One of our yearly outreach projects is the Giving Tree, which commits to providing Christmas gifts for local children who would otherwise do without. This year our Giving Tree project sponsors children in need from Bayview Elementary School.

Names will be available in the Parish Hall, Sunday November 24th. A Christmas tree, decorated with remaining names, will be in the Parish Hall on Sunday, December 1, after the 8 and 10AM services. Deadline for gift return is Sunday, December 15th.

Linda Hunt is the Giving Tree Coordinator, and can answer any of your questions.

Our Outreach Food Pantry has been busy this week not only with a food delivery but also their Annual Turkey Distribution.

On Thursday, Food Pantry volunteers distributed over 30 turkeys and the fixings to Food Pantry clients. They will have a second distribution before Christmas.

Thank you for making the holidays a little brighter for our neighbors this holiday season!

The Vestry met on Wednesday evening at 6:30. The following are brief highlights. The full meeting minutes are typically available a week before the next monthly meeting.

• The Vestry meeting opened with a service of Compline from the BCP, pg. 127.
• Fr. John reported on his recent trip with Karen to Italy. He requested the minutes reflect his thanks to the Church and Fr. Sam during their time away. More complete trip notes will be in the e-News of Friday 11/21/24 (see above).
• Senior Warden Mike Pugh reported on meetings he covered for Fr. John.
• Junior Warden George Balog stressed that plantings around the church foundation should be removed. After consultation with various experts, plantings around the foundation can cause water retention and eventual the structural integrity to weaken. Garden Committee members, Sande Taylor and Linda Gibeck will handle this project.
• The Treasurer’s Report by Barbara England was offered. Barbara said we are on track for 2024 but noted rising expenses for goods and services. We were also briefed on our 2025 Stewardship campaign and she will have further details in December.
• Vestry Liaison Reports- Food Pantry is extremely busy. They served 126 families in October. That’s 391 people! We thank Donne Lewis and her team. The Mission Committee is working on their 2025 budget and allocations of funds. The Coffee House has had a successful 2024 season and will now go “dark” (showbiz term) until January. ECW has the Cookie Walk planned for December 7.
• New Business- The Vestry Nominating Committee is working on interviewing candidates for the class of 2025.

The next Vestry Meeting will be Wednesday December 11, 2024 at 6:30pm in the Vestry House.

Grazie!

Dear Parishioners,

Karen and I are deeply grateful to Father Sam and all parishioners who assisted with worship services and administrative duties during the past three weeks.

During our time away, we had the incredible opportunity to travel to Italy. With the invaluable help of Jonathan Balog—a licensed Roman tour guide and the son of parishioners George and Barbara Balog—we explored a Roman catacomb, the Vatican, and other religious sites.

In Rome, we did plenty of walking, logging over 18,000 steps on some days! One highlight was touring the Roman Colosseum, the Forum, and Palatine Hill. Another was visiting the Galleria Borghese, where we marveled at Caravaggio’s paintings and Bernini’s sculptures.

After a week in Rome, we traveled to Florence, staying at the Carriage House (guesthouse) of St. James Episcopal Church (church pictured). Father Sam, our Rector Emeritus, served as Rector there from 1983 to 1990. It was a joy not only to worship at beautiful St. James but also to explore Florence. Memorable moments included seeing Michelangelo’s David, visiting the Uffizi Gallery, admiring the Duomo, and exploring the Basilica of San Lorenzo.

The beauty of our Christian faith shone brightly in the breathtaking paintings, sculptures, and mosaics we encountered. It was inspiring to see tourists of many cultures and faith traditions drawn to these faith-affirming masterpieces.

Beyond Florence, we traveled to Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, and Venice. St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice left us especially awestruck. Each destination offered unique architecture, fascinating history, and breathtaking works of art.

This journey was truly a memorable and faith-affirming experience. We are sincerely thankful to Father Sam and Judi Hartman, as well as George and Barbara Balog, for their invaluable guidance in planning this special trip. We also greatly appreciate the support provided through SMA clergy continuing education money, which helped fund a portion of our travels.

Lastly, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who ensured the parish ran smoothly during our absence. We are profoundly grateful for the time away, which offered us education, renewal, and exploration. Grazie!

Father John and Karen