Summer Sundays
8:30am Bible Study in Griswold Room and via zoom
9:30am Worship Service
News
Dear friends in Christ:
Thank you for your wonderful celebration June 16 in worship and at a festive coffee hour where we recognized my 40 years as a priest. How honored and delighted I am to serve as your rector. The beautiful cutting board was imagined and designed by Carole Lamourine and crafted by her son Thom. Thank you Carole and Thom!
Mother Anita
June 2024
Swords to Plowshares Northeast
4/14/24
Swords to Plowshares Northeast is a 360-degree program that repurposes weapons of death into tools of life, that will be used for the betterment of the community.
Teams work closely with municipalities and law enforcement agencies to organize gun buyback events in the spirit of public safety and injury prevention.
Their mission is to reduce senseless firearms injuries and deaths among the vulnerable by facilitating/ building municipal partnerships between law enforcement, health providers, universities, after-school programs, religious ministry and community based service organizations and businesses.
Last Sunday Bishop Curry brought the organization to Saint Ann's. After a presentation at the Griswold Forum and preaching and celebrating at both services, Bishop Curry lead a demonstration in the parking lot with his forge, anvil and drill.
Please visit www.s2pnortheast.org for more information and to donate to this fantastic cause.
A Great Partnership Story: Saint Anns and Lyme Old Lyme Food Share Garden
3/1/24
At its recent board meeting, the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden celebrated a donation from Saint Ann’s Episcopal Church, who generously funded the purchase of a garage for the LOLFSG! The Reverend Anita Schell of St. Ann’s noted, “It’s all about partnerships.” The structure will house the garden’s tractor and other materials necessary to support the newly expanded garden. The LOLFSG is enormously grateful for the donation.
Carolyn Kilroy, Saint Ann’s Outreach Vestry Liaison, added that the LOLFSG and the Saint Ann’s community have a “shared vision” in their commitment to address local food insecurity.
In 2023, LOLFSG volunteers donated more than 1000 hours, delivered more than 2500 pounds of food to local food pantries, installed a pollinator pathway at the garden, composted more than 1500 pounds of donated food waste, yet made time to expand the garden!
An increase in size also necessitates increased help. Please consider joining the LOLFSG community in 2024. Volunteers and donations are always needed! More information is available through Facebook or https://www.lolfoodsharegarden.org/
Saint Ann's Shares the Love
2/14/24
Another batch of Saint Ann's Love Baskets has been delivered! Parishioners gathered after the 10:30 service to package assorted baked goods and fresh fruit for Valentine's delivery to those who might not otherwise get out and about. A grateful shout out goes to our Saint Ann's chefs who contributed their baking talents.
An extra special acknowledgement goes to Zoe and John Wallace, who created the lovely handmade cards included in each bundle. And many, many thanks are due to Carolyn Kilroy, who orchestrated it all and delivered to 24 recipients across 10 different locations ranging from Madison to Groton and included Essex, Old Lyme and East Lyme.
We've already had some enthusiastic offers to participate in next year's basket brigade. Stay tuned!
Sharing the Joy of Giving and a Big Thank You
1/12/24
The newly arrived Alkhalawi family was the delighted recipient of gifts from Christmas Giving Trees across the churches of Lyme and Old Lyme as well as gifts from local residents and committee members. The parents, Fadia and Mahmoud, were very grateful for the gift cards, checks and food treats given to them, but the children supplied the most visible sign of their thanks. Mohammed, Ahmed, and Ibrahim were thrilled to receive the gift of toys.
The Refugee Resettlement Committee has been busy during the 4+ weeks since the family arrived, helping with all the paperwork and requirements that comes with every refugee family. After fleeing Syria and waiting in Lebanon for 11 years, the Alkhalawi’s feel blessed to have arrived here. We are particularly grateful to have succeeded in completing all the early registrations and benefit enrollments necessary to begin the Alkhalawi’s new life in Old Lyme, Connecticut and the United States. The boys are happily enrolled in school. Next steps for the family are employment and English as a Second Language classes.
The committee is particularly grateful for the support of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, Saint Ann’s Episcopal Church, and Lyme Congregational Church over the years, and the warm embrace of Old Lyme, Lyme and surrounding shoreline communities. We couldn’t do this without all of you. We are also thankful to co-sponsor this work with IRIS (https://irisct.org/), a non-profit refugee resettlement organization in New Haven.
With gratitude,
The Lyme/Old Lyme Refugee Resettlement Committee
The Communion Forest ~ To plant is to hope, to restore is to heal, to protect is to love.
12/14/23
In the planting of this White Birch, we give thanks for the gift of Rachel Thomas’ ministry, remembering today her gift of teaching and collaboration; giving clarity to the reason for new undertakings. As we seek to restore God’s creation, help us to remember her words about our relationship with the whole of Creation.
We Have a Playscape
11/24/23
This past Sunday after the 10:30 Worship service, four of our young parishioners were excited to finally be able to play on the new playscape!
Thank you Christine Carter for suggesting to the Vestry that we should get one and to Treasurer, Peter Griffin and the Vestry for their support. Thank you also to Jones Landscaping for ground preparation and J Stokes Contractors, LLC for construction.
Food Share Garden
We are delighted to announce that Saint Ann’s is a sponsor of the Lyme/Old Lyme Food Share Garden where we have supported the "sponsor a row" initiative. This year volunteers donated more than 700 hours and have delivered more than 2500 pounds of fresh produce to the Shoreline Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry. Special thanks to Carolyn Kilroy for her oversight of this year’s Community Garden and her leadership as Vestry liaison for Outreach.
