Grace Episcopal Church
924 Lake Street
Embracing all to become one with Christ.
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Participants in March 3rd 10:30am Service:
ACOLYTES: Adult Coordinator: Mary Hope Griffin; Tim Edwards, Natalia Reniszewski, Phoenix Sullivan
MC/LEMS: Kary Deuel; Lascelles Anderson, Tony Dobrowolski, Cherryl Holt, Hansi Kess, Joni Klein
LECTORS: TBA
INTERCESSORS: TBA
ALTAR GUILD: Joan Anderson, Heather Bovell, Carol Dorsey, Flora Green, Hansi Kess, Kathy Onayemi, Al Papillon, Willie Polite, Sally Prescott, Natalie Ratz, Marie Rock, Jane Shirley, Mary Ann Urbashich
BREAD BAKER: The Griffin-Thomason family
USHERS: James Redden, Linda Reynes, Flemming Bovell, Jim Groll
GREETERS: Paul & Cathy O'Kelly, Heather Bovell
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS: 9:00am: The Bailey/Short family
10:30am: DeLacy & Ted Sarantos
Participants in March 10th 10:30am Service:
ACOLYTES: Adult Coordinator: MaryPat Mauro; Carter Hartzell, Natalia Reniszewski, Joe Ratz, Jack Ratz, Phoenix Sullivan
MC/LEMS: Cyndy Reynolds; Barbara Larsen, Charlie MacDougall, Karen Mensch
LECTORS: TBA
INTERCESSORS: TBA
ALTAR GUILD: Joan Anderson, Heather Bovell, Carol Dorsey, Flora Green, Hansi Kess, Kathy Onayemi, Al Papillon, Willie Polite, Sally Prescott, Natalie Ratz, Marie Rock, Jane Shirley, Mary Ann Urbashich
BREAD BAKER: The Griffin-Thomason family
USHERS: Adrienne Gervais, Gloria Rayburn, Wendell Rayburn
GREETERS: Flora Green, Emily Costello, Sarah Hunt, DeLacy Sarantos, Judith Hanna
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS: 9:00am: The Stein family
10:30am: Steve Fanning, Marcia Pavlou, Fred Barnett
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From the Rector
 Walking the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral is definitely a walk in time. I remember taking off my shoes so that I could feel even closer to the history (many stares came my way). I found myself wondering about the many people that had been there and those yet to come.
My hotel room was basically on the grounds of the cathedral, so every night I could turn off my lights to the glow of that magnificent structure.
 
Yesterday, during the snow storm, I took the two photos above. As I was looking at them, I remembered my time at the cathedral in Canterbury. It occurred to me that there are many nights that I can look out the windows of the rectory and see a magnificent structure called, 'Grace'. Unlike many of my glances here, the glances in England did not come with the thoughts of, "How are we going to pay for the upkeep?"
On the other hand, why not give the same look to Grace that is so often given to Canterbury?
What if we all could take a little time to gaze at Grace from the inside and out? What if we each take the time to think of who has been here and who will be here? We could also simply take a moment to thank God for entrusting us with a spiritual home that draws many to the splendor of the people and building and God.
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Memorial Service for Grace Auer
There will be a memorial service for Grace Auer on Wednesday, March 6 at Grace Church.
10:30AM - Greet the family
11:00AM - Memorial Eucharist, followed by interment in the Memorial Garden
12:15PM - Reception in Parish Hall
We need some volunteers for the reception. If you can assist, please contact Shawn.
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One Book, One Diocese
Help, Thanks, Wow
 Once again this year, Bishop Lee is leading an online book discussion during Lent. This year's book is Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott.
The book is available in stores, online, and in Kindle, iBook, and audio formats.
Watch the bishop discuss the book in videos:
Join the conversation on the blog at each page below the video. |
Holy Women and Men
For the next several weeks, we will be commemorating a holy woman or man in the Prayers of the People at the 10:30 liturgy. Since some of these saints are not well known, we'll be including brief biographies of them in e-Items. This week we will be remembering Frances Joseph Gaudet:
Frances Joseph Gaudet, 1861 - 1934
Frances was born in a log cabin in Holmesville, Mississippi, in 1861, of African American and Native American descent. Raised by her grandparents, she later went to live with a brother in New Orleans where she attended school and Straight College.
While still a young woman, Gaudet dedicated her life to prison reform. In 1894, she began holding prayer meetings for Black prisoners. She wrote letters for them, delivered messages, and found them clothing. Later, she extended this ministry to white prisoners as well. Her dedication to the imprisoned and to penal reform won her the respect of prison officials, city authorities, the governor of Louisiana, and the Prison Reform Association.
In 1900 she was a delegate to the international convention of the Women's Christian Temperance Union in Edinburgh, Scotland. Gaudet worked to rehabilitate young Blacks arrested for misdemeanors or vagrancy, becoming the first woman to support young offenders in Louisiana. Her efforts helped to found the Juvenile Court.
Deeply committed to the provision of good education, she eventually purchased a farm and founded the Gaudet Normal and Industrial School. Eventually, it expanded to over 105 acres with numerous buildings, and also served as a boarding school for children with working mothers. Gaudet served as its principal until 1921, when she donated the institution to the Episcopal Church in Louisiana. Though it closed in 1950, the Gaudet Episcopal Home opened in the same location four years later to serve African American children aged four to 16.
