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May 13, 2014
The e-pistle
Your Weekly News Update from St. Stephen's
Join Our Mailing List
In This Issue
Invest 2 May 17
AGO at St. Stephen's
Baptisms
Youth Notes
Bishop Eaton's Consecration
2015 Woman of Valor
Countdown to Sabbatical
Summer Church Schedule
E-pistle summer schedule
Event Calendar
Service Times
Find us on Facebook
 
To The People of St. Stephen's
Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for the wonderful send-off you gave me on Sunday!  Chris and I so appreciate the prayers, the kind notes, and the cake!  And vestry -- a huge THANK YOU for the very generous gift card!  We will enjoy using it.  It is a true privilege to serve such a loving congregation and I very much look forward to our joint church/school Welcome Home Sunday on August 30!

As I said on Sunday, you are being left in the very capable hands of Rev'd Jo-Ann and our senior warden Bob Coulombe (who will actually, per the canons of our church, be in charge in my absence).  Please give them your support and encouragement.  The Rev'd Dave Collins will serve as supply priest during the two Sundays Rev'd Jo-Ann is away.  We will also be seeing more of him at our altar in the fall!

I am still in the office through the end of this week and next, so this isn't my "official" goodbye yet -- just a huge thank you for who you are and all that you do as the St. Stephen's community.  May God bless each and every one of you! 

  

In Christ's love,

Pastor Willie Allen-Faiella

Invest 2 continues Sunday
Pastor Jorge leads discussion    

Invest 2 for adults 
concludes on May 17, this Sunday, with Pastor Jorge Sayago-Gonzalez, SSEDS Chaplain (shown at left with Pr Willie), leading the final installment of the five-week series "Embracing an Alternative Orthodoxy."  This video and discussion series is based on Franciscan Monk Richard Rohr's study of the legacy of St Francis. 

This class meets in the Parish Center.


Reactions to this stimulating class have been immensely positive -- we hope you will join us!  It is not necessary to have participated in the previous classes to benefit from the lively, thought-provoking discussion.

 

American Guild of Organists at St. Stephen's
Co-hosted by our choir on Sunday, May 17, at 4 pm

On Sunday afternoon, May 17 at 4 pm St. Stephen's and choir will host the Miami chapter of the American Guild of Organists in its annual Guild Service. This is an opportunity for church musicians in the area's local churches to come together at the end of the program year for a shared worship experience and installation of officers for the coming year.

In this service, organ works by Max Reger will be performed, our sopranos Rebekah Erdvig and Rebecca Longtemps will sing a duet from a Bach cantata, and the choir will present choral works by Craig Phillips, Leo Sowerby and John Ireland. Everyone is invited to attend, especially St. Stephens members, who will be given the opportunity to share with pride its music program as it is showcased to the greater Miami church music community.  
 
Baptisms
Scheduled for Pentecost, May 24 baptismal font

Our next available date for baptisms is around the corner!  On Pentecost we celebrate the birthday of the Church, which is an especially appropriate time to welcome new members into the Church through the sacrament of Holy Baptism.

If you or someone you know would like to be baptized on May 24, please contact Rev'd Jo-Ann or call the parish office at (305)448-2601.

Our next scheduled baptisms will be on All Saints Day, Sunday, November 1.

 

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Infant and Toddler Nursery, Sunday School, Youth Group, and Children's Chapel Schedule

St. Stephen's Sunday School classes and Sunday morning youth group will meet on all the Sundays in May.  On May 25, the Day of Pentecost, we will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit with a special craft project and a parade.  Children of all ages are welcome.

Children's Chapel will be on recess May 25, 31, July 5, during the month of August, and on Labor Day weekend.  Children are welcome to worship at the 10:30 am Mass with their families.  From June 7 through July 26 our Children's Choir director, Analy Mendez, will offer a casual, relaxed summer music program for children and youth three and older.  "Sing and Rejoice" will meet on Sunday mornings from 10:30 until 11 for music, crafts, and games in the Parish Center.  Stay tuned for additional details.

Our Sunday morning Nursery in the back of the church will be staffed on every Sunday morning in May, June, July, August, and throughout the fall.

