Vestry Transition Prayer

O God, You are our gracious and loving Father.
We ask for your guidance and presence so that we may have the wisdom and unity to make decisions and discern your will during our period of transition. Through your son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, Amen.

Online Diocesan Morning Prayer

Online Morning Prayer with Bishop Heyd Every Weekday at 8 a.m.

Please note that you'll need to register before you join.
Click here https://dioceseny.org/online-morning-prayer to register.

Christ Church New Brighton

10:00 AM SERVICE SCHEDULE

• May 17 - Holy Eucharist with Father Johnson Mathew
• May 24 - Holy Eucharist with Mother Kirstin Swanson (8am and 10am)
• May 31 - Morning Prayer Rite II with Willie Black, III

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!

Vestry Meeting

Our next Vestry meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 18, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Vestry packets will be available for pickup in the Parish Office on the same day.

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.

IPC Picnic Donations & Volunteers Needed

Calling all volunteers!
As we prepare for the Annual IPC Picnic on Sunday, June 7, 2026, all IPC churches have been asked to contribute items for the event. Donations of appetizers, main courses, salads, desserts, soda, and water are greatly appreciated. We are also looking for volunteers to assist with set-up and help during the picnic beginning at 11:30 a.m.
If you are able to donate an item or volunteer your time, please contact the Parish Office. Thank you for helping make this community gathering a wonderful celebration for all!

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

Following the recent visit from Community Good Episcopal Federal Credit Union, we are pleased to extend this opportunity to the members and families of Christ Church New Brighton, as well as the Staten Island Episcopal Church community, who may be interested in opening an account.
Representatives from the credit union will be at Christ Church on Sunday, June 7, 2026 — the same day as the IPC Picnic — to assist with account sign-ups and answer any questions you may have regarding financial planning, savings opportunities, and other banking services.
If you are interested in participating, please contact the Parish Office at 718-727-6100 to RSVP so we may plan accordingly.
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.

The Seventh Sunday of Easter stands in a beautiful, expectant space in the Church's year. Coming after Ascension Day and just before Whitsunday (Pentecost), it invites the Church to wait prayerfully between Christ's return to the Father and the promised coming of the Holy Spirit. In the Book of Common Prayer, the collect for this Sunday gives voice to that longing: "Leave us not comfortless, but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us" (BCP, p. 174; contemporary form p. 226). The appointed readings also reflect this sense of holy waiting, with passages such as Acts 1:8–14 or Acts 1:15–26 and John 17, where the disciples gather in prayer and Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven on behalf of his followers. As Whitsunday approaches, this final Sunday of Easter becomes a bridge from resurrection joy to the fiery gift of Pentecost, when God's Spirit is poured out upon the Church and the Gospel is opened to every race and nation.

The Seventh Sunday of Easter is often called "the Sunday after Ascension Day." In the Prayer Book, this Sunday is directly linked to Ascension and carries the Preface of the Ascension, emphasizing that the Church is still reflecting on Christ's exaltation even as it begins to look ahead to Pentecost (BCP, p. 174; p. 226). Liturgically, it is a kind of "in-between Sunday," full of expectation rather than completion.

Its collect is one of the clearest prayers for the coming of the Holy Spirit before Pentecost actually arrives. The traditional collect asks God not to leave the Church "comfortless," while the contemporary version says, "Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us" (BCP, pp. 174, 226). That makes this Sunday a deeply emotional and theological turning point: the risen Christ has ascended, and the Church is praying for the Advocate promised in John's Gospel.

Whitsunday can begin with a special Vigil that feels more like the Easter Vigil than an ordinary Sunday liturgy. The Prayer Book provides that when a Vigil of Pentecost is observed, it may begin with the Service of Light, followed by three or more appointed lessons before the Gospel, each with a psalm, canticle, or hymn (BCP, pp. 227; lectionary references pp. 930–931). This makes the start of Whitsunday especially vivid: the Church moves from waiting in prayer to celebrating the Spirit's arrival with scripture, light, and often Baptism, Confirmation, or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows.

An Unknown God

 - By The Rev. Kirstin Swanson, Staten Island Missioner

On the Sundays following Easter, the first readings are taken from the Acts of the Apostles. This book, written by the same author as the Gospel of Luke, is an action-packed tale of the early church. It documents the conversion and ministry of one Paul of Tarsus, previously Saul, the persecutor of Christ-believers, as he brings the Gospel to non-Jewish people on the eastern end of the Roman Empire. All kinds of things happen to Paul: he's arrested multiple times, freed from prison by angels, lowered in a basket out of a window to avoid the authorities… he's even shipwrecked! So it's not unusual that when he finds himself in Athens, he starts arguing with people.

He starts by arguing with the people in the synagogue, then he argues with other devout people, and then with Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. Eventually he's argued with so many people that they have him present his teachings publicly in the Aeropagus.

Referencing an inscription to an unknown god, he describes his understanding of the one God, incarnate through Jesus Christ, as the source of all being. He says:

"The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as if he needs anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things"
(Acts 17:24-25).

God is not in your shrines, he says. God permeates our world such that we are always moving and being within God. God cannot be bound within images of gold and silver and stone – at all times God is not far from us.

He spoke these words to an audience largely made up of unbelievers and skeptics. Oftentimes as Christians we expect that the world is simply waiting for us to let God out of the buildings of stone and metal and glass that we have built. But that is not how God works. God is with us in church, yes, but God permeates the world in ways we need to be attentive.

Over the summer, The Episcopal Church on Staten Island will be participating in tabling events: the Pride Festival on May 30, a Juneteenth celebration on June 20, and the Black Heritage Family Day in September. We do this to share who we are, yes, but also to share in the celebration of all the ways in which God is present and active on Staten Island. I hope you'll consider being a part of this outreach. 

There are training opportunities for first-time tablers next week. Send me an email (kswanson@dioceseny.org) or see the flyer below for more information about how you can be part of this work

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

Sunday, May 17

• St. Alban's Church, Friends of Olmsted-Beil house Presents – Staten Island and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Effects on the Community, 2:00 – 3:00 PM

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, 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 Kevin Baskerville, Kenneth Gill, and 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

Lit in loving memory of Emma Lettiere and Shirley Elfers. From Nick Lettiere.

We give thanks to God for the following individuals who are celebrating their Birthdays this week. James Dean (21), Natalie Wynter (22), Raquel Trujillo (22).

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 shelter residents at the Church of St. Andrew.

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for The Church of Pakistan (United).

In the Diocese of New York, we pray for +Sean, our Presiding Bishop; +Matthew and +Allen, our Bishops; The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin, Suffragan Bishop, on the anniversary of his consecration; The Committee for Campus Ministry; The Clericus Deans of the Diocese; The Church Pension Group; The National Association of Episcopal Schools; The Church of the Messiah, Rhinebeck; and The Psychotherapy and Spirituality Institute.