffic at the 8am Low Mass.  If you miss the 10:30am service come by Sunday at 4:30pm for Evening Prayer.


Passion Sunday

The Entombment
Passion Sunday (Dominica de Passione) is the name that was given to the fifth Sunday of Lent in pre-1960 General Roman Calendar. In 1960 Pope John XXIII changed the official name to "First Sunday in Passiontide" (Dominica I in Passione) to fit with the name that his predecessor Pope Pius XII had given to Palm Sunday, calling it the "Second Sunday in Passiontide or Palm Sunday" (Dominica II in Passione seu in palmis). In 1969 Pope Paul VI removed the distinction between Passiontide and the general season of Lent, giving Palm Sunday the official full name of "Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord" (Dominica in Palmis de Passione Domini) and making what had been the First Sunday in Passiontide simply the Fifth Sunday in Lent. High Anglicans and traditionalist Catholics continue to observe pre-1960 calendars, which use the older terminology, when the entire week beginning with the fifth Sunday of Lent was often called Passion Week prior to the calendar reform, which officially transferred that term to the following week; yet, as in the case of Palm Sunday, most Roman Catholic and Protestant laity alike continue to refer to the last week before Easter by its original name: Holy Week; indeed, this is the term employed in the Sacramentary and Lectionary of the Catholic Church.

When the term Passion Sunday is applied to the fifth Sunday of Lent, it marks the start of a two-week sub-season often referred to as Passiontide.

Those who use the Tridentine Mass refer to it also as Judica Sunday (or, in the spelling of the 1962 Missal, Iudica Sunday) after that day's Introit: "Iudica me, Deus" ("Judge me, O Lord") from Psalm 42 (43), the psalm that, in that form of the Roman Rite is normally recited at the start of each Mass, but that from this Sunday to Holy Thursday inclusive is omitted in ferial Masses.

Adapted from www.wikipedia.org

LA Schola: A Lenten Journey

On Saturday, March 20, 2010 LA Schola will sing the 5pm Latin Mass.  Please join us!

Music will include: 
Missa Bell' Afritrit' altera - Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594)
Meditabor - Giovanni Palestrina (1525-1594)
In Manus Tuas - John Sheppard (1515-1558)
Ave Regina caelorum - Peter Phillips (1561-1628) 

Of the great composers in the second half of the sixteenth century, Orlando di Lasso had the widest range and the most complex personality, so far as the latter is possible to determine about anyone who lived before the advent of the fully documented modern biography.

The Bell' Amfitrit' altera mass is a testament to the craft of Lassus. It is written for eight voices and creates a variety of choral textures. Within every section of the Mass Lassus displays an intensely personal relationship between text and music with an underlying structural security as solid as anything created by Palestrina.

Singers:
Eli Gunnell, Ashley Hoffman, Elizabeth Ladizinsky, Frances Mansfield, Tim Morton, Rob Shacklett, Jay Tuttle and Audrey Wiechman.
Easter Flowers
Easter Lily
If you would like to contribute toward the cost of Easter flowers and decorations, please fill out the yellow form provided with the Order of Service and return it with your donation to the offering plate or the Parish Office no later than Palm Sunday, 28 March, 2010.  The suggested minimum donation is $25.  You may also contribute via PayPal.  Please provide your "In Memory Of" or "Thanksgiving for" in the Special Instructions Section of your PayPal payment. 
Easter Vigil Desert Reception
DessertsEaster Vigil Desert Reception will be held after the great vigil Saturday evening, April 2.
 
Please stop by the kitchen before the service to drop off your favorite decadent goody.  
Gourmet Easter Breakfast
Easter Brunch
Join us for our annual gourmet Easter morning Breakfast created by our own John Boughner.

Breakfast is served between the two morning Masses. It's a wonderful way to mingle with your fellow parishoners and celebrate the Risen Lord!
 
Just $10 - tickets are available from John starting Sunday, March 14 at both Coffee Hours. 
Easter Egg Hunt
Easter Egg Hunt
On Easter Sunday (April 4, 2010) at approx. 9:30am there will be an Easter Egg Hunt! 

Please meet in the courtyard.  (Please bring your own basket.)
 
Census 2010: It's in Our Hands
census logo
In mid March, households across the country will receive Census forms by mail. This decade's Census is a vital opportunity for our communities to show our diversity and our strength. It's time to stand up and be counted! 

