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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.
St. Thomas has a great respect for both the rich liturgical heritage of the church and for living the message of social justice proclaimed by Jesus Christ. Whether you are young or old, gay or straight, single, married or in a relationship, female or male, poor or wealthy, you are welcome at St. Thomas just as you are...a child of God and an inheritor of God's grace. |
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Sermons
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To view more sermons, go to our
St. Thomas YouTube page!!!
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St. Thomas Candidates for Holy Orders
On Saturday, 8 June at 10am at St. John's Pro Cathedral (514 W. Adams Blvd.) by the grace of God, the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Bishop of Los Angeles, will ordain Shireen Ruth Baker and Steven Herbert De Muth to the Sacred Order of Deacons in Christ's One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. All are invited!
On Sunday, 9 June, newly ordained Shireen Ruth Baker will Deacon the 10:30am High Mass and preach.
For those wishing to make gifts to our soon-to-be Deacons, St. Thomas Parish is collecting money in its Seminarian Fund to be divided evenly between Shireen and Steve. This fund will allow them to make purchases of holy garments and other items necessary for their ministry. Please make your check payable to "St. Thomas the Apostle" and write "Seminarian Fund" in the memo section. A list of donors will be provided to both Shrieen and Steve. |
Congregational Meetings
In the December 2, 2011 e-Newsletter, the Vestry announced the launch of the Organ Project whose goal was to rebuild, and potentially upgrade, the St. Thomas Organ. As many will recall, the St. Thomas Organ was built between 1988 and 1990 and was, in many respects, a memorial to the dozens of parishioners affected by AIDS during the 1980's - a number of whom are interred in the walls of our Church. However, because the Organ was constructed using mostly used and recycled parts, it was given a "life expectancy" of 10 to 15 years before it would need to be rebuilt. After lasting more than 20 years, the Vestry finally decided to shut the Organ down in late 2011 for safety reasons. For the first six months of 2012, St. Thomas relied on a piano to accompany the Choir during the Sunday High Mass.
After several months with a piano, the Vestry retained the original builder of the St. Thomas Organ, Weston Harris, to see if he could create an "Interim Organ" so that at least a portion of the Organ could be safely used during the Sunday High Mass. Fortunately, Mr. Harris was able to effectuate temporary repairs which now allow approximately one-third of the St. Thomas Organ to be used. While the "Interim Organ" is a temporary solution and supports basic congregational singing, it is not a substitute for the complete Organ rebuild that was announced in 2011, but should have been completed years ago. Accordingly, with the support and approval of the Diocese, St. Thomas has applied for a construction line of credit (secured by its property) that will help fund the Organ Project. Also, after a lengthy investigation and bidding process, St. Thomas has hired Mr. Harris to rebuild and upgrade the St. Thomas Organ.
Besides the Organ Project, the Vestry is considering embarking on a number of other projects, some of which have been previously considered, but delayed for many years. These additional projects under consideration include: Re-leading of the stained glass windows in the main Church:
- Completion of the masonry detail on the exterior of the main Church
- Implementing the existing plan for enclosing the Courtyard with decorative wrought iron gates that compliment the main Church
- Air conditioning/heating for the main Church
- Upgrading video equipment to expand the St. Thomas Video Ministry
To help determine the feasibility of moving forward with some or all of these projects, the Vestry has retained an experienced church consultant, Richard Felton, who will help guide St. Thomas through the process of determining how best to proceed. To that end, the Vestry is organizing a Parish meeting to: (1) provide information regarding the potential projects referenced above to the Parish; and (2) obtain input from the Parish regarding these projects. To ensure the greatest possible participation in the meeting, there will be two opportunities for parishioners to meet and discuss the projects referenced above. The first opportunity will be on:
Sunday June 16, 2013 - immediately following the Low Mass
Parishioners will then have a second opportunity to meet and discuss the projects listed above on:
Sunday June 23, 2013 - immediately following the High Mass
Parishioners are encouraged to attend at least one of these meetings, but are welcome to attend both. If you have any questions regarding the Organ Project, the additional projects listed above, or the upcoming Parish meetings, please see any member of the Vestry.
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St. Martin's Guild
On Saturday, 22 June, the St. Martin's Guild returns to Catalina Island! This has been an incredible, fun-filled trip in the past. Place this date on your calendar. More information will be available in the coming weeks. |
Coming Soon to a Jury Near You!
