eThepisTle
St. Paul’s Church builds bridges — to God, to one another, to the city and beyond. JULy
The RecToR A NoTe fRom
O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord; praise [the Lord] and magnify him for ever.”
from Song of Creation (Benedicite, omnia opera Domini)
Dear Friends in Christ,
As we enter the heart of summer, I find myself reflecting on the familiar, simple, poetic words from an ancient Morning Prayer canticle, the Benedicite: “Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord, praise him and highly exalt him for ever.” The changing seasons remind us not only of the beauty and rhythm of creation, but also of God’s abiding presence in every time and season of our lives.
Summer offers us a unique opportunity to pause, to grow, and to reconnect—with God, with one another, and with the world around us. Whether we are tending gardens, enjoying a moment of rest, watching our children play, traveling with friends or family, or simply sitting in the stillness of a warm, sun-drenched evening, these ordinary moments can take on a sacredness of their own.
This canticle calls us to see not just the beauty of creation, but also our place within it as stewards and care-takers of it. As a parish, let’s carry the spirit of this verse with us when we return for the new program year in September!
With my prayers and best wishes, I remain,
Yours in Christ,
(The Rev’d) Robert A. Picken
The Vestry Vignette
The Vestry of St. Paul’s met in May and June to continue its faithful stewardship of the parish’s mission, ministries, finances, and campus.
In May, the Vestry welcomed presentations from Amy Welker on Children and Family Ministries; The Rev. Jay Burkardt on the Youth Group, and John Sherer, Director of Music. Each shared thoughtful reflections on the past program year and outlined hopes for the year ahead. Their presentations invited the Vestry into a deeper conversation about aspirations, core values, and how these ministries support the growth and vitality of the parish.
In June, the Vestry formally accepted the parish Audit Report, which was again favorable and free of new recommendations—an ongoing sign of strong financial health and accountability. The 2024 audit was conducted by Heveron and Company.
Much of the meeting focused on the Property Committee’s report, presented by Bob Potter (Property Manager) and Bill Moore (Chair). The Vestry approved:
•Restoration of the stone walkways in Paul’s Cross;
•Restoration of one the entryways to Wainwright Hall;
•An engineering study to assess long-term solutions for the flooring in Stone Hall, which was damaged by last summer’s flooding.
The Vestry also received an update on the sanctuary A/C project, which was approved in December (see January Epistle). The project is well-underway and remains on schedule for completion by mid-July.
Additional facilities updates included painting and restroom repairs, replacement of malfunctioning water fountains, routine boiler repairs and maintenance, and a review of many other projects currently underway and being discussed in committee. The Vestry expressed its gratefulness to Bob and Bill and the whole committee for their good work.
The next Vestry meeting is scheduled for September.
music DepARTmeNT sT. pAul’s
St Paul’s music program is building bridges by sharing the joy of music with so many:
Thank you to all the Choristers who sang this past year! Their singing brought joy and hope to everyone who heard them.
Thank you to the St. Paul’s Bell Choir who rang this past year! Their dedication and commitment are a beautiful example of being in community and achieving great results working together.
Thank you to the St. Paul’s Choir who sang so beautifully this past year! Their singing brought us closer to God and nourished us with beauty and inspiration.
St. Paul’s is launching a choir tour to Ghana and the deadline for registration has been extended to September 30! This self-sustaining choir tour is open to anyone, singer or non-singer interested in the adventure of a lifetime, you do not have to sing to be a part of the choir tour. We will be spending about two weeks there and other places nearby to sing concerts and worship services, plus learn about their culture and history. You can learn more about the tour by going to stpaulsec. org/choirtour to see the brochure about the itinerary and other details. For more information, please contact John Sherer at jsherer@stpaulsec.org.
If anyone wants to share in the joy of our music program you are always welcome to contact John Sherer at jsherer@stpaulsec.org to learn more about joining us as we build bridges through “inspiring music, created with love, transforming God’s world.”
Fantastic turnout for the Inaugural East Avenue Music Festival!
Over 200 people in total enjoyed an afternoon filled with outstanding music, delicious food, and warm fellowship at our stops at congregations along East Ave. Kudos to John Sherer and his colleagues for curating a program that showcased some of their finest musical offerings.
At St. Paul’s, special thanks to Sonja for her behind-the-scenes support, and to Bob, Judy, and the anonymouscookie-baker for their gracious hospitality. Planning is already underway for next year’s festival—stay tuned!
life long christian learning
Adult Education Survey: Looking Back—and Looking Ahead
As we wrap up this program year, we give thanks for the many opportunities we had to grow in understanding and build community. Throughout the program year, we regularly offered Bible Study on Sundays at 9:00 am and Special Sunday Forums and Book Groups at 11:30 am.
We also offered a variety of topics, formats and times, including: special Advent and Lenten theology and spirituality programs on Sundays at 9:00 am and 11:30 am, three Book groups on varied topics, our annual Lenten Soup and Study, a new Lenten retreat day, a renewed Lunch ‘n Learn offering, and special presentations on art, music, liturgy, and scripture.
What You Told Us:
Number of Respondents: 29
Satisfaction with Program:
16 - Very Satisfied
9 - Satisfied
4 - Somewhat Satisfied/Neutral
0- Dissatisfied
Most popular offerings:
• Jay’s presentation on his Sabbatical (weeknight)
• Intro to Music for Advent and Christmas (Sunday at 11:30 am)
• History of Hymnody Lenten Study (weeknight)
• Lenten Retreat Day (Saturday AM)
• Lunch ‘n Learn (Weekday)
Topics most relevant to respondents:
• Theology, Spirituality, and Bible Study
Content hit the mark:
• “The Lenten study on Hymnody with John was one of the best I ever attended!”
