Welcome
Dear Friends,
As the Celebrant said at all services on the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday: “I invite you … in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” (Prayer Book, p. 265) Our Sunday worship, our Lenten University on Wednesday evenings in Lent, and other offerings in the Season of Lent are designed to assist you in observing a holy Lent. The traditional discipline of self-denial encourages a focus on God instead of self – and can increases our capacity to be charitable toward God’s people in need – for example, through special donations to Episcopal Relief and Development for the work of the Church in Haiti. Our Lenten journey leads us to the cross, to the empty tomb, and, ultimately, to our risen Savior.
St. Bartholomew’s is a friendly church where people come together to worship God, to affirm our unity in Christ, and to be renewed for ministry in the Church and world, in language and idiom that is clear, understood, and unifying. We would love to meet you in person, whoever you are and wherever you are on your journey in faith. At “St. Bart’s” we strive to reach into hearts and reach into the world.
The Rector's Corner - A Lenten Reflection from the Episcopal Bishop of Haiti
'I look at this as a baptism'
By Jean Zaché Duracin
January 12 was a terrible day for the Haitian people. The earthquake left not a soul untouched. There is not a single family that did not lose a close friend or member: Mothers, fathers, siblings, in some cases entire families disappeared. As for resources, we have next to nothing. The wreckage is beyond imagination. However, this situation delivers us into faith. I look at this as a baptism. We who are still alive have had the blessing of survival, but in many ways we have died to the ways of the past. We have the opportunity to rise up and start anew. In this moment of grief and mourning, life must continue. During this Lenten season, it is important for us in Haiti to turn inward and rediscover all that is just within us. It is imperative that we be reborn in this moment. We will live without the physical trappings of the church because we still have the same spiritual guidance, the confessions, the conversations, the reflections. We need faith. We must go forward with confidence and hope. The Haitian people are fighters. We will not give up. We must see within this situation the possibilities that exist. Jealousy, anger, hatred — this is not the time for these. We turn to Jesus Christ, who did not fall into temptation; though he was in hard situations, he overcame death in victory.
Of Special Note
Mid-Lent Mass - Sunday, March 14 at the 9:30 am Service
In medieval Europe, Lent was all about fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter. So, to help brighten the lagging spirits halfway through Lent, Christians sometimes treated themselves to a feast. This was known as "Mid-Lent" Sunday. In the U.K., it was called "Mothering Sunday" or "Refreshment Sunday".
We are going to be celebrating our "Refreshment" Sunday on March 14 by presenting Mozart's glorious little mass at the 9:30 service. It is the Missa Brevis in F, K. 192, which he wrote when he was only 18 years old. Mozart used the "4-note" main theme found in the Credo as part of his later "Jupiter" Symphony in C. Our very own Camerata Strings, vocal soloists and the Coventry choir will accompany it. Mark your calendars, this will be very special!
