The Good News of St. John’s

February, 2025

March 12

This Sunday!

Sunday, 03/16/2025
This Sunday, March 16th we welcome Rev. Eliacin Rosario-Cruz and the congregation of Holy Cross/Santa Cruz to celebrate the Holy Eucharist at St. John’s. I sincerely hope that you can join us for this special time and the building of our common ministry here in Kingston. We will have Godly Play for the children upstairs! We will also host a special coffee hour after church. If you can, please bring something for the table and stay to help us clean up!

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An Update on St. John’s Transition

As you know the transition team, including members of both churches are meeting
every two weeks to discern the possibility of merging. The first steps, involve getting to know each other, exploring the possibilities, and building relationship. We are hopeful that we will have more opportunities this spring to explore our future
together as one worshipping community.

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Next Sunday and Beyond!

Next Sunday, March 23rd: we celebrate the Holy Eucharist at St. John’s with Rev. Susan Copley. Rev. Susan is a Missioner for Congregational Development who is also a valuable member of the transitional support team. She is also available for Pastoral Care as requested. The Vestry of St. John’s will meet after church with Susan.
Sunday, March 30th: Rev. Joe Campo will be with us at St. John’s
Sunday, April 6th: Rev. Eliacin will be with us for the 10 am service at St. John’s

Stations of the Cross / Via Crucis

Join us on Fridays at noon at Holy Cross/ Santa Cruz: March 14th, 21st, 28th, and April 4th and 11th for the Stations of the Cross (Via Crucis), led by Chuck Krulis. This ancient practice began with pilgrims who could not journey to Jerusalem to walk the Via Dolorosa.

Through prayer and reflection, we follow Jesus’ path to the cross, entering into the sacred mystery of his love and sacrifice. All are welcome to this time of contemplation and devotion. The prayer booklet is in bilingual format.

Lenten Book Study: Entering the Passion of Jesus

Join us this Lent for a five-week book study on Entering the Passion of Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine. The book is 143 pages long.

Together, we will explore the risks Jesus took during his final days—personal, political, and theological—deepening our understanding of Holy Week.

Wednesdays, 6:00-7:15 PM via Zoom
Begins March 12
Each session will include group discussion and reflections on how Jesus’ journey invites us to live with greater faith and courage. We will read and discuss:

March 12: Introduction & Jerusalem: Risking Reputation – Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as a public, prophetic act.
March 19: The Temple: Risking Righteous Anger & Teachings: Risking Challenge – Jesus’ confrontation in the Temple and his challenging teachings.
March 26: The First Dinner: Risking Rejection & The Last Supper: Risking the Loss of Friends – Table fellowship, betrayal, and the significance of the Last Supper.
April 2: Gethsemane: Risking Temptation – Jesus’ moment of deep struggle and surrender.
April 9: Entering Holy Week – Reflections on the risks Jesus took and what they mean for us today.

Participants are encouraged to acquire the book at their bookstore of choice or online at https://bookshop.org or at any online booksellers. A few books will be available to borrow.

Contact Fr. Eliacín if you have questions.

Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82857133125

Meeting ID: 828 5713 3125

The Rev. Eliacín Rosario-Cruz
he/him/el

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Holy Week Schedule

April 13th: Palm Sunday Service will be at HCSC at 4:00pm.
April 17th: Maundy Thursday service at HCSC (at 6 or 7pm- to be announced)
Friday April 18: Good Friday services at HCSC at noon, and an evening service,
time to be announced
Saturday, April 19th: Easter Vigil service at HCSC at 7:00pm
Sunday April 20th: Easter Day service at St. John’s with Rev. Susan Copley
Followed by Easter Brunch and an Easter Egg Hunt

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Coming Up at St. John’s:

As you know the transition team, is meeting every two weeks to discuss the possibility of merging. But the first steps, involve getting to know each other, exploring the possibilities, and building relationship. We hopeful that we will have even more opportunities this Spring to explore our future together as one worshipping community.

A Big THANK YOU!

A very special Thank You to Liz Moeller and Don Hughes for hosting our FAT TUESDAY pancake dinner, filled with great food, games, decorations, and most importantly, a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with the people of Holy Cross/Santa Cruz! Thanks to everyone who helped!
Easter Flowers

We will be collecting memorial donations for Easter flowers on March 23th, 30th and April 6th. Or you can mail your donation to the church. Be sure to include your memorial or thanksgiving intentions.
Book Club

The Book Cub will be meeting on Thursday April 3rd at 2:00pm, in the Parish Hall, to discuss “Help Wanted,” by Adele Waldman, a local author.