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Summer: That season of which school age children yearn. That season parents have mixed feelings about. That season in which every church experiences "lulls" in activities and attendance. Mind you, these lulls of which I speak are expected. Planned programming needs to take a break in order to let leaders get some down time and prepare for the fall season. As for attendance, well, that's normal, too. People take vacations. Who am I to begrudge anyone some time away to relax and take in some summer sun and fun? Yet, as normal and expected as this may be, it is, on a personal note, disappointing. You see, I love seeing my sisters and brothers in church. I love being at our St. Nicholas with the rest of my church family. The simple truth -- which should come as no surprise -- is that I love you all, my St. Nicholas family, my dear sisters and brothers. I assure you, there are few things more depressing than a church that is void of people in worship. Of course, a closed church is far worse. Thank the Good Lord St. Nicholas is alive and well and making wonderful things happen. Could things and times be better? Well, of course. But, we embrace what is and we pray individually and collectively as we work and strive to be and do better. This is OUR church. The doors are open to us and all God's people to come, worship and be part of a family of believers that loves and cherishes one another as we love and cherish our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, our Most Holy Redeemer.
Remember...we're here and we'll continue to worship and give praise to God Almighty. We'll be here at 4:30pm come Saturday afternoons. We'll be here at 10am come Sunday mornings. On occasion, we'll have some said services (no music) both Saturday and Sunday. Our service (also called the worship, the Holy Eucharist and the Mass) will be slightly altered, too. The choir will be on a well-deserved hiatus. There is the real possibility that I will opt for a period of meditation rather than a Sermon (or homily), along with question and answer sessions and of course, our 3rd Weekend Varied Voices and Healing Ministry. There is work that needs tending to; bathrooms will need some attention, along with carpets that will need vacuuming, windows that will need cleaning and wood that will need some dusting and polishing. Our gardens need constant care, too, darn those nasty and persistent weeds which need to be dug up and disposed of. Remember, we'll be marching in the Village Parade on Saturday, June 18th at 5pm. Get your blue St. Nicholas tee-shirt on and step lively. There's the Little Boots Rodeo on the weekend of June 25 and 26. We'll certainly need volunteers to staff our Pennies in the Corn booth. If you've not experienced it, well, you've got to come and see/feel/taste for yourself. Our parish picnic is Saturday, July 16th gathering around 11am and concluding with an outdoor service at 4:30 (weather permitting.) The granddaddy of parish events is our St. Nick's Knacks Rummage Sale on August 19 and 20. We begin getting things done the week before. This is an "all hands on deck" call, as we need as many folks as possible to help out. And yes, our younger members are more than welcome to help us out, too. There you have it. Well, a mere sampling of what's coming up. We can all be part of this by simply being present. If you're in town, please be part of these activities and share your time with your church family and friends.
To help us remember all these and other events, a "Here's What's Coming Up at St. Nicholas" calendar has been made available for our convenience. Post it on the fridge or bulletin board. Write these dates down on your own calendar, put them on your phone, whatever it takes for us to be at the ready and willing to be part of these church activities. Remember; we are only as strong as we are united.
So, enjoy the vacations we all so deservedly need. Grab the time we can get and make the best of it. Soak in the sun (sunscreen, hats on our heads and drink plenty of water, please) and be careful on the roadways, on the lakes and rivers. And remember: pray for St. Nicholas Church. Pray for our church community, especially those who may be in need or want. Pray for our well-being, our success and our future. "The Lord is my strength and my shield; in God my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to God." (-Psalm 28:7). Indeed, we are loved and protected by God the Creator. In Jesus we find our peace and joy. The Holy Spirit guides and directs us. And to one another, we are a true blessing, friend and confidante. Happy summer to one and all. Let's make it safe, secure and a joyful time indeed.
Amen.
-Manny
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Fr. Scott Barron will be our guest
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 This Sunday, June 5th at our 10am worship service, we welcome back to St. Nicholas our good friend Fr. Scott Barron. Manny will be guest preacher at Prince of Peace Methodist Church here in the Village. |
Let's celebrate the whole month long
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 The master chef at the barbeque, the one who in spite of being tired will still walk the dog, take out the garbage and maybe even do the dishes...maybe. Regardless, June is for fathers, our dads, and at St. Nicholas, we shall celebrate them the month long. Please bring a picture of your dad and place it on the back altar. We shall offer prayers of thanksgiving and blessings to all our dads, those with us and those who have gone to their heavenly reward. Through the intercession of St. Joseph, patron saint of fathers, may blessings and grace be upon our fathers, now and forever. Amen. |
To an "anonymous friend" of St. Nicholas who made it possible for us to receive a $2,000.00 gift. The donation will be divided in two; half going toward paying off the loan to the Diocese and half going into our Memorial Fund. Thank you, our dear "anonymous friend."
To our Pantry Pony Express Bob Kalicki and Gary Lackey who braved the heat and traffic and brought back almost 80 cases of food. The shelves are much happier when they are filled. Great work, gentlemen.
To our good friend Jim McQuade who came early and stayed late at church in order to organize, sort through, place on shelves and box up the extras the almost 80 cases of food brought in. Talk about selfless dedication! Two thumbs up, Jim.
