NEWS

March 2024

Articles from St. Mark Lutheran & St. James Episcopal included.

UPCOMING SERVICES /events

SERVICE OF THE LORD COMMITTEE

JOYOUS NEWS! MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Keep your calendar open for the annual Palm Sunday

breakfast on Sunday, March 24th. Doors open at 9:00 am.

The prices of tickets are: $10.00 Adult and Teens, $5.00

Children 5 -12, and children under 5 free. (Same prices as
last year).

Choices include: Cheese Omelet, Bacon Potato and Egg Casserole, French Toast
Casserole, Pancakes, Bacon & Sausage. Fruit, Muffins and Beverages included.

There are two ways to purchase tickets:

 After church at either St. Mark or at St. James, March 3rd, 10th, 17th.
 Call St. Mark at (401) 769-8320 with your choices and mail a check to
St. Mark.
Please make the check out to St. Mark Lutheran Church and write “Palm
Sunday breakfast” on the memo line of the check.

Buy a ticket for a friend! It’s the best breakfast buffet you can get for $10!
**Please buy your tickets in advance - limited options will be available if
purchased at the breakfast. And remember to bring your ticket with you at
the breakfast.

Of course there will be an opportunity to help. Signup sheets will be available

starting March 3rd.

Would you like to come, perhaps see people you’ve missed, but don’t want to
drive? Please contact Peggy Qvicklund qvickan@comcast.net or Sandy Slack
if you would like to arrange a ride.

Daylight savings time begins on Sunday, March 10th. Don’t forgot

to set your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday evening.
THE CHI-RHO NEWS , 2024

St. James Episcopal and St. Mark Lutheran will be sharing Holy Week services this year! The full
schedule of services for Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday is as follows:

Palm Sunday – March 24 ~ St. James will offer a service at 8:00 a.m. with blessings of palms and
Passion Gospel. St. Mark’s service will be at 10:00 a.m. following the Palm Sunday Breakfast.
Come and participate in the procession with palms and hear the Passion story read during the
service. **There are several parts in the Passion story (Narrator, Jesus, Peter, etc.). People from
both churches will be needed to read those parts at the 10:00 am service. The Narrator and Jesus
parts will be read at the pulpit and lectern and all the other parts can be read at your seat. If
interested, please email Pam at: stmarkwoon@gmail.com.

Maundy Thursday – March 28 ~ There will be only one Maundy Thursday Service which will be at
St. James Episcopal Church, 24 Hamlet Ave., Woonsocket. The service will begin at 7:00 p.m.
with liturgy of the word, Holy Communion and stripping of the altar.

Good Friday – March 29 ~ There will be only one Good Friday Service which will be a Tenebrae
Service at St. Mark at 7:00 p.m.

Holy Saturday – March 30 ~ 9:00 a.m. worship at St. James — a quiet and brief contemplative
service to commemorate the day that Jesus lay in the tomb.

Easter Sunday – March 31 ~ Easter services will follow the normal Sunday service schedule at
both churches. Our festival service at St. Mark will be held at 9:00 am and 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 am
at St. James. Please join us for this joyous celebration. Invite your family and friends!

Decorate the church for Easter ~ The worship committee would like your help to decorate
St. Mark for Easter on Saturday, March 30th at 10:00 a.m. Please join us! The more the merrier!

EASTER PLANTS
Again, St. Mark will offer Easter plants for sale to adorn the
sanctuary during the Easter service on March 31st. The cost is
yet to be determined. We are offering lilies and tulips this year.
The order form will be emailed out and will be in the Sunday
bulletin as soon as the prices are available. Please fill out the
form and put it in the offering plate along with your payment or
you can mail it in to the church, (St. Mark Lutheran Church, 871
Harris Ave., Woonsocket, RI). Envelopes will be provided in the pews or on the table in the
narthex. The deadline to order a plant will be Sunday, March 17th. Please get your order in
before the deadline.
If you would like to donate money to the memorial fund for Easter instead of purchasing a plant,
you can do so. There will be a sheet located on the bulletin board.
THE CHI-RHO NEWS , 2024

Fellowship opportunities

JOIN THE CHOIRS!

