Updates regarding the COVID-19 Coronavirus
St. Mary's offers in-person Sunday morning worship of Holy Eucharist following the guidelines described in Fr. Tom's most recent Pastoral Letter (see below).
IN-PERSON WORSHIP TIMES:
- 8:00am: Holy Eucharist, Rite 1 in the All Saints' Chapel
- 10:30am: Holy Eucharist, Rite 2 in the main sanctuary
In addition to our in-person worship, an online liturgy is published weekly on our Facebook page (click here) and YouTube channel (click here). Please "like" and subscribe to these platforms!
Stay in touch with one another! The most reliable source of contact information for members of St. Mary's is our online directory. Click here to access it, feel free to update your own information if there has been a change, and send Lori Kelly, our Parish Administrator, an email if you have any questions.
We continue to learn more every day about how to bring our community together in these times, to celebrate the Christian hope, support one another in our lives of faith, and point us all towards Jesus!
Latest Correspondence & Announcements:
March 31, 2022: "The Journey Forward" - Diocesan Guidelines for Public Worship; St. Mary's responded to these guideline updates with the following announcement:
A RETURN TO COMMUNION AT THE ALTAR RAIL - With Bishop Skirving’s recent lifting of most pandemic-related worship restrictions, St. Mary’s will offer communion at the Altar Rail once again, beginning on Maundy Thursday 2022, the day that the church recalls Jesus' institution of the Lord's Supper. Eucharistic Ministers would be glad to bring communion to worshippers in the pews given mobility needs or social distancing concerns - simply inform an usher of this desire. Communion will continue to be offered in both kinds (bread & wine), with wine being poured into individual cups. To reduce cost and waste of single-use cups, worshippers are encouraged to bring reusable cups, ideally set apart for this sacred purpose. Because Anglican Eucharistic theology affirms the real presence of Christ in the elements of communion, we are careful to consume, or reserve for future use, consecrated bread and wine. That is why water is poured into the cups and consumed after communion.
November 17, 2021: Updated Worship Guidelines, the Return of Wine at Communion and Other Advent Blessings
September 29, 2021: Diocesan Guidelines for Worship Including Wine at Communion
August 25, 2021: Pastoral Letter from Fr. Tom: Impact of the COVID Delta Variant on Gatherings at St. Mary's
May 28, 2021: Pastoral Letter from Fr. Tom: Update regarding In-Person Worship
May 26, 2021: New Guidelines for Worship from Bishop Skirving
April 30, 2021: Pastoral Letter from Fr. Tom: Update regarding In-Person Worship
March 24, 2021: An Update from Bishop Skirving regarding Public Worship in response to Executive Order No. 204
October 21, 2020: Pastoral Letter from Fr. Tom: Worship Update - A return to Sunday Morning Indoor Worship - Please note, reservations for in-person worship were never required, and are no longer being requested. Overflow seating, if needed, is available in Moseley Hall.
October 16, 2020: An Update from Bishop Skirving regarding Public Worship
September 8, 2020: Pastoral Letter from Fr. Tom: Worship Update - A Return to Communion with Physical Elements Present
June 29, 2020: An Update from Bishop Skirving: Public Worship in Phase Two Extension
May 28, 2020: An Update from Bishop Skirving: Public Worship in Phase Two
May 14, 2020: Pastoral Letter from Fr. Tom: Planning for Return to Public Worship
May 13, 2020: An Update from Bishop Skirving: Planning for Return to Public Worship
April 29, 2020: A Word to the Church from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry: "What Would Love Do?”
April 24, 2020: An Update from Bishop Skirving: Continued Suspension of Public Worship
April 3, 2020 - Resources for Worship at Home for Palm Sunday and Holy Week
April 1, 2020 - An Update about Palm Sunday & Holy Week
March 28, 2020 - An Update on Office Closure & Worship Resources
March 25, 2020 - An Update from Fr. Tom
March 23, 2020 - An Update from Bishop Skirving: Continued Suspension of Public Worship
March 20, 2020 - An Update from Fr. Tom
March 18, 2020 - An Update from Fr. Tom
March 18, 2020 - An Update from Bishop Skirving
March 17, 2020 - Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s Word to the Church: Holy Week and Easter Day 2020 Online worship supported and encouraged
March 16, 2020 - Pastoral Announcement - Funerals
March 14, 2020 - Pastoral Announcement - Coronavirus Update Sharing Plans for St. Mary's Response to Bishop Skirving's Letter
March 13, 2020 - Suspending Public Worship - Bishop Skirving's Letter Regarding the COVID-19 Coronavirus
March 11, 2020 - A Letter from Bishop Skirving Regarding the COVID-19 Coronavirus
March 11, 2020 - Out of an Abundance of Compassion - A Pastoral Letter from St. Mary's Regarding the COVID-19 Coronavirus
Resources
The Online Book of Common Prayer
Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina's COVID-19 Coronavirus Resource Page