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Seeking Easter Flower Donations
 If you would like to donate toward Easter Flowers, in memory or thanksgiving, you may do so securely online by clicking the button below: Or, click here for a form to submit with your donation. All forms must be received by Sunday, March 24, 2013, for acknowledgment to appear in the Easter bulletins. Thank you! |
A Benedictine Experience
The Everlasting Way: A meditation on Psalm 139 from Women's Inspirational Daily Prayer by Suzanne Haraburd Tuesday, March 5th, 7 to 9 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church, 924 Lake Street, Oak Park, Illinois All are welcome. There is no fee and reservations are not necessary. Join us for a Benedictine experience beginning with a soup supper in the Parish Hall, and ending with Vespers in the Church.
Listen, listen to me, and you will have good things to eat and rich food to enjoy. Pay attention, come to me; listen, and your soul will live. -Isaiah 55:2-3
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Jack Shea is Coming to Grace Church
Listening Once Again: Holy Week as Spiritual Wisdom
with Jack Shea
Saturday, March 23, 2013
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Holy Week, the culmination of Lent, offers us another chance to ponder the stories of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But we have heard them many times. Despite our best efforts, they suffer from familiarity. However, if we could learn to hear them as stories of spiritual wisdom, they will reveal our true spiritual condition and inspire and transform our lives. We will revisit these familiar stories in an unfamiliar way in preparation to participate in Holy Week.
Get more information, and purchase tickets ($20 in advance; $25 at the door) at this link. |
Seeking Donations for New Tables
 Thanks in no small part to being motivated by the Outreach Committee, who voted to authorize $1,000 from PADS fundraisers to go toward the purchase of new tables used to serve meals to our PADS guests, we now have a total of 12 tables to replace the badly damaged round tables in the Parish Hall. Because the old tables were on their last legs, it made sense to replace them all at once; we realized significant savings by purchasing by the case. However, because the money voted by the Outreach committee only covers a portion of the total expense, we are asking people to consider donating toward the cost of a table. Each table cost $204. If you'd like to make a contribution toward this project, please write Tables for Parish Hall in the memo line of your check and mail it to us at: Grace Episcopal Church
ATTN: Douglas VanHouten
924 Lake Street
Oak Park, IL 60301
Or click below to donate online: |
Upcoming Events
| Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | | Wednesday Morning Eucharist | 7:00 AM | | Breakfast with the Rector | 8:00 AM | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Kitchen Reserved for PADS Cooking | 3:00 PM | | Schola Rehearsal | 3:30 PM | | Handel Week Chorus Rehearsal | 6:00 PM | | St. Giles Catechesis (JC) | 6:00 PM | | St. Giles Catechesis (MC) | 6:00 PM | | Grace Staffs PADS Shelter | 6:30 PM | | PADS Overnight Shelter | 7:30 PM | | Thursday, February 28, 2013 | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Handel Week Rehearsal | 1:30 PM | | Voice Lessons | 2:00 PM | | Evensong | 6:00 PM | | SAA 12-Step Group | 7:00 PM | | Sight-Reading Club | 7:00 PM | | Adult Choir Practice | 7:30 PM | | Friday, March 01, 2013 | | Rector's Day Off | | | Early Birds' Boot Camp | 6:00 AM | | SLAA/SAA 12-Step Workshop | 9:05 AM | | Saturday, March 02, 2013 | | Handel Week Rehearsal | 9:00 AM | | St. Giles Catechesis (LH) | 9:00 AM | | St. Giles Catechesis (MC) | 9:00 AM | | Voice Lessons | 9:00 AM | | SLAA 12-Step Group | 9:30 AM | | Chess Group | 11:00 AM | | Sunday, March 03, 2013 | | Catechesis Does Not Meet Today | | | The Rite Place - A service for the child in us all | 9:00 AM | | Coffee Hour | 9:30 AM | | Sung Choral Eucharist | 10:30 AM | | Coffee Hour | 11:45 AM | | Rite 13 | 12:00 PM | | Handel Week Concert | 3:00 PM | | Madrigal Rehearsal | 3:30 PM | | SLAA 12-Step Group | 7:15 PM | | AA 12-Step Group | 8:30 PM | | Monday, March 04, 2013 | | Early Birds' Boot Camp | 6:00 AM | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Voice Lessons | 2:00 PM | | EfM (Education for Ministry) | 7:00 PM | | St. Giles / Grace Catechesis Level Meeting | 7:15 PM | | Tuesday, March 05, 2013 | | Early Birds' Boot Camp | 6:00 AM | | St. Giles Catechesis (LH) | 4:00 PM | | St. Giles Catechesis (MC) | 4:00 PM | | St. Giles Catechesis (JC) | 6:00 PM | | Evening of Prayer for Lent | 7:00 PM | | SLAA 12-Step Group | 7:00 PM | | Wednesday, March 06, 2013 | | Wednesday Morning Eucharist | 7:00 AM | | Breakfast with the Rector | 8:00 AM | | SLAA/SAA Meeting | 9:00 AM | | Memorial Service & Interment - Grace Auer | 11:00 AM | | Oak Park Deanery Meeting | 1:00 PM | | Schola Rehearsal | 3:30 PM | | St. Giles Catechesis (JC) | 6:00 PM | | St. Giles Catechesis (MC) | 6:00 PM | | PADS Overnight Shelter | 7:30 PM |
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Our Mission:
Grace Church seeks to bring God's love and Christ's teaching to all people, to become a passionately involved, intentional Christian community, to support the spiritual journey of each person, and to work toward reconciliation, peace, and justice in our world.
Our Core Values: -Reach out to support our neighbors locally and worldwide as we seek to obey God's command to love our neighbors as ourselves.
-Encourage and support spiritual growth in all people while respecting that each person is at a different point in his or her spiritual journey.
-Work to be ever more present to and caring for each member of the Grace community and to be fully welcoming to all who enter Grace's doors.
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