Mother Anita has accepted the call to serve as our 7th Rector
December 2021
After accepting the call, Anita spoke to the Vestry and shared the following:
"In reflecting on our mutual ministry and the leadership of the Vestry, I am in awe of our accomplishments – not just what we have done in reaching most of our goals but also, and more importantly, in our care of one another both near and far. Thank you for caring for one another in all times and circumstances."
"Above all, I give thanks to God for calling me to Saint Ann's. I truly believe that I have been so called and give thanks that you have put your confidence and faith in both this process and in me."
Finally the Vestry would like to thank all of you who shared comments and thoughts during our listening sessions.
Your words contributed to a prayerful and thoughtful decision in calling Anita to be our next Rector.
~Your Vestry
Saint Ann's is part of the Pollinator Pathways of Old Lyme
Summer 2021
Saint Ann's has added native plants to our property, eliminated pesticides, and officially joined Old Lyme's Pollinator Pathway.
List of native species and pollinator plants/gardens at Saint Ann’s three locations:
St. Ann's Church – perennial geranium, nepeta, oenothera, echinacea (purple coneflower), nasturtium, cut leaf coneflower (rudbeckia laciniata), black eyed susan (rudbeckia hart), zinnia, cleome, salvia, violets, oak trees, andromeda, linden (tree), oak, viburnum Hobblebush, white mulberry, sumac.
Nearly New – Phlox "David", Butterfly weed (asclepias tuberose), nepeta, bee balm, coreopsis (tickseed), purple coneflower (echinacea), violets, wild strawberry, foxgloves, sumac, rose campion, pokeweed, lilac, sugar maple, red clover, wild strawberry (frageria).
Rectory – goldenrod, elderberry, purple coneflower (echinacea), cut leaf coneflower, foxgloves.
Wrapping up the Capital Fundraising Campaign
Spring 2021
The Capital Campaign continued into Year 4 of the 3-Year initiative with our parishioners generously bringing our total pledged to $1,452,518 against our goal of $1,300,000 and just shy of our Stretch Goal of $1,500,000.
With Phase One completed and our pledges in hand, we began planning Phase Two of the Capital Building projects. As promised, we focused on full accessibility, safety, organization of the first floor of our building and access to the lower level. Our work continued with Centerbrook and Enterprise Builders, both of whom served as reliable and committed partners to Saint Ann’s Parish.
As planned, Phase Two added two fully accessible bathrooms on the first floor. We removed the steps that separate the Griswold Room and kitchen from the rear office entrance which allowed for the first floor spaces to share the same floor level as the Sanctuary. Our rear office entrance now has improved visibility, security doors and windowed doors in the Parish Administrator’s and Rector’s new offices to align with safe church practices.
To fulfill our goal to make the entire church building accessible, the lower level of our church is now accessible to all with the addition of a lift providing access from the first floor to the Ground Level where the Nursery, Godly Play, and the Sewing Room are located.
We are very appreciative of our donors for fulling their pledge commitments. In addition to the Capital Campaign, additional funds were raised in the Lift Up Campaign led by Alden Murphy and Charlie Potts. Our parishioners generously donated an additional $76,737.00 which was required to cover the cost of the lift, landscaping, IT update, and other owner’s costs and contingencies.
The successful completion of Phase Two ensures Saint Ann’s accessibility today and for generations to follow. It will allow our parishioners and guests from the community, who cannot navigate stairs, to be able to attend all events at the church and use the facilities on our lower level.
We thank all the Saint Ann’s parishioners, donors, and friends for their support of the Capital Campaign and their confidence in our leadership of the Capital Campaign and Building Projects.
Read more about our Capital Campaign Building Projects here.
Tropical Storm Isaias Brings Down a 58 Year Old Oak Tree
This past week when hundreds of folk were without power, and stopped by to take photos of the fallen oak tree, often posing with it, they all said two things: ‘It is a miracle the way it fell away from the church’ and ‘God was surely watching over you and your flock Mother Anita.’ I readily agreed as both are true. What I did not say then, but say now – God is always watching over us, no matter what the outcome, no matter where the tree falls.
Mother Anita, 8/9/20
Becoming a Beloved Community
Saint Ann's has formed a Task Force on racial justice and reconciliation called the Initiative for Becoming a Beloved Community. Click this link to see ECCT's work at the Diocesan level.
This group is comprised of 11 members and meets regularly. Please contact Alden Murphy if you would like to be involved.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion is to look out to the world.
Yours are the feet with which Christ is to go about doing good.
Yours are the hands with which Christ is to bless all people now.
- Theresa of Avila
Mother Anita Interviewed on iCRV Radio
On June 25, 2020, Mother Anita was interviewed by Dave Williams on iCRV Radio to promote Saint Ann's First Annual Can-a-Thon to support the Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries. Listen to her interview here:
Based in nearby Ivoryton, CT, iCRV Radio is a streaming radio service dedicated to the Connecticut River Valley (CRV). To be part of iCRV Radio and its mission to connect and grow community through engaging content, click here.
Saint Ann's Holds its First Can-a-Thon
June 28, 2020
A big thank you to all who participated Sunday in the Can-a-thon. We appreciate the time and effort from the volunteers who collected food, directed traffic, and to those who made donations. It was a team effort resulting in approximately 40 bags/boxes of food (406 pounds!) to be donated to the Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries.
It was a beautiful day and so much fun visiting, while social distancing of course, with many parishioners and the wider community.
Congratulations! This was a great start to increasing our goal of more local outreach.
What would we do without our pets?
Our pets are the unsung heroes of working from and being quarantined at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fact, your furry friend does more than just brighten up your day or give you someone to talk to while social distancing - research suggests pets can make you happier, healthier, less stressed and more productive.
Don't miss the chance to celebrate and thank your four legged friends at home. Send your photos to Kathy Rowe at office@saintannsoldlyme.org.
Thankfully,
Laura Lee Miller
Your Communications Liaison
