

St. Paul’s builds bridges — to God, to one another, to the city and beyond.
Dear Friends,
When I arrived at St. Paul’s in 2014, the identity statement in use for some time was: People on a Journey: Loving, Joyous, Inclusive. Identity statements are important as they give focus and, we know, they simultaneously reflect a reality present and are aspirational.
Journeys take us places; they have ups-and-downs, they are exciting at times and disappointing at others, and journeys come to bridges. Still striving to be loving, joyous, and inclusive -- actually, in many ways in my view, we are more of those things today than we were a decade ago – we speak of St. Paul’s in a new way.
As faithful followers of Jesus, we see our parish bridge building; a community of people who deepen connections to God, each other, and the world around us. We do this through finding our center in worship, cultivating our faith, focusing on our community, experiencing beauty as a gateway to God, and thirsting and working for justice.
As I think about the mission of this parish, it is important to thank the staff who support our and lead our many ministries. This is a truly great team of kind, hardworking laypeople and clergy who care deeply about St. Paul’s Church.
Thank you also to our faithful and selfless Wardens, Treasurer, and Clerk. The Vestry is also a remarkable team that continues to deepen connections and focus on mission; we should recognize Kevin Frisch, Julie Gedro, and Brent Johnson, who complete their terms of service.
Outside of my parish ministry, I will continue my work with the College for Congregational Development and on the Board of Episcopal Senior Life Communities. I have completed my term of service on the Board of Rural and Migrant Ministry and, in honor of my service and the lasting impact of St. Paul’s, I have been made a Board Fellow. This Spring semester, I will serve again as an adjunct professor at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (CRCDS) and I am excited that my first book was published in December 2024 and is receiving wonderful reviews across the Church. I will also fill a vacancy on the Diocesan Standing Committee. All of these are ways in which I strive to build bridges for St. Paul’s to our diocese and beyond.
The Annual Report presents us with an opportunity to reflect on the year past. I would encourage you to dream big about building bridges to the future, to the 200th Anniversary year and beyond. St. Paul’s has been on an incredible journey since 1827 and God is not done with St. Paul’s yet!
As always, I remain,
Faithfully yours in Christ,
The year 2024 was a very special one for St. Paul’s, as we celebrated our rector’s tenth anniversary with us. While the official recognition took place in November, we want to continue to recognize Rob’s contributions to life at St. Paul’s in our annual report.
Rob has provided outstanding leadership over the past decade. His deep spirituality, superb preaching, and rare administrative skills have substantially benefited individual parishioners and the entire church. We both believe that Rob’s preaching and teaching have contributed to a deepening of our own faith.
We also are very grateful that Rob has taken the lead on so many projects which have benefitted St. Paul’s. To name just a few, these included keeping the community going during Covid, the renovation of Stone Hall, clarifying the church’s relationship with the Child Care Center, hiring our new Music Director John Sherer, the presence of more children in our midst on Sundays, the rightsizing of the Vestry, the longer-range outlook for our finances, celebrating our 125 years on East Avenue, and so much more. Rob has a great ability to identify issues, as well as the ability to come up with potential resolutions for those issues.
Over the course of the past ten years, Rob has also reached out to communities outside our walls, and he continues to do so with his presence on the boards of Episcopal Senior Life and Rural Migrant Ministry (RMM). As part of his tenth anniversary celebration, donations from parishioners to RMM were made to honor Rob, and a total of over $5000 was raised. Rob has also been instrumental in increasing the reach of the College for Congregational Development (CCD), both by teaching the course, and incorporating CCD models into the work at St. Paul’s. And did we mention that, in 2024, Rob published “A Manual for Altar Guilds” – his first book?
We both sincerely hope that someday we may be celebrating Rob’s twentieth anniversary with us. In the meantime, we can look forward to sermons that both inspire and amuse, leadership that promotes everyone’s accomplishments, and a warm and genuine relationship with our spiritual leader. Thank you, Rob, for your ministry among us. And thank you also to the entire congregation for its strong, ongoing support in building bridges to God, to one another, to our city, and beyond.
