News from St. Francis Episcopal Church

Little Portion

February 2013

Shrove Tuesday Supper: Tuesday, February 12

5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Shrove Tuesday is the designation in English-speaking countries for the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the forty-day season of fasting and prayer we call Lent. The word shrove is the past tense of the English verb shrive, which means "to obtain absolution, to confess one's sins, to do penance." The popular celebratory aspects of this day are also seen in Carnival and Mardi Gras. In the United Kingdom the day is often known as Pancake Day, because it offers one last chance to feast on foods made with ingredients such as sugar, fat and eggs, the consumption of which is generally restricted or limited during Lent.

At St. Francis this year we will combine pancakes of Shrove Tuesday with Jambalaya (from the Cajun version of Mardi Gras) at a supper from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. You can choose to reserve a meal of either pancakes and sausage at a cost of $5.00 OR jambalaya and salad at a cost of $8:00. Tickets are also available at the door, but at an increased cost of $6.00 and $10.00.

Ash Wednesday falls this year on February 13, and the forty-day journey of Lent begins.

Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes

7:00 a.m., 4:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m.

"Dear people of God: the first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became a custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting..." (BCP 264, "Ash Wednesday")

As has become our custom, members of the parish will be writing daily devotions throughout the Lenten Season that will be available on-line. If you are interested in writing one of these devotions, please let Cynthia McIntyre know as soon as possible. mcintyre.c@comcast.net

Lenten Soup Suppers

Wednesdays in February (20, 27) and in March (6, 13, 20) at 6:00 p.m. Please see the sign-up sheet in the narthex. If you would be willing to provide soup for one of the evenings please see the sign-up sheet for that as well.

A Message from the Rector: Change

Do you all know that old light bulb joke about how many Episcopalians it takes to change a light bulb?

Change? Did someone say change? My grandmother donated that light bulb!

Some of us embrace change. I think we are just constituted that way, always looking for the next adventure. Others of us dig in and resist change: we are a people of steady habits. But most of us, I've found, are some mix of both. It just depends.

Someone recently pointed out to me that the right Darwinian lesson is not (as is commonly stated) "survival of the fittest" but rather "survival of those who can best adapt to change." Think about what that means for your own spiritual journey as individuals and as a community of faith, as you embrace the next chapter in a still unfolding story.

Since announcing that I will be leaving St. Francis at the end of May to serve on the bishop's staff, many of the comments I have been getting in person and by email go something like this: "good for you, sad for us."

But for what it is worth, I think it is more complex than that. Recently I sat with our amazing youth and they asked me, as kids are prone to do, how I made this decision. As I tried to share with them, it was not easy or obvious. I saw no cloud in the heavens and heard no voice. We use words like discernment in the Church but the truth is that the process of discernment includes much conversation and prayer and a lot of back and forth. In the end, I told the kids (as I had previously told the vestry) that the "safe thing" for me would have been to have continued to do work that I absolutely love, that I believe suits me, and that feels kind of settled. I could have "discerned" a call to stay put.

And yet in the end that didn't sit right. I can only describe it as the "lure of the Holy Spirit" to say that while I could have been happy with that outcome, for sure-because it would have been a continuation of a known present-it felt as if I was being called to embrace a change into an unknown future by allowing God to do a new thing in and through me. I have compared this with the way that I felt when I agreed to come to Holden fifteen years ago: both hopeful and nervous at the same time. When I sought the counsel of some colleagues who know me well, and asked them pointblank whether or not they thought I could do the work the bishop was asking me to do, they encouraged me to say yes. They said I was ready for it because of what I have learned in Holden. And I think that too. Even so, what this means is that it is both sad and good for me as I prepare for this change.

And I think the same is equally true for St. Francis Church. I think of St. Paul, writing to the Christians in Corinth and reminding them that they do not belong to him (or to Apollos) but to Jesus Christ. (See First Corinthians 3.) He reminds them that one waters and another plants; but it is God who gives the growth. He then moves on to a building metaphor, telling them that he is like a builder and others will build on the work he has done, but there is only one foundation and that is Jesus Christ.

We have built much together that is good and holy and true. But that was built on the work that others before us had done-both clergy and laity together. And there remains work for others who will follow me (and eventually all of you) to do as well. In the moment, the primary emotion for many may be sadness - and that emotion is real. Yet I believe that in time it will be clear (maybe only in looking back) that the Holy Spirit has even greater things in store for St. Francis Church. All of which is to say this: I think it is both sad and good for you too.

