[Magdalen] A brighter note?

[Grace Cangialosi]

Sorry, I just realize my reply went to the whole list and not just Cady!

> On Jun 6, 2021, at 4:37 PM, cady soukup <cadyasoukup at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Good afternoon Grace,
> 
> Georgia put the wafers directly into people's hands. Only people who
> were comfortable with that came up to the rail.
> 
> As the only glluten-free person in the congregation right now, I
> handle my own wafer in a separate tiny "tin" by putting it on the
> altar for the consecration, then getting the tin from the celebrant,
> opening it and consuming the blessed wafer, taking it home with me,
> putting a new water in the tin, and repeating everything next Sunday.
> It simplifies the process for both the Altar Guild and for the priest.
> 
> Georgia is one of at least 6 priests (including a "retired" bishop)
> who are providing coverage, from pastoral care to church services, as
> we go through our transition period, which started the first of the
> year.
> 
> So far, the vestry is still the "transition team" - we are lucky to
> have had the simplified down time to go through the candidate process.
> So far, no one has received a Priest-In-Charge contract. We have more
> candidates to vet and interview.
> 
> The transition process has not been easy. As in many places, we are
> not an easy church, even as we do our best to be a community of faith.
> Transition is as much of a challenge as bringing all of our buildings
> & grounds up to modern code, but we wrestled with that over a period
> of several years! The hardest part is that everyone is so eager to
> have everything go "back to normal" - as if such a thing could be
> defined.
> 
> Georgia led us in a prayer of remembrance for June 6 1944, DDay.
> Looking back, remembering, hoping forward.
> 
> Cady
> 
>> On 6/6/21, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I’m interested in knowing how you distributed communion. We’re still not
>> having folks come forward, but are distributing the wafers in individual
>> paper condiment cups at the point in the service where the Peace takes
>> place. At the point in the Eucharistic prayer where the Holy Spirit is
>> invoked, people hold the wafers up, and I bless them. We consume them
>> together at the usual place in the service after the words “The gifts of
>> God…”
>> I know people are handling this in all sorts of ways, but this was what was
>> done at an Easter Vigil service I attended, and it seems sound. I don’t
>> think my folks are ready to come to the rail yet.
>> Did Georgia put the wafers directly into people’s hands?
>> 
>> Is she going to be your interim?
>> 
>>>> On Jun 6, 2021, at 2:43 PM, cady soukup <cadyasoukup at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> At Trinity episcopal church in “little” Washington, VA today we gathered
>>> for communion (one kind) at the altar rail, in person, unmasked, for the
>>> first time since Lent 2020!
>>> 
>>> Our own list sibling Georgia DuBose was the celebrant. She preached an
>>> on-point sermon about (among other things) how following the example of
>>> our
>>> Lord, and responding to the call of the Holy Spirit is not easy, and has
>>> never been easy.
>>> 
>>> We were all out of practice, so the service was a community effort to
>>> recall the rhythms, sounds, and cadence of worship, as we each reminded
>>> ourselves and each other how we do this amazing event we call a worship
>>> service in person. It was streamed for our parishioners who are, even
>>> now,
>>> unable to get to a service, so all the fits and starts are recorded for
>>> those active participants who might not yet be embarrassed.
>>> 
>>> Nevertheless, we gathered, we worshipped, we sang, we communed, we
>>> praised,
>>> we had a coffee hour, we rejoiced!
>>> 
>>> Thanks be to God!
>>> 
>>> Cady
>>> one grand round of virtual, non-invasive hugs all around for those who
>>> wish
>>> to partake!
>>