ST. MARK CHOIR - LIKE TO SING? St. Mark Choir practice is on Sundays after the service.
If anyone is interested in joining or just singing for Easter, please speak with
Bill Spont or just show up at rehearsal. All are welcome!

ST. JAMES CHOIR - We have begun preparing Bill’s music for Palm Sunday
and Good Friday as well as music for the services at St. James. I have always
reminded people that if you are in choir, you do not have to give up alleluias
for Lent because we must practice for Easter! Both choirs have room for singers; perhaps you
might ‘take on’ singing for a portion of your Lenten discipline, just a thought…

See you at the “Best Palm Sunday Breakfast Ever’! Sure hope the menu has not changed!
Shirley Ayers

OUTSIDE CLEANUP AT ST. MARK

Outside spring cleanup at St. Mark will be held sometime in April. The date
will be announced in the Sunday bulletin when determined. Work will begin at
9:00 am. Please bring rakes and gloves. Much help will be needed.

QUILTING GROUP
We have been meeting for a few years now, and primarily, we make smaller quilts
and Linus Quilts to gift to youngsters who are suffering medical issues.

No special talents are necessary, and all fabric is supplied. If you enjoy sewing,
color- matching, etc. or just visiting with other folks, come and see.

We continue our schedule of meeting on the first and third Tuesdays of each month
from 10 - 12 in the St. Mark Narthex. Everyone is welcome!

The following people are being prayed for each Sunday. If there are any who can be removed
from the list, please email Pam at stmarkwoon@gmail.com and let her know.
Lisa Aubin, Richard Batcheldor, David Berglund, Billy Carroll, Ken Cook, Jaelyn Deschamps,
Daryl Domanico, Donald Freelove, Jason Guilfoil, Lee Ann Guilfoil, Ray Jacobs, John
Nordberg, Tammy Roy, Anna Marie Sepe, Phyllis Stefanik, Kathy Watson, and Norman Watson.
THE CHI-RHO NEWS , 2024

Dear Friends in Christ,

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you
pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm
you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.” --Isaiah 43:1-3

At our annual meetings, St. Mark and St. James voted to spend this springtime concluding our
discernment process about the future of our partnership and make a final decision about
whether to continue our ministries together at the St. James site or begin the process of ending
the partnership at the conclusion of this year. We are at a major turning point in the lives of
both our congregations—no matter what decisions we make, there will be significant changes
over the course of the next year.

Both churches have commissioned thoughtful and faithful teams to help us navigate the next
few months and answer the questions our members may have to the best of our ability. As
your pastor, I am also happy to talk with anyone about what this decision means for you
personally and spiritually. But what I want to say in this newsletter is that I do not think it is a
coincidence that this stage of our walk together is taking place during Lent and Eastertide as we
focus on the central events of Jesus’ own journey to the Cross and his Resurrection for our
salvation. Like our Lord, we are facing difficult decisions and looking for God’s guidance along
the way. Like our Lord, we know that things will not be the same on the other side of this time
of trial. And like our Lord, we may not be spared the pains of sacrifice, but we can also trust
that God will lead us into a new Easter life.

I hope that you will be attentive to the process of decision making that our churches will be
doing between now and the end of May, but do not let our focus on the future of St. James and
St. Mark eclipse our contemplation of the Way of the Cross, Holy Week, the Resurrection and
Pentecost—which will all be taking place at the same time. The more deeply we are all
immersed in worship, prayer, and recalling the holy and mighty works of Christ for our
salvation, the more solidly grounded we will be for knowing God’s will for our congregations
and the future of our Gospel witness.

