Holy Week is the culmination of our Lenten pilgrimage, as we prepare for the great Easter celebrations. Plan now to join with the community as we gather at the table, behold the cross, and await the resurrection.

Note: All evening services will be at 7 pm, with the exception of Maundy Thursday, when we will gather at 6:30 for supper.

And new for this year: We will have childcare for all of the evening services except Maundy Thursday, when the entire church family will be at the table together for supper.

Saturday March 23rd: Come Make Chicks for our Palm Sunday Procession
We’ll meet at 10 am in the Parish House, and with fresh rolls, a little construction paper and ribbons, make baby chicks to carry in our Palm Sunday parade the next day. These chicks remind us of how Jesus reached out to Jerusalem like a mother hen extends her wings to embrace her chicks.

The Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday): March 24th at 8 am and 10 am
The Liturgy of the Palms and Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at both services.
The 10 am liturgy will begin in the garden, weather permitting.

Evening Services During Holy Week: March 25th, 26th, 27th, at 7 pm
The Holy Eucharist will be celebrated each evening in a meditative service.

Maundy Thursday: March 28th at 6:30 pm: Join us for an Agape Supper in the Parish House, followed by the Holy Eucharist, Footwashing, and the Stripping of the Altar. Watch for an email from Signup Genius with information about the Potluck

Good Friday: March 29th

• 4 pm: A service designed for children.
• 7 pm: We will read the Prayer Book liturgy for Good Friday.

Holy Saturday: March 30th at 10 am
We will read the brief Prayer Book liturgy for this day before preparing the church for the Easter celebrations.

The Great Vigil of Easter: March 30th at 7 pm

The kindling and blessing of New Fire will precede the Liturgy of the Word, the Renewal of Baptismal Vows, and the first Eucharist of Easter. See more information below about this moving service.

Bring bells from home — large and small — we will ring them as we proclaim our “alleluias.”

We will also have a simple reception after the service — feel free to bring treats sweet or savory.

The Sunday of the Resurrection: March 31st at 8 am and 10 am
We will celebrate the Holy Eucharist at both services.

There will be an Easter Egg Hunt for the children (rain or shine) following the 10 AM service with a festive coffee hour in the Parish House.

The Herlihys and the Nyhans will be hosting Coffee Hour on Easter morning. You are invited to help us have a festive spread by bringing Easter breads, cookies, or other treats.

Maundy Thursday Agape Supper

Check your email inbox for the “Sign-up Genius” electronic sign up for our Thursday supper. It is quick and easy and will help ensure that we have the right combination of things for this special meal. If you prefer, you are welcome to call the office to say what you will be bringing. Of course, all are welcome — contributing to the meal is not a requirement for attendance!

About the Great Vigil of Easter

“This is the night when Christ broke the bonds of death and rose victorious from the grave. Tonight we hear the ancient stories of God’s redeeming work, moving from darkness to light, from solemn chant to joyful song, as we celebrate the glorious Resurrection.”

— from the Washington National Cathedral 2012

The Great Vigil is the oldest tradition of the Christian church except for the Eucharist and is meant to tell an ancient story which is so important and central to our lives as Christians and as members of St John’s. In a way, this is our tribal song…words, music and ritual in one space. It is told to every generation, it is told every year. The Great Vigil begins in the dark, as the fire of new life is lit and spread to the whole church and finally bells are rung and we hear the first Gloria and the first Alleluias of the new season of Easter. We are literally shouting for joy! This is the first service of Easter followed by services on Easter Day.

We encourage you to bring bells from home to ring for the Vigil, big bells and little ones, as well as sweet or savory items for a simple reception afterward.

We received word from Kyle and Erica Marshall that their daughter, Evangeline Grace, was born on Wednesday, March 20th. Welcome, Evangeline! Please remember them all with prayers of thanksgiving.

Maureen Lavely travels to Washington DC on Holy Monday with Bishop Harris, the bishops of the Diocese of Connecticut and other Episcopalians in a witness against gun violence. The bishops of Connecticut have been particularly engaged in this work since the shootings in Newtown last December.

Emily Bryson, our nursery caregiver is running the Boston Marathon for the Boys and Girls Club of Charlestown as a part of an 18 member team, raising much needed funds to support programming … and to serve as an inspiration to the Boys and Girls Club members. If you would like to support Emily in her effort, you can do so by clicking here. Emily’s name will be in the dropdown menu on the main page. Donations are tax-deductible.

