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.

Announcements

Coffee Hour

Join us in the Guild Room for a sponsored coffee hour immediately following Sunday service. Lite fare, fellowship, and conversation. All are welcome.

Coffee Hour Summer Hiatus

Please note that Coffee Hour will begin its summer hiatus starting Sunday, June 28th, and will resume as we return to the fall season on Sunday, September 13, 2026. While we will pause our usual fellowship gatherings for the summer. Coffee and tea will continue to be available following the Sunday service. We look forward to gathering together again in the fall!

Christ Church Transition Update

We warmly invite you to join us during the 10:00 a.m. service on Sunday, June 14, 2026, for an update on Christ Church New Brighton's transition. We hope you will be with us as we share where we are in this season of transition.

Summer Service Schedule Update

With summer around the corner, please note that beginning Sunday, June 28th, we will transition to our summer worship schedule. There will be ONE Sunday service at 9:00 a.m. throughout the summer season. We look forward to worshiping together, and thank you for your flexibility as we move into our summer schedule.

Bulletin Announcement FYI

Please note that any requests for announcements to be included in our weekly bulletin MUST be submitted to the Parish Office by 12:00 noon on Wednesday prior to the service.
(For example, announcements for the Sunday, May 24, bulletin must be submitted by Wednesday, May 20, or earlier.) Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

To our CCNB families

Please keep us informed about your child(ren)'s performances, showcases, and community events! We want to continue fostering, supporting, and celebrating our young people as they make their mark and share their gifts with the world.
Please contact the Parish Office with details so we can recognize and celebrate these rising stars!

Community Good Episcopal Federal Credit Union Opportunity

We're excited to offer on-site membership enrollment. To make the process smooth, please ask attendees to bring:

• A valid government-issued photo ID (driver's license, state ID, US or foreign passport, IDNYC)
• Their Social Security Number (or ITIN)- we do not need the physical card
• A small opening deposit (cash or check; we have a one-time $5 ownership share fee)
• A recent utility bill or official mail (only if current address is different from ID)

If opening a joint account, all applicants should be present with their ID and Social Security information.
Take this opportunity to invest in your financial future and learn more about the benefits and resources available to you and your family!

Prom Dress Donation

Prom season is a special time of celebration, and we are grateful for the opportunity to help make it memorable for someone in our community. We currently have two prom dresses available at no cost for any graduate in need:

• Navy Blue – Size Large
• Fuchsia – Size Medium

These dresses are being offered free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. If you or someone you know could benefit from this gift, don't hesitate to get in touch with Alleida Mitchell at 917-834-8727 or the Parish Office for more information. Let's work together to support and celebrate our graduates during this exciting season!

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.

Today we celebrate Whitsunday, also called Pentecost, one of the great feast days of the Church, when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the birth of the Church. In the Book of Common Prayer, Pentecost is marked with the prayer that God "opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit" (BCP, Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday, p. 227). When Pentecost falls on Memorial Day weekend, it gives us a meaningful opportunity to hold together two kinds of remembrance: the Church's joyful celebration of the Spirit's power and our nation's solemn gratitude for those who gave their lives in service to others. In the Episcopal tradition, this day can invite both celebration and thanksgiving, as we pray for peace, unity, and the courage to live by the Spirit.

Pentecost is often called the Church's birthday.
It celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1–11, when people from many nations heard the good news in their own languages.

Red is the liturgical color for Pentecost. In Episcopal churches, clergy and altar hangings are often red to symbolize the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Memorial Day is recognized in the Episcopal Church calendar. While Pentecost takes liturgical precedence when they overlap, the Episcopal Church also keeps space for national remembrance and thanksgiving for those who died in military service, much as it does for other civic observances named in the calendar, such as Independence Day and Thanksgiving Day.