Yours in Christ,
Peter
THE CHI-RHO NEWS , 2024

Committee REPORTS
A MESSAGE FROM THE ST. MARK CHURCH COUNCIL PRESIDENT
We have turned to Lent, our preparation for Holy Week and Easter. I was reminded last Sunday that
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of St. Mark. The stones of our Mighty Fortress have seen many
parishioners, pastors, and changes. We have seen the congregation grow and flourish and we have seen
St. Mark follow the pattern of many other churches in the past 25 years, a slow decline in membership,
an aging of our participants, and, finally, conditions requiring decisions on how best to continue God’s
work. We have been blessed with faithful and generous families and individual members who have
given of their time and financial resources to keep us active, operating, and out of debt. We have seen a
music director grow and age while rarely missing a beat on the organ or piano. Our church officers,
personnel, and teachers now mark their service careers in decades rather than years. We have found
ways to keep pastors in the pulpit and the Word of God coming from trained and educated shepherds.
We have benefited from dedicated pastors who have given St. Mark more time than they were paid to,
who became part of our families, and who tried to lead us through an increasingly difficult and
demanding world. Pastor/Father Tierney is a member of that list of spiritual leaders. He has the added
task of trying to meld our needs and potential with that of St. James while also having to abide by
Episcopal Diocese rules that he did not make that differ from our Lutheran Synodical ones.

The Annual Meeting on January 28 was active, orderly, and very productive. We elected six people to
new Church Council terms. The 2024 to 2025 St. Mark Council is now (with term ending shown): Ken
Campbell (President; 2027), Matt Larson (Vice President; 2025), Kelly Mottram (Secretary; 2025), Jim
McKamy (Treasurer, ex-officio), Pam Marcil (2025), Caitlyn McCann (2025), Jan Peterson (2025),
Peggy Qvicklund (2025), Eric Sjoblom (2025). The 2024 to 2025 Nominating Committee is now Pam
Marcil, Caitlyn McCann, and Jim McKamy; there is one non-Council member slot open to a volunteer.
The Audit Committee Nominees for the 2024 to 2025 that are to be presented for approval to the Church
Council are Danielle Larson, Bob Marcil, and Lars Qvicklund. And, the 2024 Synod Assembly Meeting
Delegates are Ken and Miriam Campbell (who encourage others who have not attended this assembly in
early June to volunteer as alternates, we would love to see this experience shared by others).

St. Mark and St. James adopted a modification to the covenant between the two congregations that
allows an exploration of several questions raised by Bishop Knisely’s letter describing the role of the
St. James congregation as a trustee of the Diocese’s property and financial resources and constraining
the St. Mark/St. James partnership from selling St. James assets. Conversations by representatives of
the NE Synod and the RI Diocese since December addressed several questions including governance,
finances, and pastoral calls for a co-located congregation, about possible changes to St. James church
to upgrade the facility and accommodate St. Mark’s presence. The answers from the Diocese leaned
heavily toward federation as the only means to escape possible vetoes by the Diocese. The covenant
allows St. Mark until May 31, 2024, to decide to continue the covenant and partnership with St. James
or to terminate that covenant and proceed independently. If we proceed independently, the existing
covenant would govern our activities and actions until the end of 2024. Any vote to stay with St. James
is currently independent of a vote to federate with St. James; that would require legal reorganization of
both churches. The modified covenant was reauthorized by both St. Mark and St. James at their
Annual Meetings on January 28, 2024.

Church Council President’s article continued on the next page

THE CHI-RHO NEWS , 2024

At the Annual Meeting, St. Mark also organized an Exploratory Committee (Bob Marcil, Chair;
Miriam Campbell, Jim McKamy, Peggy Qvicklund, Chris Watson) that is working on the options open
to the St. Mark congregation and on the questions that remain open concerning continued partnership
with St. James. They will soon be communicating with St. Mark members via the Council and Council
President. As part of this overall process, Council leadership will be updating the list of formally active
members of St. Mark (those baptized or confirmed at St. Mark or affirming churches who have
communed at and financially contributed to St. Mark; allowances for Covid or physical restriction will
be made) to confine decision voting to active membership. If you want a say in our future, come to
church, commune, and donate (if you have not already done so)!

The St. Mark Annual Meeting accepted a clean Audit Committee report and a balanced budget report for
2023. It also adopted a proposed balanced budget of $121,286 for 2024; there are no non-routine
outstanding debts at this time.

As we pray for guidance for our decisions and the way ahead we also plan for this Spring. The Service
of the Lord Committee is incubating The Best Ever Palm Sunday Breakfast to occur at 9:00 AM on
March 24, prior to our joint St. Mark, St. James service at 10:00 AM. Tickets ($10 adults and teens,
$5 5-12 year olds, $0 under 5) are available beginning March 3. Anyone interested in assisting with
cooking, service, or clean-up, please contact Jim McKamy, Bob Marcil, or Peggy Qvicklund.

