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Opening Prayer

Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

 

Pentecost Celebration!

Day of Pentecost ~ St Patrick's Episcopal Church
2018

Good news!  Ministry Transition Team for Re-Gathering met last week to review and refine our criteria for resuming in-person Sunday Eucharist celebrations.  Our team has met several times during the pandemic year to work out logistics and procedures for celebrating together in person.  Our plan is to have our first outdoor service on Pentecost Sunday – a very appropriate Sunday since Pentecost celebrates the birthday of the Church.  Our team is meeting on April 30 at the church to plan the service, and we are very excited about it!  Our fervent hope and prayer is that there is no upsurge in the Covid-19 virus in our area so that we all may be able to carry out our plan and be able to finally worship together in body and spirit.  Stay tuned for more details!

 

 

Closing Prayer Service for
"Pray Their Names Exhibit"

We will be having a Zoom Closing Prayer Service for our “Pray Their Names Exhibit”.  We will remember and pray for those who have died and those who are working towards a more just world.
 
Please come and celebrate this exhibit with us and help us to give it a good send off to its next location.  Our Prayer Service will be
held in conjunction with The Rev. Larry Hallett of Kenwood Community Church and Dan Lambert of Emmaus Community in Sonoma County.
 
Join us on Wednesday, April 28, at 4:00.  All are welcome!
 

 
Invitation below:

 

 

St Patrick's
Worship & Education


Sunday, April 25, The Fourth Sunday of Easter, 9:30 a.m.
 

Sunday, May 2, The Fifth Sunday of Easter, 9:30 a.m.

Sunday, May 9, The Sixth Sunday of Easter, 9:30 a.m.

Sunday, May 16, The Seventh Sunday of Easter, 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, April 25, 2021at 9:30AM: Easter IV

Click here for the Zoom Invitation for Easter IV.
   
Click here for the service leaflet.

 

 

 

Regular Weekday & Education

Compline


Compline Service, Every Tuesday at 4PM
      See New Zoom Invitation and Service Leaflet Links for April 27, 2021.

Click here for the Zoom Invitation for April 27.
   
Click here for the service leaflet.

Bible Study

Our Parish Bible Study meet every Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.

Our next study will be the letters of the New Testament:  James through Jude.  

The reading for April 28 will be The Introduction to James: Chapter 3:12.



Click here for your Zoom Invite. See you there!




 

When I call on Jesus -Nicole Mullen





 
Dear Friends in Christ:
 
Grace and peace to you. I know that you join with me in giving thanks to God for Bishop Megan’s successful knee replacement surgery, and the start of her recovery. Our prayers for her healing continue. Because she is not able to address you herself at this important moment in the life of our nation, she has asked that I speak a word on her behalf to our diocesan community.
 
The verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin comes to us soon after the police shooting of 20-year-old Duante Wright in a Minneapolis suburb; it comes only a couple of weeks after Chicago police shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo; it comes against a backdrop of seemingly unrelenting killings, increased targeting of Asian Americans, rising anti-Semitism, and an increasingly assertive white nationalism. Our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry tells of hearing a colleague describe the feeling that our country is stuck in a kind of spider web of racism, bigotry, hatred, and violence, in which we only seem to be getting more entangled--not unlike the web of evil, sin, and death that put Jesus in the tomb, intending to keep him there.
 
Then comes Easter. Love broke free of the web, and love is even now breaking free in and through and all around us, as Easter continues to unfold. +Michael Curry says, “I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, because I believe He lives. And I believe that His way of love is God’s way of life, and that nothing can stop God’s love.”
 
Today’s verdict comes as the result of a particular judicial process, at a particular moment in human history. We must also take care to see it through the lens of faith. From that perspective, it is one moment in a very great, very long struggle. Easter tells us what the outcome of that struggle will be: Christ is victorious, and our victory in him is not in doubt; God’s justice will cover the earth, God’s peace will prevail everywhere, God’s love for all will govern all. As important as this verdict is, this moment too is important for our nation. It is also a call to the church, a call for the renewal of our struggle, and to the commitment that sustains us.
 