Submitted with great gratitude,
Erin Glanton and Ingrid Stanlis, Wardens
This past year at St Paul’s has been filled with hope and excitement, and has offered incredible opportunities to me as I continue to serve as Assistant Rector.
Once again, I thank the Rev. Rob Picken, the vestry, and the entire congregation for making it possible to take a sabbatical. The opportunity to travel and spend that time together with my family was such an incredible gift. Your generosity allowed us to visit several places in France, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. Our time included several days each at Taizé Monastery in France and the Iona Community in Scotland. The lessons in hospitality and generosity we experienced there have been helping to shape some of what we do in Youth Group on Sunday evenings. Thank you again.
Youth Group at St Paul’s continues to be a significant focus of my ministry. The first half of 2024 saw us averaging our highest attendance in the last 5 years! We continue to welcome new members each fall as students reach 6th grade, and this past year we bid farewell to the first graduates since we restarted the youth program prior to the COVID19 pandemic.
We continue to have a mix of lessons, service, prayer, food, and games as part of what we do. We have volunteered at the gardens at St Mark’s and St John’s and prepared meals for the RIT Campus Ministry. We have also begun to have fun outings, going rock climbing this fall! Youth Group is open to all youth, grades 6-12 and we meet twice a month in the Youth Room off of Stone Hall.
The Memorial Scholarships awarded this past year went to 8 recipients. Half of these received a scholarship for the first time this year! Fields of study include nursing, biology, diesel engine repair, and economics. It is always exciting to see what our students are pursuing!
Our worship ministries continue to grow and welcome new members as readers, intercessors, acolytes, ushers, and Eucharistic ministers. Our web-based signups continue to be a helpful tool to keep so many people organized! Thank you to Erin Glanton, Angie Jones, and Jennifer Bleecker for helping in coordinating these ministries, especially while I was away last summer!
The Parish Life committee works hard to make parish events welcoming and delicious for everybody. Rally Day, the end of year picnic, bishop’s visit, and other gatherings are always a success due to their hard work!
As always, I wish I could write more to include all the ministries and individuals at St Paul’s that make this such a special place. I am deeply grateful that I have been called to serve among you, and look forward with great hope to our future together.
In faith,
The Rev Jay Burkardt
“All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.” Isaiah 54: 13
What a joy it is to offer Christian education each week to all the children at St. Paul’s! Our classroom for preschoolers through fifth grade gathers every Sunday morning starting at 10:00 am, which gives parents and families a little breathing room to settle in prior to the service. Understanding that mornings are busy for families, our nursery care for babies and toddlers begins at 9:45, and if breakfast is needed, bagels and juice are available and welcomed to be enjoyed in our classroom. We continue to strive in creating an environment that is comforting and welcoming to all and encourage children of all faith stages to attend Sunday school class.
Each Sunday our Faith Formation class offers a lesson based on the weekly lectionary, which helps parents and children connect with similar readings and/or sermons from the church service. We use a children’s worship bulletin from Illustrated Ministry that contains activities, bible verses, coloring pictures and thoughtful questions to guide our class time.
During our time together (approx. 50 minutes), we strengthen our friendship bonds and faith through a variety of activities. We share stories from our children’s storybook bibles, watch short story videos, reciting prayers together prior to sharing a snack, sing classic and contemporary Sunday school songs, play games, and create simple crafts. Each lesson is tailored to the story (or 2), and all activities are reinforcing the lessons learned. Class ends in time for children to join their families for Communion, allowing for a healthy balance of classroom time with their peers and sanctuary time with our clergy. Our hope is that each child carries their Sunday faith with them all week, shining the light of Jesus through themselves and onto others.
Candace and Susan continue to care for our babies and toddlers in the nursery every Sunday year-round for our 10:15 service along with holidays and other special events. We have two rooms upstairs for our nursery, giving us the ability to offer more quiet space for babies.
Rally Sunday, Halloween party with lunch and games, Christmas pageant with roles for all children and the church picnic all offer children’s activities to keep church faithfully fun and festive! To help families strengthen their faith at home, we offer take home activities during Advent and Lent and teach the children the importance of giving to others with a variety of donation (time, talent, and treasure) opportunities.
