Parish Life 2024
What a year it has been for St. Andrew’s Parish Life! In early 2024, I had the honor of signing on as the Parish Life Coordinator. I quickly turned to the congregation for help, and so many offered their support and time. We all hit the ground running and while we are a relatively tiny parish, this past year has proven that we are indeed mighty.
Parish Life MINISTRIES
Meal Deliveries/Community Supper Our first order of business in winter 2024 was supporting the Community Supper program held at the Parish Hall on Monday evenings, January through March. Islanders Lisa Lucier and Annette Anthony and team have been leading this ministry out of our beautiful kitchen, cooking and serving delicious meals, but they needed help delivering meals to Harbor Homes, as well as other parishioners in need. We were able to cover the delivery of meals for the whole season…a big thank you to Carl Mahlmquist who volunteered for this role much of the time. Towards the end of the year, we learned that Lisa Lucier would not be able to spearhead this ministry in 2025. We felt strongly that we should not let this ministry end, but we knew it would take a village. We reached out to several parishioners and the vestry, who overwhelmingly agreed that Community Suppers must go on. A sign up was created for volunteers to cook, serve and clean up, and deliver the meals to Harbor Homes. I’m thrilled to report that nearly all dates have been filled! It is inspiring to see how many of our parishioners have stepped up to help this ministry endure.
Service Ministers & Breakfast in Between We endeavored to cover our service ministries and Breakfast in Between. Thank you to all of you that volunteered to help usher, lay lead, read and/or host and bring food for Breakfast in Between. The Parish Hall was the place to be on Sunday mornings between 9 and 10am- so many delicious dishes and treats were shared along with coffee and conversation.
Cooking Angels As we tried to prioritize which of our many Parish Life goals to pursue, we realized there is first and foremost a need for more pastoral care, especially meals. Thank you to all the amazing volunteers who offered to cook! We are still in need of a Head Chef and Organizer Extroardinaire as we head into 2025. In the meantime, we have asked parishioners to bring home quart size takeout containers we have stocked in the kitchen, and fill with home cooked soups and freezable foods as they are preparing them for their own homes. The meals are then labeled and dated, and stored in our freezers. In true St. Andrew’s parish fashion, the freezers are filling up! Anyone is able to take a meal from our Cooking Angels freezer cache, for themselves or someone they know of in need.
Parish Life EVENTS
Ash Wednesday Soup Supper On February 14, Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day coincided, and Meg Carman had a great idea to host a soup supper. Parish and community members came together for delicious homemade soup and bread.
Palm Cross Making On Palm Sunday, we shared tutorials for cross making with our palms.
Easter Egg Hunt/Easter Egg Dying Easter weekend was extra busy this year, with our annual Egg Hunt at the rectory, followed by the addition of Easter egg dying activity on Saturday at the Parish Hall. Thank you, Meg, for the wonderful idea and execution of this event. We had many happy children at the Rectory and in our Parish Hall!
Ice Cream Social & Blessing of the Backpacks At summer’s end, during Bishop Gates’ final visit, we held a Back to School ice cream social at the Parish House, complete with a Blessing of the Backpacks by Bishop Gates.
Blessing of the Animals On October 6, 2024, we had the Blessing of the Animals during our 10:00 service in honor of St. Francis. Our little church was full of ALL God’s children and critters that day!
MV Cropwalk for Hunger St. Andrew’s joined many other churches and organizations on the island and formed a team for the MV CROPwalk. We were able to raise nearly $1,000, which contributed to the MV CROPwalk’s record breaking total of over $37,000 raised to fight food inequity and hunger around the world. 10% of funds raised stay right here on island. It was wonderful to participate in this community event for such an important cause. We had a beautiful walk on October 20th, and we look forward to participating again next year (with an even bigger team- please join us!)
Happy Haunting Every Sunday before Halloween, the Edgartown Board of Trade and participating businesses host trick or treating. St. Andrew’s is right in the midst of the spooky fun. Thank you to Laura and little Laura Noonan for handing out candy!
St. Andrew’s Day Bonnie Dietz did it again! Another wonderful St. Andrew’s Day feast. Thank you also to her daughter Jennifer, who helped set up and decorate for this special annual event.
Advent Wreath On the first day of Advent, we made Advent wreaths in the Parish Hall during coffee hour.
Christmas in Edgartown Meatballs, hot cocoa, holiday treats, ornament making for kids, good holiday cheer, AND Christmas carols in the church! Thank you to Chris White, Palmer Marrin, Carrie Caldwell and Laura Noonan especially for their help.
Thank you to these wonderful Parish Life contributors who have helped in one way or many over the past year. You have helped make our church and our community a better place!
Meg Carman, Barb Rush, Liz Huss, Carrie Caldwell, Jo-Ann Taylor, Palmer Marrin, Bonnie Dietz, Jackie Dietz, Carlos, Michael Brady, Heather Anne Slayton, Susan Kelly, Chloe Manzoni, Cheryl DeWitt, Colleen Seadale, Pam & Ron Monterosso, Pam & Bill Craven, Carl & Kathy Mahlmquist, Tom Dunlop, Susan Ostrowski, Janet Constantino, Kate Putnam, Tim Delaney, Willson Slayton, Allison Lehman, Annette Smith, Janet Antonioni, Laura Noonan, William Barrington, Nancy Vietor
It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve in this role this past year. I’m excited to see what’s in store for 2025! -Sara Barrington