Dear Friends,
On Sunday we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints. On this pinnacle celebration of the Church year we remember, honor, and pray with all the saints—those officially recognized by the church and all the faithful departed. This great cloud of witnesses urges us to work on behalf of the poor and the oppressed, challenges us to persist through all sorts of adversity and hardship, and cheers for us to keep the faith and muster hope as the heart of Christian community.
This week, many of the most vulnerable of our community face a potentially catastrophic expiration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds, which provide food benefits to low-income households. We have heard directly from parishioners who are afraid and unsure how they will provide food for their families if SNAP does indeed remain unfunded.
After consulting with vestry, ministry leaders, and community partners, I urgently invite us to pull together as a parish family to create an emergency (and temporary) food pantry with essential staples and sanitary products for those of our community in need. This Sunday, please considering making an extra financial gift to the discretionary funds of the rector or associate rector (stmaa.org/giving) and/or bringing donations of bags of rice, dry beans, peanut butter, tortillas and bread, toilet paper, and menstrual care products with you to church on Sunday. On Sunday evening, our youth will work together to sort the donations and create care boxes/bags for easy distribution on Sundays.
These gifts will enable us to respond over the next days and possibly weeks to increased need.
As we continue in our 2026 Stewardship Campaign, “Many & One, in the Spirit,” this opportunity for extra generosity is a reminder of the community of care that we give to uphold through our annual pledges. I am grateful for you and the myriad ways you show up for one another and for our neighbors during times of distress. This is what it looks like to be church.
With you,
Scott+
The Rev. R. Scott Painter, Rector