Looking for the Future of Faith

 - By The Rev. Kirstin Swanson

Last week, we celebrated Ascension Day, which remembers the day, commemorated in the Acts of the Apostles, when the resurrected Jesus left this earth. The disciples did not know what to make of it: he had just come back, and then he was gone. They stared up at the heavens. Two angels, messengers from God appeared saying: "why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

Jesus' path to the ascension ran from his birth in Bethlehem to his death and resurrection. It ran through his life on earth. We will find Jesus in the ways we serve on earth.

At the beginning of June it will be three years since I started my work as the Staten Island Missioner. We began this work together in June 2023, emerging from the worst of the COVID pandemic with fresh ideas that came from conversations and commitments Staten Island congregations made with each other. Commitments to a shared ministry with youth, to community outreach and engagement, and to sharing the message of who The Episcopal Church is and what we believe to the people of Staten Island.

Our ministry together has been, in turn, joyful, challenging, and fulfilling. We have had successes and false starts, tried things that worked and others that didn't. We've witnessed one of our congregations closing, and others welcoming new rectors. We've celebrated and affirmed our commitments to women's ordination and full LGBTQ+ inclusion, explored issues of racism and Christian Nationalism, and worked together for a more inclusive church.

In all of it, we sought to, as our baptismal covenant states, seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves (BCP p. 305).

And yet, some things still feel hard.

During Lent, members of the Staten Island Clericus read the book Church Tomorrow: What the "Nones" and "Dones" Teach us About the Future of Faith by The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers. This book puts into words much of the anxiety that church leaders and members have been feeling. She opens the book with two pieces of data:  the decline in  Americans identifying as Christian from 1971 to 2025 (90% to 62%) and the increase in people who check "none" for religious preference (6% to 28%) (p. 1). The book is an extended exploration of what caused this decline, why the number of "Nones" has increased so dramatically, and how the church could respond to what they have to say.

We will have the opportunity to read this book together over the summer and early fall and then come together in October to discuss what we have learned and how it might shape our collaborative work in the future.

On June 23, Canon Spellers will join us on Staten Island for a panel discussion of this book. We'll be meeting at the Church of the Ascension at 6:30pm. Bring your questions and curiosity. It is a challenging conversation, but one we need to have.

At the end of the introduction to this book, Canon Spellers writes: "Will there be a church tomorrow? I know there will be, but I can't tell you the shape of it, the smell, sound, or look of it" (p. 13). We can start working on the future church now, we just need to listen to the prophetic voices calling us back to who we are. Join me in starting that listening with this book.

To purchase this book and support a local bookstore, shop here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/church-tomorrow-what-the-nones-and-dones-teach-us-about-the-future-of-faith-stephanie-spellers/2eb9c0701785447a?ean=9781640658608&next=t

Over the next few weeks there will be guest contributors to the Missioner Update! Special thanks to The Rev. Sylvester Ekunwe, The Rev. John Shirley, Catherine Barnett, Pamela Mullane, Cathy Carlson, The Rev. Christopher Dresibach, and The Rev. Terrence Buckley for their contribution. It's a blessing to hear from these voices across Staten Island.

IPC Coming Events

The Richmond Inter-Parish Council wishes you a blessed Holy Week and Easter Season.

Please find below Joint Holy Week worship services and April Events.

Island-wide and Diocesan Events

Saturday, June 13

• Island-wide Confirmation held at St. Mary's, 4:00 PM. Bishop Heyd Presiding.

Monday, June 29 – July 2

• Island-wide Vacation Bible School
• St. Andrew's, VBS for ages 4 – 14.

The Episcopal Diocese of New York

Dear Siblings in Christ in the Diocese of New York:

To what are you being called by virtue of your baptism?
It has been my driving question for some time, and my great joy is to come alongside individuals and groups as they grow into the fullness of who God is calling them to be.
How grateful I am to be here in the Diocese of New York as the Canon for Lay and Clergy Formation, as we engage in creating a culture of discernment, transforming the ordination process, equipping lay ministries, and supporting the work of formation both on the diocesan level and in all our local communities.

