 Dear saints of James and Andrew, This month has been a whirlwind. As there are so many moving pieces, please take the time to read through these important threads of our parish life together. 17th Bach’s Lunch On June 3, our Parish Musician organized the 17th Bach’s Lunch. Joe DiMarino turned an idea into a beautiful point of connection with our wider community - highlighting local musicians, often connected to the parish in one form or another - while also bringing people into our beautiful sanctuary. When you see Joe, please be sure to thank him for the incredible program he has built. Bishop Visitation On June 7, we had our first visitation from Bishop Miguelina Howell. We worshipped together, witnessed the baptism of Christopher and Vanessa Momaney’s three daughters - Hadleigh, Hannah, and Hazel - and the confirmation of Hendrick Carew, Desmond Drake, Sofia Ruggeri, and Rena McDonough. Worship was followed with our last Coffee & Conversation for the program year (and a big shout out to Allyson Michal and team for organizing such beautiful gatherings this year!). If you missed the Bishop visitation, view the service and listen to her sermon here to get a glimpse of her joy, sense of humor, and most importantly, her love of Christ. Organ Console Fundraiser That same Sunday was our last time listening to our beloved Moeller Church Organ (circa 1958) as it is taken down for construction, and Joe pulled out all the stops. There is something almost mystical about how those pipes and wind can be used to fill our sanctuary with beautiful sound, our bodies with a fullness from that sound, and our souls with a reminder that the Spirit moves through that wind, those pipes, and each of us. It is an instrument that brings us together, and helps complete our worship experience. The Vestry has organized a fundraising campaign to raise approximately $40,000 to rebuild the organ console. This project, led by Walker Pipe Organs, is decades overdue, and the Vestry is passionate about seeing it through. If you did not read the letter written by alyssa kai, Jeanne Canteen, and Karen Greene on behalf of the Vestry, please take the time to do so here. Sanctuary Construction This summer our sanctuary will be shut down for ceiling renovations. This work is part of a chain of events from the March 2025 windstorm that blew off a section of the north side of the church’s roof. Last summer while that side of the roof was replaced, the vibrations of the work caused the ceiling on the north side to begin to fail. We had long thought the ceiling was built of wood, but was actually horsehair plaster painted to look like wood. This summer our sanctuary will be closed while the north side ceiling is completely rebuilt from wood. Both projects have been completely funded by our insurance - thanks be to God! Construction is anticipated to last through August. While we are hopeful all will go smoothly, we are also prepared for the possibility of the vibrations of the north side ceiling rebuild, causing the south side ceiling to begin to fail. Should that be the case, we will continue conversations with our insurance company, and extend time in our summer worship space as needed. Summer Worship Space During construction, we will gather for worship in the Whiteman Room. We have an initial set up shown in the photo below, and the space will also include a modified Children’s Corner, Musicians Corner, and we anticipate being able to livestream our services as normal thanks to our amazing digital ministers. The photos do not reflect the full set up, with plenty more chairs for any and all able to join us in worship this summer. We will adapt the space and set up as needed as we live into our time together in that space. Leadership Transition Last month I announced that my last Sunday as your Rector would be July 26, and the service will include a leavetaking liturgy (read the letters from Rector and Wardens here). The Wardens have begun working closely with the Rev. Cn. Steven Wilco, and together they met with the Vestry this past week. In the months ahead, the Wardens and Vestry will offer regular updates. During the transition, if you have a question or concern and are unsure where to direct it, please contact our Parish Administrator, Aaron McMurray, and they will direct your question to the Wardens or appropriate persons: [email protected]. This is a season that asks our collective patience, understanding, and flexibility; our trust in God and one another; and to pray for our neighbors working in the summer heat to repair our sacred space, the Vestry as they take on additional leadership responsibilities in the transition, and for our parish to keep growing in faith, worship, mission, and ministry. May all that we be and do as we live into this in-between-time be to God’s glory, and help us grow together as the body of Christ here at James and Andrew. Love in Christ, Rev. Heather J. Blais, Rector For the full June 2026 Newsletter, follow the link below.  Dear saints of James and Andrew,