Weekly emails to families with an overview of the upcoming lesson and monthly events are sent. A current picture from class time or children’s events is included. The stage area in the parish hall offers an inviting space for families and children to relax, read a book from our shelves, color or even play a game.
Thank you to all our children and parents for helping create a wonderful community here!
It has been a busy seven months and here are some highlights in various areas of music ministry at St. Paul’s:
The St. Paul’s Choir continues to provide nourishing and inspiring music each week, and they are now doing so with two anthems every Sunday. In addition, this past Spring under the excellent direction of Interim Director of Music, Peter Dubois, the choir offered Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and this Fall they sang the Requiem by Gabriel Faure and a beautiful service of Christmas Lessons and Carols. The St. Paul’s Bell Choir has begun ringing regularly on the first Sunday of each month allowing people to plan their schedules far in advance. The Bell Choir has been very productive ringing two pieces of challenging repertoire each month, many of which have been new to the group. We had a guest clinician, Jean Coniber, visit the group to give advice on how to improve technique and introduce new ideas which was very beneficial. The St. Paul’s Choristers have been singing a short benediction response nearly every week since October. This gives them a regular and prominent role in our worship services. The Choristers have also sung a short anthem on the third Sunday of each month, and on Christmas Eve. All three of these groups are open to anyone that would like to get more involved at St. Paul’s. Please contact me at jsherer@stpaulsec.org for more information.
“Third Sunday @ 3pm” is the new concert series launched at St. Paul’s. Each Third Sunday @ 3pm during the academic year we offer a concert featuring our own musicians or the incredible talent within the Rochester community and very often these concerts generate income for local charities in Rochester. In October, a concert with twenty brass players from Eastman raised over $4,000 to support If Music be the Food, a local charity started at St. Paul’s to provide food for those in need. In November, a violin and piano concert raised nearly $1500 to support RocMaidan, a local organization supporting Ukraine and this January a concert honoring Martin Luther King Jr. raised funds for the Urban League of Rochester. Concerts at St. Paul’s not only provide beautiful music to those that attend, but also much needed assistance for people near and far in need. We look forward to other events coming on the third Sunday of the month.
The music ministry at St. Paul’s extends in many ways beyond our worship services and concerts. Members of the St. Paul’s Choir prepared a meal for Episcopalian and Lutheran students at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and sang an anthem during their worship service. The St. Paul’s Choir sang a Christmas concert at the Episcopal Church Home in Rochester in December. I taught an adult education class at St. Paul’s about the music of Advent and Christmas. I, along with Rob Picken, offered a class for the Diocese of Rochester exploring musical and liturgical resources for the Advent and Christmas seasons. And most recently a choir tour to Ghana has been announced for late February of 2026. More information about this choir tour, open to anyone interested, will be presented on Wednesday, February 12 at 7:00 pm in the church.
Inspiring music, created with love, transforming God’s world” is the new mission statement for our music program. All the musicians at St. Paul’s strive each week to make the music heard here to be as nourishing, beautiful, and indeed inspiring as possible. Every note is created with love and respect in a community of people that enjoy being together. They care about each other, the music they are creating and the people that hear it. Ultimately, what we do through music is transforming God’s world by bringing joy, comfort, and healing to all those in any need. Thank you all for your support of the vibrant and vital music ministry at St. Paul’s!
On a personal note, let me express how grateful I am to Rob Picken, the staff, wardens, and the congregation here at St. Paul’s for their very gracious welcome into this wonderful community. Since I started in July of 2024, it has been a great joy to be with you all, and I am thankful to our Organ Scholar, Augustine Sobeng for his support and unfailing willingness to help in any situation. I am especially thankful to all the choirs at St. Paul’s for their gracious welcome and good will during this time of transition.
The people of St. Paul’s engage in many outreach opportunities. The Outreach Council is unique in that it provides monetary gifts in support of philanthropic and humanitarian organizations in the local and wider community, especially to those that exemplify our values of Support Youth, Feeding the Hungry, and Providing Housing for All.
The Outreach Council is an example of “God at work” through St. Paul’s in the community.
•In 2024, the Council had a budget of $20,000.
•The Council meets monthly to discuss gift requests.
•With a simple voucher, it gives up to $5,000 per request.
