A Message from the Rector: Our racial justice and pandemic journeys

I was deeply moved to see so many of you last Sunday at our Pentecost Celebration. These last many months have again and again taught us that we have indelible bonds that knit us together as a spiritual family in God, and that our life and work together as a community has Holy Spirit power behind it. With this in mind, I would like to address two topics in our common life together. Last night, on the first anniversary of the brutal killing of George Floyd, the St. Paul’s Vestry voted to form the Social Justice and Anti-Racism Commission. They did so after a year of growing awareness, education, and action in the parish around issues of racism and social justice. In the last year, St. Paul’s has been involved in dozens of meetings, classes, and actions addressing anti-racism and social justice. This includes having over 30 people participate in the Sacred Ground class last fall and winter, several parish wide conversations about white privilege and race, and an educational series about policing, race, and social inequality. This Commission, in collaboration with our Nursery School’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, will also join in the Becoming Beloved Community work around the Diocese and the wider Episcopal Church.

In presenting to us last night, several of the facilitators from our Sacred Ground program (Lilly Junker, Mary Rago, Carolyn Cornelius, and Jacqui Och) highlighted how this work is a response to our baptismal promise: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? In asking the Vestry to form this Commission, they showed how our continued work in this area will help bring transformation around awareness of race in members of our own community, as well as lead us to impact the wider community as well. I am deeply grateful for the work and witness of these leaders, and their call to us to step more deeply into this important work and the Vestry’s faithful response to this call.

At St. Paul’s, having a Commission embeds this work at the core of the mission, vision, and lay leadership of our parish. It places this work on each month’s Vestry agenda, including a Vestry liaison on the Commission. Vestry members Mark Lamendola and Gina Brownfield will serve as Vestry liaisons to this new commission, and I hope to name a chair in the weeks to come. This Commission will be staffed by the Rev. Laura Di Panfilo.

As we move forward together in the next leg of our pandemic journey together and live into a new worship schedule this weekend, after consultation with the Vestry and Bishop, we offer new guidelines around masking and distancing. These guidelines take into account the CDC guidance, the high vaccination rate in Alleghany County and extremely high vaccination rates in the St. Paul’s community, as well as the fact that there are still many people in our midst who cannot be vaccinated, including children. Please also see the most recent guidance from our Bishop .

Sunday and Wednesday Worship

• We will maintain socially distant seating will be maintained in all worship services (sit on the green tape). We will continue not to physically share the peace, and communion will continue to be delivered to your pew.
• At the 6pm Saturday and 8am Sunday services, and Wednesday services at 11am, masks are optional while seated. Please wear masks as you arrive and depart.
• At the 9:15am and 10:45am Sunday services, masks are required.
• Congregational singing will resume starting this Sunday at the 9:15 and 10:45 services.
• We hope to resume serving coffee and donuts during Sunday fellowship hours in the weeks to come.

Weekday activities
All weekday meetings, gatherings, and visitors will follow CDC guidelines; masks and distancing are not required for vaccinated people. As of Friday, May 28, fully vaccinated St. Paul’s staff can work without a mask. We recommend that group leaders make decisions about masking, distancing, and meeting locations based on the comfort and safety needs for their group. The building sign-in process will end. Please continue to use the Mayfair entrance to the building.

Children and Youth Activities
Masks must be worn for all Children and Youth activities by both participants and leaders. We anticipate changing this for youth-only activities in the early summer, as our youth become fully vaccinated.

I continue to be deeply grateful for the ways our parish community has continued to find ways to connect and care for one another throughout the last months. It is a sign of how the Holy Spirit is working in our lives together. Thank you.