 Dear Friends of Saints James and Andrew,
The Vestry recently met to discuss our remaining local Covid-19 era protocols; all diocesan protocols having previously been rescinded. It was concluded that we will rescind such protocols, but we want to invite the community to reflect on the practice of communion. We will no longer require windows and doors to be open for worship. When the weather allows, we will open them for fresh air to circulate. Ushers will collaborate with the Rector on Sunday mornings, or the Wardens, in her absence. We will continue to use a Flexible Masking Policy as a way to reduce respiratory virus transmission. While the policy was created as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we’ve learned it's a healthy practice in general. With regard to masks, the Celebrant and Lay Eucharistic Ministers will no longer be required to mask for distribution of communion and healing prayers. Moving forward it will be a personal decision for each person. With regard to communion: The Church has long held that if you take only one form of Communion (either the bread or the wine) you are fully communed; thus no one should ever feel pressured to receive the wine. For those who would like to receive the wine, there have historically been two ways: drinking from the common cup and intinction (the dipping of the bread into the common cup). When we resumed communion in 2022, drinking from the common cup was permitted, but intinction was not. Effective immediately, we will permit intinction, though the practice is discouraged for two reasons. First, intinction has a complex social and theological history. Here is a brief history of intinction, largely gathered from Daniel Sack’s Whitebread Protestants: Food and Religion in American Culture:
Second, science has much to tell us about the common cup and the practice of intinction. The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts summarized this science well in a letter from Bishop Gates, found here:
We would like to invite each of us to reflect on our own practice of receiving communion. Why do we abstain, intinct, or drink from the common cup? Is it because a caregiver or priest once told us ‘this is the way’? What practice draws us closer to God and the community we worship alongside? What helps us to grow in faith? There is no ‘wrong’ answer, particularly if we are making our decision with intention and care. We welcome your reflections and thoughts. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with our clergy and vestry leaders. Peace, Rev. Heather J. Blais, Rector On behalf of Saints James and Andrew Vestry Dear Friends of Saints James and Andrew,
I am delighted to introduce two familiar faces, who will be serving our community in new ways. Effective March 1, the Rev. Ted Thornton and the Rev. Dr. Molly Scherm will be serving Saints James and Andrew as Priest Associates. What is a Priest Associate? These are clergy who serve in the ministry of the parish at the discretion of the Rector in a non-stipendiary role. They donate their time and talent, as their life and interests allow, to support parish life by sharing their unique gifts. The Rector will typically ask these priests to serve as supply in her absence, and to support special liturgies or educational opportunities. In the instance of the Rev. Ted Thornton, this new title acknowledges an important ministry that already exists. Rev. Ted administers communion on the second Sunday of the month, to allow me to offer healing prayers. He has offered supply at Sunday worship and a funeral for a longtime member in my absence. He shares his particular gift of teaching through one or two teaching sermons each year, and in a gathering this fall he offered an opportunity for the parish to further understand the unfolding events in the Middle East. In the instance of the Rev. Dr. Molly Scherm, this new title acknowledges a new chapter in her role with our parish. After serving as our Associate Rector (a one third time, paid position), Rev. Molly retired from that role to serve in an even more part time role at St. Mary’s in the Mountains in Wilmington, Vermont. She will continue to serve as their Priest-in-Charge until such time she may choose to retire or serve another community. Rev. Molly serving as Priest Associate means that we are her home parish, the community she worships with when she is not serving elsewhere. You may recall we had an intentional period of separation, to help all of us acclimate to this shift in clergy leadership. We will now begin to see Rev. Molly for some special worship services, such as Holy Tuesday, for occasional Sunday supply in my absence (in May), and with time she may offer her teaching gifts with our parish in ways we will discern in the months to come. She has remained the compensated facilitator of the Caregiver Support Group, and she will continue in this role. While both of these priests might be occasionally able to aid in a pastoral emergency, they are not part of the regular pastoral care ministry. Should you have a pastoral concern, please contact Kathryn Aubry-McAvoy, our Pastoral Care Chair, or myself. Our new Priest Associates serve as an act of love for this community, and as a way of living into their ordained ministry during this chapter of their lives. We are blessed by their experience, wisdom, and unique gifts for teaching. They love this community, and I know we love them. I hope you will give them a warm welcome as you see them in these new roles. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to be in touch. Peace, Rev. Heather Blais, Rector  Dear Friends of Saints James and Andrew,
We are writing with an exciting announcement. This fall the Clergy, Wardens, and Vestries of Saints James and Andrew and St. John’s in Athol were invited by our diocese to explore the possibility of calling a newly ordained cleric to serve ⅓ time in each parish, creating a ⅔ time position as part of a two year holy experiment. Such a position would allow a newly ordained cleric to gain experience as a Priest-in-Charge while serving at St. John’s in Athol; receive mentoring and coaching from a seasoned Rector; and create an altogether new position at SsJA, a Missioner for Community, Formation, and Outreach that would allow us to put resources where the Holy Spirit is already busy at work. The holy experiment would also support our diocese's ongoing efforts to form and prepare newly ordained priests for ministry and explore a new model of clergy leadership in a changing Church. Both Vestries met with a newly ordained priest, the Rev. Jimmy Pickett. After prayer and discernment, St. John’s Vestry called Rev. Jimmy as their Priest-in-Charge, and SsJA Vestry called him as our new Missioner for Community, Formation, and Outreach. This two year holy experiment will begin on December 1, 2023. Rev. Jimmy grew up in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts before running away to Maine, Michigan, and Boston to study agriculture, grow food and pray in community, and explore monastic life in the Episcopal Church. While a student at Virginia Theological Seminary, he helped to expand the community garden in the middle of campus and collaborated with fellow students and faculty in efforts to strengthen the environmental ministry of Cultivate VTS. Jimmy believes deeply in the fact that God empowers each of us with a vocation and that the Sacraments feed us to go out into the world to live out that vocation. Some of you may remember meeting Rev. Jimmy on Pentecost, when he served as a deacon in our liturgy and offered the sermon. Here at SsJA, Rev. Jimmy will focus his 13 hours a week in the following ways:
We also have three specific upcoming events that we hope you will help spread the word about. Wednesdays at 8 a.m. starting December 6 Rev. Jimmy will offer a spoken service of Holy Eucharist on Wednesdays at 8 a.m. during Advent, followed by a small coffee hour. We hope in the next month or so to gather those interested in a midweek service to further explore the best time in the new year. We hope you will join us on December 6 for Rev. Jimmy’s first service at SsJA. Saturday, December 9 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Families are invited to gather in the Whiteman Room for a potluck and further conversation about how we can best support the growth and development of children in the parish, as well as the families raising them. Speak to Vestry Members Reynolds Whalen, Allyson Michal, and/or Kathryn Aubry-McAvoy to know more. Both clergy will be present for this event. Sunday, December 17 at 10 a.m. Rev. Jimmy will be with us and serve as our Celebrant. We believe that by saying ‘yes’ to this holy experiment we are investing in Rev. Jimmy, St. John’s, our diocese, and the community of SsJA. We trust that it will deepen our spiritual and community roots, strengthening us for mission and ministry. We hope you will pray for Rev. Jimmy, the people of St. John’s in Athol, and our own parish as we lean in and grow together during this holy experiment. Yours, Rev. Heather J. Blais, On behalf of SsJA Vestry |
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