• “The book groups were interesting and challenging and helped me to grow spiritually and intellectually.”
• “The work in creating the content, the flow, and the environment for the Lenten retreat day was so much appreciated.”
You appreciated the variety:
• “Many topics offered engaged us more than we could attend!”
• “I am very pleased and wish I could attend every program.”
• “I appreciate the varied programming.”
Builds Community:
• “I really enjoy getting together with others in my faith community to learn, discuss, and get to know one another.”
• “The Lunch ‘n Learn was very inclusive and helpful and a great opportunity to get together with one another.”
Timing / format matters:
• “I understand the timing of the 9:00 am sessions but choir members are unable to attend.”
• “More Zoom or hybrid options would be appreciated.”
• “I like the Sundays at 11:30 as well as the weekday programs and hope we do more.”
Greetings from the awesome kids at St. Paul’s!
We have completed another amazing year in our classroom, nursery and in the sanctuary. Each Sunday, we learned about a story (or 2) from the lectionary which kept us on track with the church service. I’m proud of the kids (and their parents, too!) for being so consistent with their attendance. The best it has been in many years, so kudos to our families! I also love how welcoming our parishioners are to the children, and from the nursery to our sanctuary, they can feel right at home at St. Paul’s.
Through June, I will be sending updates and info to families with regards to VBS programs and the devotional books (pictured to the right). Time spent with God, or “quiet time” is a wonderful way to stay connected and grow their faith, even as we take a break from Sunday school. These books are available to all children (PreK -2 book and 3rd- 6th grade book) to keep at home and use daily during the summer for a story, thoughtful bible verse, questions, and prayer.
I hope everyone has a sun filled summer filled with peace, joy, and love. I look forward to returning to our classroom in September!
Amy Welker, Director of Children and Family Faith Formation awelker@stpaulsec.org
Ideas for Next Year:
Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions. Here’s what you’re hoping for in future programming:
• Topics like evangelism using the detailed guide from the Episcopal Church, comparative religion or Christian denominational similarities and differences, history of the Episcopal Church in Rochester, and what Scripture says about current issues;
• A book group on “How to be Brave” by Mariann Budde and a Midweek Bible Study (perhaps by Zoom); and,
• Opportunities for a demonstration / tour of the St Paul’s Skinner Organ and to discuss concrete ways how to engage the community and bring Good News to the world.
THANK YOU!
Your engagement and curiosity make Adult Faith Formation at St. Paul’s a vital ministry. Keep an eye out for next year’s offerings— coming late summer. Have another idea or question? We’d love to hear from you!
Can You Help?
The St. Paul’s Archive Committee is working to preserve a collection of pastoral sermons currently stored only on tape recordings. To begin this important project, we need to borrow equipment capable of playing these tapes so we can assess their condition. Usable recordings will then need to be converted to a modern digital format to ensure long-term accessibility.
If you have tape playback equipment available for loan, or if you have experience converting tapes to digital formats, please reach out to Linda White at lmw47@yahoo. com or Judy Wadsworth at judywads@twc.com.
Summer Pledge Payments:
For those of you traveling this summer, remember you can use your pledge envelopes to mail your donation to the Office. Your continued payments help maintain our cash flow during the summer months. Thank you in advance.
St. Joseph’s House:
For the month of July, we will be collecting men’s underwear all different sizes boxers, men’s t-shirts all different sizes, men’s undershirts all different sizes, and men’s deodorant.
St. Joe’s will only be open Monday through Friday during the summer months. We are looking to do a lunch for them in the summer, but as of now do not have a date. Stay posted. Any questions, please reach out to Meredith Halter at mhalter@ rochester.rr.com
Annual Parish Picnic
eThepisTle
25 Westminster Road, Rochester, NY 14607
585.271.2240 • info@StPaulsEC.org StPaulsEC.org
The Rev. Robert Picken Rector
The Rev. Jay Burkardt Assistant Rector
The Rev. Sue Ouellette, Ph.D. Deacon
Dr. John W. W. Sherer
Organist & Director of Music
Augustine Sobeng Organ Scholar
Amy Welker
Director of Children & Youth Faith Formation
Candance Hoffman-Hussain
Susan Hall
Sunday Child Care
Sonja Slother Director of Communications & Digital Ministry
Natosche Holt
Parish Office Administrator
Judy McGrath
Parish Accountant
Lisa Werner
Accounting Assistant
Bob Potter
Property Manager
Dave McEntee
Maintenance Associate
We’re thrilled to share that Sonja Slother, our Director of Communication & Digital Ministry, received two national Polly Bond Awards at the Episcopal Communicator’s Conference in Oklahoma City this May!
Her first award recognized the short video highlighting St. Paul’s and our new mission statement, which premiered at the Annual Meeting in January. (If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s featured on our website homepage!) The second award celebrated the redesign and development of The Epistle, the very publication you’re reading now.
Since joining us in June 2022, Sonja has earned a total of five Polly Bond Awards. Before coming to Rochester, she was also a consistent award-winner during her time at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Buffalo.
We are grateful for Sonja’s creativity, vision, and dedication—and proud to see her work honored by her colleagues on a national stage!
REST IN PEACE
Merciful God, we entrust to your never-failing care and love
Paul Donnelly, Jr.
Joyce Crofton
The Very Rev. Wm. Petersen
Gerry Bergstrom
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord; And let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
St. Paul’s on Facebook, Instagram and our YouTube Channel “St Paul’s EC”
OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Thursday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Office email: info@stpaulsec.org
For urgent pastoral needs after hours: call 585-438-0472