DEAR FRIENDS 

This Sunday is Rogation Sunday, a day on which we thank God for the beauty of creation, for his divine Providence in providing for us, and for a blessing on the spring planting. This is a very old tradition and dates from a time when society was primarily agrarian.  We who live in urban and suburban settings are very much separated from the true source of our food, but we are still agrarian in a very real way—our food is grown on farms somewhere by someone, even if we don’t know where exactly and don’t know the people or see them working on the farms for our benefit. Since most churches in cities do not have farms in that sense, even small ones, the urban version of this celebration is to bless the gardens, and fortunately at St. Paul’s, we have beautiful gardens on two sides of the church, lovingly tended by Rich and Madge Wilner and other volunteers from our community.  So, this Sunday after the last hymn, we will process out to the sidewalk in front of the church on Clinton Street, where we will thank God for all that he has provided, ask for his continued provision, bless the gardens in front of the church, then walk down Carroll Street, blessing the gardens as we go, then into the Parish Hall through the courtyard for Coffee Hour. Be sure to bring your bulletins with you.  There is a chance of rain on Sunday, which is part of God’s created order and quite appropriate for Rogation Day as a sign of God’s providential care for the gardens, but not so good for our celebration.  If it is raining, we will stay inside, offer our prayers from the back of the church, and then I’ll bless the gardens from the porch.
 
See you on Sunday.
Fr. Wallace
 

FIVE BORO BIKE TOUR THIS WEEKEND.  PLAN AHEAD! 

And that means lots of traffic problems, bus reroutes, and bridge and street closures, the closest of which is Court Street, which will be closed between Union and West 9th.  A complete list of closures may be found here. Please check ahead and plan accordingly. 

SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNUAL LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN

Deadline Today! 

The Sunday School kids will be doing their annual letter writing campaign over the next few weeks. The kids will write letters to anyone who might want to receive a little note in the mail to brighten their day. Maybe you know someone who is sick, or feeling a little lonely, or who would just like a little note to brighten his or her day (who wouldn't?!)  If you know anyone who would enjoy a note from the Sunday School kids, please provide his or her name and address to Jean Del Colliano, at jdelcolliano@yahoo.com. If there are any instructions that Jean should keep in mind for the letter, please be sure to include that information (i.e., if the person is sick, please let us know so we'll make it a get well card soon, etc.).  Please provide Jean this information by May 4, 2018. 

DON’T FLEE—JOIN US FOR THE FLEA . . . MARKET, THAT IS!

Saturday and Sunday, May 19th and 20th 

It’s time again, friends, for St. Paul’s Flea Market and Bake Sale.  It is a fundraiser for the parish, but it is also, and perhaps more so, an outreach to the community.  We offer quality items at good, affordable prices, and many of our low-income patrons return year after year  to pick up a few things they couldn’t afford otherwise.

THIS IS AN ALL-PARISH EVENT AND HERE ARE WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

• Volunteer to help set up on Wednesday through Friday, May 16th-18th.  Times to be posted in the Parish Hall.
• Volunteer to help at the Flea Market itself, Saturday and Sunday.
• Provide something for the bake sale.  This is especially helpful if you cannot volunteer otherwise.
• Make a donation to the Flea Market.
• Invite your friends and neighbors

We are accepting donations of:

• Good, usable, clean, unbroken, and non-electronic items
• Non-upholstered and portable furniture
• Washed and wearable clothes for all ages

FIRST COMMUNION ANYONE? 

tIf you have a child who is seven years old (perhaps as young as six) and you think your child is ready to make his/her First Communion, now is the time.  There are several ways to go about preparing for First Communion, but the first step is to find out how many families are interested and to get organized.  Please contact Fr. Wallace by email if you are interested in First Communion.

SUNDAY SCHOOL DIAPER DRIVE

St. Paul’s Sunday School is hosting its first ever diaper drive!  All donations will be given to the The Kensington, which is a temporary family homeless shelter in Brooklyn, NY, with a capacity for 64 families. The Kensington provides ongoing case management, relocation to permanent housing, and crisis intervention (emergency food, clothing, etc), for any family in need.  We are asking for the following items to be donated:  diapers (all sizes up to and including Size 5), wipes, diaper related products, such as diaper rash cream & baby powder. Please only bring new products, as nothing that has already been opened can be accepted.  Please place all donations in the bins in the back of the church.  The diaper drive will end on Sunday, May 20.  Thank you for any and all donations!!

WIFI PROJECT COMPLETE! 

Thanks to the herculean efforts of Michael Eckblad and his team, we now have complete wifi coverage over all of the church property.  This project which was approved by the vestry before Christmas last year, and the team spent many hours on several consecutive Saturdays over the winter months in cramped, cold and dirty places, drilling holes, running wires, and setting everything up.  Please thank Michael Eckblad, Benoit Guerin, Willie Martinez, Ken Schwartz, and volunteers Mark Maceachen and Rob Mosher for all their hard work.  The name of the network is Rectory-Trustee, and the password, which will be changed regularly, will be posted on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall.

ASCENSION CELEBRATION

7:00 pm, Thursday May 10, High Mass, Christ Church Cobble Hill 

This is a Brooklyn Deanery Event co-sponsored by Christ Church Cobble Hill and St. Paul’s. Everyone from the Brooklyn Deanery is invited.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS 

Sunday, June 3, 4:00 pm, Brooklyn Deanery Celebration of Corpus Christi, Solemn Evensong and Benediction at Christ Church, Cobble Hill; Guest Preacher, Fr. Sean Wallace, St. Paul’s Carroll Street.

THIS COMING SUNDAY AT ST. PAUL’S

The Sixth Sunday of Easter, and Rogation Sunday 

• Solemn High Mass: 11:00 AM
• Sunday's Appointed Readings and Homily
  • The First Reading—Acts 10:44-48
  • Psalm 104:1, 10-25
  • Epistle—1 John 5:1-6
  • The Gospel—John 15:9-17
  • Sermon—Fr. Wallace
• Music
  • Prelude:  Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring—J.S. Bach
  • Entrance Hymn:  “Come, ye faithful, raise the strain,” Hymnal #199
  • Offertory Hymn:  “All creatures of our God and King,” Hymnal, #400
  • Communion Hymn: “All things bright and beautiful,” Hymnal, #405
  • Dismissal Hymn:   “We plow the fields and scatter,” Hymnal, #291