In particular, 2010 will be the first time that the Census reports numbers on same-sex spouses, in all fifty states. In the previous census, if a same-sex couple indicated that they were married, they were reclassified as "unmarried partners" in official tabulations. This year, people will be counted exactly how they identify their relationship. And because the Census relies on self-identification, cohabitating same-sex couples who consider themselves married can identify as such on the form, regardless of whether or not they live in a state that legally recognizes their relationship. 

For those members of our communities who don't live with a same-sex partner, the 2010 Census does not ask specific questions about sexual orientation or gender identity. On the question asking about a person's sex, transgender respondents should select the gender with which they identify. 

Here are five very important things everyone should know about the Census: 

1. It's Safe. All Census forms and personally-identifiable information are kept completely confidential for 72 years. They don't get shared with any other government agencies (including the military, the IRS, or immigration), and they're not subpoenable under the Patriot Act. 2010 Census information will be made public-for genealogical purposes-on April 1st, 2082.

2. It's Easy. The 2010 Census is "short-form" only, and should take 10 minutes or less to complete.

3. It's Important. Census numbers are used to determine political representation in Congress and state legislatures, and are also used to allocate and distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to state, county, and local governments.

4. Everyone Counts. The Census is a count of everyone who is residing in the United States on April 1st, 2010, regardless of citizenship or legal status. It is vital that our communities participate, and help ensure a complete count of all people this year.

5. The Census is hiring! We are currently hiring hundreds of thousands of door-to-door census-takers in communities all across the country. These temporary jobs are part-time or full-time with flexible hours, and pay well. If you are interested in applying for a Census job, please call our toll-free jobs line at (866)-861-2010, or visit   www.2010censusjobs.gov

Holy Week & Easter Services
 
Palm Sunday, 28 March
7:30 AM  -  Morning Prayer
8:00 AM  -  Low Mass
9:45 AM  -  Holy Rosary
10:30AM -  High Mass with Choir - Childcare Available
4:30 PM  -  Evening Prayer
 
Monday in Holy Week, 29 March
7:30 AM  -  Morning Prayer
6:00 PM  -  Confessions
6:30 PM  -  Evening Prayer
7:30 PM -   Low Mass
7:45 PM  -  Soup Supper
 
Tuesday in Holy Week, 30 March
7:30 AM  -  Morning Prayer
6:00 PM  -  Confessions
6:30 PM  -  Evening Prayer
7:30 PM -   Low Mass
7:45 PM  -  Soup Supper

Wednesday in Holy Week, 31 March
7:30 AM  -  Morning Prayer
6:00 PM  -  Confessions
6:30 PM  -  Evening Prayer
7:30 PM -   Low Mass
7:45 PM  -  Soup Supper

Maundy Thursday, 1 April
7:30 AM  -  Morning Prayer
6:30 PM  -  Evening Prayer
7:30 PM -   Institution of the Lord's Supper & Procession to the Altar of Repose (w/ Choir)
9:00 PM  -  All-Night Vigil of Prayer at the Altar of Repose

Good Friday, 2 April
7:00 AM  -  Meditations on the Holy Rosary
12:00PM  - Stations of the Cross
7:30 PM  -  Mass of the Pre-Sanctified & Venetration
 
Holy Saturday, 3 April
7:30 PM  -  The Great Vigil of Easter with Choir 
 
Easter Sunday, 4 April
7:30 AM  -  Morning Prayer
8:00 AM  -  Choral High Mass of the Most Holy Feast
9:45 AM  -  Holy Rosary
10:30AM -  Choral High Mass of the Most Holy Feast  - Childcare Available
4:30 PM  -  Evening Prayer

Service Schedule
 
MASSES & DAILY OFFICES
Sunday
7:30 AM  -  Morning Prayer
8:00 AM  -  Low Mass
9:45 AM  -  Rosary
10:30AM -  High Mass with Choir - Childcare Available
4:30 PM  -  Evening Prayer
 
Monday through Friday
7:30 AM -  Morning Prayer
6:30 PM -  Evening Prayer 
7:00 PM -  Low Mass  
 
Tuesday
6:00 PM -  Reconciliations / Confessions
 
Saturday
10:00AM -  Low Mass
5:00 PM  -  Vigil Mass with Gregorian Chant
6:30 PM  -  Compline
 
 
Many additional activities occur each week at St. Thomas the Apostle.  See the calendar for more!
 
We hope to see you soon!
 