St. Mark cannot work without you. Service opportunities are not limited to helping on Palm Sunday.
We need more Readers and Communion Assistants, more bakers and coffee makers, more help with the
Kitchen Ministry (donations and time), alternates for Synod Delegates, and more participants on
Committees. Volunteering is good for your body, mind, soul, and fellow beings. Feel better, participate!

Lord be with Us this Easter, this Spring, this Year,

Kenneth L. (Ken) Campbell, St. Mark Church Council President

Baby Kits ~ Through Lutheran World Relief we have sent many baby
kits to mothers in many different circumstances throughout the world.
This year we hope to gather enough supplies to make twenty-five Baby
Kits! Our drive will begin in the spring and flow through the summer.
Because specific items are requested for each kit, a list will be posted
on the bulletin board of each church. Please only purchase items on the
list. You will be able to track the items that have already been donated
and therefore, the items that still need to be acquired. The Sunday
school class will assemble the kits in the fall when we gather for our next term.

Confirmation Class ~ Studies are wrapping up after 2 ½ or 3 years of class time. The Rite of
Confirmation will be bestowed on our students as part of our worship service on a Sunday in May.
Christian Education continued on the next page
THE CHI-RHO NEWS , 2024

Outings~ On May 19th following an abbreviated Sunday school class, we have planned a trip to
Capron Park in Attleboro Mass for our students and any of their family members who would like to
join us. That will close our Christian education schedule for the 2023-2024 session.

A splash pad event will be held on July 14th or 21st depending on the weather. Watch for further
news.

Follow the church bulletin/newsletter for an announcement of our next Sunday school year.

The Christian Education Committee

Judy & Ted Helm and Caitlin McCann

ST. MARK FINANCE COMMITTEE

Good start to our 2024! We received our full Grant request from Sue’s Tithe
(through St. James) and with that grant, we have our required ‘balanced budget for
2024”. Starting with a balanced budget, the finance committee has worked on the
following items:

 Completed and paid in full, the reroofing of the parsonage. Again, our
generous members contributed gifts to cover the amount.

 We have started a building fund/capital fund drive. We have received our first
few contributions. Thank you!

 Re-invested $25,000 of our primary saving accounts, raising the received

interest from, .9% to 5%.

 Re-invested $ 5,000 of the JTH Fund, raising the interest from .7% to 5%.

 Have received 2 unpledged gifts this year. Thank you and keep them coming
to help our ministries.

 Planning a joint meeting with St. James Finance Committee.

We are continuing to receive a few well welcomed gifts already. Please remember, your gifts can
greatly help you on taxes. How? Please see Jim or Jan from the finance committee. Thank you to
our members for your contributions to St. Mark, but remember, St. Mark is running a very tight
budget very dependent on receiving our pledged pledges and controlled expenses. Again, thank
you for keeping up your pledges!

We welcome any suggestions and questions. Please see any of the members of the finance
committee.

Members: Arline Gilpin, Jan Peterson, Miriam Campbell, Jim McKamy

THE CHI-RHO NEWS , 2024

SERVICE OF THE LORD COMMITTEE

“ Marty and Katharine “ have found a new home this year with Joanne and Tom Wood and the
Kitchen Ministry has new funds for small appliances. Thanks to all who played a square for the
Super Bowl fundraiser!

Stewardship:
Thank you to everyone who has filled out your pledge cards. You still have time to fill out a new
2024 pledge card as the pledge cards help us to plan the financial side for our church. If you need
envelopes, please let Jan Peterson know. So far we have:

10 increased pledges, 4 the same pledges, and 1 slightly lower for 2024. The total dollar amount is
slightly higher than 2023. Thank you very much!

We have many members who also contribute their time and talent gifts as part of their stewardship
to St. Mark and our community. We welcome those gifts of time and talent as the more members
we have involved, the better our fun, our ministries, and our St. Mark church!
Want to have more fun? Ask a friend, neighbor, or co-worker to join us at St. Mark!

Again, THANK YOU for your monetary pledges, your monetary Gifts, and your commitment of your
time.