To our Fran Begonja who pitched in and helped out in the garden...thank you so much. We could certainly use more hands in our gardens helping pull up weeds and taking care of things. All are welcome, inside and outside of St. Nicholas Church.
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Elk Grove Farmer's Market is Back
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First weekend grand opening is Saturday, June 4th
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From our dear friend Connie Groat:
I am so excited to see all our friends again at our market. We are  dedicated to bringing you the best farmer's market in the suburbs and have planned special activities and awareness days, too.
We encourage you to visit our Facebook page to see weekly pictures and listing of activities.
The Elk Grove Farmer's Market is located in the prime location of the Municipal Parking lot by the Elk Grove Clock Tower at 901 Wellington Avenue. The market is conveniently located near Amita (Alexian Brothers Medical Center), the Pavilion Fitness and Recreational Center, the local Splash Park and the Public Library. Hours for the market are 7:30am - 1pm.
Please keep in mind that not all fruits and vegetables will be available on the first day of the market, as not all fruits and vegetables mature at the same time.
Fred the Knife Sharpener be at the Market on Saturday, June 18th.
Take care and see you soon!
-Connie Groat
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St. Nick, St. Nick, How Does Your Garden Click?
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With help from our church family!
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 Summer fun has begun. Everyone has plans and excitement is building. Yet, our beautiful St. Nicholas Gardens still need plenty of T.L.C. on a consistent basis. If you're in the neighborhood or even after one of the weekend liturgies, consider sticking around and pulling out some weeds or doing some pruning or edging. Not much experience? Not to fear. What is needed most is some time and consideration which goes a very long way. Also, please bring your empty, plastic gallon containers to church so we can use them for watering the gardens. Please connect with Connie Nicholson, Bob Kalicki or Manny for additional information. All are welcome to help out. |
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Remember St. Nicholas before you click...
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The Community of St. Nicholas is praying
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For all fathers: Pray that the Lord bless these wonderful men with the Creator's grace and peace as we celebrate the many wonders they share with us, here on earth and from their heavenly home. 
For our sisters and brothers of Church of the Advent: Pray in thanksgiving for the 115 years of ministry and service provided for so many and for her community members as they begin the search for another church of which to be part.
For the children of our cities that are all too often the victims of gang violence, drug wars and just plain hatred. Pray for peace and and end to all this nonsense and destructive behavior.
For the repose of the soul of Mrs. Arlene Lora Hoogstraat, mother of our friend and former member Kurt Hoogstraat. May her soul be welcomed to Paradise and may Light Perpetual shine upon her. Amen.
For our friend and former church member Charles Paris who has been diagnosed with Epilepsy. Pray for Charles' well being and that his illness is controlled with success.
For members of our Support Groups that call St. Nicholas their home: Pray that in their day to day efforts, they find much happiness, peace and encouragement to succeed.
For Melissa, stepdaughter to our Cyndi DeBock. Melissa is fighting metastatic cancer which has returned at the age of 27. Her sister-in-law has set up a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses. Click here if you'd like to donate. For all our St. Nicholas community members who are under the weather and in need of healing and prayers: may they find peace and be blessed with sound and better health: Anna Marie, Melissa Beck, Michelle Miller, Eloy Madrigal, Courtney Marsh, Amanda and Alex, Ruth, Grandma Shirley, Phyllis Whitmer, Leon Stiles, Cora Lopez, Eddie Albers, Dick McQuade, Rosario de Vazquez, Rosarini Vazquez, Nora Pun, Carolyn Drolen, Mindy Golden, Tess Setchell, Julie Suess, Katie, Elaine and Barry Malas, Susan Lackey, Marcia Kizior, Kesha, Eunice Dohra, Bernie, Ron, Dale Rickey, Grant MacDonald, and any one else in need of our continued prayers and well wishes.
*** "Pray for my family to find peace."
*** "Pray for K.C., 30 year old with Stage 4 colon cancer which has
metastasized to his liver"
Please let Fr. Manny know the current condition of those for whom we are praying and if we wish to keep their names on the prayer list. Thank you.
(***written prayer requests)
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This Week at St. Nicholas
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As a reminder, the full master calendar is always available online at this link. Here is the schedule for the next week: |
| Wednesday, June 1, 2016 | | AA Meeting | 12:00 PM | | Food Pantry | 4:00 PM | | Al-Anon Meeting | 7:30 PM |
Thursday, June 2, 2016 | | AA Meeting | 12:00 PM | | GA Meeting | 7:30 PM |
Friday, June 3, 2016 | | Vicar's Day Off | | | AA Meeting | 12:00 PM |
Saturday, June 4, 2016 | | The Principled Group | 7:30 AM | | AA Meeting | 1:00 PM | | Worship Service | 4:30 PM | | AA Meeting | 7:00 PM |
Sunday, June 5, 2016 | | Worship Service with Scott Barron as guest presider & preacher | 10:00 AM | | Adult Bible Study | 11:30 AM | | AA Meeting | 7:30 PM |
Monday, June 6, 2016 | | AA Meeting | 12:00 PM | | AA Meeting | 7:00 PM |
Tuesday, June 7, 2016 | | Vicar's Day Off | | | AA Meeting | 12:00 PM | | AA Meeting | 7:00 PM |
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 | | AA Meeting | 12:00 PM | | Al-Anon Meeting | 7:30 PM |
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