Greetings!
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. |
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Rector's Corner
From the Rector
Fr. Ian Elliott Davies |
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we are preparing to go to 'press' there is a yet another new 'tiff' in the Anglican Communion - and I'm relieved to say that, for once, it is not 'earth-shattering' and it is being dubbed "Mitregate - the Issue of Bishop's Vesture" by some Church pundits. Our Presiding Bishop was asked 'not to wear her mitre' at a Mass in Southwark Cathedral, South London, last week. Perhaps we are all becoming too 'touchy' by half in these hotter summer days... it appears that Dr Jefferts-Schori has not uttered a single syllable of complaint- there are, after all, more serious matters to deal with in the world today.
It was a delight to have Bro Jude, SSF, the Minister Provincial of the Society of St Francis with us to preach and lead the Christian Education hour last Sunday. Bro Jude enjoyed being in Los Angeles and is only sorry that it was such a short visit, but we look forward to seeing more of him and the Franciscan Brothers - four of the Brethren will be moving to Lincoln Heights in August - in the coming months and years.
Deacon Johnson and I assisted Bishop Carranza at the Mass of institution for the Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Catholic Priests at the Pro-Cathedral of St John on the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul. Fr Cooper is the local Chapter Chair with Fr Joe Frazier and Mo Cindy Vorhees.
I hope that as many of you as possible will join us in the Rectory garden on Saturday 3rd July between 12 noon and 3pm for a Parish BarB-Q - when we will also be celebrating our Patronal Festival weekend and Independence Day weekend - also known as "Happy Losers weekend"- a title Canon Gordon Reid uses in Phildelphia... and we hope he doesn't mind other 'ex-pats' using it in other parts of the States! I take this opportunity to wish all of you a healthy, blessed and enjoyable Independence Day weekend.
I send my love & prayers,
Fr Ian Elliott Davies |
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Saint Thomas
Patronal Feast July 4, 2010
St. Thomas statue in Damien Chapel |
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus (meaning "Twin") was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for disbelieving Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in John 20:28. He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel. He is also believed to have crossed the largest area, which includes the Persian Empire and India.
Thomas is revered as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Communion, and the Church of the East.
When the feast of Saint Thomas was inserted in the Roman calendar in the ninth century, it was assigned to 21 December, although the Martyrology of St Jerome had a mention of the Apostle on 3 July, the date to which the Roman celebration was transferred in 1969, so that it would no longer interfere with the major ferial days of Advent. 3 July was the day on which his relics were translated from Mylapore, a place along the coast of the Marina Beach, Chennai in India to the city of Edessa in Mesopotamia.
According to The Passing of Mary, a text attributed to Joseph of Arimathaea, Thomas was the only witness of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. The other apostles were miraculously transported to Jerusalem to witness her death. Thomas was left in India, but after her burial he was transported to her tomb, where he witnessed her bodily assumption into heaven, from which she dropped her girdle. In an inversion of the story of Thomas' doubts, the other apostles are skeptical of Thomas' story until they see the empty tomb and the girdle.
The Patronal Feast will be celebrated at services on Sunday, July 4, 2010.
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Independence Day
American Revolution celebrated
 During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:
"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more." Adams' prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress. One of the most enduring myths about Independence Day is that Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The myth had become so firmly established that, decades after the event and nearing the end of their lives, even the elderly Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had come to believe that they and the other delegates had signed the Declaration on the fourth. Most delegates actually signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776. In a remarkable series of coincidences, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two founding fathers of the United States and the only two men who signed the Declaration of Independence to become president, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the United States' 50th anniversary. President James Monroe died exactly five years later, on July 4, 1831, but he was not a signatory to the Declaration of Independence. Read and Declaration of Independence
Adapated from www.wikipedia.org
The St. Thomas the Apostle Office will be closed on Monday, 5 July 2010 in observance of Independence Day. |
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Ralph's Update
Donations received
42 Households have St. Thomas the Apostle as their charitable contribution for when they shop at Ralph's. For the last Quarter (Dec 1, 2009 to February 28, 2010) those purchases resulted in a contribution of over $249! Since the program began in October 2007 $2,228 has been contributed by Ralph's!