While Episcopalians tend to resist change, Jesus keeps inviting us into a life of radical transformation. The Christian journey is about being born and dying, being born and dying, being born and dying, being born and dying. It is about losing ourselves and finding ourselves again; and then losing ourselves again to find ourselves. This may sound like a vicious circle, but I don't mean it that way. It is cyclical like the four seasons are. It's more like a diving deeper into the same reality until we learn deep in our bones that winter gives way to spring and summer to fall, and then it repeats. And then it repeats.

All of this, of course, takes us back to our core story: the cross and the empty tomb; death and resurrection. Not only do our own lives follow this pattern that Jesus modeled, but the life of congregations follows this same path, taking us more and more deeply into the paschal mystery.

Change? Did someone say change? Yes indeed! Jesus did. Jesus invited us to be transformed more and more into his likeness. What he did not ever say is that it would be easy.

With great affection,

Rich

From Your Wardens

As you know by now, in January Rich announced first to the vestry and then to the parish that he has accepted a position on the Bishop's staff effective June 1, 2013. His last Sunday with us will be on Pentecost, May 19. We are working on a transition plan and want to keep you all informed as we learn more about next steps for us as a parish, and as we say goodbye to Rich. Here is where we are in that process:

The vestry will meet with Ed Farrell, who is the Diocesan Deployment Officer, on Saturday, February 2. He will outline for us the process that lies ahead. Our hope is that Karen Safstrom, our associate rector, will be with us during the transition and, as her schedule allows, will be our celebrant and preacher. We will also use "supply priests" during the summer as we would if Rich was away on vacation or Sabbatical. The first step in the transition process will be to hire an interim rector whom we hope to have in place by the fall 2013. Ultimately it is the responsibility of the wardens and the vestry, in consultation with the Bishop, to extend a call to our next rector. However, prior to that, the work that lies ahead will be to develop a parish profile, enter a search process and ultimately help a new rector transition into our congregation. All of this work will take time.

We have already been approached by numerous persons interested in serving on the Search Committee. That energy and commitment is encouraging to us! Once we meet with Ed Farrell and sometime after our February Vestry Meeting we'll outline the discernment process for doing this work. Please know that our goal will be the same as it is on vestry - to be sure we include young and old, male and female, people who worship at 5 and 8 and 10, etc.

A this point we have a sense of direction, but are working on details. We have time, and the work of the next few months will be primarily to say goodbye and thank you to Rich and his family. As we look beyond that, and begin to flesh out the details of what lies ahead, you will be hearing much more from us. In the meantime we ask for your prayers and support through this transitional time.

We invite you to contact us with your questions and comments.

Craig Stanovich, Senior Warden

cstanovich@austinstanovich.com

Home Phone 508-829-5838

Beverly Giarusso, Junior Warden

bgiarusso@verizon.net

Home Phone 508-835-3580

2013 St. Francis Leadership

Officers

Senior Warden ~ Craig Stanovich

Junior Warden ~ Bev Giarusso

Treasurer ~ Roz Glanville

Clerk ~ Dawn Rooke

Vestry

Brian Gemborys, Linda Letourneau, Mary Jude Pigsley,

Gino Polletta, Laurie Sanchez, Ann Scannell,

Wayne Switzer, Marge Tremblay, Richard Welch

Youth Representative

Jacqueline Galvinhill

Diocesan Convention

Dick Delorme, Kathleen O'Connor, Dawn Rooke

Jacqueline Galvinhill, Youth Delegate

Memorial Garden Committee

Kathleen O'Connor, Jennifer Stanovich,

Dianne Thibeault

Committee Chairpersons

Finance ~ David Simmons

Mission/Outreach ~ Kathy Diehl/Dick Welch

Newcomers ~ Melanie Amaral

Property ~ Doug Rayworth

Stewardship ~ Laura Caswell

Annual Meeting booklets are available on the table in the narthex.

Click here to read the Rector's 15th Annual Address.

Youth Group

Jesus loves us!!! This was the caption that went up with the above photo on the Youth Group Facebook page on Jan. 13th. It was inspired by Rich's sermon earlier that morning in which he mentioned putting a post-it note on your head saying "Jesus loves me" to help remind us that we are loved. J2A decided to take Rich up on this suggestion after a group discussion on what the upcoming transition for St. Francis would look like.

So why am I sharing this fun picture and cute story with all of you? I wanted to share with you the story I shared with our youth on Jan. 13th that led up to us putting post-it notes on our head. Perhaps my story may help ease your anxiety during this transition or maybe it will help parents to understand what their teens are hearing during this time n order to help start conversations at home.

