September 28, 2026

Beloved,

After all that wind and rain, I was relieved to see that the nor’easter had left us with relatively little mess. I hope you fared well, too.

Even with the storm on our minds, this was a full weekend at St. Mary’s. Our vestry spent Saturday with Deacon Natalie Thomas, beginning its part of our Leadership Vitality Initiative. We shared a great deal, spoke honestly about the life of the parish, and talked about what our role in forming and supporting new parish leaders. I left feeling grateful for these people and for their willingness to do this work together. The conversation will grow beyond the vestry: we’ll be setting up learning sessions with ministry leaders and, in time, with the congregation as a whole.

After the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, Charles Calhoun also gave us a wonderful afternoon with the Bayeux Tapestry as part of our 6A Speaker Series. He walked us through this amazing textile and its story with such care that I found myself noticing things I would never have seen on my own. Twenty-three engaged participants made for lively discussion. Charles, thank you for sharing your knowledge and curiosity with us.

There’s more ahead. The Fall Tent Sale is coming up October 9 and 10, and Helen Malone could use some company organizing and setting up starting on Tuesday, Oct. 6. If you have an hour—or three—please contact Helen. It’s the sort of work that goes quickly when we do it together.

Next weekend we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis. Our Blessing of the Animals is Saturday at 4 p.m., followed by Yappy Hour. Bring your pets and stay to mingle. I’m looking forward to seeing them all, and to finding out which ones are better behaved in church than the rest of us.

And I’m especially looking forward to welcoming the Rev. Alec Vaughn, who begins his ministry as our curate next weekend. We’ll have a festive coffee hour after each service so you can meet him. Please come say hello and give him a warm St. Mary’s welcome.

Finally, our pledging season is in full swing, and I invite you prayerfully consider filling out a pledge card with your financial commitment for 2027. Every dollar makes a difference, no matter what the amount is. Our beautiful church and grounds, the ministries that we support and the staff that keeps the engine running behind the scenes all depend on your generosity.

It’s a busy season and, unlike the nor’easter, the winds of the Holy Spirit will continue to blow through St. Mary’s in many wonderful ways.

Faithfully,