Vestry Transition Prayer

O God, You are our gracious and loving Father.
We ask for your guidance and presence so that we may have the wisdom and unity to make decisions and discern your will during our period of transition. Through your son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, Amen.

Online Diocesan Morning Prayer

Online Morning Prayer with Bishop Heyd Every Weekday at 8 a.m.

Please note that you'll need to register before you join.
Click here https://dioceseny.org/online-morning-prayer to register.

Christ Church New Brighton

Holy Week Service Schedule

Sunday, March 29
Palm Sunday service at Christ Church, 10 am, with Rev. Mark Brown

Thursday, April 2
Maundy Thursday service and Lamb Supper at Christ Church, 6:30 pm, with Rev. Kirstin Swanson

Friday, April 3
Islandwide Good Friday Service at St. Mary's, 12 - 3 pm

Saturday, April 4
Great Vigil of Easter at St. Paul's, 7 pm

Sunday, April 5
Easter Sunday service at Christ Church, 10 am, with Rev. Mark Brown

10:00 AM SERVICE SCHEDULE

• March 29 - Palm Sunday - Fr. Mark Brown
• April 5 - Easter - Fr. Mark Brown
• April 12 - TBD
• April 19 - Fr. Johnson Mathew
• April 26 - Fr. Mark Brown

IPC IMMIGRATION FUND

"When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God." – Leviticus 19:33-34

The Episcopal Church on Staten Island supports our immigrant neighbors. In light of the difficulties faced by many immigrant communities in the current climate, we have established an Immigrant Support Fund to assist detained immigrants and their families.

If you know someone who needs help, you can request a grant of up to $150 to assist with the payment of a bill (groceries, utility payments, medication, toiletries, cell phone, transportation) or $30 towards commissary and/or phone calls for people in immigration detention. Referrals must be made by an IPC delegate (clergy or lay) or warden.

Please send these requests to info@ipcsi.org with the subject line "Immigration Fund Request."

To make a donation to this fund, which will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $1,000, please mail a check payable to "Richmond Inter-Parish Council" to Richmond Inter-Parish Council; attn: ISF; 1333 Bay Street; Staten Island, NY 10305.

Lenten Offerings

Online

Learn about saints old and new at www.lentmadness.org
From the Episcopal Diocese of New York
§ https://dioceseny.org/connect-subscribe/

• Daily text meditations
• A witness at 26 Federal Plaza on Ash Wednesday at 3 pm. (in person)
• A weekly thirty minute online book study of An Emergency Devotional on Thursdays at noon.
• A book study on The False White Gospel.

Christ Church-

• Chicken and Fish Fry dinners: Fridays, March 27th; 12 - 7 pm takeout, 5-8 pm dine in. $15

St. Alban's –

• Stations of the Cross: Tuesday evenings, February 24th at 7:00 pm through Tuesday March 24th.

Church of the Ascension -

• Fridays, beginning February 27th: Confession available from 2:00 - 2:45 PM (or by appointment), followed by Stations of the Cross at 3:00 PM.
• Fridays, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by discussion and fellowship.

St. Paul's –

• Wednesdays in Lent: Stations of the Cross & study group. March 18, 25 at 1:00 PM

The Episcopal Church on Staten Island – Lenten Series, held at Church of St. Andrew

• A Weekly Lenten Journey with C.S. Lewis through his book, "A Grief Observed"
• Prayer, Soup Supper, Talk from 7:00 to 8:30 PM on Wednesdays, March 11 & 18
• Saturday, March 28 From 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Church of St. Andrew
• Movie: Shadowlands, Requiem Mass, and Lunch .

St. Mary's –

Friday, March 27, Lenten Exercise: "Speak to God for me." (Time TBD)

Announcements

Special Coffee Hour

Sunday, March 29, Join us in the Guild Room immediately following the service for a special Palm Sunday Coffee Hour. We will be enjoying hot cross buns hosted by Beth Mclean. 
Also, in honor of the conclusion of Women's History Month, we are also excited to welcome guest speaker Jean Smith for a community discussion. All are welcome to attend!

Easter Service Update

Join us this Easter Sunday, Sunday, April 5th, as we celebrate the resurrection. Please note, we will be holding only ONE service at 10:00 a.m.