I was 14 when Gordon Scruton was elected Bishop and announced that he would be leaving as our rector here at St. Francis. I was devastated. I loved Father Scruton, he was the only rector I had ever known. He had baptized me and given me my first communion. He had come to pray with my family when my grandmother passed away. I couldn't imagine anyone else serving as rector at St. Francis. I just knew in my 14 year old mind that no one would ever be able to replace Father Scruton. It didn't matter who the search committee found, I wanted Father Scruton back!

This feeling is something I am sure many of our teens, and probably adults are currently feeling. Simply substitute Father Rich for Father Scruton. However, my story did not end here. I then went on to share with the teens that after a year of interim ministers, I had heard that we had hired some guy named Rich Simpson. Okay I thought, but he won't be Father Scruton. I was right he wasn't Father Scruton, he brought his own individual gifts to St. Francis instead. Fifteen years later I look back and can't imagine not having had Rich in my life. While Gordon baptized me and gave me my first communion, Rich led me in my confirmation class and married my husband and I. He has become a true spiritual mentor for me. Today I now recognize how amazingly blessed I have been along with St. Francis as a whole to have had two AMAZING rectors over the past 30 years. How lucky are we?

My goal on Jan. 19th was to get three key messages across to the teens. One, that as great as Rich is, he does not run St. Francis. We really talked with the teens about the great leaders that we have here at St. Francis, in particular our vestry led by Craig and Bev. We talked to the teens about how these people will help to keep St. Francis running smoothly during this transition. Our second message to the youth was that we have a history here at St. Francis of finding amazing people with wonderful gifts to fill our positions and therefore we WILL find a new rector who will bring new gifts to us. And lastly, we talked about the importance of remembering to turn to God during this time. We talked about how He is ALWAYS here for us and that He wants us to offer Him up our worries and stress and to let Him help us to carry that burden.

I encourage those of you with kids, whether they are in youth group or not, to talk with your teens during this time. Acknowledge their grief and anxieties but also help to remind them that change is okay and a part of life. We will all miss Rich but this is not the end of life here at St. Francis. After all Jesus loves us!

Liz Korandanis

Interim Youth Minister

Youth Led Services

Youth Led Servicesare on the weekend of February 2/3. During this time the youth will be collecting for the

Souper Bowl of Caring. Money collected will be donated to the Wachusett Food Pantry.

Youth Mission Trip 2013

Information has been shared via youth group, and we want let all teens ages 14-21 know that this is open to anyone (even those who don't go to St. Francis).

We will be heading to northern New Jersey June 30-July 5 to join Group WorkCamps in providing relief efforts for those hit by Hurricane Sandy. The current group includes 11 teens and 3 adults (including myself and Liz Korandanis). Cost is $399 for the camp, and we estimate up to $100/person for other costs (transportation, tools/supplies, etc). Some scholarship money is available.

Please let me know ASAP if you're interested or have questions (email lchurchill@mac.com, home phone 978-928-4159). Thank you.

Peace,

Lori Churchill

A helpful article by The Rev. Deacon Carol E. Peterson, a registered nurse from St. Mark's Church in Cheyenne, Wyoming about the common cup, passing the peace, and the flu season.

Don't let the church make you sick this flu season...

Dismas Farm Dinners

For the past several years, St. Francis has been preparing, serving and sharing a meal with the residents of the Dismas Farm, one Wednesday night per month. As we continue this ministry we would like to invite anyone interested in participating, to join us for an information meeting on February 9th and 10th after the services. This will be an opportunity to learn more about it and share ideas on how we can increase participation. If you enjoy cooking and sharing your talents, or just sharing a meal with others, we could use your help! Dinners are generally prepared at the farm with the help of 1 or 2 residents and then served to the group, which can consist of anywhere from 10 - 16 people.

However, we are open to variations on this theme and welcome your input on February 9th or 10th. Please sign-up in the narthex.

Information on Dismas Farm can be found at http://dismasfarm.blogspot.com/

Or you can contact Kathy Diehl - khdiehl@charter.net or Dawn Rooke - dtrooke@gmail.com

for information about this ministry.

