All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 2, Number 46, October 11, 2009

Maybe there's something about our incense

Last Monday Bishop Chane made parishioner Lisa Zaina a postulant for holy orders. As we’ve mentioned in a previous article, the word “postulant” comes from a Latin word meaning “to ask.”  A postulant is one who is asking to be admitted to a religious order or one who is asking to be considered for ordination.  Normally, in the Episcopal Church, one must be made a postulant by one’s bishop before beginning seminary and continuing in the process toward ordination.  Another All Souls parishioner, Shawn Strout, was made a postulant in May, and is currently in his first year at Virginia Theological Seminary.

Lisa completed her discernment year at St. Paul’s Church, Rock Creek, and is now back at All Souls.  She will be able to spend most of the coming year continuing to worship among us, visiting seminaries, and discerning where God might be calling her next.  When she’s not at church, Lisa currently serves as chief of staff for the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service.  A part of her work has to do with accelerating broadband deployment in areas of the country without high-speed infrastructure.  Lisa is a lawyer with a background in telecommunications, having served as CEO of the Universal Service Administrative Company and having worked in regulatory affairs with CTIA.

The spiritual formation that has allowed Lisa and Shawn to hear God’s calling to the priesthood has happened because of rectors and an interim rector, but mostly because of the people who make up All Souls.  One by one, parishioners have embraced Shawn and Lisa, befriended them, and helped them to serve, to pray, and to step bravely into God’s great sense of adventure. 

Just as Shawn and Lisa have spent a year in discernment in a parish different from All Souls, we may soon host an aspirant from another church who may benefit from our particular spirituality, community, and worship in order to hear more clearly God’s calling. 

I hope you will join me in giving thanks for Lisa and for Shawn, and may we all continue to be aware of God’s movement in our lives.  John Beddingfield

Around the Parish . . . Please be aware that the deadline for submitting articles for the December/January issue of the parish bimonthly newsletter, The Message, is Sunday, October 25.  Please submit articles to the parish office or email them to message.allsoulsdc@gmail.com . . . Look at the neighborhood newsstands for a copy of the October 7 Northwest Current newspaper.  There is a nice article on the All Souls Blessing of the Animals on St. Francis Day.  The issue can also be downloaded at http://www.currentnewspapers.com/archiveweek.php?n=1&year=2009 . . . It is the season for marches and marathons in Washington, D.C.  In particular, the Marine Corps Marathon is October 25.  Please be aware of traffic conditions if you plan to drive to church over the next few weekends . . . Attendance on Sunday, October 4 at the 8:30 a.m. Mass, 34; attendance at 11:00 a.m. Mass, 110 . . . Total pledge offerings for the week were $8,957.75. The plate offering was $640.50.

Your prayers are asked for . . . Lorenzo Martinez, Family of Tom Martin, Hugh Yeomans, Cielito Pilar, Helen Horne, Pat Latin, Erling Hansen, Tim Dill, Mark Hoffman, Mona Bauer, Mary Backus, Sandy Jenkins Dixon, Robert Konefal, Steve Collins, I. Kathryn McKewen, Lexi Ball, Thais Blanchard, Bruce MacDonald, Bob Colburn, Elizabeth McKee, Freddie Cameron, Robert Long, Barb Chaffee, Harriet Martin, Chris Cobb, Landis Vance, Vickie Drell, Stephanie Russell, Ruth & Fred Huber, Jim St. George, Mark Henderson, Sheldon Odland, Martha Holdgate, Chip Meyers, Walter Jason, Arthur Andrew Warren, Robert Osborne, Mary Beth McCutcheon, Bryan Powell, Regina Dading, Julia Gutierrez, Ted Field, and for the repose of the soul of Taylor . . . Pray for members of the parish in the foreign service and others who are working overseas, especially Chuck Hunter, Steve Kerchoff, Brad Moore, and Michael Pate . . . Pray also for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty, especially Jack Severson, and Timothy Zlatich . . . If you wish to participate in our ongoing Internet Prayer Circle please contact Vicki Lowe at lowevg1@verizon.net.

The parish extends its sympathy and love to Judy Smith upon the death of her fifteen-year-old grandson, Taylor, on October 2 in Panama City, Florida.  Please pray for the repose of the soul of Taylor, for Judy and her family, and for all who mourn. 

Liturgical Notes . . . The flowers at the high altar are given to the glory of God and in celebration of the 17^th wedding anniversary of Nancy Aherne and Marko Zlatich . . . On Sunday, November 1, we will celebrate All Saints’ Sunday.  On Monday, November 2, at 7 p.m., a High Mass with choir will be celebrated in observance of All Souls.  Forms for names to be included in the prayers are available in the narthex, in the worship leaflets, and on the parish website.

Adult Forum on Interfaith Dialogue . . . On Sunday, October 11, Laura Tomes will lead a discussion of the video, “The Imam and the Pastor,” about two religious leaders in Nigeria and Christians-Muslim dialogue.  On Sunday, October 18, Mr. Peter Geel, doctoral candidate in religious pluralism at Georgetown University will speak about working with youth in interfaith dialogue. Please join us at 10 a.m. in the undercroft.

Sunday School Halloween Party . . . On Saturday, October 17 at 6 p.m., the Sunday school families will celebrate a Halloween party in the undercroft.  Bring your children and feel free to invite their friends.  For those who have teenagers who might need some community service hours, their help will be needed to organize children’s games and to help in the kitchen.  Please RSVP to Marcia Anderson at marcia513@verizon.net.

All Souls at the National Equality March . . . Today, Sunday, October 11, a number of parishioners and friends will be attending our 8:30 a.m. Mass and then meeting in the undercroft to go downtown and join the march.  More information on the weekend’s events can be found at www.nationalequalitymarch.com.

Flu & Pneumonia Vaccinations. . . Will be available on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Undercroft.  Contact our own Dr. Al Muller if you have questions or need more information, 301-657-1671

Centering Prayer Group . . . On Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. a handful of people gather in the church for silent prayer.  If you’re new to Centering Prayer, and would like a brief introduction, please join us at 6:50 p.m. Both the main church door and the Woodley Place door will be unlocked.

All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church

The Reverend John Beddingfield, rector; The Reverend Christopher Worthley, adjunct clergy; Mr. Seth Walley, seminarian; Mr. Isaac Borocz, parish administrator; Dr. Philip Cave, director of music and organist; Mr. Oscar Prado, sexton

2300 Cathedral Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008-1505

Voice: 202-232-4244, Fax: 202-232-8593

Email: allsouls1@aol.com

www.allsoulsdc.org

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