On 15 May, Fr. Davies passed the Citizenship test! After 11 years and as the fourth-longest serving (thus far) Rector in our Parish's history, Fr. Davies began five months of paperwork, interviews, and study. The final step of swearing in will take place after Fr. Davies returns from celebrating his parents' 50th wedding anniversary and mother's 70th birthday in Wales (24 June - 4 July).
Fr. Davies and the Wardens and Vestry of St. Thomas are extremely grateful to Nikki Jacobson and Jenna Gilbert of Jacobson & Han (www.jacobsonhan.com) who successfully guided Fr. Davies through the citizenship process pro bono. Jacobson & Han is a downtown-based law firm that specializes in immigration law and workers' compensation law.
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Gay Pride
Help Saint Thomas and the Diocese create a strong presence at this year's LA Pride!
We need your help! Show your support for the efforts of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles as we spread the good word at LA Pride: GOD LOVES YOU AND WE LOVE YOU. By purchasing a shirt designed by the diocese and manufactured by American Apparel, you are helping to show that our presence is powerful, and the healing it provides should not be underestimated.
Why is it important to donate and participate to this particular effort? There are many reasons. First, this may be the only positive interaction with the church that the attendees have all year. Second, we need to let them know that they are welcome to join our community, no hiding or shame necessary. And third, we need to show everyone that we can have some fun, and are relevant in the 21st century!
Let us continue our support with the LGBT Community - "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You! Come as You Are."
Shirts are $20.00 and all sizes are available. Shirts may be purchased through David Silvas following the 10:30 High Mass, or they may be ordered by CLICKING HERE.
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Trinity Sunday
Lections
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Psalm 8
Romans 5:1-5
St. John 16:12-15
Celebrant & Preacher
Fr. Ian Elliott Davies
Deacon
Choir Master
Mr. James Keltner
Organist
Mr. Jeffrey Parola
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Roger Haarmeyer, RIP
Longtime Parishioners will be saddened to learn that Roger Haarmeyer, an active member of this Parish during Fr. Barbour's Rectorship, died on 15 April in Palm Springs. Roger served the Parish in many capacities, including that of People's Warden. The Parish of St. Thomas will remember Roger at the Latin Vigil Mass on Saturday, 25 May accompanied by the LASchola.
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St. Thomas Family Follies
Calling all singers, dancers, actors, instrumentalists, jugglers, comedians, etc. The first annual Family Follies is looking for all interested Parishioners who want to share their talents with the rest of the church on the fun-filled evening of Saturday, 29 June at 7pm. All ages are welcome! No talent too small! Contact Jim Keltner for more information. Do not hide your talents under a bush! |
St. Thomas Ministry Fair
Thank you to all who participated in our Annual Ministry Fair last week. Whether you were involved in the planning, setup up, attendance or take-down process, your participation is greatly appreciated. The level of participation at St. Thomas is quite strong and has been for many years. Several groups reported many new additions to their ranks. For those of you who may still be thinking about joining one or more of our ministries at St. Thomas, there are ministry listings at the rear of the church with information for you. Participation is available at all times of the year, not just during the Ministry Fair.
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High Mass Coffee Hour
Coffee Hour sponsors are needed throughout the year! Sponsoring is easy! It can be as simple as donating $40 and we'll do all the shopping and setting up for you, or CLICK HERE for simple instructions on how to do it yourself.
If you are interested in sponsoring a Coffee Hour, please sign up on the sheet in the Large Parish Hall bulletin board or contact the Parish Office!
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On This Day in
Christian History
On this day in 1844, Samuel Morse sent the first long-distance telegraph message: "What hath God wrought."
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Please join us for many Parish activities. Here's a sampling of upcoming events - a full list is available online
25 May @ 7:30am
Homeless Feeding & Outreach
25 May @ 5:00pm
LASchola sings the Mass
27 May
Parish Office Closed
Homeless Feeding & Outreach
15 June @ 10:30am
Newcomer Orientation Series
19 June @ 7:30pm Vestry Meeting
24 June @ 9:30am
County-USC AIDS Clinic Feeding Program
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Parking at St. Thomas
Regardless of what the signs read, parking on Gardner Street is now allowed on Sundays unrestricted between 7am and 1pm. There is no two-hour time limit! If you receive a ticket, please turn it in to the Parish Office.
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ePrayer 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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