That commitment is to Jesus and to His way of life. It is what we promise in the baptismal covenant. Bishop Megan has reminded us of that recently, and often. Last spring she spoke to us of how “our vows of baptism describe what we promise to do, and the life we aspire to grow into…we promise that we will ‘strive for justice and peace for all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.’ We promise to ‘renounce all sinful desires that draw us from the love of God.’ We promise to walk in the path of love, all with God’s help.”
 
This is a moment for prayer: for Derek Chauvin; for the repose of the soul of George Floyd, and for his grieving family and friends; for all who use violence in the service of injustice, and for their victims; for law-makers and law-enforcers, and all who are entrusted with power for the sacred purpose of protecting and serving everyone in our communities, and for promoting the well-being of all; for our church, that it may repent of the sin of racism in which it has been complicit for so very long. We must pray also for ourselves: that the Holy Spirit, who leads Christ’s people into the truth, will help us to see how the sin of racism has been at work in so many ways and has taken so many forms in our own lives, to seek help in embracing a healthful accountability, and to commit again to Christ’s transforming way of Love.
 
This is a moment for action: to deepen our engagement in our congregations, neighborhoods, schools, and civic organizations, as well as the healthy political processes available to us, in order to forge alliances and find concrete ways to oppose that unholy trinity of racism, violence, and poverty that grips our nation.
 
Martin Luther King, Jr., whose Feast Day this year fell on Easter, told us that “a dark, desperate, confused, and sin-sick world waits for a new kind of man and a new kind of power.” That sin-sick world’s true medicine, that new humanity and power are already ours, God’s gift to us in the risen Christ. The victory is won. It remains for us, in this moment, to live it, make it known, and make it real. Together. With God’s help.
 
God bless, strengthen, and sustain us all in this Easter work.
 
Yours in Christ,
Bishop Barry Beisner
 
O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.




 

Blessing Bags

Do you remember the Nomadic Shelter ministry we hosted at St. Patrick’s in 2019 and briefly in 2020?  Then the pandemic hit and Redwood Gospel Mission had to close this project.
The need hasn’t gone away.  We can still help those less fortunate right from our own homes.  Some of you may remember the Blessing Bags that Lilly Harris-Wray organized with her mom Alicia several years ago.  It’s a very simple way we can help.
 
  

A Blessing Bag is a quart sized Ziploc-type bag with some food items in it and perhaps a note of encouragement, without any personal information. Another option is to use Glad stretch bags because they are easier to pack than regular Ziploc-type bags. The bag would contain a pop top can of pasta with meat, a juice box, a granola-type bar, a package of crackers with peanut butter or cheese, spoon & fork, and napkin.
Usually the cans of pasta with meat, crackers, juice boxes and granola bars come in packages of 6 to 8.  Why not make up that many Blessing Bags?  When you have them all ready you may bring them to our house and leave them in the box provided on our porch if no one is home.  Betsy Randolph will take them to the Redwood Gospel Mission in Santa Rosa and they will distribute them. 
Please do not put in money.  If you include a note of encouragement you may sign as from St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, Kenwood.
Blessing Bags need to be at the Randolph's home by Friday, April 30. 

Please feel free to call Betsy if you have any questions. 
Betsy Randolph, 8399 Oakmont Dr., Santa Rosa, 95409  (408)981-2024 cell.




 

Celebrate Earth Day this Week!

Earth Day is April 22, 2021!! This year we will be celebrating differently but there are plenty of ways to celebrate Earth Day right here in Sonoma County!! Below are various resources for you and your family to enjoy later this week. Follow the link below to learn how you can celebrate this week!
Join the City of Santa Rosa for an Earth Day celebration on Thursday, April 22, from 11 a.m. to 2p.m. at a Place to Play Community Park in Santa Rosa. Drive-thru to pick-up your FREE kid’s Eco-Exploration Guide filled with fun eco-friendly activities and reusable items. In addition, Santa Rosa Water will be offering FREE WaterSmart toolkits to each household. Due to this year’s exceptionally dry weather, it’s imperative that we all do our part to conserve water. Toolkits will include flow bags, dye tabs, and additional water-saving resources. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, this is a drive-thru only event, participants are required to wear masks and must remain in their vehicles at all times. LEARN MORE
For more activities to enjoy on Earth Day, go to SonomaCounty.com
or click here to be directed to their activities webpage.

