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Thursday, April 11, 2024

Thanks Living:
Joyfully Transforming Lives
Our Mission Statement:
"To be a community that shares the joy of God's Love"


St. Patrick's News Briefly

A. Just Happened

B. Happening Now
C. About to Happen


Easter, like Spring, is a time of renewal and change. All around us a world is bursting into bloom as the trees come into leaf. Nature is a textbook example of resurrection. So, in the Church: the first three Sundays of Easter focus upon the blooming resurrection of Jesus and his often-unexpected appearances. The fourth and fifth Sundays offer metaphors of Jesus’ meaning: as Good Shepherd and in Year B., as Vine. Finally, the sixth and seventh Sundays of Easter recapitulate Jesus’ most important teaching: we are to love one another as he loved us. 

 

Over these seven weeks, we move from life with Christ into life in Christ. Then just before the seventh Sunday, his earthly work completed, Jesus ascends into heaven. 

 

Knowing Jesus is the work of a lifetime. I recall his statement in John’s gospel: ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.’ (John 16:12) Think about that. Our path still has the capacity to surprise us, and things we once thought we could not bear coalesce into pearls of compassion and wisdom.

 

We explore Jesus’ life every time we help another in need. Jesus came to heal the sick, feed the hungry, console the despondent, love children, and show respect and kindness to everyone. That is something St. Patrick’s does very well!

 

This week, check out our story about F.I.S.H., a local food bank staffed entirely by volunteers. We have a basket in the narthex to receive your donations, and information about volunteering is available below or on the table next to the bulletins. Let us present our hungry neighbors with an abundant “catch!”                     

St. Patrick’s

Upcoming Worship Service

In Person and on Zoom

The Rev. Carol Luther, Long Term Interim
Email: carol.luther@gmail.com

Phone/text: 707-395-5572

In Person

Wellspring

Wellspring is an in-person contemplative gathering for people seeking a deeper connection with God.

                         

Our spiritual practices include silence, deep listening, sharing, and song:  To awaken the heart and discover Holy newness within. Wellspring is an inter-faith, inter-spiritual, all-inclusive spiritual community.

 

 Facilitated by Sharron Simpson

Spiritual Director, Educator, Contemplative

wellspringgodeeper@gmail.com

Women’s Breakfast

Saturday morning at Boudin SF located in

Montgomery Village!! Come join us this Saturday

April 13th @10AM!

Here is a photo from the Women’s Breakfast, March 9th.  Left Side: Minerva Haddad & Marcia Ronchetti, Right Side: Beth Lewis & Diana Estabrook

On Zoom


Sundays:  Holy Eucharist  
Join us in person for Sunday Eucharist! 10 a.m. 
Also available online by Zoom. Click here for the invite.

Tuesdays:  Morning Coffee Hour  
Let's meet over coffee! 10:00 a.m. Contact Rich Randolph for your Zoom Invitation.
Rich Randolph: rjurny@gmail.com


Tuesdays: Formation: The Cycles of our Church Seasons 10:00am
with Karen King

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85421705223?pwd=Y2x6YWhtSEpwakxjbUQ4SEl2WDNndz09
Meeting ID: 854 2170 5223
Passcode: 981549

Thursdays:  Compline  
Compline on ZOOM! 4:00 p.m. Hosted by Minerva Haddad. Contact Minerva for your Zoom invite.
Minerva Haddad: minerva.haddad@gmail.com. 

Fridays: The Men's Bible Study:
Grow in your faith & walk with God! 8:30 a.m.
Send a note to Rich Randolph and he will ensure you receive a Zoom invitation.
Rich Randolph: rjurny@gmail.com

More News


Dear All,


Thank you to Pam/Larry, Olivia, Natalie, driver Tomi, and rep Arturo.  Tonight (April 8th) we gave REFB food to 66 families/235 individuals!!!!  This is our largest group for many years!  The last person arrived just after we closed, but there were a few items that  he was glad to take!


Arturo arrived without his usual cap.  I wasn't sure it was him!!!!  Thankfully, he got a quick internet connection and all flowed well, even without his REFB cap!


I arrived at church at 3:40 p.m.  "Pat" was already in the parking lot!  Within a few minutes, a line formed, making it the longest line we've ever had prior to opening!  


It's wonderful to see how many who come for food are also so willing to help, and are so quick to say they don't need some food item - give it to someone else.  


Providing food is what REFB is all about.  We at the St Pat distribution site are so thankful to be a part of their distribution system.


