What's Happening at St. Francis-in-the-Fields
March 24: Fellowship Event
Our next fellowship event will be on Friday, March 24 from 6 pm to 8 pm in the Parish Hall. As in the past, we ask everyone to bring their own appetizer and drink of their choice. Water and soft drinks will be provided. Hope to see you there!
April 2: Lenten Devotional Concert
On April 2nd at 6 pm, the St. Francis Choir is presenting a devotional concert featuring Michael John Trotta’s “Seven Last Words”. This concert will feature a chamber orchestra of some of St. Francis’ favorite instrumental musicians. This concert is free and
open to the public, but free will donations for the music program at St. Francis will be accepted. Please invite friends and neighbors for this special occasion.
April 2-9: Services of Holy Week
Holy Week is a week of remembrance and celebration, culminating in Easter Sunday. Services of Holy Week at St. Francis include:
- April 2: Palm Sunday at 8 am and 10 am - Liturgy of the Palms
6pm – Lenten Devotional Concert "Seven Last Words" (see above)
- April 6: Maundy Thursday at 7 pm – Holy Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar
- April 7: Good Friday at 12 noon – Solemn Vigil and Eucharist from Reserve
- April 8: Holy Saturday at 8 pm – Holy Vigil with Readings, Hymns, and Prayers
- April 9: Easter Sunday at 8 am and 10 am – Holy Eucharist; Easter Egg Hunt at 11:30 am
April 3: Red Cross Blood Drive
St. Francis is hosting our next blood drive with the American Red Cross on Monday, April 3 from 2-7 pm. Please consider donating blood to help patients in need in our community. If you are healthy and eligible, roll up your sleeve, book your appointment at www.redcrossblood.org (search for St. Francis Malvern) and become a part of the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross! For questions, contact Sue Lenkaitis.
April 12: Easter Fellowship Luncheon
The Easter Fellowship Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, April 12th, from 12 noon to 2 pm. As we did before Christmas, the event will include lunch, music, door prizes, and a time a joy and friendship. Mark your calendars now and watch for more information coming later in March!
May 10: “Jazz & Joe” at St. Francis
Mark your calendars for a new event coming to St. Francis! On Wednesday, May 10 at 7 pm, our parish will host The Jazz Sanctuary and their concert series, “Jazz & Joe.” This FREE event will include live jazz played by local musicians, with coffee and snacks between
sets. More information will be available in the coming weeks.
May 21: Send Off Celebration
Save the Date!
Fr. Kevin will be away on sabbatical beginning May 22. The Sabbatical Committee is planning a special send-off celebration for the Dellaria family on Sunday, May 21 (after church). We hope to have as many parishioners in attendance as possible, as well as
Acolytes who are home from college for the summer. Thank you!
June 17: National Anthem at the Reading Phillies
St. Francis has been invited once again to sing the National Anthem before a Reading Fightin' Phils game the evening of Saturday, June 17. Tickets will be on sale soon! Whether you sing or not, this annual event is fun for everyone. We will be joined again this summer by St. Peter’s in the Great Valley.
Discipleship: The Book of Revelation
Fr. Kevin’s Study of the Book of Revelation is held on Sunday mornings from 9 to 9:30am. The study is held in-person, but also live streamed and recorded on the St. Francis YouTube channel. Join with Fr. Kevin as we explore the mystery of this last book of the
Bible, uncovering its background and interpreting its meaning for our lives.
Lenten Study: Entering the Passion of Jesus
The Lenten Study for 2023, led by Fr. Kevin, will be Amy-Jill Levine’s Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week. Dr. Levine is a Jewish scholar and professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School. One study group will take
place during the Wednesday Bible Study, 10 to 11:30am. The first class will be Wednesday, March 1.
Book Group
Book Group meets usually on the third Friday of the month in the church library. The book for Friday, March 17 at 7:30 pm is Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate.
For any questions about Book Group, please contact Elizabeth Pitt.