I write to share news that gives me a mixture of sadness and excitement. My last day serving as Saints James and Andrew’s Rector will be on the Feast of St. James, July 26, as Bishop Miguelina Howell has invited me to serve as her Canon to the Ordinary, and I have accepted this call. This news has not been announced to the diocese yet, so please refrain from posting on social media until an announcement from our diocese goes out and you see it posted on our parish’s social media. It has been the greatest privilege of my ministry to walk together with you these last thirteen and a half years. Together, with joy, we have continued in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, and breaking of the bread; we have persisted in resisting evil in our world by being a people of hope; we have affirmed for one another that God’s love is always right there awaiting our return. We have experienced the healing that God’s love brings, and we have shared that love by proclaiming the Good News of God in Christ through thousands of free meals; essential items given from our pantry; countless socks and sleeping bags distributed, all while being fully present and a listening ear for those whom we walk alongside. We have remained steadfast in our commitment to seek and serve God in all people, loving our neighbors by welcoming all to find prayer, rest, and peace in the sanctuary of our cloisters, gardens, and labyrinth. We have been staunch advocates for justice and peace, and call on our world to respect the dignity of all people by calling for creation justice, and by standing alongside our LGBTQ+ siblings - proclaiming all are welcome here - no exceptions. This is the community of Saints James and Andrew. You make this community what it is, and you have such incredible work to keep doing in the months and years ahead. Your photo below is a reminder that while clergy come and go, it is you, the body of Christ here at James and Andrew that makes this place so truly special. As I will no longer be your priest and pastor after July 26, it will no longer be appropriate for me to preside over or attend worship, baptisms, marriages, or funerals; make pastoral visitations; or attend parish events. This will be strange at first, but is an important part of the healthy boundaries we want to establish to ensure this community continues to thrive as you prepare to call your next priest. We will remain neighbors here in Franklin County, as our family plans to buy a home here so Lucas may continue to attend Four Rivers Public Charter School. Our paths will cross - and we can greet one another as neighbors do, but it will not be appropriate for us to discuss parish matters. With time, our paths will also cross in my new role as our diocese’s Canon to the Ordinary. While my time serving as your Rector - as your priest and pastor - will come to an end this July, my love and prayers for you will continue for a lifetime. Not as your priest, but as fellow travelers on the Way of Love, serving this little corner of God’s world here in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. There are no words to express the level of gratitude our family feels for this community. You taught me how to be a parish priest, and loved me as I made mistakes, tried again, and continued to grow. You have loved my family as your own, and cheered Logan and Lucas on as they have grown into the young people they are today. You have taught them what it means to be a healthy community of faith, and we will remain eternally grateful. In the absence of a Rector, the Wardens - Ben Cluff and Reynolds Whalen - are the ecclesiastical authority for the parish. Over the next couple of months we will work together with the Vestry, Staff, and the Rev. Cn. Steven Wilco, who is supporting the parish through the transition, to model a healthy departure and goodbye. In the months ahead, let us pray for one another, but most especially for Saints James and Andrew. Let us give thanks to God for this season of ministry together, and may this community be open to the movement of the Spirit, for the ways God is calling you forward into a new season. May God bless you, and keep you, this day, and every day. Amen. Yours in the love, joy, peace, and hope of Christ, Rev. Heather J. Blais, Rector Dear Friends, With this news, we are about to enter a new leg of our journey together as a community of faith. As we live into this news of Reverend Heather’s departure, we will, undoubtedly experience a variety of emotions. For some of us, saying goodbye to a priest will be a new experience. Others will have experienced this before and some have lived through this type of transition a number of times. Our faith will serve us well. We have already begun to receive some preliminary guidance from the diocese and this support will continue throughout our transition journey. Rest assured, the strengths and blessings of this, our community of Saints James and Andrew will enable us to put our faith into action, with God’s help. Peace, Reynolds Whalen and Ben Cluff Wardens  |
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We believe God is calling us to cultivate a community of love, joy, hope, and healing. Jesus is our model for a life of faith, compassion, hospitality, and service. We strive to be affirming and accessible, welcoming and inclusive; we seek to promote reconciliation, exercise responsible stewardship, and embrace ancient traditions for modern lives.
Office HoursTuesday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Closed holidays Our gardens and grounds are open from dawn to dusk for the community to pray, rest, be. Please help us take care of this sacred space by following the outdoor ethic & principle of “leave no trace.” |
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Worship Times10 a.m. In-Person Worship & Livestreamed
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