On Thursday, April 25th, The Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, Owen R. Williams, Rector of Trinity Anglican Church of Rochester, New Hampshire, was consecrated as a Bishop of the Anglican Church in America and an auxiliary to Bishop Brian Marsh of the Diocese of the Northeast.
News from the Chancel Choir
Dean Warden, Choir Director and Organist
I’m sure you’ve all noticed a few changes to the front of the sanctuary. I can think of at least three. 1. I (and my organ/piano) have been moved to the alcove formerly holding the seat of the Bishop. This has allowed me to better hear the balance of congregation, choir, and organ throughout the service. It also kept you from losing your organist due to heat exhaustion in the middle of the summer! 2. The choir has also moved from the loft down to the front two pews of the Epistle side. I hope this didn’t displace anyone but you can imagine the anxiety they would have endured being so far away from me, not to mention that this move better supports congregational singing and keeps the choir from feeling like they’re stuck in the clouds. 3. Acoustical mesh paneling has been fastened to the walls around the altar. What you may or may not know is that, on the Gospel side, these panels have covered a gaping hole in the wall. This brings me to the next change. Behind that screen will be a number of speakers bringing sound from a “reclaimed” organ that will be reinforcing all of our singing here at Trinity. I am very excited for this change and, once things are fully set, we will be able to invite guest organists, hold recitals and special services, and possibly teach organ students. We will also be holding an Evensong Organ Dedication at some point in the future.
My only other topic to speak upon is that of Lessons & Carols. Similar to last year’s format, we will be combining with the congregation and choir of First United Methodist Church to hold a service at 4 PM on Sunday, December 16th at FUMC. Their organist, Kevin Lindsay, and I have been working on a program for this service for a few months now and the choir has excitedly begun rehearsals on these selected pieces. And I might also add that if anyone misses singing in his or her high school glee club or last rock band, think about joining the choir. We have a good time. Just ask ‘em.
NEWS FROM THE HILL
Vocations to the Priesthood
From an article by Bishop Steven Strawn: Soon we will begin a new Church year (on AdventSunday). I hope that in the coming year we will make vocations a priority. Vocations are a very important topic for us to consider as we move forward.
But what do we mean when we talk about vocations? When we talk about vocations in the Church, we are talking about God's calling to each individual to love and serve Him and His Church in a particular way of life. Of course, all of us who have received regeneration as a result of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism are called to represent and bear witness to Jesus and his Church wherever we may be using the sevenfold gifts we received in Holy Confirmation. Indeed, it is prudent for laity to rely upon God and the gifts he has provided us as they are on the "front line" in our effort to carry on the work of spreading the Gospel in our various communities.
However, as part of the Catholic Faith in the Anglican Tradition, we are a sacramental body that must sustain the priestly ministry. Therefore, it is vital that we seek to identify men who may be called to the ordained ministry, specifically priesthood. In 2003 Pope JohnPaul II said "Every vocation to the priestly ministry is an extraordinary gift of God's love ... " Our diocese needs men of faith, love, and holiness to allow God to speak to His people through them. We need men who will allow our Lord to consecrate the Eucharist and absolve sins through them. We need men who will allow God to show his love through their heart. We need men who will allow God to reach out to a hurting world with their hands. We need men who are open to the fact that God just might want to save through their ministry. Could you be that man? Do you know of a man in your parish/mission that might be that person?
We need to give those questions serious and prayerful thought. The response that we give is given personally to Christ, who may be calling you to these great things.
So how do I know whether or not I am being called to the ministry of a priest? First and foremost, pray! Ask our Lord to show you the vocation He has prepared for you and invites you to embrace. Pray the Daily Office regularly. Attend Mass and make your Holy Communion as often as possible. Confess your sins daily. Serve your parish/mission in as many ways possible. Talk with your Rector or Priest-in-Charge about the possibility that you might be called to the priesthood and seek his spiritual guidance. Should he agree, talk with the Bishop.
As I mentioned last time, it would seem to me that each parish/mission would have at least one man that would be called to the ordained ministry. I continue to strongly encourage each parish/mission to consider the importance of vocations and seek to identify the possibilities among them.
With total disbelief, I heard the first reports of the shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. It wasn’t until I got home for dinner that I began to watch the news and heard the details, as far as they were known at the time. The horror of the event began to sink in. Words, such as evil, massacre of innocents, grief, have peppered the various reports as the media tries to convey the devastating reality of this incomprehensible event. I went up to the Church and dutifully said my prayers for the souls of those who had died. I lowered the flags to half-mast and went back to the Rectory. It wasn’t until late in the evening that it began to sink in - to get through the professional barricades that priests, doctors, EMTs, police and others who have to sometimes deal with the harsh realities of life – the overwhelming feelings of sadness and thankfulness.
One of the great joys I have each week is when the children of the parish come up for God’s blessing before they go off to Sunday school. I have long since realized how blessed I am, how blessed we are, that we have so many children in our parish. Believe it or not, there are many parishes in the Anglican Church in America which have no children. We are blessed! The loss of any one of them is unimaginable.
This Sunday is the third Sunday in Advent. It is usually designated as Rose Sunday, a day of lightening the somber, penitential nature of this season of preparation. This year, we will remain in Advent purple. I urge you all to come to Church this Sunday and give God thanks for the children that we have in our lives. I ask that we pray for those who have lost such precious gifts. I ask for your prayers for those who work to teach and guide our children. I also ask that we pray for the children that we were, before the loss of our innocence and that we can protect those given to our care for as long as we are able.God Bless you in this Advent Season
Fr. Williams
Youth Milestones
There were several milestones which have marked the lives of many of our Parish Youth and Young Adults. June saw the graduation of several of our younger members.
For the Faiella Family it was a trifecta of graduations. Daniel Faiella finished high school and is enrolled in an art studio program in Manchester, NH. Elizabeth “Liz” Faiella packed the slate for high achievement. She has now earned her Bachelor's Degree from Dartmouth. She is an early Phi Beta Kappa inductee and has been a Rufus Choate Scholar for all four years. She served as chair of the Generations Project, a Tucker Foundation community outreach project, and sang with X.ado, a Christian a cappella group. Her summer work experiences include interning for Studio 360, a co-production of Public Radio International and WNYC, and The Exchange on New Hampshire Public Radio. A recipient of a Dartmouth General Fellowship, next year she will study conscientious objection in New Hampshire during World War II, a continuation of her senior honors thesis. She and Daniel are spending the summer in the Dartmouth area and performing at various fairs and events with guitar, fiddle and Irish flute.
Tom Faiella has earned his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Boston University School of Law. After taking the Bar Exams for Massachusetts and Maine, he is working for the law firm, Skelton Taintor & Abbott in Lewiston, Maine.
Zachary Steinhauer has graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Dover and will beattending University of Southern Maine studying Music. During this summer he has performed and accompanied at several area churches.
Bishop Marsh made his annual visitation this summer. On the First Sunday after Trinity he Confirmed two of our youths, Elizabeth Kane and Nathaniel Pommier. "Liz" also attended St. Luke's Camp, making it her fifth year.
Others who attended this year’s St. Luke’s Camp were Dorothy Mears and her friend, Sarah Poole, Adam Kane and his friend, Bryce Cox. Anady Richardson (also a five year alum) and Allyssa Jerlinski were campers in prelude to Allyssa’s Baptism. On August 26th Allyssa was Baptized at Trinity with Anady as her sponsor. Zachary Day also attended his first year at St. Luke’s Camp. However, he has been involved with Cub Scouts and has been to Camp Carpenter. This year he made his transition to Webelos. He finished one of several religious scouting programs and was awarded the “God And Me” medal.