Please register your Ralph's Reward Card with St. Thomas as the Charitable organization on their website (www.ralphs.com). click on "rewards CARD" in the upper right corner of the homepage, under the "Welcome!" sign, click "Sign In / Register", in the "New Customer?" column, click "Sign up today!", fill-in the form, confirm your email address & sign in, after signing in, on the new home page, click "Community Contribution", under "Participant" click "enroll", enter your Ralph's Rewards Card Number, confirm your address, under "Find Your Organization", type "84981", confirm "St. Thomas the Apostle Parish." That's it! Now every purchase you make at Ralph's with your rewards card will benefit St. Thomas. Ralph's does not provide contributions unless the card is present. The bottom of each receipt confirms the contribution. Your friends & family can register too!
Thanks to the following households for purchases this quarter (03/01/2010-05/31/2010):
Bade, Dennis; Cisneros, Efrain; Coogan, Craig; Cummings, Donald; Davies, Ian; Davis, Lloyd; De Muth, Steve; De Richemont, Amelie; Dickson, Scott; Dunham, Ruth; Gaal, George; Gaass, Howard; Grant, Peter; Harland, Andy; Heitz, Jane; Howell, J. Todd; Jackson, Laurence; Johnson, Walter; Kennett, James; Koonce, Ken; Martin, Doris; Miller, Robert; Norcross, Barry; Norwood, Paul; Olman, Carolyn; Peisinger, Joel; Quanbeck, Janice; Rose, Christopher; Rumsey, Charles; Scerba, Tim; Schleif, John; Schmitt, Darrell; Schomburg, Susan; Silva, Sri; Smart, John; Smiljkovich, Anthony; Thanagadan, Thomas; Thomson, Reece; Tracz, Richard Francis; Warren, Joseph; West, Janet; Wildman, David; Williams, Cynthia
(If you are not listed, then you may need to reregister your rewards card and/or show your card at checkout.)
THANK YOU, Thanks to Ralphs...and happy shopping! |
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| Trinity 5
Celebrant 8:00am & 10:30am
Fr. Ian Elliott Davies
Homily 8:00am & 10:30am
Fr. Ian Elliott Davies
Deacon 10:30am
The Rev. Walter S. Johnson
Assistant Organist 10:30am
Thompson Howell
Readings:
2 Kings 5.1-14
Psalm 30
Galatians 6.[1-6] 7-16
Luke 10.1-11, 16-20 |
Homecoming BBQ
Tomorrow Saturday, July 3, 2010 join us in the Rectory Garden for a BBQ 12pm to 3pm. Burgers (beef, turkey, veggie), Hot Dogs, Beans, and other summer treats will be prepared by the Hospitality Committee.
All are welcome! This is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with current and former Parishioners, neighbors and make new friends. Come see the new Sunday School room!
Celebrate the 4th of July, St. Thomas Patronal Weekend with food, fellowship and fun! |
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Movie Night July 16
1776 is the film version of the Broadway musical comedy of the same name. In the days leading up to July 4, 1776, Continental Congressmen John Adams and Benjamin Franklin coerce Thomas Jefferson into writing the Declaration of Independence as a delaying tactic as they try to persuade the American colonies to support a resolution on independence. As George Washington sends depressing messages describing one military disaster after another, the businessmen, landowners and slave holders in Congress all stand in the way of the Declaration, and a single "nay" vote will forever end the question of independence. Large portions of spoken and sung dialog are taken directly from the letters and memoirs of the actual participants.
Join us for the next Parish movie Night! A potluck supper will be served as well in conjunction with the St. Martin's Guild. J. Winford Warren will lead the discussion.
Festibitites begin immediately following the 7pm Mass. |
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. |
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.
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Mother Knows Best
On July 6 in 1535, Sir Thomas More, who had recently resigned as Lord Chancellor of England, was executed for treason. He had sided with the pope against Henry VIII in the matter of the king's divorce. He was sentenced to be hanged, but Henry commuted the sentence to beheading. |
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. |
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