Spirit of the Eagle – October 2013

Happy 140th Anniversary!
(Well it was actually back in May, but what is 5 months between friends?)

It is an honor to be a part of this parish as it celebrates a great milestone in its history. As churches go, 140 years is a very long time, because I have known some that didn’t late 140 days! St. John’s longevity is a testimony of its people and their spirit and their devotion to God. In my relatively short time here I have come to know many extraordinary people who love God, his Church, and their community (not to mention this magnificent old building). I have no doubt that we are on our way to another 140 years of proclaiming the Gospel and being a home for the family of God. Happy Anniversary!
+++Fr. Bryan Newman+++

Annual Parish Meeting- Vestry Elections
Even as we celebrate, we need to keep in mind that the time of our Annual Parish Meeting is rapidly approaching, on the second Sunday of November. While there is a lot important business to address at this meeting, perhaps the most important is the election of new members of the Vestry. We have been blessed, in recent years with very dedicated and committed individuals on our Vestry that have willingly sacrificed their time and energy to the building up of our Parish and the building we reside in. They have accomplished some remarkable things in their tenure, such as installing new carpeting, the painting of our sanctuary, refurbishing the kitchen, and the Parish Hall, and the constant upkeep of the Church building and grounds. I could not be more pleased with the job they have done and I applaud their service. But time marches on and 4 of them have reached the end of their terms and will not be returning to the Vestry. So we need 4 people in the congregation to step up to take their place and follow their fine example. Please consider being a part of this vital organization that our Parish is so dependent on. If you are interested in running for the Vestry please let a current member of the Vestry know.

Wednesday Night Service
Our Wednesday night Holy Communion service is an excellent way to rejuvenate our spirits as we face the balance of our week. There is nothing quite like taking a pause from the daily grind at mid-week to refresh ourselves by receiving our ‘spiritual food for our spiritual journey’. I want to encourage all of you who were making the effort to attend Wednesday services, as it is just the kind of boost you need to complete your week. In October we will be celebrating the Feasts of St. Francis, St. Luke, and St. Simon and St. Jude and on the last Wednesday the Vigil of All Saints. I hope to see you all there!

Choir Practice and Services
The Choir has returned from its summer vacation from and they are already in mid-season form. Practice is every Wednesday at 7 pm. As always we need more choir members and if you would like to make a joyful noise unto the Lord we would love to have you join the Choir!

Vestry Meeting
Our Vestry Meeting for September will be on Wednesday, the 16th, at 7:00 PM. If you are a member of the Vestry please make plans to be present. Topics of discussion will be growing the parish and the Annual Parish Meeting. All are welcome!

St. John’s 140th Anniversary Celebration
St. John’s is a parish with a long and storied history and we want to give it the honor it deserves. To that end we are planning a special celebration on Sunday, October 13th, after Holy Mass. Please begin bringing in your St. John’s memorabilia to share with all those who will be joining us on this special day. Also remember that it will be the perfect time to invite family and friends, especially those who may have had some connection to the Parish in the past. There will be a special Coffee Hour and the opportunity to share those golden memories of life here at St. John’s Anglican Catholic Church!

Healing Service for September
Our monthly Healing Service is Sunday October 20th, after Holy Mass! So if you wish to receive the sacrament of Anointing for healing and offer your prayers for any that are suffering or are ill, please join Fr. Newman at about 11:50 after Mass on the 20th, for this rewarding and reassuring service.

The Flight of the Eagle
It was Fr. Stork, (of fond memory to many in this Parish) who shared a record of his activities with the Parish on a regular basis. It is in his honor and inspiration that we include the ‘Flight of the Eagle’ which is a record of my activities as your pastor over the month just past. Below are the visits and other events, I made in the month of September. I prayed with those I visited and gave them Holy Communion and Anointed them when needed. +++God Bless, Fr. Bryan Newman+++

9/1 visited Jim & Toy Hall @ their home
9/8 visited Don Prigge @ his home
9/15 meeting for Culp/Walters wedding
9/22 visited Don Prigge w/ Rich Seyberth @ Don’s home
9/22 visited Trudy Baur @ Carmel Manor
9/22 visited Louise Becker@ Carmel Manor

