The following letter was sent to the entire parish this week with additional information on the events celebrating Peter’s ministry and retirement:
You can also read the letter by clicking here.
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April 29, 2009
Dear Members of St. Mary’s,
As you know, Peter’s last Sunday with us will be Pentecost Sunday, May 31. The symbolism behind his departure on the Sunday of Pentecost gives Peter great comfort, hope for the future, a new beginning, and the positive promise of change. We would like to make this entire day a celebration of how much he has meant to all of us. It is an honor for me (Lucille) to organize this special day for him.
Special Events Honoring Peter and Abbie Peter has asked that parish festivities happen as close to May 31st as possible. Therefore, we are planning to have the main celebration of his ministry on that same day. As a reminder, there will be only one church service that Sunday at 10AM, and there will be no church school.
1) First we will have a separate event for the children and youth of all ages on the evening of Sunday May 17th. This will be a pizza and ice cream party with Peter, following the performance of the Junior Choir at Babson Night, hosted at the home of Mark and Sarah Williamson (165 Orchard Avenue, Weston). Starting time is approximately 7:30pm. This is for all children and youth of the church, not just those in Junior Choir, although all are welcome to attend Babson Night as well. If you plan on attending, please RSVP directly to either Sarah (781-237-0021) or Lucille (781-237-7040).
2) Following Peter’s last service on Sunday, May 31 we will have a reception for Peter and Abbie at St. Mary’s Parish Hall. Pentecost Sunday at St. Mary’s is usually celebrated with an assortment of birthday cakes for each month of the year, commemorating the birth of the church. This year, adding to that, we will have a lovely champagne brunch during the coffee hour, followed by the sharing of the cakes! Peggy Scott has graciously agreed to coordinate this event. Please RSVP on the sign-up sheet on church bulletin board.
3) There will also be a reception on the evening of Sunday May 31, from 5PM to 8PM. This will be hosted at the home of Lucille Rossignol and Paul LaViolette, 73 Woodlawn Avenue, Wellesley Hills. This will be an informal, drop-in cocktail reception to which all are adults in the parish are welcome. The Choir will perform briefly around 7:30PM. Please RSVP on the sign-up sheet on church bulletin board.
A Gift for Peter and Abbie It is a tradition in the Episcopal Church to provide a monetary gift, called a “purse”, to the retiring rector. This purse is funded by a free will offering by the members of the parish.
We realize this is not the best of times to be asking for donations. We are living through the worst economic environment in living memory. Several parish members have lost jobs, and most who haven’t have seen the values of their assets plunge.
However we are very fortunate that through the very generous gifts of several parish members that most of the costs of the events for Peter’s retirement have already been covered, so that these events can be attended by all parish members. Because of this, any additional donations that are made will go directly to the retirement gift for Peter and Abbie.
If you wish to contribute, write a check to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, clearly labeled “Celebration Fund” in the memo line. Send it to the church at 258 Concord Street, Newton Lower Falls, MA 02462. Please don’t put it in the collection basket – we don’t want to inadvertently put the funds in an incorrect account. All funds will be forwarded to a special account for this purpose.
We know that given the times some of you will not be able to contribute. Please know that we understand completely; it is not our intention to create an additional burden upon you, and that everyone is welcome to participate in all the events regardless and partake in this celebration of Peter’s ministry. And this effort, of course, should in no way interfere with your annual pledge to St. Mary’s. Please know that any and all contributions are so deeply appreciated.
How Else Can People Help? RSVP as soon as you can – Do let us know if you will attend any or all of the events. Sign-up sheets for the May 31 events will be posted Sunday, May 3rd, on the church bulletin board.
Volunteers – We will need people to sign up to make cakes, as well as to set-up and tear down at the church on the day of the event.
Photo Boards- We would like to set up two or more photo boards, during the brunch, of shots taken during Peter’s ministry. If you have any old photos you’d like to display, write your name on the back and send them to me at Lucille Rossignol, 73 Woodlawn Avenue, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481. I would also greatly appreciate having a volunteer to assemble this project once the photos are collected.
DVD – We are making a DVD for Peter and Abbie, with video of the church as well as individual messages from parish members. If you wish to record a message, Jesse Maddox, our videographer, will be available each Sunday at church in May (except the 31st) during the coffee hour to film.
Any questions, please contact Lucille Rossignol at 781-237-7040 or lavross@aol.com.
Yours in Christ,
Lucille Rossignol Paul Pyzowski
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