St. Catherine
of Siena
Episcopal Church
Meeting at
Bishop Manogue Chapel
110 Bishop Manogue Dr.
Reno, Nev.
A publication to promote our mission:
"In community, love God, love others, serve both."
December 2014
St. Catherine's web site
Dear Friends,
Nevada Episcopal Diocese
web site
Rev. Laurie's Message
Dear Friends in Christ,
DECEMBER EVENTS
Dec. 6: Vestry Goals,
Trinity Parish Library,
9 to 11 a.m.
Dec. 7: Baby Bundles
collection; St. Nick's
Helpers (adopt a family)
begins
Dec. 10: Vestry meeting at
the home of Linda Stetzell,
5:15 p.m.
Dec. 21: Invitation Sunday;
bring in wrapped gifts for
St. Nick's Helpers mission
Dec. 24: Christmas Eve
service & pageant, 5 p.m.
St. Catherine of
Siena (13471380)
Advent is a time of waiting. Some of us,
myself included, don't "wait" very well. We
become impatient in lines at the grocery
store. We fuss when the phone call or the
email we needed to complete a project
doesn't show up. We're not very good
"wait-ers." Yet, this time of year, with its
busyness, is an opportunity to practice a
new kind of waiting -- a time of anticipation.
We have the chance to let go of the hustle
and bustle of the season and to seek a
quiet time of waiting.
The word advent means "coming." During
this time, we remember Jesus' coming
among us -- the Incarnation --God's taking
on of our human flesh to dwell with us. We set aside these four
weeks of Advent to ponder anew Jesus' coming again in our
hearts. We are waiting.
My prayer for each of us this Advent is that, as we wait, we can
allow the open-ended kind of waiting, that waiting that allows
God to birth something new in each of us -- that waiting that will
usher Jesus again into the world. Emmanuel: "God with us."
Dec. 27: Articles due for
January newsletter
SAVE THESE DATES
Jan. 18: Annual Meeting,
10 a.m.
Jan. 19: Martin Luther
King Day of Service at the
Volunteers of America
shelter, 10 a.m.
PLEDGE DRIVE
We are wrapping up this
year's Stewardship Drive,
and looking forward to
receiving all of our pledge
cards this month. If you
have not yet made a
pledge to St. Catherine's,
please consider doing so.
Pledges help us plan our
missions and meet
our obligations during the
upcoming year. Thank you!
THANKSGIVING
FEAST
A wonderful Thanksgiving
Feast was celebrated at
St. Catherine's on Sunday,
Nov. 23, with about 35
joining in the feasting.
The variety of delicious
dishes was a testament to
the great cooks in our
congregation! Special
thanks to Heather
Nusbaum and Judy
Eisele for cooking, set-up
and decorations. Special
thanks, also, to all those
who helped tidy up
afterwards! If you missed
this year's feast, please
Wishing you a Blessed Advent and a Joyous Christmas,
Laurie +
It's Christmas Pageant Time
Again!
If you are between the ages of 4 and
18, we need YOU! This year's
pageant will be a simple one,
centered around "The Little Drummer
Boy." We are in need of a narrator,
Mary and Joseph, a bunch of
shepherd musicians, and some
parent helpers. Please plan on
attending our first practice this
coming Sunday, Dec. 7 at 9:50
a.m. in the chapel.
There will only be two additional practices on the following two
Sundays at the same time, and the performance will be a part of
our Christmas Eve service, which starts at
5 p.m. Dec. 24.
Be a St. Nick's Helper, for
Needy Families
Please pick an "ornament" off our
tree this Sunday with gift ideas for a
member of one of the families we are
sponsoring from Double Diamond
Elementary. We will be collecting
wrapped gifts for the children, as well
as monetary contributions for food
and gifts.
All wrapped gifts should be brought back to church by Dec. 21
so they can be delivered in time for Christmas. Also, please
contact Tracy Eisele (853-1292) if you are interested in helping
deliver gifts to the families.
LEAN: Speaking Out for the Disadvantaged
The Lutheran-Episcopal Advocacy Network
(LEAN) has been preparing for the 2015
Legislative Session, which starts on Feb. 2,
and is beginning to evaluate proposed
legislation. LEAN holds the view that one
aspect of following Jesus is speaking out
on behalf of the disadvantaged.
consider putting it on your
calendar for next year on
Nov. 22.
SUNDAY SERVICES
At St. Catherine's, Molly Mitchell and Gretchen Korver are
Parish Communicators for LEAN, meaning they seek out
concerns of parishioners and transmit them to the LEAN Board,
so that LEAN's positions at the Legislature speak for all of us. If
you'd like to include your input on what's important to you,
please contact Molly (11 a.m. service) or Gretchen (9 a.m.
service).
Family Gather Service: 9 a.m.
Youth Program: 9:50 a.m.
Concerns raised so far include animal welfare, education,
minimum wage, hunger, predatory lending practices, prison
reform, and prisoner re-entry.