•Council members frequently visit organizations to assess needs.
•In 2024, the Council voted to celebrate Foodlink’s fifteenth anniversary by contributing $1500 to the April - “If Music Be the Food” concert.
•The Council gave additional gifts to Crossroads of Caring, Mary’s Place, Teen Empowerment, Willow Domestic Violence Center, House of Mercy, Isaiah House, Meals on Wheels, and REACH Advocacy/Project Haven. In addition, we joined with the Vestry in support of Family Promise of Rochester.
•We invited The Reverend Mary Ann Brody from Crossroads of Caring to speak at our September Forum, and Margaret Schweitzer from Meals on Wheels spoke at our November Forum.
Outreach Council Members
Mary Pietrzykowkski, Chair
Stan Refermat
Judy Wadsworth
Diane Healy
Chari Krenis
Deacon Sue Ouellette
Our historic church is a beautiful place to worship, but it requires constant maintenance. The following projects were accomplished this past year.
The Property Committee spent the last year researching air conditioning for the sanctuary. After many meetings, offsite visits and discussions, we presented to Vestry a proposal for their review. I am happy to say, work will begin in April. (Information about this project was shared in the January 2025 edition of “The Epistle.”)
Vestry approved upgrading of our aging security alarm system. There will be more information on this after the installation.
In late 2023 and early 2024, we were dealing with boiler condensate return pipe leaks throughout the building. During the summer of 2024, we replaced 420 linear feet of return lines. Many of the lines are 75+ years old. At that time, we also had a steam trap study conducted throughout the facility. This study found issues with 150 traps. There are grants through RG&E and NYS to help offset costs for the trap survey and replacement. We are currently working with our HVAC contractor on this.
In August of 2024, we experienced a catastrophic flood in the gymnasium. Unknown to us, there was an underground leak in one of our 2 water supply lines to the building from the city main. During that period, our sump pumps in the gym failed. This caused the gym to flood with approximately 40k gallons of water over a period of 4 days. The Rochester Fire Department was called to help with the water removal. We had a plumber on scene to replace the sump pumps once RFD had completed the removal. The damage was extensive. The gym floor was removed as well as a portion of wall. There is a commercial dehumidifier and air circulator in the gym to keep it dry. One of the items the Property Committee will tackle this year is how best to move forward with repairs, and the mitigation of ground water that still enters from the exterior walls.
Copper downspout theft is still an ongoing problem. We are working with our contractor to have what is currently missing, replaced, as we have before, with appropriate downspouts (not with copper)
Our goal is to provide our parishioners, guests, visitors and local community a safe, secure and welcoming environment to worship and visit.
The property committee has a list of projects to address this upcoming year. We would like to thank Dave McEntee and Jim D’Angelo (now retired) for all the help they have provided in maintaining our buildings. I would like to thank my son Josh for helping us with through the holidays. We would also like to thank the Property Committee members: Bob Frank, Grace Henshaw, Doug Kelly, Chari Krenis and Ed Rubel for their service
(Thousands $$)
2024 in Review
•Revenue was steady at $1,168K
•Pledges and offerings grew 5%
•As in ‘23 we drew on restricted funds & prior year surpluses to augment pledge & plate and the annual draw
•Expenses were essentially flat year-over-year
•Bottom line was break even
Not included in the Operations P&L:
•We received $66K of bequests and $28K other donations
•Our portfolio grew $1.4M prior to the draw
•$192K assets added (sanctuary LED lighting, pipes, AV, PCs, other building assets)
•Total Outreach = $200K ($110K cash + $31K in-kind + $59K to Diocese)
(Thousands $$)
•Ongoing Revenue has been planned conservatively and expenses realistically.
•In recognition of our music ministry as a significant part of our mission and parish identity, a portion of the annual Mission Opportunity funding will be used to support the music program and its established and developing connections within the community.
•The bottom-line task of $37K is equal to roughly 1/3 of the funding from the Employee Retention Tax Credit which is expected in 2025.