Earth Day 2021: Restore Our Earth Family Scavenger Hunt at Laguna Uplands

Explore the beautiful Uplands Preserve with your family, help with restoration, and win prizes!
Click here to learn more information and register!
 




 

Pop-Up Food Ministry


Below is a thankful note and a recap of Tuesday's evening Pop-Up Food at St Patrick's Church.
Thank you to our Pop-Food Ministry team for all your hard work in serving those who are in need!
Enjoy these photos from earlier this week!!
Dear All,
 
Thank you to Dennis M, Laurie E, Carolyn W, Gordon and Karen, Kerin M, Kathleen B, Renee (REFB driver) and Arturo (REFB rep) for bringing food to 55 households/192 individuals!  
 
As at our last distribution, we've found that the Kenwood and Glen Ellen fire stations can also use REFB food.  Thank you to Laurie D and Carolyn W for delivering to those fire fighters who, for obvious reasons, can't leave their stations to come to our distribution site.  We're told they can create some very tasty meals with the great variety of food REFB provides!
 
It was with great sadness that I heard Gordon tell me that today was his, Karen and Joy's last volunteer days at St Pat's. They have given several years of their time, energy and love to this ministry, and they will be sorely missed.  It is my prayer that they are aware that so many of us volunteers and clients have been so blessed by them.
 
Eleanor




 

Richard Rohr
Daily Meditation

The Contemplative Call to Nature

The Contemplative’s Call to Nature
Wednesday, April 21, 2021

The monk here and now is supposed to be living the life of the new creation in which the right relation to all the rest of God’s creatures is fully restored. Hence, Desert Father stories about tame lions and all that jazz. —Thomas Merton, The Hidden Ground of Love

Poet and author Christine Valters Paintner is an oblate of the Benedictine order, living on the west coast of Ireland. She explains how the contemplative path draws us closer to the truths revealed by nature.

Contemplative practices help to offer an antidote to ways of living that have contributed to the destruction of Earth.

Monastic tradition has its roots in a call to be in intimate connection with nature. The monk’s path was birthed in the forests and deserts, the places of wilderness and other wild edges that reflect an inner reality as well. This call to the edges, which is the monk’s call, is a call to wildness—to that which lies beyond our domesticated, neat, safe, and secure lives. Nature reminds us of the messiness and beauty of things. . . .

Our work as spiritual seekers and contemplatives is to see all of creation as woven together in holiness and to live this truth. In this loving act we begin to knit together that which has been torn; we gather all that has been scattered. Contemplative practice is a way to bring healing presence to the world. . . .

We emerge from the Earth matrix. The structures and rhythms of Earth are not external to our own thriving; rather, we arise from this holy sanctuary. It is vital to our own thriving. Creation as sacred space is the very foundation of our own existence. . . .

Merton’s quote [above] . . . is a keen reminder to everyone longing to experience a contemplative life to live the new creation now, not later or at another time. When we are committed to paying attention to this moment, we nurture our capacity to see the Holy active right here and now. We discover that the “kin-dom” is among us now, and we live as if this were true. Thomas Merton believed that his one job as a monk was to maintain this kind of connection to the natural world, to allow it to be his teacher and guide.

We live in what we might call an age of forgetting. We have forgotten who we are in relation to everything else: the creatures, the plants, the mountains, the forests, the oceans, one another, and even ourselves. With every plastic we discard, with every poison we release on land and in water, with every fossil fuel extracted, we are living in the fog of amnesia. One of the fruits of contemplative practice is the remembrance of our wholeness; we are able to see past the divisions we create with our egos and minds and to rediscover the truth that we are all of one creation. [RR: We might even say the truth is “unveiled” and the world is the better for it!]