Brown Bag Lunch
The next Brown Bag Lunch is on March 7, 12:00 noon -1:00 pm. Zack Biro, the Executive Director of Historic Sugartown, will present a program that explores the initial Quaker settlers of Willistown, their communities, and the impact their presence had on the local native population. As this is about early Quaker settlements in Willistown, we’ve extended an invitation to Willistown and Goshen Friends Meetings. Pack a sandwich and join us. We’ll provide beverages and snacks.
The Committee is looking for speakers for 2023, so if you have an educational topic, a favorite hobby, or a vacation trip, etc. you would like to share, please contact Shirley Warren, Meridith Ridington or Esther Underhill.
Circle of Friends
Circle of Friends is a pastoral care ministry of note writing (birthday, get well, thank you, encouragement, etc.) Circle of Friends will meet in person in the library on Wednesday, March 22 at 5:30 pm. If you are unable to join us in person but would still like to participate, please contact Sue Lenkaitis. Packets can be prepared for pickup or delivery as needed.
Additionally, if you know someone who would benefit from a note of encouragement, well wishes or any other message from our ministry, please contact Sue and we will add them to our list. We want to ensure we're reaching those who need it most.
Sacred Bread Guild
Baking bread for Holy Eucharist was, for many centuries, a craft undertaken by members of the local church. The bread that was offered truly represented the “life and labor” of the parish. St. Francis will begin to use parishioner-baked bread on Maundy Thursday (April
6). If you would like to become part of the new Sacred Bread Guild, please contact Fr. Kevin. Gluten-free wafers will continue to be available.
Bearing Oblations: An Easy and Important Ministry
The role of Oblation Bearer is brief, simple, and important: they bring the offerings of wine and bread to the Altar before Eucharist. A sign-up sheet to serve as OB is in the Narthex, along with printed instructions. When your Sunday comes, the Ushers will be glad to guide you in this quick, simple, but important moment in our worship service. Please consider signing up for an upcoming Sunday.
Safety and Security Reminder
As mentioned in the October 2022 Fieldnotes, the Safety and Security Committee completed all the work outlined under the Non-Profit Security Grant Program, and St. Francis has been fully reimbursed. A complete list of accomplishments is in the Fieldnotes.
As a reminder, all three Exterior Entry doors (#1, 4, and 8) can be prescheduled to auto-unlock and lock at specified times. So if you have upcoming meetings, events, activities, etc., please get in touch with the Parish Office at 610-647-0130 to schedule the door(s) as appropriate. Please do not hesitate to contact Shirley or Everett Warren with any questions.
Qualified Charitable Distribution
Have you heard of the Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)?
The tax laws are confusing to most of us, but there is one rule that should definitely be understood by anyone age 70 ½ or older. The QCD rule allows an individual to make donations directly from their IRA accounts to the church, without having to pay tax on the distribution. A donation done this way can save a considerable amount of federal tax, and this is especially true under the new tax laws. To learn more please see Mike Quinn with any questions.
Flowers on the Altar at St. Francis
Please help support the flower fund by remembering and celebrating people in your lives. It may be someone who is deceased, or someone celebrating a special event. After the 10 am Sunday service, we break down the altar flowers into bouquets that are delivered to those who are sick or need the smiles that flowers bring.
The donation for altar flowers on a Sunday is $50.00. Click
here for the form to complete (or pick up a form at the back of the church) so we can acknowledge and celebrate your gift and people.
Church Emails
Are you receiving the weekly Parish News that gets emailed to all parishioners each Friday? Do you receive the Fieldnotes newsletter each month? Are you receiving all the Special Anouncement emails? All these emails come via Constant Contact from St. Francis. If you are not receiving these emails, please contact Diane in the Parish Office at 610-647-0130. If you use Gmail, you may find the Constant Contact emails in your Promotions folder.
Pictorial Directory
Have you had your picture taken for the online pictorial directory? Having your picture in the directory is a great help for old and new members alike. It connects names and faces, increases involvement, and helps avoid some awkward and embarrassing moments!
If you have not had your picture taken for the online directory, please see David Brooks or Fr. Kevin. If you do not have access to the directory, please contact the parish office.