Being a part of all of this is such a blessing!!


Eleanor

Also, Beth is scheduled for April 22.  Three more are needed.  Please let me know if you can help April 22.


Eleanor Albon: ralbon@aol.com

Friends In Service Here (F.I.S.H.)

We need volunteers!
Can you help?



(Click on link above to download volunteer form)

Just before Palm Sunday, a neighbor who was cleaning out her pantry brought a carload of non-perishable food and cleaning supplies to St. Patrick’s. Eleanor Albon, who volunteers at F.I.S.H. delivered the food to the joy of many.


In a recent note, she wrote:


F.I.S.H. is on Sebastopol Rd  near Stony Point Rd. Volunteers are needed who can bag produce, others who can bag dry goods, who can stock shelves and others who can check in clients and distribute the food items.  Because the demand was so high, F.I.S.H. had to limit clients to coming once a month instead of the former twice a month.


I began at F.I.S.H. in 2018, when there was a group from St Pat's who volunteered once a month.  During covid and since, I, along with others from St Pat's, now volunteer weekly.  Every day, there are new clients registering.  Some drive through by car; others walk up to the door, especially the homeless.  The end of the need isn't in sight.

 

Food is distributed between noon and 2:00 Mondays - Fridays.  Please consider volunteering at F.I.S.H.  Your help is greatly needed. The volunteer staff and volunteer coordinator, Sara Dove, would appreciate hearing from you!  And, please contact me with any questions.

 

And this from Sara:

Our schedules are flexible with jobs for all abilities. Some of our volunteers come in every weekday while others come in once a week or once a month. Our volunteers typically work from 11:30 am to 2:15 pm Monday through Friday, but our drivers have different schedules. If you would like to volunteer, you can reach us at:
 contact@fish-of-santa-rosa.org


The different jobs are described HERE



Volunteer sign up sheets are located in the narthex.  


Nomadic Shelter

NOMADIC SHELTER NEWS

April, 2024


  Saturday, April 6, St. Patrick’s hosted 13 guests,12 men and 1 woman, from Redwood Gospel Mission’s Nomadic Shelter.  There were 2 early staff and two replaced them later in the night.  We had 10 volunteers from St. Patrick’s preparing and serving dinner and a new feature was a young apprentice barber named Liam.  


Liam was enlisted by the Borgfeldt’s. He has known Dakota since they were in preschool together!  He did a great job on 6 men who are now looking better and probably feeling more confident when the go to work or to job interviews.  We hope he will return for future Shelter nights.  Another welcome feature was a repeat by Karen Borgfeldt of warm, moist towels.  It was like flying first class.


   Our head cook was Marti Hoeft, who is new to St. Patrick’s, and she did the shopping with Adele Daw, who recently returned to us. The menu was stuffed baked potatoes, and they could be really stuffed!  Guests, volunteers, and staff could choose sour cream, cottage cheese, chili, shredded cheese, and bacon.  There were small ham and cheese sliders too, as appetizers or maybe late-night snacks.  Sallie Wood and Sandy Keith sent delicious chocolate chip cookies to go with mandarin oranges and grapes for dessert.


  Thanks to all the volunteers that night: Ingo Rencken, Eleanor Albon, Ron Keith, Sarah Phillips, Bernadette Gibb, Brian Borgfeldt, Dakota Borgfeldt, Karen Borgfeldt, Merle Holtzen, Rich Randolph, and yours truly.  Thanks to Rev. Carol for asking a blessing before we served dinner.

  We all left feeling we had contributed to our community in a meaningful way, serving others as Christ would have us do. If this is something you feel called to do, please consider signing up for the next Shelter night.  

-Betsy Randolph

Here we all are at the first dinner in November when Margaret Merchat made Shepherd’s Pie and mashed an epic number of potatoes! Can’t believe it’s been six months!

L-R (rear), Beth Lewis, Karen Borgfeldt, Brian Borgfelt, Rich Randolph

L-R (front), Carol Luther, Merle Holtzen, Eleanor Albon, Bernadette Gibb

Photographer: Betsy Randolph

Blessing Bags and Sock Drive

There are lists of contents on a table in the narthex.
 

Here’s what goes in the Blessing Bags:
1 pop top can of pasta with meat
1 juice box
1 granola-type bar
1 package of crackers with cheese or peanut butter
A napkin and sturdy plastic fork
Place everything in a quart-sized plastic bag.  The stretchable Glad bags work very well.  If you like, you can include a short hopeful message.