Adult Discussion: 10 a.m.
Traditional Service: 11 a.m.
GET INVOLVED
11 a.m. Choir
Molly Mitchell:
775-331-6385
Coffee Hour
Hosts, Greeters / Ushers
Sally Dickinson:
[email protected]
Lay Readers
& Eucharistic Ministers
Anne Towner:
[email protected]
Altar Guild
Linda Stetzell:
[email protected]
Youth Programs
Beth Osborne:
[email protected]
The director of LEAN, the Rev. Mike Patterson, has recently
been in dialogue with Greg Cox, the Director of the Nevada
Department of Corrections, to address the prisoner re-entry
issue, as well as with a state senator who plans to introduce a
bill to reinstate some of the positive processes needed to
alleviate recidivism.
For more information about LEAN, please click the following link
to visit http://leanforjustice.wordpress.com.
A Note of Thanks from Stewardship Chair
1 Thessalonians 1:3 -- "We continually remember before our
God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor
prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our
Lord Jesus Christ."
It is with a grateful heart I thank this year's stewardship team:
Craig Stott, Michael Nusbaum, Liz Skogerson and Ed Simon. It
is a joy to be able to share in this ministry.
Thank you to all of you who have turned in your pledges and to
those of you who are in the process.
May this Christmas Season bring joy to you and your loved
ones.
Joann McKeeman,
Stewardship Chair
Nominate Your Favorite Local Non-Profit
First-time recipient
of this newsletter?
We're so glad you've
received this publication;
we hope you will find it
interesting, provocative
and worth your time. If
you're not a member of
any church, take the
The vestry of St. Catherine's has voted to give away $500 from
our "open plate" (non-pledge / non-dedicated) funds each
quarter to a not-for-profit in our area that's helping those in
need.
We'd like those who are receiving our alms to be organizations
with whom our parishioners have a connection and a
commitment. We'll be providing an application form for those
who worship at St. Catherine's to request that this donation
might be made to an organization that is special to them. We
plan to invite a member of the board or leadership of these
next step and worship
with us any Sunday.
We are a growing, active
place with friendly
people who will welcome
you, and without
"pressure." Or, please
call us at 775-771-4168 for
more information and for
how we might respond to
your needs.
organizations to be present at one of our services to receive our
contribution, so that we can hear firsthand about their work.
Perhaps, St. Catherine's will become known as the church that
gives its money away!
Are You Concerned about 'BPA'
in Plastics?
BPA stands for "BisPhenol A."
It's an industrial chemical that's been
used to make certain plastics and resins
since the 1960s.
BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics
and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics
are often used in containers that store food and beverages,
such as water bottles. Epoxy resins are used to coat the inside
of metal products, such as food cans, bottle tops and water
supply lines. Some dental sealants and composites also may
contain BPA.
Some research has shown that BPA can seep into food or
beverages from containers that are made with BPA. Exposure to
BPA is a concern because of possible health effects of BPA on
the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and
children. However, the Food and Drug Administration has said
that BPA is safe at the very low levels that occur in some foods.
This assessment is based on review of hundreds of studies.
The FDA is continuing its review of BPA and supporting ongoing
research.
In the meantime, if you're concerned, take these steps to reduce
your exposure:
1. Seek out BPA-free products. More and more BPA-free
products have come to market. Look for products
labeled as BPA-free. If a product isn't labeled, keep in
mind that some, but not all, plastics marked with recycle
codes 3 or 7 may contain BPA.
2. Cut back on cans. Reduce your use of canned foods,
since most cans are lined with BPA-containing epoxy
resin.
3. Avoid heat. The National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of
Health, advises against microwaving polycarbonate
plastics or putting them in the dishwasher, because the
plastic may break down over time and allow BPA to
leach into foods.
4. Use alternatives such as glass, porcelain or stainless
steel containers for hot foods and liquids, instead of
plastic containers.
Submitted by Georgia Tachoires and adapted from a Mayo
Clinic publication, "Answers from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D."
Baby Bundles: Sharing Our
Blessings with Others
Baby Bundles is composed of and
supported by members of St.
Catherine's and Trinity Episcopal
Churches.
With items donated by both congregations we assemble
"bundles" of layette items for St. Mary's and Renown hospitals.
They are then distributed by hospital staff to disadvantaged new
parents who have little or nothing for their newborn.
Needs: New newborn layette items (size 0-3 months) are
appreciated. We always need newborn diapers and wipes. The
diapers should be size N. Monetary donations are always
welcome, too. We'll shop for you!
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Susan
Lombardi at 329-2044 or Ann Crase at 356-1155.
Please remember the church in your will.
St. Catherine of Siena Episcopal Church | [email protected] | http://stcatherinesreno.org
Meeting at Bishop Manogue High School
110 Bishop Manogue Drive
Reno, NV 89511