If you would like to participate in the Service of the Lord committee, please let Peggy or Sandy
know. Our next meeting is Monday March 11 at 7pm and it is a Zoom meeting!

CONGREGATIONAL CARE/WORSHIP

St. James and St. Mark Prayer Team

A combined St. James and St. Mark Prayer Team began to meet in spring, 2023. Our charge: to
add prayer generally and prayers specifically to the partnership discernment process. The Prayer
Team has served as another good example of how members of the two congregations can come
together to work on a project.
The Prayer Team consists of Reverend Peter Tierney, Rick Harrell, Fanny Manston, Diane
McKamy, Irene Nebiker, Don Peach, Chris Watson, and Tom Wood.

Individually and as a group, the Prayer Team has created meaningful prayers to be offered on
most Sundays at both parishes or at special meetings. An effort has been made to match the
Sunday discernment prayer with the church season. A multipurpose prayer resource was also
created for use in both congregations.

In addition to creating discernment prayers for this winter and upcoming spring, the Prayer Team
has discussed holding a Prayer Vigil as we move closer to a vote on continuing the partnership.
Since the original charge of the Prayer Team only extended to December, 2023, the Prayer Team
is looking for new members who might augment the team or replace team members who wish to
step away. Please speak to a team member if you wish to serve.
THE CHI-RHO NEWS , 2024

WOODEN CROSSES
During the discernment process between St. Mark and St. James, a member of
St. Mark purchased wooden comfort crosses for people at both churches to have for
support and as a prayer tool. Seeing that they were well received, more crosses have
been purchased and are now available in the narthex at St. Mark for your taking.
You can also call St. Mark on Wednesdays or Thursdays between 2:30 and 5:30 pm,
(401-769-8320), and one will be set aside for you.
--

Outreach

FORTY DAYS OF PURPOSE

During Lent please gather items to put into the labeled plastic bags
provided at both churches. Your donations will benefit the COAT,
the Kitchen Ministry, and the Food Bank. Suggestions are: new
underwear and socks for children and women; unwanted clothing
from your closet; toiletries; cleaning supplies; new washcloths and
towels; plastic and regular silverware; pots and pans; coolers; bowls; small kitchen appliances; and
non-perishable food items. Thank you for your generosity! God Bless!

At the end of the forty days bring your bag to the church and the donated items will be given to
either St., James Episcopal Church or St. Mark Lutheran for their ministries and they will make
sure that people who really need them will receive them! Trash bags are in the basket in the
narthex.

RECOVERY AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING

Leaders from several Woonsocket churches are exploring the possibility of
partnering with NeighborWorks Housing Solutions to purchase a building for
the purpose of providing Recovery Housing for individuals who are trying to
maintain their sobriety. Preference would be given to those who are currently
homeless. We have identified a potential site and funding sources, but are
looking to gauge the level of support from church communities in the city.

Anyone from St. Mark or St. James who would be interested in getting
involved with launching this effort should speak with Pastor Peter Tierney.
THE CHI-RHO NEWS , 2024

ST. JAMES FOOD BANK

The client list continues to grow as we progress through the winter months.
During January 114 households representing 213 people visited the food
bank. Twenty-seven of those households were new to the food bank. Factor
in the fact that we were closed three of our usual days and you can see we
have been busy. Our current needs are canned pasta and juice as neither is
available through the RICFB. Apple juice seems to go quickly and so did
juice boxes, when we had them. As for the canned pasta any sort, any brand
would be fine; few people refuse it. Any and all contributions are appreciated. We now have a
special corner where one of our volunteers offers ‘specials’, items that we have received in small
amounts, so nothing is left on the back shelves forever. Thank you for remembering us when you
shop!

Shirley Ayers, Coordinator

SARAH M. WALES SCHOLARSHIP, 2024

Sarah Wales was a teacher of elementary students for over 40 years. When
she died, funds from her estate were entrusted to St. James Episcopal
Church, Woonsocket, to be distributed to qualified applicants who wished to
pursue higher education as teachers.

