Saturday, Dec. 1,  Members of St. Peter’s will have a booth at the Oceanside High School’s Holiday Art & Craft Show, featuring MABird Accessories, with proceeds to benefit St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.  MABird (parishioner Mary Alice Bird) works with recycled sweaters, knits and other textiles to create unique cashmere  and mixed knit hats and scarves for men and women.  She also uses recycled textiles to make Catnip Mice, Lavender Sachets, and Balsam Holiday Sachets – all are reasonably priced and are make unique handcrafted holiday gift items.  MABird was not able to participate in this year’s November 17 Fair at St. Peter’s; but reserved table space at Oceanside’s Fair.  So if you missed getting some her items on November 17,  you have an opportunity to do so on Dec. 1 – and your purchases will benefit St. Peter’s outreach ministries in the Rockland area.

Thanksgiving Community Meal November 22nd.  Once again, St. Peter’s is hosting and coordinating a Community-wide Thanksgiving Dinner with all the traditional dishes and trimmings.  

Join with us to help prepare this meal or to share  the dinner with others.  Last year, over 400 meals were served.  Donations to help support the cost, provide food, or  help prepare and serve are needed and welcome.  Call the Church Office (594-8191)  if you want to volunteer and the Administrative Assistant will put you in touch with the coordinator of the Dinner.  You can also  check the bulletin board in the parish hall for needs, and sign up as you are able.  To make an online donation, use the DONATE button at the top of this page or send your contribution, earmarked Thanksgiving Dinner, to the church office, 11 White St., Rockland, 04841.

Flagpole entrance doors now also completed. All doors look great!

On Sunday, July 1st,  St. Peter’s will again kick off the Independence Day week with a special service of civic readings and American song at the 9:00 a.m. service.  Officials from the City of Rockland will be among us as readers and hymns and choir music will highlight our heritage as a nation.  This service will also mark the St. Peter’s Choir’s capstone event for the summer services.  They will then be in recess as a choir, but will instead be worshipping in the pews with the congregation.  They will return with music for Sunday worship after Labor Day.

St. Peter’s Junior Warden and Building & Grounds Committee have been busy.  Walk around and see some of the repairs and updates completed recently.  They include: 1) Getting the City to trim the potential “eye-poking” tree limbs that were hanging into the parking lot; 2) New, safe steps outside the kitchen; 3) lifts on thresholds throughout and wheel chairs are now able to come through the elevator without obstacle; 4) a welcoming, accurate and attractive new sign at the church door; 5) a temporary fix to the large sign on the outside of the parish hall to block out the old service dates. As the Junior Warden says, “So much done, so much more to do, keep your eyes open for more!”

Suhaila Tarazi, the director of Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, reports that Ahli is implementing an emergency response to receive trauma cases and has configured an emergency wing with 24 additional beds. The staff is on extended shifts to treat the injured and wounded. Ahli surgeons are treating serious wounds and complex limb injuries. Ahli Hospital needs immediate and substantial financial support to respond to the catastrophe in Gaza. They need to obtain emergency medicine and medical supplies and fuel for generators. Suhaila wants you to know that while the resources of Ahli Hospital are stretched to the limit, the hospital staff is working around the clock, treating and healing victims of the violence. This includes many children who have family members, friends and neighbors who are dead or injured. These children are suffering, and Ahli Hospital is providing them compassionate counseling and psycho-social therapy.