2025 Pledge Campaign Snapshot
•Total # of Pledges (so far): 118
•Total Pledge Amount: $404,700
•95% to our goal
•Stewardship Committee is beginning routine follow--ups
•12 new pledges
•69% of returning pledgers increased their pledge
•7% increase in total pledged
Executive Committee / Parish Operations
The Rev. Robert Picken, Rector
Erin Glanton, Warden
Ingrid Stanlis, Warden
Rick Harrison, Treasurer
Judy McGrath, Clerk of the Vestry
Budget Committee
Rick Harrison, Treasurer, Chair
Erin Glanton, Warden
Julie Gedro, Vestry Member
Judy McGrath, Parish Accountant
Christopher Moore, Vestry Member
The Rev. Robert Picken, Rector
Ingrid Stanlis, Warden
Stewardship Council
Ingrid Stanlis, Chair
Rick Harrison
Christopher Moore
The Rev. Robert Picken, Rector
Nancy Reale
Annual Giving Campaign Committee
Erin Glanton, Warden
Julie Gedro, Vestry Member
Nancy Curtis
Doug Kelley
Kitty MacDowell
The Rev. Robert Picken, Rector
Investment Policy Committee
Christopher Moore, Chair
The Rev. Robert Picken, Rector
Erin Glanton, Warden
Ingrid Stanlis, Warden
Rick Harrison, Treasurer
Jim Hickam
Neal Panzer
Ed Rubel
E. Malcolm Wolcott
Dan Wright
Gretchen Zenner
Parish Life Committee
The Rev. Jay Burkardt, Clergy Liaison
Erin Wright
Andrew Welker
Chari Krenis
Kevin Frisch
Human Resources Committee
Erin Glanton, Chair
The Rev. Robert Picken, Rector
Julie Gedro
Rick Harrison
Judy Wadsworth
Outreach Council
Mary Pietrzykowski, Chair
Deacon Sue Ouellette, Clergy Liaison
Chari Krenis, Vestry Liaison
Kevin Frisch, Vestry Liaison
Stan Refermat
Judy Wadsworth
Diane Healy
Property Committee
Bill Moore, Chair
Bob Potter, Property Manager
The Rev. Robert Picken, Rector
Bob Frank
Grace Henshaw
Doug Kelley
Chari Krenis
Ed Rubel
Congregational Development Team
Julie Gedro, Convenor
The Rev. Jay Burkardt
Kevin Frisch
Nancy Grear
Mara Hazzard-Wallingford
Natosche Holt
Lindsay Korth
Rita Lancy
Deacon Sue Ouellette
The Rev. Robert Picken
Sonja Slother
Acolytes: A ministry of worship leadership that assists before, during, and after Services. Participate as Crucifer, torchbearer, or Altar server. For more information, contact The Rev. Jay Burkardt at (585) 271-2240 or jburkardt@stpaulsec.org.
Altar Guild: A ministry of worship leadership and hospitality that prepares, arranges for and cleans up after, worship services. Training and companionship are guaranteed. For more information, contact Lindsay Korth at (585) 482-0203 or lkorth3@naz.edu.
Altar Flower Donations: Flower donations are a way not only for you to participate in enhancing the beauty of our worship space, but they provide an opportunity for the parish to join in honoring the memory or occasion. For more information, contact Nancy Andrus at 585-406-8545 or nancyandrus308@gmail.com.
Choirs: St. Paul’s has three choirs: the St. Paul’s Choir, the St. Paul’s Ringers (Bell Choir), and the Choristers. The St. Paul’s Choir sings each Sunday and rehearses on Wednesday evenings; the Bell Choir rings regularly throughout the year and rehearses on Thursday evenings; and the newly revised Chorister program rehearses at 11:30 am most Sundays during the program year. For more information, contact John Sherer at (585) 271-2240 or jsherer@stpaulsec.org.
Healing Prayer Ministry: If you are interested in learning more about how you can become a healing prayer minister, please contact Deacon Sue Ouellette at (585) 271-2240 or souellette@stpaulsec.org.
Lay Eucharistic Ministers: A worship ministry that assists in the administration of the consecrated bread and wine at any celebration of the Eucharist. For more information, contact Angie Jones at (585) 442-8177 or angie818jones@gmail.com.