Easter Eggs

If you would like to donate money or candy for our annual Easter Egg hunt, please get in touch with Catherine Barnett at 718-974-8197 or cgb1@hotmail.com

Easter Altar Flowers

Pick-up for "Easter flower orders donation envelopes are now available! Please see the ushers at church, or pick them up at the Parish Office. All envelopes MUST be turned in by Palm Sunday, March 29th, 2026.

40 Day Lenten Offering

Envelopes for the special Lenten offering are available at the Ushers Station. Please turn in your envelopes by Palm Sunday, March 29th, 2026.

Goodwill Donation

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our Pancake Supper! Because of your generosity, we raised $200 in goodwill donations. We have a heart to do even more. We would like to contribute a total of $300 to support the Episcopal Diocese's Legal Fund, which provides vital humanitarian efforts and legal assistance to those in need.
How You Can Help
To reach our desired goal, we are looking for donations to help us bridge the remaining $100 gap. Every little bit helps us support this important diocesan mission! Please make checks payable to Christ Church and write "Diocese Legal Fund" in the memo line. Thank you for your continued generosity, your time, and for being a community that gives back!

Episcopal Diocese

Stay connected with everything happening in the Episcopal Diocese of New York! Whether you're looking for upcoming community events, soulful prayer resources, Morning Prayer w/Bishop Heyd, or the latest diocesan news, our website is your go-to hub. Discover new ways to engage with your faith and your neighbors—visit at dioceseny.org.

As Women's History Month draws to a close, the Church gives thanks for the faithful witness of women whose leadership has helped shape its life, ministry, and future. In the Episcopal Church, Bishop Mary Glasspool stands as one of those significant figures—a leader whose ministry reflects both courage and deep pastoral commitment. Her presence in the episcopate has marked an important moment in the ongoing story of inclusion in the Church, reminding Episcopalians that the work of proclaiming the gospel is strengthened when more voices, experiences, and gifts are recognized and welcomed. As we honor the legacy of women in the Church, we also turn toward one of the most sacred seasons of the Christian year: the beginning of Holy Week on Palm Sunday.

Bishop Mary Glasspool made history in 2010 when she became the first openly lesbian bishop in the Anglican Communion after her election and consecration as suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Her consecration was widely noted not only within the Episcopal Church but across the wider Anglican world, because it represented a visible sign of the Episcopal Church's continuing discernment around inclusion, vocation, and ordained leadership.

Born on Staten Island, Bishop Mary served as assistant bishop in the Diocese of New York from 2016 to her retirement in 2025. In 2026, she became an assisting bishop in the Diocese of Massachusetts.

Bishop Mary has often been recognized for her gifts in preaching, pastoral care, and church leadership, and her ministry has encouraged many people—especially women and LGBTQ+ Episcopalians—to see that there is a place for them in the life of the Church.

That spirit of witness and courage leads naturally into Palm Sunday, the day that opens Holy Week. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when crowds welcomed him by spreading cloaks and branches on the road and crying out, "Hosanna" (Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19). In the Episcopal Church, Palm Sunday is unique because it holds both celebration and sorrow together. The liturgy often begins with the Liturgy of the Palms, recalling the joy of Christ's arrival, but then shifts dramatically to the reading of the Passion narrative, preparing the Church for the suffering and crucifixion to come. This movement is intentional: Palm Sunday reminds us that the same crowd that shouts praise will stand in the shadow of the cross before the week is over.

Holy Week is the final week of Lent and the most solemn week of the Church year. It traces the last days of Jesus' earthly life and invites Christians not only to remember these events, but to enter them prayerfully. After Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday continue the Church's meditation on Jesus' teaching, conflict, and preparation for the cross. Maundy Thursday recalls the Last Supper, the institution of the Eucharist, and Jesus' commandment to love one another—"mandatum," from which the day takes its name. Good Friday is the day the Church remembers the crucifixion of Jesus, often with solemn liturgies, prayers before the cross, and reflection on Christ's sacrifice. Holy Saturday is a quieter day of waiting, marking the time Christ lay in the tomb, before the Church bursts into joy at the Great Vigil of Easter.

In this way, the close of Women's History Month and the beginning of Holy Week can speak powerfully to one another. The witness of leaders like Bishop Mary Glasspool points to the Church's ongoing call to faithfulness, courage, and hope. Palm Sunday and Holy Week then gather the whole Church into the story at the center of our faith: Christ's humility, suffering, death, and victory. Together, they remind us that God often works through brave witness, costly discipleship, and the promise of new life beyond what we can yet see.

