From the Vicar: An Update on Haiti

Beloved in Christ, Thank you for your generous response to our sisters and brothers in Haiti. The Bishop of Haiti, the Rt. Rev. Jean Zaché Duracin, whose own house was destroyed, is working with Episcopal Relief & Development, day and night, to get help where it needs to go. The agency, working closely with Bishop Duracin, is directing efforts, along with the Executive Council of the Diocese of Haiti, to decide where the most urgent needs are and how to meet them. The Diocese of Haiti will need our help for many years.

As I mentioned in my sermon last Sunday I believe that sending notes of encouragement and comfort may be a life-line for those who are recuperating in hospital tents or wards and who have no family left. As the whole 'family of God' I encourage you to write such a note (we will have some cards available this Sunday at the Annual Meeting). A piece of paper may not seem like much but the words on it can be a constant reminder that no one will be forgotten. When we have a critical mass of cards I will send them to Katie Mears, the head of the Episcopal Disaster Response Team. Katie's experience of ministering to those are suffering comes from her years of working with the Diocese of Louisiana after hurricane Katrina.

To donate go to Episcopal Relief and Development www.er-d.org To get the lastest information go to www.episcopal-life.org.

Sunday 28th March, 3PM (at St. Gregory’s):

Gala Concert from the creators of the new Phoenicia Festival of the Voice

Join internationally recognized opera singers, Maria Todaro (Opera Nacional di Rio di Janiero, San Antonio Opera), Louis Otey (Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera) and Kerry Henderson (Australian Opera, Teatro di San Carlo) in a concert to promote an exciting new festival coming to Phoenicia this summer. Many will remember Maria, Louis and Kerry from the well attended “Pianists for Peace” concert at St Gregory’s in 2008. The three artists will speak about the new festival, and offer a selection of best loved arias and duets from opera, vocal treasures from the world of song and highlights from Broadway shows.

The Phoenicia Festival of the Voice will run August 13thto 15th, and will promote the human voice as an instrument of healing, peace and artistic expression, through performances of opera, art song, sacred song, choral music and the vocal arts of traditional cultures.

TheYoung Artists Concert Series for Spring

Named after the patron saint of the arts, St. Gregory's the Great, St. Gregory's Woodstock has been well-known from its inception in 1954 for its support of the arts. In the fall of 2005, the Young Artists Concert Series was created to provide support for talented and gifted young musicians from Julliard who are in the Pre-College Division. This spring, aduiences at St. Gregory's will hear performances by students on the viola, cello, violin and paino, as well as students studying voice at Juillard. Admission is always free. Voluntary donations at the door are used to help defray the expenses that performers generally encounter traveling to and from Woodstock.

March 21:Isabella Palacpac, age 12, cello and piano.
April 11:Christine Price, age 17, Devon Mehring, sopranos; Brian and Tyler Zimmerman, bass-baritones, and two more vocalists.

Involvement in Church:    Ministry leaders will be available after the service to describe differing ministries, i.e.: Acolytes, Altar Guild, Choir, Music, Hospitality, Garden Committee, Food Pantry, Eucharistic Ministers, Buildings and Grounds.

LENT

LENT is the name given to the forty days before Easter and comes from the old English word for spring. Lent originated in the early Church as a season for those desiring baptism and has always been a teaching season, a time to reflect on the mighty acts of God in history, on the covenant realized between God and God's people, and on the role of Jesus in the story of salvation. It is traditionally a time of self-examination. The forty days remind us of the forty years the Israelites wandered in the desert and the forty days Jesus spent in the desert before he began his work of teaching and healing. Bythe Middle Ages, Lent had become a time for fasting. This meant that people went without such food as meat, eggs and cream. The day before Lent began all the fats in the house would be used up by making pancakes and enjoying the kinds of food they would go without until Easter. All sorts of games were played in the streets to celebrate before the fast began. In many Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French speaking countries Carnival celebrations celebrations sometimes last for many days, beginning as early as February and continuing until Shrove Tuesday. The word carnival comes from the Latin words carnem levare which mean to 'put away flesh.' This festive time is also called Mardi Gras which is French for Fat Tuesday.

In some places the day before Lent is called Shrove Tuesday because years ago, on the day before Lent began, the church bells would ring and people would go to church to ask God to forgive them for all the things they had done wrong. The word for this was shriving, a day of confessing sins (being shriven) in order to begin the spiritual battle of Lent renewed by an awareness of God's power and mercy. This word evolved into our present Shrove Tuesday. Such a time of confession carries with it a spirit of sorrow and contrition over past bad behaviors. For this reason, the joyous word alleluiais omitted from Lenten liturgies and restored again during the celebrations of Easter. Our altar colors change to purple. On Shrove Tuesday at the Mardi Gras Dinner we will collect the alleluias -to be put away, not to be sung or said until the Easter Vigil.

WINTER BLUES FLEA MARKET

Saturday, March 21

Proceeds benefit St. Gregory's Garden and its expansion.
Donations of items accepted beginning Monday, March 15.
(Good condtion please - you are donating - not because something is falling apart but because you are giving something that will benefit others. No electronic 'stuff' please).

On Going: The Centering Prayer Group continues to meet on Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 10:30. Newcomers are always welcome.

Help!!!  We need volunteers!  Where?  For the coffee hour in Swezy Hall each Sunday after church.