All undesignated checks and cash in the collection plate will be used for Outreach. The Outreach Committee appointed the GBAM Food Cupboard as recipient of our 5th Sunday collection.

Matt Markiewicz ([email protected], 603 832-4388) is St. Margaret’s representative on the Food Cupboard Board along with representatives from Unitarian Universalist Church of Belfast, First Baptist Church, Belfast United Methodist Church, River Sangha, Church of St. Francis, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, First Church, and Belfast Area Friends Meeting. Parishioners can volunteer to assist with distribution on the week that St. Margaret’s is scheduled (on a rotational basis). Please speak with Matt if you would like more information on the Food Cupboard.

If donating financially, please make checks payable to St. Margaret’s Church with “5th Sunday” or “Food Cupboard” in the memo line. We will continue to accept donations for the next few Sundays. Thank you! Your Outreach Team

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS – THIS SUNDAY AT 11;15AM

To commemorate the Feastday of St. Francis, our annual blessing of the animals will take place outside the church on Sunday, October 6th at 11:15AM. Please bring your pet for this special blessing.

Dear Beloved of God,

It has been such fun exploring so many different options for music leadership at St. Margaret’s, and we have finally made it official:
 
Chris Donley will serve as our director of music and our seasonal adult choir director. He will work with the liturgy team and the rector to shape our worship throughout the year and call together a choir for Advent and Christmas. He will also teach us how to sing the psalms! You all sing so wonderfully together for worship, and I am really looking forward to growing with you in song. Chris will be our principle organist, playing twice per month.
 
Davide Delano will serve as an assistant organist, playing at least one Sunday per month and accompanying the choir.
 
Ruth Gelsinger will also serve as an assistant organist, and will play at least one Sunday per month.

 
Let us give them a resounding welcome!

Will You Donate?

The Hymnal Lift Every Voice and Sing is a collection that was published in 1993 by the Church Hymnal Corporation as a supplement to The Hymnal 1982. It contains 234 hymns and songs, and thirty-six selections of service music for the Holy Eucharist. The music is drawn from the following genres: Negro spirituals, traditional and contemporary gospel songs, adapted Protestant hymns, missionary and evangelistic hymns, and service music and Mass settings in both traditional and gospel styles.
 
We currently own about fifteen copies, and we would like to purchase 50 more so that the entire congregation can have access to this wonderful and joyful collection of liturgical music. To do that, we need to raise $1,250.
 
If this is exciting to you, please make your donation by September 15 with LEVAS in the memo line of your check, and let’s get singing!
 

In a day full of prayer and celebration, the Rt. Rev. Sean W. Rowe, bishop of Northwest Pennsylvania and bishop provisional of Western New York, was elected to be the 28th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. Click here to follow link to full article.

Please join us on Saturday, June 8 for Belfast’s Pride Parade. Meet up at 10:30 at the Belfast Area High School – we will be there with our banner.  The parade starts at 11:00 ending in Heritage Park. Spectators can see the parade along Waldo Avenue and Main Street. 

Belfast Area High School GSA will have a PRIDE art installation and Our Town Belfast will host a party to celebrate at Heritage Park. Later in the afternoon there will be an LGBTQ+ short film festival with a panel discussion hosted by BAHS GSA and Civil Rights Team (specific time and location TBD). 

The Drum and Rabble Marching Society will be marching in the parade with PRIDE! Do you drum? We want you. Do you have a drum? BRING IT! Meet up from 10:30 AM June 8th and get a drum. First come first serve for drums.

Hope you can join us! It is a lot of fun!

In the words of our former Deacon, the Rev. Tom Duplessie, “Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!”!!! Bishop Thomas Brown celebrated Eucharist at both services on May 12 to a church full of joyful parishioners.

We enjoyed a robust week of worship, prayer and fellowship.

VESTRY HIGHLIGHTS – meeting March 10, 2024

• We received a detailed treasurer’s report to include first quarter income of $21,020.39 from our endowment funds.
• Elaine Bielenberg will begin selling Hannaford cards during coffee hour in the hopes it will boost our sales. We earn 5% of the value of the cards.
• A Building Use Policy (for outside groups) was approved.
• Kristen Burkholder shared her journey in the Diaconate process. She will likely complete most of her course work by September 2024 and will serve a 6-12 month internship at St. John Baptist, Thomaston.
• Voted to purchase a new computer for the office and also for the Parish Hall for running zoom and other media.
• Vestry Ministry Assignments/liaison were made as follows:

Outreach – Cindy Frost

Creation Care – Ruth Heffron

Music – Craig Watson

Hospitality – Kathy Sticht

Newcomers – Roy McAlpine

Education – Roy McAlpine

Altar Guild – Linda Parsloe

Communication – Chris Urick

Pastoral Care – Barbara Briggs+

• The commissioning of new vestry members will take place on Sunday, May 19 during the worship service.
• Barbara+ shared some recent and new strategies in the search for an organist or music director.