Reference:
Christine Valters Paintner, Earth, Our Original Monastery: Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature (Sorin Books: 2020), ix, x, xi.

Story from Our Community:
My home is just a mile from a mountain wilderness and since the pandemic began I’ve hiked solo 2-3 times per week. Walking in silence as a hawk circles, slowing down to observe sparkling dew on the grass, feeling the simple joy of my legs carrying me along a path of dirt and rock—these often bring me a deeper connection to the mystery we call God. I come home from these forays into nature feeling more whole, hopeful and human. —Peter L.

Image credit: Belinda Rain, California—San Francisco Bay Area (detail), 1972, photograph, public domain.
Image inspiration: Our siblings abound: Bird, Berry, Trout, Tree. May we honor the sacred in every being.
Click Here for more Richard Rohr Daily Meditations




 
Diocesan-wide Sacred Ground Circle
New Sacred Ground Circle forming in May
 
Sacred Ground is a 10-part discussion about race, grounded in faith. Participants are invited to view selected videos and read books and articles about Indigenous, Black, Latino and Asian/Pacific American histories and how they intersect with European-American accounts.
 
The materials also examine the church’s evolving teachings on race relations. Participants come together in small groups, aka dialogue circles, to reflect on what they have learned and how it fits with their own family stories, identities, and experiences.
 
Hosted online by social justice advocate Bob Wohlsen and Spiritual Director/educator Sharron Simpson, both of Santa Rosa, the circle will meet weekly from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursdays starting May 13.
 
If you are interested in joining, email Bob Wohlsen or Sharron Simpson.




 
BELOVED COMMUNITY RESOURCE NEWSLETTER - APRIL 2021

While we continue to go through difficult times with the pandemic and witness tragic instances of injustice, Christ’s resurrection reminds us that all is not lost and hope is within us as we strive to become Beloved Community.   As you will see in the attached April CIM Newsletter, we publish at least 1-2 articles each month to cover each of the following areas:
 
·        Sacred Ground and Beloved Community
·        Indigenous Community
·        African American Community
·        Latino/Hispanic Community
·        Asian Community
This month’s newsletter contains information about two upcoming Sacred Ground circles (pages 3-4) and a Diocesan Sacred Ground Facilitator Workshop (page 2).  In addition, the 25th Annual Immigrant Day of Action at the California State Capitol is coming up (page 7).
 
We hope you find the information in our April newsletter useful.  We always welcome your comments and feedback.
 
Easter blessings and peace,
 
Miriam Casey and Lynn Zender, Co-chairs
Karen Nolan, Sacred Ground Coordinator
Jo Ann Williams, Editor
The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California
 
Click below to read the Newsletter!
BELOVED COMMUNITY RESOURCE NEWSLETTER - APRIL 2021




 
COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
Santa Rosa, CA  –  March 26, 2021  –  The County of Sonoma has arranged to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to adults 16 years of age and older who are homebound for a variety of medical reasons and have difficulty getting to a clinic. The County is working with Fox Home Health, which has established a mobile vaccine clinic for those who are homebound.


To read more, click here.

Today All Residents 16 and Older are Eligible for Vaccination

Vaccine Update 03.11.21
Today, April 15, all residents 16 years of age and older are eligible for vaccination. The County will receive 14,200 first and second doses this week, and residents are asked to be patient as they attempt to schedule an appointment. As of Wednesday, a total of 369,985 doses have been administered to Sonoma County residents, with 36 percent of the County’s 16 and older population being now fully vaccinated and 56 percent having received at least one dose. FIND A VACCINE CLINIC
 

Homebound Vaccinations

The County has arranged to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to adults 16 and older who are homebound for a variety of medical reasons and have difficulty getting to a clinic. The County is working with Fox Home Health, which has established a mobile vaccine clinic for those who are homebound, as defined by Medicare. LEARN MORE

California is now in Phase 2 of vaccination

People who are eligible to be vaccinated now include:

Phase 2

most recently eligible
  • Individuals 16+
Find your vaccine and other information from these official sources:

 
 

Covid Act Now Daily Download

21:30 ET  19 April 2021

 

All adults now eligible for vaccines

As of today (April 19), all Americans 16 and older are eligible to get a COVID vaccine. Find a shot for yourself or someone you care about with these resources.