Lost and Found Items: A couple of items were left at Tom’s house after the reception there on the 10th: a black scarf, and a tote bag with blue and black stripes. If either of these are yours, you can get them at the church office.

Rev. Tom Mousin

Dear Friends,

On Sunday we will gather in the Cutler Memorial Garden (we hope!) for the blessing of the palms prior to the 10 am service. If the snow hasn’t melted sufficiently, we’ll meet instead in the Parish House, and process briefly outside before entering the church to the Palm Sunday hymn “All Glory Laud and Honor.” Thus will begin a day of contrasts — joyful songs of acclamation to begin our service, and then, the telling of the Passion story, as we watch Jesus slowly being abandoned by most of his followers.

We experience two very different processions on Sunday — one of people gathering, looking, hoping, and welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem — a crowd growing in size and excitement.

The other procession may not be as recognizable, and its effect is the opposite of the first. It happens as the disciples run from the Garden of Gethsemane, as Peter denies he ever knew Jesus, and as some of those who welcomed Jesus on Sunday now hide from him as he faces arrest, torture and death. It is a procession that does not lead to a community being gathered, but one being dispersed.

We willingly engage ourselves in both processions on Sunday and in the week to come. We do so because of our faith that God is engaged with us whether we are drawing near or fleeing in fear. We do so because we see in Jesus’ own faithfulness his understanding that even his defeat and death, though not desired by God, would be filled with God’s redeeming and transforming presence. And that great transformation which we know as the resurrection will draw us all together again — in the first great celebration of the Easter Vigil on Saturday night, and then on Easter morning.

Whether we walk in faith or in fear, God is with us. I look forward to being part of both processions with you.

Faithfully,

Tom

Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble.

—2 Peter 2:10

Dear Friends,

We have seen the enormous amount of news coverage about the election of the new pope. I happened to be in the office yesterday when I was told that there was white smoke, and watched with millions across the world to see who would emerge on the balcony of St. Peter’s. The drama of a secret conclave, the anxious waiting for black or white smoke, and the realization that the person elected is called to be the the spiritual leader of 1.2 billion people — all these things make the election of a new pope a matter of interest to many beyond the Roman Catholic Church.

And yet, the call to each Christian, lay or ordained, is no less momentous an event. Pope Francis I is being called to a particular ministry, but so is each one of us. White smoke and the pealing of bells may not announce to the world that God has an intention for us, but the call is no less profound. The church, gathered as the Body of Christ can be described in many ways. But one description would be this: it is the place where we can be attentive to how God is calling each of us. It is the place where others can help us to see where our gifts align with the needs of the world, where our passion can meet the promises of God that are yet to be accomplished in the human community. And it is the place where we can eagerly watch, pray, and help others to identify their calls.

Yesterday I conveyed the prayers and best wishes of our parish to our brothers and sisters at St. Mary-St. Catherine and St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Churches, as they welcomed their new spiritual leader. Today, I pray for us all, that we might continue to discern and confirm the calls that Jesus Christ makes to each of us.

Faithfully,

Tom

Congratulations to Samantha Maynard, who competed recently in the Northern Vermont (U-10) Slalom Competition, finishing 5th and 8th in her last two races, and receiving medals for both races.

On Tuesday, you may have seen several tree trucks at St. John’s, with cherrypickers allowing workers to reach high up into the trees that surround the building. The Garden Group arranged for this much needed pruning work. It eliminated dead and unsafe limbs and contributed, not only to the health of the trees, but to the wellbeing of us all. Thank you to all the members of the Garden Group for your dedicated care of plants small and large, and for contributing a third of the cost for this important maintenance.

Marion Wood is on the mend after recently being hit by a car while crossing Austin Street. Please keep her in your prayers.

Over 30 people attended Tom’s Open House in Winchester on Sunday, and how delightful it was to have the sun shining on a Sunday afternoon! Thanks to all who attended — and Greta loved all the attention. We will do it again some time!

Paul Newell and Jake Sterling have been spending a considerable amount of time updating and refreshing our website. Please take a look; feedback is welcome as we want to make it as user-friendly as possible. You can click on the website at the top of this newsletter. Thank you to both Paul and Jake for your ongoing contributions of time and talent to this important window of our church’s life.

Emily Bryson, our nursery caregiver is running the Boston Marathon for the Boys and Girls Club of Charlestown as a part of an 18 member team, raising much needed funds to support programming … and to serve as an inspiration to the Boys and Girls Club members. If you would like to support Emily in her effort, you can do so by clicking here. Emily’s name will be in the dropdown menu on the main page. Donations are tax-deductible.