The world of education has changed over the past fifty years: teaching has
broadened in many forms not confined within the four walls of a school
classroom. The Scholarship Committee follows the initial intent of giving awards to students
studying to be teachers, by acknowledging that there are teaching components in all types of
careers. Most occupations require that the employee teaches or instructs others at times. The
teaching may be one-on-one, in groups, in person, virtually, etc.

The amount of the scholarships may vary depending on the number of applicants receiving the
awards. In recent years the awards have started at $2,500.00. Typically, the college receives the
check to be used toward college-related expenses.

The scholarship application will be available on the St. James Episcopal Church website in
mid-March. The application deadline is June 1, 2024. The scholarship is open to any qualified
applicant; special consideration is given to those with an association with St. James Episcopal
Church or St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church, (e.g. a relative of a member or former
parishioner).

All information will remain confidential. The Sarah M. Wales Scholarship Committee does not
discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, color, national or ethnic origin, or religious beliefs.
 THE CHI-RHO NEWS , 2024

.INFORMATIONAL NEWS
Newsletter Editor ~ Pam Marcil

ST. JAMES VESTRY AND STAFF

Vicar Rev. Peter Tierney Senior Warden Jane Peach
Church Secretary Maggie Lange Junior Warden Nancy Paradee
Music Director Shirley Ayers Treasurer Kathryn Atkins

Vestry: Carol Grieves, John Kaveny, Sue Markham, Joyce Meleleu, Diane Priestley, Sandy Slack, and
Mary Yozura

ST. MARK COUNCIL, OFFICE STAFF, AND FINANCE

Pastor In-Charge Rev. Peter Tierney Council President Ken Campbell
Church Secretary Pam Marcil Council Vice-President Matt Larson
Music Director Bill Spont Council Secretary Kelly Mottram
Financial Secretary Janice Peterson Council Treasurer Jim McKamy

PASTOR
Rev. Peter Tierney III
Rev. Tierney is in the office at St. James on
Mondays from 9 am to noon and at St. Mark
on Wednesdays from 2-5 pm. or by
appointment.
cell phone # - (401) 556-0697
.
ST. JAMES’S E-MAIL ADDRESS ST. MARK’S E-MAIL ADDRESS
stjameswoon@outlook.com stmarkwoon@gmail.com

Maggie is in the office on Mondays and Pam is in the office on Wednesdays

Thursdays from 10am – 1pm.
She can be reach at the church at:
(401) 762-2222.
COMMUNICATIONS REMINDER FOR
ST. JAMES PARISHIONERS
Do you have an email address? If you
received this newsletter by mail but have an
email address, let us know! Those who
receive communications by email receive
them more quickly – plus we don’t have to pay
postage! If you would like to receive your St.
James news by email, contact Maggie at the
church office – stjameswoon@outlook.com
Or you can leave a message stating your
email address at 401-762-2222.
and Thursdays after 2:30 pm. E-mail
will be checked then.
In case of an emergency, you may call
Pam Marcil at (401) 744-0240 or leave
a message on the church phone (401)
769-8320.
.
NEWSLETTER ELECTRONICALLY
To save postage and paper, please consider
receiving the newsletter electronically
(via e-mail). If anyone would like to do this,
please let Pam know by leaving a note along
with your e-mail address on her desk or
e-mail her at stmarkwoon@gmail.com.
THE CHI-RHO NEWS , 2024

_________________________________________________________________________________
Quilting Group – First and third Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m.
Palm Sunday Breakfast – March 24th at 9:00 a.m.
Palm Sunday Service – March 24th at 10:00 a.m.
Maundy Thursday Service, March 28th at 7:00 p.m. at St. James
Good Friday Tenebrae Service, March 29th at 7:00 p.m. at St. Mark
Holy Saturday, March 30th – 9:00 a.m. at St. James
Easter Services – March 31st at 9:00 a.m. at St. Mark
8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. at St. James
Spring Cleanup at St. Mark – Date in April to be determined
________________________________________________________________________________

“Share God’s Word”

VISION STATEMENT
To love and serve God and each other in our church and community!

MISSION STATEMENT
That every member would know Christ and Make Christ Known!

St. Mark Lutheran Church

871 Harris Avenue
Woonsocket, RI 02895
(401) 769-8320
E-mail: stmarkwoon@gmail.com
Website: www.stmarkwoon.org