Easter Week News
from Mother Michelle
Dear St. Paul's Family,
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
What joyous and amazing Easter celebrations we enjoyed yesterday my friends. It was a joy to chant the liturgy and to hear your (soft) singing voices proclaiming the resurrection. I pray for that joy to continue to feed you spiritually this week and beyond.
In case you missed the excitement first hand, we had a special guest on Sunday - the fire department. The smoke from our incense set off the smoke detectors and brought the fire department (see pictures above). We're please to know the system works so well (even though it needs to be replaced by the end of the year due to new code requirements). And we're happy to report there was only a minor slow down in our liturgy. It will be an Easter never to forget, for sure!
In lieu of our Friday News from the Red Doors I am sending this on Monday to keep you in the loop. As you've likely heard by now, I am on vacation with my family from 4/5-4/12 and will return to the office on Tuesday 4/13. In the event of any pastoral emergencies, please contact our Junior Warden Tom Konieczny. He will coordinate any necessary next steps.
Additionally, Fr. John Houghton will supply for us this coming Sunday, 4/11. I know it will be lovely for all to see him again after this long year. I'm thankful for his willingness to supply again!
After some conversation we have come to the realization that registration is no longer necessary for most Sunday services. While we do still have to take attendance for the near future in order to provide contact tracing should one of us accidentally attend church while COVID positive, we haven't had a seating issue on any occasion other than Christmas Eve and Easter. So beginning this Sunday 4/11 we will NOT be pre-registering for service. There will be a parish roster at the check-in stand near the Harrison Street door and the ushers will keep track of who attended each week. So please come to church without registering ... and enjoy that freedom. (Note: We may still register for special services, or should the pandemic shift our seating capacity again. For now, however, we are registration free!)
Lastly, words alone cannot express my gratitude for your faithfulness in every aspect of being faith community. From your prayers to your willingness to participate in clean-up day; from your financial contributions to the extra effort of helping out in large and small ways for Holy Week and Easter; from your tolerance of the many pandemic guidelines we must observe to your flexibility every time we've shifted those guidelines -
THANK YOU!
You/we are an amazing community of believers, doing more than we imagined we could and poised for our next season of ministry together. Be well loved ones. Know that you are in my prayers. And enjoy the thrill of the resurrection today and always.
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
In love and prayers,
Mother Michelle
priest@stpaulslaporte.org | 219-575-0226 (c)