In this issue
- Summer Greeting from Rev. Lisa
- Midnight Run Update
- Confirmation Class Service Projects
- ECW Outreach Updates
- Coming Soon - Mark Your Calendars
- Scenes from Spring at St. John's
- Recipe of the Month: Pimento Cheese
Greetings,
St. John’s Church is thriving; thanks be to God and to you all who make this church community who we are!
- Our church community has been blessed with many new members.
- In outreach and ministry, we have greatly increased our footprint in the community. As a result of the generosity and dedication of this congregation, people of all ages have been nourished in so many ways.
- Our dedicated and creative church and nursery school staff carried out the work God gave us to do during the ongoing ever changing pandemic.
- We have and are experiencing fellowship through coffee hour and parish events, such as the picnic.
- We experienced great formation for all ages!
- Our campus is building back from Ida, with offices well underway and undercroft soon to begin.
Through the summer, we will continue to hold our regular services at 8am, 9am, and 10am:
- Our 8:00am Holy Eucharist Rite I is held indoors and led from the Book of Common Prayer. All are encouraged and welcomed to come as you are, by that I mean, if you are off to the golf course, tennis courts, or getting out on the water after this service, please feel free to dress accordingly.
- Our 9:00am Morning Prayer is held outdoors in the Columbarium with the Celtic Cross. This service is also "come as you are".
- Our 10:00am Holy Eucharist Rite II service will continue to be offered both in-person and virtually on Zoom.
A reminder... those who prefer to continue to wear masks shall do so with no judgment. Let us continue to meet each other with kindness and grace as we continue to navigate our current times.
Stay tuned. We are planning to have a couple of fun Sunday afternoon special events. See you in church!
Lisa+
~*~
Midnight Run update
We had another very successful run on Friday, June 17. We'll share details in the near future. Thank you to all who donated items and time, and those who attended the run.
St. John's Nursery School Graduation
Confirmation - June 4 at the Cathedral
Confirmation Class service projects
As part of their preparation for Confirmation, potential confirmands are asked to develop a Statement of Faith. To read what this year's confirmands have written, check out the bulletin board in the hallway leading to the Chapter Room.
In addition, confirmands are asked to engage in a service project which helps them to fulfill part of their Baptismal Covenant. Take a look at some of their projects:
Blake James
For my project, I decided to organize a drive for mixed sporting equipment for newly relocated families. The organization Neighbors for Refugees works with families seeking refuge and helps relocate them and provides various resources to help them get started. Many families have kids who have no activities and nothing to do, and are often looking for sporting equipment. This drive yielded a mix of sports balls as well other useful equipment. It will find a way into the arms of many families, hopefully making somebody’s day better.
Charlie Ramsay
Carl Yoder
This project appealed to me because when I was young, I helped my mom and sister pack food for The Larchmont Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force, and I enjoyed it. My confirmation project supports Hope Community Services and Feeding Westchester. I helped to prepare a casserole main dish for the weeknight meal at Hope Community Services these meals feed 80-150 people from the community. I also worked on the Help From Home service from Feeding Westchester. Feeding Westchester needs volunteers because there is such a great need to put food together to help people with food insecurity. To help Feeding Westchester I went to the grocery store with my grandmother and bought 20 packages of oatmeal, and 20 cans of soup. Then, when I got home I packed 1 package of cereal and 1 can of soup into Ziplock bags. Through this project, I learned that in our community, lots of people need help from food pantries, so that they can eat healthier and better. This project helped reinforce how lucky I am to have food on my plate everyday, so I don’t have to worry about when I’m going to get my next meal. The Baptismal Covenant tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to respect the dignity of every person. The people with food insecurity are my neighbors, and they deserve the dignity to eat well which is why this service project helps to fulfill the Baptismal Covenant. I would like to continue this work but will have to balance with my school and sport commitments.
ECW Outreach Gives to Local Charities
During the month of May, the St. John’s ECW (Episcopal Church Women) had the pleasure of awarding $28,500 in grants to 15 local charities and organizations predominantly addressing the needs of women and children in Westchester County. Funding for ECW Outreach grants is provided by the proceeds of the annual Christmas Bazaar and Christmas Wreath sales.