Adult Confirmation/Reception

Each year, in addition to the youth in our parish who are confirmed at the Bishop's Visit, there are adults who can be either confirmed or received by the Bishop into the Episcopal Church. The details of which group a person falls into have to do with which part of the Body of Christ one is coming from: those who come from denominations such as the Roman Catholic Church, who were confirmed by a Bishop get "received." Those who come from Protestant denominations where confirmation is celebrated by the local pastor are "confirmed." Either way, the preparation is the same. There is sometimes a third group as well, and this includes people who were confirmed at a young age in The Episcopal Church who feel they would like to re-commit as adults: these persons can re-affirm their commitment to Christ publicly after a time of preparation. (See pages 418-419 in The Book of Common Prayer)

Our bishop, The Rt. Rev. Douglas Fisher, will be coming to St. Francis next on Sunday, April 28th to the 10:00 a.m. service. During the Season of Lent, classes will be meeting for any and all adults who wish to prepare for Confirmation, Reception, or Reaffirmation. There will be an informational meeting of all interested persons on Ash Wednesday, February 13th at 8:00 p.m. in the narthex. At this meeting, the rector will outline the program. Please sign-up on the sheet in the narthex and plan to attend this meeting if you have any questions about becoming a member of St. Francis. If you are interested but cannot make this meeting, please speak with the rector beforehand.

Classes will meet Sunday afternoons, February 17, 24, March 3, 17, and April 14 at 4:00 p.m. at St. Clare House.

Eucharist Instruction Program

Purpose: Recognizing that at Baptism, parents promise to "see that the child you present is brought up in the Christian faith and life," (BCP p. 302) we want to provide resources and opportunities which support parents as they teach their children about the gift and mystery of Holy Communion and its connections with our daily lives.

This program will begin on February 17th with an informational meeting for children and parents after the 10:00AM service. Children should bring their Bibles.

The curriculum, "Visible Signs ~ Spiritual Grace" will be used. This is primarily a home program designed for children ages 8-10. The program is appropriate for children who have not yet received communion as well as for those who have received but who are ready for more formal instruction.

Three additional meetings will be held. The purpose and proposed dates of these meetings will be as follows:

Saturday March 23rd: Children are encouraged to attend the Palm Saturday program.
Sunday, April 7th: Children will meet with Susan Bastardo during regularly scheduled Church School time to review lessons on Baptism and begin the lessons on the Eucharist.
Saturday, April 27th: Children and parents will meet with Susan to review previous lessons and work together on the introduction to the "The Holy Communion" lesson set.
Saturday May 11th: Children and parents will meet with Fr. Rich to learn more about receiving Christ in the Eucharist and to bake altar bread. This lesson includes an opportunity to see the altar area up close and learn the name, function, and purpose of many sacred items.

The children will be honored during one of the services on the weekend of May 11/12.

A sign-up sheet has been posted in the Narthex.

Lenten Quiet Day

Help, Thanks, Wow Join the associate rector at St. Clare House on Saturday, March 9 from 9:00 a.m. to noon for a Lenten Quiet Day focused on prayer. Our time together will include morning prayer, a discussion of the challenges and realities of living a life of prayer today as we reflect on the latest book by Anne Lamott, Help , Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers, and end with noon prayer.

Please sign up on the table in the narthex and indicate if you would like the office to order you a copy for a cost of $10.00.

If you would like to purchase the book on your own it can be found on Kindle, Nook, or can be purchased at Amazon.

El Maizal, El Salvador

Hello everyone,

As part of spreading the awareness of our mission, we have created a blog (link below) to share our experiences spiritually, personally, and culturally. We hope you all enjoy it and feel free to ask any questions regarding the mission. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

http://tomcaticus426.blogspot.com/

Tom and Dianne Wilson

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Maybe our mantra for this New Year should be to do our part in keeping the good will going all year long and to do a random act of kindness as often as we can!

Hats for Troops

Time to start another mailing for Valentine's Day. Busy. Busy. Busy

PS4FS (Prayer Shawls for Fallen Soldiers)

Friends of the Fallen continue to support the many families at Dover AFB Our work continues to add comfort, love, and even return much-needed smiles to our families. It doesn't get any better than that.

Beryl Turner

2013 Educational Grants

Bement-Waterfield Educational Grants help young people who are active in the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts to pursue their educational goals after secondary school.

Grants may be used at accredited training and technical institutions as well as for undergraduate study at 2 and 4 year accredited colleges. The deadline for completed applications is March 1, 2013.

Click here to obtain the necessary application forms.

Holy Baptism

The next scheduled date for Holy Baptism is Saturday, March 30th at the Great Vigil of Easter service at 8:00 p.m.

If you are interested in Baptism please call the office or speak to the Rector.

A Note of Appreciation

I was so thankful to receive a card in the mail expressing the good wishes of the parish on the 55th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. Lorraine and I have been blessed to be a part of this congregation since my retirement.

Thank you all.

Richard (Dick) Hennigar.

Monthly Lectionary

February 2/3- 4th Sunday after the Epiphany ~ Youth Led Services

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Psalm 71:1-6

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Luke 4:21-30

February 9/10 - Transfiguration

Exodus 34:29-35

Psalm 99

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2