St. Mark’s Message
The Sixth Sunday Of Easter May 21, 2017 XCIII, No. 20
THE LION’S PAUSE
WITH
KEN GRIFFEN,
Vestry Member
Dear St. Mark’s Parishioners,
I am one of the old timers at St Marks and this always surprises me.
My mother brought me here as a Sunday School kid back in the 1950’s. Bob Kissel’s mom did too. Eisenhower was early in his first term and nobody outside of Boston knew who John Kennedy was. Sunday School was jamming with all kinds of young people and we had a very active and large children’s choir. On Wednesdays we New Britainites got out of respective schools to attend religious education. Lots of us came here. There were scores of us. But if you’ve been around here for more than a couple weeks you’ve heard all this before. Times change. Two weeks ago many Catholic churches in town either merged or were closed down. Hard for me to imagine the city
with no more St Ann’s or St Maurice. Most people just don’t much do church anymore.
One of my pet peeves is the statement, “I’m spiritual and don’t need organized religion.”
“Yeah”, says I with little Christian Charity. “Until you want your kid Baptized or a fancy church wedding to round out the bankrupting of your parents.” Of course I never say these words out loud. Who keeps these churches open for your ceremonial events? We happy few, The Regulars.
My mom Vera was a regular. She served on many committees, was always busy in the kitchen, and taught Sunday School. My Dad came twice. I counted. Once when I was Confirmed and once when I got married. How surprising it was to me to see him kneel! But when he got terminally ill and was hospitalized the then assistant Rector Alon went to see him every day. He liked having her read him the Psalms. One of the last things he ever said to me was, “I am happy your mother has always gone to church and one of things I do not regret is the money I gave for the collection plate. We need church to be there and we need people like her and now you to keep them open.” When you get a statement like that on your father’s death bed you pay attention.
See you Sunday.
Ken Griffen
Ken Griffen
CHURCH SCHOOL YEAR END CELEBRATION
Join us on May 21st after the 10:00 a.m. service
for a Pancake Breakfast!
A celebration for Church School Students.
Join us for pancakes and sausages
served and provided by
the Church School Students.
Cost is free.
Any donations given are appreciated and will be given to our Food Pantry.
Rogation Sunday will be held on May 21st. Bring red impatiens to be blessed and to plant.
Graduation Time is here!
Please send in names of the graduates in your family with dates of graduation, from which school and which school the graduate is moving on to, to the Parish Office so they may be included in our prayers.
Parish Life Workgroup
Join in! The Parish Life Workgroup is having a meeting on Saturday, May 13th, at 9:30 in Library. We plan to talk about our summer worship--are there ways we'd like to breath new life into it? God's Good News IS New Life! So let's all work on living into it together. See you Saturday!
The 233rd Annual Convention of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut
Call to Convention
November 17th and 18th
Hyatt Regency, Greenwich
Early registration ends on June 15th
For registration information and other convention materials go to:
www.episcopalct.org/event/annual-convention/2017
ST. MARK’S PARISH SCHEDULE
Sunday, May 21, 2017
V The Sixth Sunday of Easter V
First Reading: Acts 17:22-31
Epistle: 1 Peter 3:22-31
Gospel: John 14:15-21
Prayers for our Parish families: Ronald, Tory, Brad and Jeff Lepak, Susan Livingston, Ian and Sylvia Lucas, Jerry and Deborah Lynch and John Mackey.
PRAYER CHAIN: to activate the chain call Barbara Campbell 860-673-7607, .
NOONDAY PRAYER with intercessions is said each Thursday at noon in the Chapel. All welcome.
If you or someone you know is hospitalized, please
inform the clergy or call the office 860-225-7634.
Thursday Night Group 7 pm Saunders Library
Thursday group is on again this week (in-between vacations, meetings and Norm's operation!)
I have a DVD "Do You Believe"
Kettle corn,coffee, tea and a very moving story.
Do You Believe?
Plot: A dozen different souls are all moving in different directions, all longing for something more. Their lives unexpectedly intersect, they each are about to discover there is power in the Cross of Christ. When a local pastor is shaken to the core by the visible faith of an old street-corner preacher, he is reminded that true belief always requires action. His response ignites a faith-fueled journey that powerfully impacts everyone it touches in ways that only God could orchestrate.