Spiritual Tidbits for October from Father Tim

St. Teresa of Lisieux, Feast Day October 3rd
“I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul.” These are the words of Therese of the Child Jesus, a Carmelite nun called the “Little Flower,” who lived a cloistered life of obscurity in the convent of Lisieux, France. [In French-speaking areas, she is known as Thérèse of Lisieux.] And her preference for hidden sacrifice did indeed convert souls. Few saints of God are more popular than this young nun. Her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, is read and loved throughout the world. Thérèse Martin entered the convent at the age of 15 and died in 1897 at the age of 24. She was canonized in 1925, and two years later she and Francis Xavier (December 3) were declared co-patrons of the missions.

Life in a Carmelite convent is indeed uneventful and consists mainly of prayer and hard domestic work. But Thérèse possessed that holy insight that redeems the time, however dull that time may be. She saw in quiet suffering redemptive suffering, suffering that was indeed her apostolate. Thérèse said she came to the Carmel convent “to save souls and pray for priests.” And shortly before she died, she wrote: “I want to spend my heaven doing good on earth.”

On October 19, 1997, Blessed John Paul II proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church, the third woman to be so recognized in light of her holiness and the influence in the Church of her teaching on spirituality.

•••

October is here and we have quietly slipped into the Fall season. It is time for Fall Festivals and falling leaves. It is a great season for each of us at St. John’s to make “obscure sacrifices” for each other and those we love. Like St. Teresa, who said that one who would simply “pick up a pin for love can convert a soul”, lets each of us simply “pick up a leaf and pray for a loved one”, “pick up a friend and bring them to church”, or “pick up a meal and take it to a home bound brother or sister in Christ.” God bless you and have a beautiful and holy October. ~ Father Tim

October Spirituality Class
Please join us on the 27th of October as we begin the class study of “Doing the Right Thing”, a six part exploration of Ethics. We will watch two 30 minute thought provoking DVD sessions per class and discuss each one in depth. Doing the Right Thing explores the moral breakdown affecting culture from all sides. The series raises ethical issues in a compelling and fresh way, through panel discussions, interviews, and student questions. The six video sessions and workbook encourage participants to examine how ethical issues relate to all aspects of their lives. Panelists and guests include Chuck Colson, Robert George, Alveda King, Ben Stein, Brit Hume, Donovan Campbell, Dr. Ken Swan, and many others. I hope to see you in class in October. Be sure to bring any teenagers in your family as well – this is a must see for them! And bring a friend!!! ~ Father Tim

•••

Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. Still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues. Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

•••

Spiritual gifts truly direct a devout soul to love burningly; to meditate sweetly; to contemplate highly; to pray devoutly, and praise worthily; to desire JESUS only, to wash the mind from filth of sins; to slacken fleshly desires; [and to despise all earthly things] and to paint the wounds and Christ’s cross in mind; and, with an unwearied desire, with desire to sigh for the sight of the most glorious Clearness. Such are the precious ointments with which a hallowed soul is best anointed and made fair with God’s love.

Richard Rolle, Hermit of Hampole, The Fire of Love, Chapter 26

Ask yourself each day in October, do you “desire to sigh for the sight of the most glorious Clearness? God bless • your hallowed soul. ~Father Tim

End of the Month Club
The End of the Month Club would like to invite everyone to our October 31st gathering at Barleycorns in Cold Spring at 1 p.m. Remember the only two qualifications needed are: 1.) You must surround yourself with friends who like to eat and share fellowship, and 2.) Repeat #1. We hope to see you there!

October Birthdays & Anniversaries
Joyce Murray – Birthday – October 14
Elsie Fowler – Birthday – October 16
Virginia Jackson – Birthday – October 16
Katie Craft – Birthday – October 17
Liz Robbins – Birthday – October 19
Juanita & Steve Marvin – Anniversary – October 23
Joan Blade – Birthday – October 25
Eileen & Rick Hanson – Anniversary – October 31

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