Dear friends,
When I looked at the calendar this morning I realized that it was this day six years ago that Covid became a reality. It was no longer something happening overseas or across the continent. It began affecting all of us. By the end of the day on March 12, 2020, most events were cancelled for the foreseeable future. School was suddenly a question mark. Bishop Wright, in a memo to clergy that day, said it was up to our discretion whether to have Sunday services. Most of my colleagues decided to cancel. We decided to have one service on March 15, knowing that it might be the last one for a while — maybe even three or four weeks. I think it was a blessing we didn’t know then just how bad things would get, or just how long we would be worshiping online only (13 months!). So many of my colleagues received angry pushback from parishioners about wearing masks or worshipping online only. There was none of that at St. Dunstan’s. People understood that masks and isolation were the best ways to love our neighbors.
No Kings Rallies, rallies defending democracy, will be held across the nation on Saturday, March 28. As for the previous two protests, some members of Canterbury Court (an Episcopal retirement community on Peachtree) are organizing a protest for that area. They will begin at 10 a.m. on Peachtree Road, just north of Club Drive. Bring your own signs. StDunstan’s has had a good turnout at the previous two rallies. Let’s keep it going!
The Sunday after Easter, April 12, I am going on a diocesan-sponsored pilgrimage to Ghana, where we have a companion diocese. About 18 people, lay and clergy (including Deborah Silver), will be on the trip. We will spend time meeting people around the diocese and learning about Ghana’s roll in the slave trade. On the Sunday that we are there we’ll be splitting up and visiting different churches. We are strongly encouraged to bring gifts to the congregation. At vestry this week we talked about what small things I might take from St. Dunstan’s. Tom Wilson is going to have pictures for me. I’ll take the St. Dunstan’s mugs for the clergy. I’m taking a stack of the icon prayer cards. And we thought it would be nice for members of our congregation to write notes to the congregation I visit. So the next two Sundays we’ll have some cards available in the parish hall. Between services or during coffee hour I invite you to write a short note to our fellow Anglicans across the world. I’m sure I’ll have some good stories to tell and photos to show upon my return.
We are now half-way through Lent, which means Holy Week and Easter are fast approaching. I’ll talk about the services more later, but please marks your calendars for these services.
- March 29 — Palm Sunday, services at 8:30 and 10:45.
- April 2 — Maundy Thursday service at 7 p.m.
- April 3 — Good Friday service at 7 p.m.
- April 4 — Easter Vigil at 7 p.m.
- April 5 — Easter Day services at 8:30 and 10:45
Our annual parish meeting is on April 26. We’ll have one service at 10 a.m. The meeting takes the place of scripture readings and sermon. After the service we’ll have a pot luck lunch.
And then, on April 30 I am having my left knee replaced. April is going to be a very full month! I have substitutes lined up for all of May, although I would love to be back sooner than that.
With love,
Tricia