IPC Coming Events

Shine Your Light Ministries

Worship service at All Saints Church, 2329 Victory Blvd.

• Third Wednesday of the month at 10:00 AM
• Third Sunday of the month at 1:00 PM

Curious about Congregational Development?

Come read some books from the College for Congregational Development Reading List!
Thursdays at 10:30 AM, at All Saints Church 2329 Victory Blvd.

Contact The Rev. Kirstin Swanson to RSVP
kswanson@dioceseny.org | (347) 446-4870

April 16, 30, May 14
A Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making

Christ Church Parish Prayer List

The following individuals have requested our prayers:

Fred Allen, Ricia Augusty, Betty Babb, Elma Babb, Erma Babb, Marcella Babb, Jenny Badger, Willie Black, III, Joseph Bonner, Mary Boyce, Deborah Broome, Irvin Celestine, Eva Charney, Matthew Cileli, David Clark, Wayne Clark, Marcia Clendenen, Sandra Cocks, Theodore R. Coletti, Carmen Conrado, Barbara Corregan, Laura Craig, Gaynelle Cumberbatch, Nick Dowen, Wayne Dupuis, Marlene Elia, Garfield Evans, Tabitha Foxx, Julio Gambuto, Mary Gannon, Ann Gardner, Sandra Giambalvo, Peter Gilchrist, Suzanne Guglielmi, Steven Haley, Mary Hamblin, Mary Haugen, Anne Heather, Avion Hernandez-Elcock, Aretha Jadusingh, Michael Kelly, Nicholas Lettiere, The McIntosh Family, Eva McClary, Mary Mcclellan, Julie Murphy, T. Rauch and Teri Murray, Minister Robert Perkins, Ann Reilly, Leila Rollock, Tiffany Ruperti, Willie Marcus & Dylan Schumaker, Lorelei Shull, Daphne Smith, Joyce Smith, David Lloyd Stephens, George Sullivan, Fred Tucher, Linda Tuell, John Tuohey, Lucille Williams, Doreen Wood, Leighton Wynter, Marsha Wynter, Teresa Brown-Zapken, Patrick Zapken.

Please Note: The Prayer List is intended to uphold and encourage those who need healing prayers. If persons have been fully recovered and no longer need to be lifted up in this way, please let us know so that we can make room for others. This list will be updated every three months unless otherwise notified. If you need a loved one or friend to remain on the list, please call the parish office. Thank you!

We pray for the repose of the souls of Ashley Chewitt, and all the faithful departed. May their souls rest in peace.

We pray for all the frontline and essential workers in our parish, and around S.I. and the world.

We pray for our immigrant neighbors, particularly on Staten Island.

We pray for comfort to the families and communities impacted by gun violence, and for the will and determination to enact appropriate gun control legislation and promote a culture of safety.

We pray for an end to armed conflict, and hope that world leaders can move towards peace and diplomacy.

We pray for all those negatively affected by climate, environmental, and natural disasters.

We pray for those who are suffering from the impacts of systemic racism, and for those who are committed and working towards change, unity, and equality for all peoples.

We pray for all those preparing for confirmation and reception in the Episcopal Church.

Memorial Candles

Memorial Candles are available in honor of your loved ones. Donation envelopes are available at the Ushers' station.

Columbarium candle

Lit in loving memory of Lorraine Brusco, from Nick Lettiere.

Sanctuary Candle

Lit in loving memory of Theresa Lettiere, from Nick Lettiere.

We give thanks to God for the following individuals who are celebrating their Birthdays this week. Daniel Lettiere (30), Angela Lindsay (30), Shawn Stephens (30), Nicholas Kalfa (31), Matthew Ambroggi (1), Noah DelValle (1), Greer Gerney (1), Suzanne Guglielmi (1), Lily Mackta (3).

We give thanks to God for the individuals who are celebrating their wedding anniversaries this week.

In the Richmond IPC Cycle of Prayer, we pray for Buildings and Grounds Committees.

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for The Anglican Church of Melanesia.

In the Diocese of New York, we pray for +Sean, our Presiding Bishop; +Matthew and +Allen, our Bishops; Regeneration Church, Pine Plains; Prison Chaplains; For those churches being deconsecrated; Clergy Renewal of Ordination vows; Parish Administrators/Secretaries and Sextons of the Diocese; Families of Clergy in the Diocese; and Holyrood Church, Manhattan.