Many have asked: What's a Canon for Lay & Clergy Formation?

Bishop Heyd and Canon Newton have created a team of regional canons to help serve and support all the parishes in the diocese. Each canon has a speciality area as well as a geographical area; my speciality area is Christian Formation, and my region, if you will, is less geographical than it is specific — it's the Commission on Ministry. So really my work is to encourage and support every single one of us in our vocations as Christians.
Along with a great team— including Ministry Office Liaison Alito Orsini, the Commission on Ministry and a newly-forming Commission on Christian Formation— I am working to lift up, network, and create resources to equip local leaders. I invite you to call on me to join in conversation and practice around discernment processes, curriculum access and development, teacher training, supporting every stage of the ordination process, commissioning and celebrating lay ministry, or any level of individual or collaborative formation. You may also invite me to preach and/or teach in your local community!

I am excited to introduce a diocese-wide confirmation preparation experience offered in multiple tracks (adult, youth, Spanish-language).

Combining theological grounding, spiritual reflection in small groups, and preparation for participation in the sacramental life of the Church, these classes are for participants who may be preparing for baptism, confirmation, reception into The Episcopal Church, or reaffirmation of baptismal vows, or those who simply want to learn more about the church.
Participants may choose to participate in diocesan confirmations at the Cathedral on June 6, or on another date in their local congregation or region.

• Youth Cohort (for all abilities): Deacon Dave Barr
  Thursdays May 7, 21, 28 – 7:00-8:00 pm
  To register, please email Deacon Barr at dbarr1414@gmail.com

• Spanish-Language Cohort: Deacon Wendy Cañas
  Sundays May 3, 10, 17, 31 – 7:00-8:00 pm
  Register HERE
• Adult Cohort: Canon Tanya Wallace & the Rev. Tami Burks-Condon
  Wednesdays April 29-June 3 – 7:00-8:30 pm
  Register HERE

At baptism each of us is called to a life of discernment and ministry.

Confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation are opportunities to recommit to our baptismal vows and the ministry to which those vows call us.
I love this formula for Christian Formation in The Episcopal Church:
Education & information PLUS worship & practice EQUALS transformation.
What we learn and practice together changes us. And changed people change the world.

It is an exciting time to be part of the Diocese of New York, as we engage in creating a culture of discernment.

Discernment is less a process than a practice — a way of leaning into the world with your ear tilted toward something you can't quite hear yet, but know is there — a practiced quieting of ourselves, enough to hear what's been stirring under all the noise.
For some that call will lead to ordination, and we are engaging in the transformation of the ordination process so that it is caring, clear, equitable, nimble, and Spirit-led.
For many others that call will deepen lay ministry, and we are committed to raising up and supporting the ministry of the laity in every corner of our diocese.
That ministry into which we are called at our baptism — it's all about making sure we keep engaging in the community of Christ, learning the mind of Christ, and doing the work of Christ as his hands and heart in this world, for the sake of the world.
To what are you being called by virtue of your baptism? I am delighted to be walking alongside you as we engage this life-changing question, together.
God's peace,
The Rev. Canon Tanya Wallace
Canon for Lay & Clergy Formation

The Episcopal Diocese of New York

Dear Friends in Christ,

This spring, the Canon team is pleased to invite you into a series of Online Learning Communities designed to support the shared work of ministry across the Diocese of New York.
We know that this is a time of both challenge and possibility for our congregations. Elevating local communities is the first of our Mission Priorities.
Equipping lay & clergy leaders is also a Mission Priority. Leadership is complex. Contexts are shifting. And yet, again and again, we see that when leaders gather—across congregations, roles, and regions—new clarity, creativity, and courage begin to emerge.
These Learning Communities are offered in that spirit.
Each gathering is designed as a space for practical tools, shared wisdom, and mutual support. Some are ongoing cohorts that will meet over several weeks; others are single-session workshops focused on a particular area of congregational life. Together, they reflect the breadth of ministry we share: governance, stewardship, property, formation, collaboration, and intercultural engagement.
This spring's offerings include:

• Support for wardens and treasurers serving congregations in transition
• Monthly treasurer check-ins
• A property-focused community 
• A series on models of collaboration in ministry
• Confirmation preparation cohorts (adult, youth, and Spanish-language)
• College for Congregational Development (CCD) continued learning
• A cultural and multilingual ministry initiative
• Vestry conversations engaging the Moses Report
• A stewardship workshop for congregational leaders

 These communities are open to clergy and lay leaders as appropriate to each topic, and we encourage you to share this invitation widely within your congregation.
We offer these not as programs to complete, but as spaces to join—places where we can think together, learn from one another, and strengthen the ministries entrusted to us.
Registration is open - for full descriptions, dates, and registration click here.
As always, if you have questions about which offerings might be most helpful for your context, please reach out to your Canon.
We look forward to gathering with you this spring.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Canon Alissa Newton, Canon to the Ordinary
The Rev. Canon Victor Conrado, Canon for New York City
The Rev. Canon Sam Owen, Canon for Westchester & Putnam Counties
The Rev. Canon Lisa Saunders Ahuja, Canon for Dutchess County
The Rev. Canon Tanya Wallace, Canon for Lay & Clergy Formation
The Rev. Canon Aaron Hudson, Canon for Vulnerable Congregations

New CCD Website and Summer Sessions Registration

Dear friends,
We are excited to welcome you to our new https://ccdnyc.vfairs.com/en and to open registration for our 2026 Summer Sessions!
Please review the instructions below carefully to ensure you register for the correct session:

June 2026 Session Year B (June 14 to 19)
at Thomas Berry Place, Queens
The June session is currently waitlist only.

• Visit the CCD website and join the waitlist for the June session.
• If you're registered and have not already paid your registration fee, you may submit payment directly on the website.

July 2026 Session Year A (July 12 to 17)
at Thomas Berry Place, Queens
The July session is currently open for registration.

• Complete your registration online through the CCD website.
• Submit your payment online at the time of registration.
• Note: If you previously registered for the July session, please register again on the new website.

 Scholarship Applications
If you are applying for a scholarship, please complete the registration process and select:
"I am registering from The Episcopal Diocese of New York, requesting a scholarship."

Once you complete your registration and select this option, we will follow up with additional details regarding the scholarship process.
If you have any questions or encounter any issues during registration, please do not hesitate to reach out.

We look forward to welcoming you this summer!

Warmly,
Victor
The Rev Canon Victor Conrado
Canon for New York City
Director for Congregational Development
Episcopal Diocese of New York

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, Carmen Conrado, Barbara Corregan, Laura Craig, Gaynelle Cumberbatch, Nick Dowen, Wayne Dupuis, 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, Angela King, Nicholas Lettiere, The McIntosh Family, Renea McCarthy, 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, Christopher Still, George Sullivan, John Trach, 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 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 the hundreds of 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 Rose Bell. From Ronald & James Bell.

Sanctuary Candle

We give thanks to God for the following individuals who are celebrating their Birthdays this week. Scarlett Plancon (26), Kimani Bratton (28), Roxanne Ingoe (28), Fidel Zayzay (28), Jay Szczepanik (30), Marc Clarke (30).

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 the Vestry, Wardens, Clergy, and People of Church of the Ascension.

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for The Episcopal Church in the Philippines.

In the Diocese of New York, we pray for +Sean, our Presiding Bishop; +Matthew and +Allen, our Bishops; The Church Club Of New York; The Church of the Ascension, Staten Island; St. Augustine's Church, Manhattan; The Church of the Ascension, Manhattan; The Church of the Ascension, Mount Vernon; Ascension and Holy Trinity Church, West Park; and Eglise Française du Saint-Esprit, Manhattan.