November 18, 2015 Issue 118
St. Matthew’s
Episcopal Church
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church 243 Barrow Street phone 985-872-5057
Hello friends:
Many of us have been working on preparations for our upcoming “Celebration of the Rebuilding of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church & School.” I want to be sure everyone is aware of what is being organized.
Our celebration will occur on Saturday & Sunday, Dec. 12 & 13, 2015. We will have an ‘Open House’ on Saturday from 10 AM until 2 PM. If you’d like to sign up to be a “docent” at some point during that window of time, please contact Gail Duhe ([email protected]). Your job would be simply to be available to receive guests, welcome them, and give them a tour of the church and/or school. If you’d like to help with keeping the punch and cookies well supplied, please let Debby Fortier know: [email protected]. I’ve asked Mrs. Beulah to put out lots of balloons and a sign (or banner) that welcomes passers by to come in and enjoy our Open House.
On Sunday, December 13, we’ll worship at our usual time of 10 AM. I will take that opportunity to bless several of the items on the interior of the church: candles, stained glass windows, pulpit, etc. We will also enjoy a number of musical offerings from our St. Matthew’s Episcopal School Choristers, as well as our St. Matthew’s Bell Choir. Our musicians have been working hard re-hearsing and preparing for the big event! A huge pot of gumbo will await us in the Parish Hall after the service, compliments of Mr. Lynn Kelley. If you’d like to help with hospitality for this event, please let Debby Fortier know.
On Sunday afternoon we will have another worship service at 5 PM. This will be a Rite I service of Choral Evensong. We’ve invited choristers from our sister congregations in the Deanery to come and sing with us. The Rev. Canon John Kellogg will be our guest preacher that evening. Also, our St. Matthew’s Choir will offer an “encore” of their performance of “Locus Iste,” which was just so beautiful! I anticipate that we may have some visitors from our wider Diocesan family that even-ing, as many of them (especially clergy) will likely be otherwise occupied on Sunday morning. Bishop Thompson will unfortunately not be able to join us, as he has an obligation at another Parish in the Diocese. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. (Again, please let Mrs. Debby know if you’d like to help with hospitality after Evensong.)
We will be sending out invitations on a post card sometime next week, which will have the sched-ule of events for the weekend. We will send them far and wide. So many have helped get us to this great occasion, and so we are hoping to get an invitation into the hand of each of them. We will send an invitation to each church in the Diocese, and to each member of the clergy. Also, we’ll invite the media, as well as our local business leaders and political officials to come and cele-brate the restoration of this jewel in our community. To God be the Glory!
Fr. Craig
St. Matthew’s
Announcements: Palfrey Polk, III has been accepted to Towson University in Maryland to continue his studies and pursue
his masters degree in Forensic Science.
Vestry Election Process
Nov. 15—Deadline for publicizing call for recommendations of persons to serve on Vestry
Nov. 29—Deadline for submitting names to the Vestry Nominating Committee
Dec. 2----Vestry Nominating Committee proposes slate of 4 persons, each to serve 3-year term
Dec. 20---Deadline to publish list of nominees, bios of same.
Jan. 10---Deadline to submit nominations by petition, along w/biography
Jan. 24----Annual meeting----elections conducted
Feb. 4,5---Vestry orientation and retreat at Solomon Conference Center
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
Sunday Service 10:00am
Nursery & Youth Programs Available
Page 3 Issue 118
SMEC Website:
www.stmatthewshouma.org
Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana
www.edola.org
SMES Website:
www.stmattsschool.com
Happy Birthday! Happy Anniversary!
BIRTHDAY PRAYER
Watch over your child, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and guide him wherever he may be. Strengthen him when he stands; comfort him when
discouraged or sorrowful; raise him up if he falls; and in his heart may your peace which passes understanding abide all the days of his life; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
1-Susie Schexnaildre
8-Joan Pustka
8-Whitney Wallace
9-Frank Pugh
9-Grace Hensley
9- Donna Knight
10-Brenda Bazet
11-Dana Davis
14-Earl Carmichael
17-Sandra Pellegrin
21-Katarina Bazet
23-Karen Bowe
27-Florence Henry
27-Norma Hensley
27-Paul Verdin
27-Alice Leonard
5-Herb and Andree Alexander
13-Jay and Kathy Theriot
17-Rod and Beulah Rodrigue
21-Irvin and Sandra Pellegrin
22-Susan and Barry Antill
24-Rob and Suzanne Alexander
25-Carl and JoAnne Plessala
30-Mike and Shanna Himel
Barbara & Alex S., Kathy, Margaret, Frances, Eula, Wilma, Ingree, Andrèe, Sharon, Sybil, Marian, Johanna, Angelle & Taylor, Emily, Rocelle, Warren, Harold, Gordon, Phil and Shirleen, Pete & Paula, Russell, Jennifer, Hunter, Penny, George, Delores, Kellie, Anna Belle, Barney, Helen, Flo, Ray, Louise, Kimble, Gerard, David, Denise, Gina, Jeanie, Steven, Ann, Aivyn, and our Partner-In-Mission sister parish, San Jose in Honduras. We give thanks and pray for St. Matthew’s Episcopal School, S. Myers McAllister, Head of School, members of the Board, faculty, staff and students, our Parish Vestry and Building Committee.
Prayers & Thanksgivings
November
SCHEDULE
November 22, 2015
Team 2
Eucharistic Ministers Sharon Pontiff, Donna Knight
Lector EM
Acolyte Kali Willet
Eucharistic Visitors (EV) Debby Fortier
Ushers Julio and Rina Medina, Karen Kelly
Vestry Member on Duty Debby Fortier
Altar Guild Sharon Pontiff, Suzanne Alexander
Hospitality Debby Fortier
Homes Visited Today: Eula McElroy
Wednesday, November 25, 2015, 5:30PM – Hilda Blanchard
(Special prayers offered in observance of Thanksgiving)
November 29, 2015
TEAM 3
Eucharistic Ministers Sandra Deroche, Alex Ostheimer
Lector Becky Becnel
Acolyte Hali Theriot
Eucharistic Visitors (EV) Emilie Daye
Ushers George Drury, Karen Chauvin
Vestry Member on Duty Karen Kelly
Altar Guild Sandy Ostheimer, Karen Kelly
Hospitality Hilda Blanchard
Homes Visited Today: Kathy Ryan, Wilma Belviy