Lectors: Lectors read the lessons, psalms, and prayers during all worship services throughout the year, including holidays. Instruction provided. For more information about this worship ministry, contact Erin Glanton, Coordinator, at (585) 953-1509 or erinaglanton@gmail.com.
Ushers: A ministry of hospitality, Ushers welcome people, distribute bulletins, and assist during Sunday and Special Services throughout the year. For more information, contact Jennifer and Phil Bleecker at (585) 729-8075 or jen.bleck2@gmail.com.
Lay Weeders: From the late Spring to early Fall, a dedicated group of volunteers work to keep our grounds looking well-kept and seasonal. All experience levels are welcome! For more information, contact Judy McGrath at jpmcgrathpenfield@gmail.com.
St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality: Participants in this outreach ministry prepare meals on the first Saturday of each month at St Joe’s House on South Avenue. For more information, contact Meredith Halter at (585) 615-2058 or at mhalter@rochester.rr.com.
St. Paul’s Child Care Center: St. Paul’s Child Care Center is a non-denominational, not-for-profit, Pathways accredited program providing quality care for families with children ages 8 weeks to 5 years old. It also offers a Universal Pre-K curriculum through the RCSD. Volunteers are always welcome. For more information, contact Brent Johnson, Board President, at brent_a_johnson@ me.com.
Altar Flower Delivery: A ministry of pastoral care that delivers arrangements of Altar Flowers to shut-in and hospitalized parishioners after the 10:00 am Sunday Eucharist. For more information, contact Liz Litwiller at (585) 244-5459 or bobandlizlit@ yahoo.com.
Lay Eucharistic Visitors: An extension of our worship ministry, Eucharistic Visitors bring Communion to those who cannot attend Eucharist in person. Some training is required. For more information, contact The Rev. Rob Picken at (585) 271-2240 or rpicken@stpaulsec.org.
Needle Arts Ministry: A ministry of pastoral care, volunteers make Prayer Shawls, lap robes, and newborn blankets to be given to those experiencing health issues or other stressful situations, or in thanksgiving for a special occasion. Patterns are provided as needed. For more information, contact Nancy Grear at nancy.grear@gmail.com
St. Paul’s Cares: Members engage in a ministry of caring by visiting and/ or bringing meals to their fellow parishioners who are ill, grieving, and/or lonely. Contact Deacon Sue Ouellette at (585) 271-2240 or souellette@stpaulsec.org.
Youth Group: The Youth Group of St Paul’s is an opportunity for the young people of the church, grades 6-12, to gather for fellowship, Bible study, mission and outreach, meals, games, and other opportunities to share and learn about their faith with one another. Meeting twice a month, the youth are encouraged to develop and plan their activities and discussions while also being prepared to participate in the life of the parish. The congregation is encouraged to support this ministry by providing meals at the meetings and chaperoning meetings and outings. For more information or to volunteer, contact the Rev. Jay Burkardt (585) 2712240 or jburkardt@stpaulsec.org.
The Rev. Canon Robert Picken
The Rev. Jay Burkardt
The Rev. Sue Ouellette, PhD
Susan Hall
Natosche Holt
Candace Hoffman-Hussain
Dave McEntee
Judy McGrath
Bob Potter
Dr. John Sherer
Sonja Slother
Augustine Sobeng
Amy Welker
Lisa Werner
Rector Assistant Rector Deacon
Sunday Child Care
Parish Office Administrator
Sunday Child Care
Maintenance Associate
Parish Accountant
Property Manager
Organist & Director of Music
Director of Communications & Digital Ministry
Organ Scholar
Director, Children & Youth Faith Formation
Accounting Assistant
Erin Glanton
Ingrid Stanlis
Rick Harrison
Judy McGrath
Kevin Frisch
Julie Gedro
Brent Johnson
Swing Harre
Mara Hazzard-Wallingford
Christopher Moore
Floyd Bayley
Laura Carr
Chari Krenis
Warden Warden Treasurer Clerk
Class of 2024
Class of 2024
Class of 2024
Class of 2025
Class of 2025
Class of 2025
Class of 2026
Class of 2026
Class of 2026
25 Westminster Road, Rochester, New York 14607 585-271-2240 • www.stpaulsec.org