Blessings from
 
St. Thomas the Apostle
5th Sunday of Lent
Passiontide Begins
St. Thomas Patron Saint


CELEBRANT (8am & 10:30am):
Fr. Ian Elliott Davies

HOMILY (8am & 10:30am):
Fr. Ian Elliott Davies

DEACON (10:30am):
The Rev. Mr. Walter S. Johnson

Assistant Organist (10:30am):
Thompson Howell


There are no postludes during the Lent season.

READINGS:
Isaiah 43.16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3.4b-14
John 12.1-8


Clergy
Fr Davies
The Rev. Ian Elliott Davies
Rector
 
Fr Cooper
The Rev. Michael Cooper
Assistant Priest 
 
Deacon Johnson 
 The Rev. Mr. Walter S. Johnson
Deacon
Pastoral Counseling
One-on-one Pastoral counseling is available.  Please contact the office (323-876-2102 ext 2) to schedule an appointment with the Clergy.
Vigil Mass
Missa Vigil hoc septem dies cum lingua Latina. Missa mos ineo 5 meridianus et cum ero Abeo Gregoriana in Ecclesiae Parochiae Sancta Thomasiensis.

[The Vigil Mass on Saturday will be in Latin this week.  Join us at 5pm in the Church with Gregorian Chant.] 
Homeless Breakfast
On the Second and Fourth Saturdays of each month the Homeless Breakfast takes place.  Volunteers are welcome and greatly needed!
 
150 homeless and needy Angelinos are served a tasty breakfast by St. Thomas volunteers. Come at 7:00am to help prepare and share pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits and good fellowship.  Come at 7:30am to help serve.  Come at 9:00am to help clean up.
 
Deacon Johnson serves as the Social Worker providing outreach to the Homess during the Breakfast.  This portion of the program, including providing safer sex kits, hygene items and other critical supplies is funded in part by a grant from The City of West Hollywood.
Socks Needed
Socks
Our clients at St. Thomas  the Apostle Breakfast Club, are in need of Socks. There will be a basket in the Parish Hall to place your donations.

(The sock distribution will be done in addition to podiatry medical care provided by QueensCare and the St. Thomas Health Cabinet.)
 
 Thanks, and may God continue to bless you.

The Rev. Mr. Walter S. Johnson, Deacon

Lent Study Course
Lent
Lent Study Course for 2010 "The Eucharistic Gospel: Through Lent With St John" which will show us art work inspired, through the ages, by the Fourth Gospel. The course will bring together two of Fr. Davies'  favourite themes - the literature and Gospel of the Johannine Community and superb artwork. The course will inspire our devotions and our hearts as we 'travel' at a very different pace through Lent this year.

Wednesdays during Lent

7pm Mass followed by Lenten Soup generously provided by Jacquline Cole and then the Lent Study Course

Please join us!
Meeting of the Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham
The Parish Society of Our Lady of Walsingham will meet next on Thursday 25 March 2010; being the Feast of The Annunciation of Our Lord.

The Holy Rosary will be said at 6:30pm; followed by a Solemn Mass at 7pm; followed by a potluck dinner and meeting in the Small Parish Hall.

All are welcomed! For more info. please contact Mark S. Vigil @ [email protected]

Mother Knows Best
Interesting facts about
St. Thomas the Apostle, The Episcopal Church and The Anglican Community
 
Doubt
On March 21 in 1556, after denying earlier forced recantations, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer, author of the Book of Common Prayer, was burned at the stake by Queen Mary. Cranmer immediately thrust his arm into the flames, saying the hand that had signed the recantations should burn first.
Parish Directory
The Parish Directory is available for download.  The Directory includes Parishioners contact information who authorized inclusion in the Directory on their 2010 Pledge Card.  Click here.
Treasurer's Report

Gifts Received
through 2/28/10
$94,216.44

Ministries Funded
through 2/28/10:
$63,831.26

Balance:
$30,385.18
Balance includes annual distribution from St. Thomas Endowment of $26,398.00.
ePrayer List
Prayer is at the center of our worship and binds us together as a community of faith.  This week we commenced our electronic prayer chain email.  A list of persons on the prayer list is sent weekly.
 
The prayer chain email is an opt-in list only - it will not be sent unless you sign up for it.  If you'd like to be on this distribution list, please update your profile (please use link at the bottom of the email, customized with your email)or contact the office. 
Miss a week?
If you missed an eNews, they are now conveniently archived! Click here!
Minutes
The minutes from the Vestry Meetings of St. Thomas the Apostle are now available on the St. Thomas the Apostle website.  Click here to get the minutes. (Or goto the "Wardens & Vestry" link under "The Parish" and follow the link to "Minutes.")
Quick Links
Join Our Mailing List!