Thursday, October 19, 2006

Parish in Transition

As you may have gathered from the previous post, we are indeed in transition. "The report of my death was an exaggeration." Mark Twain's quote definitely applies here. The members of St. Johns will be working with the Diocese of Connecticut to determine the best way forward as a parish. We are not closing, and won't be for a while. Episcopal churches don't close or merge with one another quickly. Extreme measures such as that require consensus of all concerned, including the bishops and the diocese.

So we're open. The groups that meet in our church - AA, FAITH Food Pantry, etc. will still have a place to meet. We will still worship at 9:30 on Sunday mornings. The scheduling of Holy Eucharist or Morning Prayer is unknown right now, but we will be worshiping one way or another at that time.

So come join us! This is an opportunity to join a group of committed Christians in finding a way to move forward as a community. We'd love to meet you!

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Father Daniel Mattila's Last Day at St. John's

Father Daniel’s last day as Priest-in Charge of St. John’s will be Sunday, October 15. We’ve grown to love him during his 5 years plus at the parish. Father Daniel brought us a firm faith, expressed clearly and gently, grounded in Scripture and church traditions. He shared his insights on psychology and how the human mind works in order to help us live as Christians in community, in the outer world, and inside ourselves, all of which can be complex and confusing. His sermons, always well thought out, prayed out, and prepared, challenged us, educated us, and often made us smile. It is a joy to worship with and be friends with Father Daniel. We will miss him and we wish him well in whatever the future brings. God bless!