Friends,
Greetings from St. Paul’s. I pray you are healthy and safe.
I am sorry to report Rick Haddad passed away on Monday, February 8. He died from COVID-19 after spending about two weeks on a ventilator at St. Luke’s Hospital. Please keep his wife, Michelle, in your prayers. An outdoor memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.
Ray Duff passed away Tuesday, February 9. He suffered from cancer and brain tumors. Please keep Christine Hammer in your prayers.
Lent
The season of Lent is approaching. Our Ash Wednesday online service will be available on the parish website on Wednesday, February 17. You may make your own ashes at home.
- Burn a candle.
- Extinguish the candle and let it cool.
- Rub your fingers on the wick and apply to your forehead.
There will be a prayer on the website for the preparation of ashes. You may also apply a drop of olive oil to your finger before you collect the ash from the candle. This will help the ash stay on your forehead. Another option is to run your finger on the brick liner in your fireplace. Whatever method you try to acquire ash, we will say the prayer together in the service. Your Book of Common Prayer will be helpful to read along. It is better to vocalize the prayers yourself than watch me do it on a screen.
The Episcopal parishes of Northwest Ohio have partnered to provide online Christian Education for everyone. The Diocese of Ohio refers to us as the West Mission Area. This includes the parishes of the Toledo area, Defiance, Bowling Green, Napoleon, and Sydney. Several of the classes, such as Sunday morning and Wednesday Evening will be led by Dr. Jennifer Vasquez. I am encouraged because we can meet our Episcopal neighbors while we all endure the isolation of the pandemic. A brand new website will come online this weekend. Watch our newsletter for the announcement: click here
Lent does not mean isolation. It means self-examination and study. It means prayer and fasting. Self-denial does not mean cut yourself off from your spiritual community. The pandemic does that. Your church community offers the best opportunity to engage each of the Lenten disciplines. Lent is a special time for Episcopalians. I encourage you to be intentional and make your Lent a holy season.
Look below for our Lenten offerings and the West Mission Area programming.
Peace, Paul+