Pentecost is upon us!
Pentecost - June 4th.
Readers of languages other than English are invited to participate in the reading of the Gospel. Please call or email Mother Kathleen if you are interested.
HIGHLIGHTS
Thursday, May 18th – Movie Night with the Thursday Night Group
Saturday, May 13th – 9:30 a.m. – Parish Life Workgroup meeting
Sunday, May 21st – Rogation Sunday
Sunday, May 21st – Church School Year End Celebration – Pancake Breakfast following the 10 a.m. service
Graduation Time is here!
ST. MARK’S MESSAGE Postage Paid
The Rev. Kathleen Hawkins Berkowe,
Priest In Charge
Parish Office: 860-225-7634 Fax: 860-832-8803
St. Mark’s Message (USPS 476-700) is published weekly from September to June by St. Mark’s Church, 147 West Main St.
New Britain, CT 06052. Periodicals postage paid at
New Britain, CT 06052. Subscription price $10 per year.
Postmaster: Send address changes to St. Mark’s Message
147 West Main St., New Britain, CT 06052.
E-Mail Addresses –
Web Site - www.stmarksnewbritain.org
Go to our Facebook page and ‘like us’: www.facebook.com/saintmarksnb
Sunday, May 21 The Sixth Sunday of Easter –
Rogation Sunday
7:45 a.m. HOLY EUCHARIST – Church
*8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Sunday Morning N.A. – Gym
*8:30 a.m. Adult Choir Warm-up – Choir Room
10:00 a.m. HOLY EUCHARIST – Church
*11:15 a.m. Church School Year End Celebration and Pancake Breakfast – Aud.
11:30 a.m. Pastoral Care Committee – Parlor
*12:00 p.m. –1:00 p.m. New Life Church – Gym
*1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. New Life Church – Auditorium
*4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Dinner – Auditorium
*7:00 p.m. A.A. Regular Meeting – Gym
*7:00 p.m. A.A. Meeting – Library
Monday, May 22
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Food Pantry Open
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ESL Class – Room 5
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Lifeline A.A. Meeting – Library
7:00 p.m. Light Hearted A.A. Group – Lib.
Tuesday, May 23
9:45 a.m. Staff Meeting – Office
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ESL Class – Room 5
3:30 p.m. Friends of Bill W. AA – Library
5:00 p.m. Women’s AA Meeting – Library
Wednesday, May 24
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ESL Class – Room 5
10:00 a.m. Alanon Family Group Meeting – Lib
5:00 p.m. Getting Better AA Group – Lib.
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. New Life Church – Gym
7:00 p.m. Al-anon – Library
Thursday, May 25
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Food Pantry Open
12:00 p.m. Noon Prayer – Chapel
12:00 p.m. C.C.A.R.C. Prayer Service – Parlor
7:00 p.m. Adult Choir – Choir Room
7:00 p.m. Thursday Night Group – Library
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Young Peoples AA Meeting – Gym
Friday, May 26
5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Dinner – Auditorium
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. New Life Church – Auditorium
7:00 p.m. A.A. Group – Saunders Library
Saturday, May 27
12:00 p.m. Private Party – Aud. and Kitchen
Sunday, May 28 The Seventh Sunday of Easter –
7:45 a.m. HOLY EUCHARIST – Church
10:00 a.m. HOLY EUCHARIST – Church
NOTE: *Regularly scheduled events to be repeated
on the following Sunday.
KUDOS: To our Church School teachers: Donna Clark, Lisa Merola-Grimm, Melissa Simard, and Jennifer Wallberg. Thank you for all that you did to make this a great year for our parish children.
Adult Forum – Sundays at 9 a.m. in the Auditorium
May 21st – No Adult Forum this week. Join us for pancakes following the 10 a.m. service
Congratulations to our Graduates!
Congratulations to Kimberly Caplik, daughter of James and Karen Caplik. She is graduating from Salve Regina University on May 21st with a BS in Administration of Justice. She will begin a Masters program at Salve Regina in the fall.
LABEL