(for businesses affected by the January 2024 coastal storms)
 

The Outreach Committee continues to collect funds for this extremely important local initiative, and you can be part of our final gift to the City of Belfast by writing a check to St. Margaret’s with the words “Keep the Faith Fund” or “5th Sunday Plate Offering for March” in the memo line. Please put your donation in the pate offering during any church service in March, or drop it off to the church office. Many thanks to those of you who have so generously donated already!

Works by parishioners or from their personal collections are welcome.
Deadline for submissions is April 10, 2024. Contact Betsey Feeley (323-4191 or [email protected]) with questions or to confirm participation.
You can drop off your work in the office or the Parrish Hall.

Belfast/Searsport WindowDressers, serving Waldo County, is accepting orders now for window inserts. These low-cost inserts save you money on fuel bills, increase your home’s comfort, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Volunteer labor keeps the cost of inserts low and anyone needing help covering costs can get up to ten, pine inserts at no charge. Anyone interested in getting inserts this year is encouraged to sign up soon at https://windowdressers.org/sign-up-for-inserts/ . Anyone needing an older insert repaired can sign up online as well. There will be a “rewrapping” workshop in Searsport this October and the workshop to produce new inserts will take place in Belfast in November. Questions? Call (603)380-6266 or send an email to [email protected] .

St. Margaret’s will hold several services to mark Holy Week from Palm Sunday, March 24, through Easter on March 31.

Worshippers are asked to gather in the church parish hall, 95 Court St., by 9:45 a.m. on Sunday March 24 to receive palm fronds and participate in an opening prayer.  They will then be led outside by the Rev. Barbara Briggs for a short procession into the church for the service, which will include a dramatic reading of The Passion. 

Maundy Thursday, March 28, will be observed with an informal Middle Eastern meal at 6 p.m. in St. Margaret’s parish house, 95 Court St.  Participants are asked to bring a simple item such as nuts, hummus, dried fruit or pita bread to share at the Agape dinner.  The meal will be followed by Eucharist and optional foot-washing, symbolic of  Christ’s servanthood in washing the feet of his disciples, and a brief service in the church for the Stripping of the Altar and start of the Easter Vigil.

Good Friday’s service at St. Margaret’s will be at 6 p.m. to accommodate those who are employed during the day.

St. Margaret’s will join with other Mid-coast Episcopal churches on Saturday March 30 for an Easter Vigil service and celebration at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Thomaston at 7 p.m. The sermon will be delivered by the Rev. Paul Briggs, Interim Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Camden.

Easter Sunday, March 31, will be celebrated at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church at two festive services at 8 and 9:45 a.m.  This will mark the return of two Sunday morning services that will continue every week until November.

In Context of the prayer for Christian Unity celebrated January 21 to January 27th, let’s unite in song, Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 6pm music practice before 6:30 pm service. 

Greater Bay Area Ministerium (GBAM)

Host Church: St Francis of Assisi Church 

81 Court St, Belfast, Maine

Hey Adult Ed Committee, I just wanted to praise the work of our committee this past fall and Advent/Christmas season. The ideas we came up with were new and exciting and engaged more personality types and gifts than we ever have, previously (IMHO). 

 I have especially benefited from the led discussions on the day’s readings and our activities. 

The activities especially are exciting to me because it gets us out of our heads and into our hands, with a lot of conversation, laughs, support and encouragement of each other. We get to know one another! So important to kindling mutual affection… 

 So I’m anticipating coming up with our 2024 schedule; i have confidence the Spirit is breathing new life everywhere at St. Margaret’s and our committee is a shining example! 

Love Kristen

Picture from candle decorating on Sunday, December 31, 2023. There were about 10-11 of us who gave it a try! Many thanks, especially to Emily, who did the legwork for making this a success.

The Annual Parish Meeting was held on January 7th where financial, ministry, wardens, and Rector reports were shared. Link to the reports is here.

Thanks were given for three outgoing Vestry members – Chris Quigley, Mary Rackmales, and Kristin Frangoulis. Newly elected Vestry members are Chris Urick, Ruth Heffron, and Roy McAlpine.

Senior Warden will be Chris Urick, Junior Warden – Richard Harrison, and Cindy Frost will be Clerk. Three delegates to the 2024 Diocesan Convention are: Kristen Burkholder, Roy McAlpine, and Matthew Markiewicz.