ECW Outreach 2022 Grant Recipients
- At Home on the Sound, Larchmont/Mamaroneck
- Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle
- Community Resource Center, Larchmont/Mamaroneck
- Co-op Camp, STEM Alliance, Larchmont/Mamaroneck
- Don Bosco Community Center, Port Chester
- Family Services of Westchester – Sharing Shelf
- Furniture Sharehouse, Westchester County
- Hope’s Door, Hawthorne
- Mamaroneck-Larchmont Student Aid Fund
- Meals on Main Street, formerly Caritas of Port Chester, Inc.
- My Sister’s Place, White Plains
- Neighbors for Refugees
- Providence House, New Rochelle
- Rye Association for the Handicapped
- St. John’s Easter Appeal – Community Resource Center, Mamaroneck
Episcopal Church Women of St. John's Church Scholarship
At the Mamaroneck-Larchmont Student Aid Fund's annual Awards Ceremony on June 6, the Episcopal Church Women of St. John's Church Scholarship was awarded to Jessica Gramajo. Jessica will be attending Baruch College in the fall where she plans to study either Business or International Business. Jessica moved to this community in 9th grade and will be the first member of her family to attend college. She is currently doing an internship with New York State Representative Steve Otis. Rev. Lisa Mason, current MLSAF board member Jill Brennick and ECW Outreach co-chair Lila Bankston were on hand to congratulate Jessica.
About the ECW
All women of the parish are automatically members of the ECW (Episcopal Church Women). The ECW focuses on women's fellowship and our mission of outreach within the local community. To find out how you can more get involved in the ECW at St. John's please speak to Nancy Pierson or Fiona Farrell.
Friday, June 24: 9-11am - Planting the Native Plant & Pollinator Garden at St. John's
It is Pollinator Week and our way to participate in this fun week full of educational awareness is to plant the Native Plant & Pollinator Garden at St. John's campus, next to the school. The garden will be home to future education programs and part of our participation in local initiatives, including Healthy Yards and Pollinator Pathways. Click here to sign up for the volunteer planting.
There are many Pollinator Pathway Tours this weekend in Larchmont, Mamaroneck and New Rochelle! Click here for a full list.
Sunday, September 11 - Blessing of Backpacks
Join us as we kick off the Program Year with our annual Blessing of Backpacks, with special prayers for all of our students, teachers, and the academic year to come.
Sunday, September 18 - Fall Festival
We are looking forward to September 18 when we can celebrate a fabulous Fall Festival. Stay tuned for more information.
Sunday, October 2 - Blessing of the Animals
All animals and their humans are invited to come for a blessing. More details to come.
Scenes from Spring at St. John's
This month's recipe comes to us from our fabulous Parish Administrator, Laura Rawlings. It's a wonderful option for summertime entertaining. But be warned. Laura cautions:
Important: As tempting as it is, do not use pre-shredded cheese.
Classic Southern Pimento Cheese
by Laura Rawlings
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz. block extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, finely shredded (not pre-shredded)
- 1 8 oz. block sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded (not pre-shredded)
- 1 tsp. finely grated yellow onion
- One 7 oz. jar diced pimentos, drained
- 1-1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 Tbsp. dill pickle juice
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper
Note: As I like spicy pimento cheese, I begin with the amounts called for, but always add additional pimento, Cayenne, pickle juice, and Worcestershire.
How to Make It
- Stir together pimento, mayonnaise, pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, onion and cayenne in a bowl.
- Stir cheeses into pimento mixture until well combined.
- Serve with celery, carrots, and/or crackers.
Make Ahead
The pimento cheese can be prepared and stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Have a recipe to share? All submissions welcome! Send to communications@stjohnslarchmont.org. Thanks!
Your photos, and news from your ministries are always welcome. Please forward your submissions to communications@stjohnslarchmont.org.
Let your ministry's light shine through Chimes!