We Have a Bishop!
Our Bishop Coadjutor, The Rt Rev'd Peter Eaton   



Anglican/Episcopal bishops from around the world as well as bishops from the churches with whom we are in full communion joined The Most Rev'd Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, in consecrating The Rt Rev'd Peter Eaton as Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Southeast Florida last Saturday.  

 

The consecration service was sumptuous. Kudos to the Transition Committee, Diocesan Staff, and -- especially -- the Dean of our Cathedral, The Very Rev'd Doug McCaleb and his staff for putting together a near flawless ceremony! It will be remembered for many years to come.  St. Stephen's was ably represented by the Rev'd Dave Collins and Kitty Morgan in the choir, Russell Corbett as one of the 13 (!) vergers, as well as Pastor Willie and Rev'd Jo-Ann who were in the procession.

 

Pictured above are several of the 39 consecrating bishops. In the center is Bishop Jefferts Schori with Bishop Eaton on her left and Bishop Frade on her right.  Friends will also recognize The Rt Rev'd Mary Gray Reeves, second from the left in the front row.  Below is a photo of the actual moment of Bishop Eaton's consecration when all the gathered bishops laid hands on him while Bishop Jefferts Schori spoke the words "...and make him a bishop in Your church."

 

 

Valerie May Honored as 2015 Woman of Valor
Continuing our Mothers' Day Tradition    

Valerie ("Val") May has attended St. Stephen's since she was in second grade.  She was a teacher at our day school in its early years.  Her years of loving, devoted service to St. Stephen's include:  singing in the choir, working tirelessly on the Art Show, volunteering for the Homeless Assistance Center from the beginning, and being a founding member of the St. Stephen's AIDS Ministry.


This smiling picture of Val is from this year's Art Show
When asked why she didn't attend the all-volunteer thank you party two weeks ago, Val said she hadn't realized it was going on and besides, she said, "I didn't volunteer for anything."  When Nancy Denton corrected her by pointing out all the things she had volunteered for just this year "Oh, that's fun - I never think of it as volunteering."

And that's one of the reasons she is this year's Woman of Valor, Valerie -- because she does all that she does because it's fun, and because of her deep, abiding love for St. Stephen's.

 

Countdown to Sabbatical 
Pastor Willie's sabbatical blog

Pastor Willie will begin writing in her blog soon.  Watch for an announcement and then please follow her and add your comments on [email protected]

Sabbatical schedule
May 22:     Pr Willie's last day in the office
May 31:     Baccalaureate Sunday
June 3-5:   Province IV meeting, Kanuga NC
June 9- 15:Washington, DC
June 23-July 3:
                 General Convention, Salt Lake City
July 8- August 17:
                 Travel to former Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy
August 25: Pastor Willie's first day back in the office
August 30: Joint Church and School Welcome Home mass 
                 picnic, with Community Brunch
Summer church service schedule
One Sunday service starting June 7

 

Because we generally have lower attendance in summer, we will be combining our two Sunday services into one Eucharist each Sunday, at 10:30 am.  The vestry has considered and approved the temporary measure during this summer sabbatical season.  Our full schedule will resume in September.   

 

If you regularly attend the 8:30 am Eucharist, please consider sleeping in on Sunday mornings this summer and joining us at 10:30 instead. 


E-pistle to arrive every other week
And resuming weekly schedule in August

As usual, the e-pistle will be published every other week throughout the summer, starting June 3, when you will find no e-pistle in your email inbox.  It will arrive every other Wednesday (June 10, June 24, etc.) throughout much of the summer and resume weekly publishing in mid-August.

Upcoming Events
Don't Forget These Dates     

 

reminder

 
Sunday, May 17 - Invest 2 in the Parish Center at 9:30 am

- American Guild or Organists at St. Stephen's, 4 pm 
 
Wednesday, June 3 - No e-pistle today.

At St. Stephen's All Are Welcome 

 
Sundays 
Said Mass at 8 am
Sung Mass with choir at 10:30 am,
with child care for children under three
and Children's Chapel for children seven and under
1st & 3rd Sundays
@Our Table, a dinner church 
 at 5:30 pm (child care available)
Parish Center
 

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 to 5.