 

Risk Levels*

Dark red=severe outbreak; red=active or imminent outbreak; orange=at risk of outbreak; yellow=slow disease growth; green=on track to contain

U.S. Vitals

Cases: 31.6 million

Deaths: 567,000

First dose administered: 129 million

Data derived from Covid Act Now. Learn more about our data sources

Learn more from CAN The Day’s Top COVID Stories
  • AP News reports that over half of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. While 50.4 percent of the adult population has been partly vaccinated, 32.5 percent are fully vaccinated. The U.S. is currently vaccinating at a rate of 61.6 doses per 100 adults, behind only Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Chile, and the United Kingdom. As vaccines become available to everyone, public health officials are continuing to encourage all people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. 
  • The New York Times dives into the FDA’s decision to halt operations at the Baltimore plant that ruined millions of Johnson & Johnson doses. Earlier this month, workers at Emergent’s Bayview Facility confused ingredients for the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines, leading 15 million doses to go to waste. In addition to inspecting the facility, the FDA announced it will be pausing production. Emergent will also have to quarantine over 62 million manufactured J&J doses until the FDA concludes its review and certifies the facility. This is another setback for the J&J vaccine, which is currently being 
  • The Wall Street Journal probes whether China’s Sinovav vaccine has been effective at preventing a surge in Chile. Despite having one of the world’s fastest vaccination campaigns, Chile is facing surging cases and deaths. Public health officials believe that the surge is driven by locals overestimating the effectiveness of one dose of the Sinovac vaccine and relaxing restrictions too quickly. In a study of 10.5 million people, the Sinovac vaccine was 16 percent effective after one dose and 67 percent effective after two. Sinovac’s efficacy from one dose is much lower than other vaccines, like Pfizer, which was found to be 85 percent effective two weeks after the first dose. Sinovac’s vaccine accounts for 90 percent of all shots administered in Chile and is being widely distributed to developing countries across the world.
 
New COVID Literature & Studies
  • A study of more than 3,200 young people (mostly between 18 and 20 years old) finds that previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (determined by presence of COVID antibodies) reduces risk of subsequent infection by around 80 percent. In people who had previously been exposed, re-infection resulted in lower viral loads. The protective effects of prior exposure depend on the types of antibodies present. (Not all COVID antibodies can neutralize the virus.) Read the study.
  • A study compared the immune response elicited by mRNA vaccines (from Pfizer and Moderna) in people who haven’t been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and in people who recovered from COVID. In recovered COVID patients, one dose of vaccine elicited very high levels of neutralizing antibodies; a second dose did not significantly boost antibody levels. In people who haven’t been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, two doses were needed to reach optimum antibody levels. This study adds to the mounting evidence that recovered COVID patients need only one dose of these vaccines. Read the study.
 
Below The Fold  
On a Lighter Note
Heartwarming Photos Of Families Being Reunited After 400 Days Of COVID Separation (VICE)

More COVID-19 News


 

 

Psalm 23 (Yahweh Is My Shepherd)
The Psalms Project


 

 

Closing Prayer

Let us pray.

O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, onGod, for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

 

Please Support Saint Patrick’s Episcopal Church Ministry

Please remember that if you choose to mail your gift, our mailing address is P.O. Box 247, Kenwood CA 95452.

Thank you!!!
 


 

If you choose to mail in your gift, please consider to send checks only. This is for your security.


 

 

 

 
Priest Doyle Dietz Allen Contact Information   
Email: stpatricksrector@gmail.com
Parish Office Phone: 707-833-4228
9000 Sonoma Highway
PO Box 247
Kenwood, CA 95452
Website
2021  St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, All rights reserved.

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St. Patrick's Episcopal Church · P.O. Box 247 · Kenwood, CA 95452 · USA

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