Matt’s Missive April 2021

Iona Update By Barbara Duffield Friends, this year is flying by in some ways. It feels like I just said I was beginning my first class of my second year in IONA, and here we are approaching the end. It seems an appropriate time to offer a summary of where things are currently. First, for those who are unfamiliar with the journey I am on, I am what is called a postulant in study for Holy Orders to the Priesthood, in a diocesan program called Bi-Vocational Priesthood. I am a hospice chaplain and bereavement coordinator in my “regular” life. That will not change, but once I am ordained, God willing, I will be able to serve in situations requiring a , both in my life in the Diocese of West Texas and in my work life. I was sent to this opportunity by my St. Matthew’s family, and approved by David Reed and the diocesan Discernment Committee. I am offered the opportunity to practice skills such as preaching, pastoral care, and other duties; learning how it might be done as a priest as opposed to a lay person. Fr. Tim has been extremely generous with his time, helping me to find my bearings in this new role. Part of my training was to be completed at another parish but was not possible due to the Covid landscape. As the danger of Covid lessens, it may still occur. To this point, I have classes the first weekend in May and June, and then will have a break over the summer until early September. If all goes as planned, I will be ordained in May 2022 to the diaconate, and then, six months later, to the priesthood. None of this would have been possible without my St. Matthew’s family. This is the place where I have learned and grown in my faith, and so many have been examples to me of what a faithful Christian looks like. Not only in the Cloud of Witnesses who have gone before to the nearer presence of Jesus, but also in the people I am privileged to worship alongside now. If you have questions about the IONA program or why I am doing what I am doing, I would be happy to have conversations with you. In the meantime, know that I thank God for each and every one of you, and wish God’s richest blessings for you.

Please Join Us in a Prayer Service for the Evening Monday through Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. we have a FaceBook Live of the Order for Compline. The FaceBook Live is from our Facebook page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/stmattuc and is also available later as a recording.

Our Mission: We serve Jesus Christ as a community rich in the Episcopal tradition by welcoming the seeker, providing a caring family, encouraging spiritual growth, and reaching into our neighborhood and world.

1 Presiding Bishop Curry: Easter 2021 Message March 31, 2021 Office of Public Affairs The following is an excerpt of the Presiding Bishop’s Easter 2021 Message. He opens his message with the following: When I get to heaven — and I know it may sound presumptuous for me to say it, but I live by grace and believe in amazing grace — when I get to heaven, I certainly want to see the Lord. But I want to see dear members of family and friends, those who have gone on before, the many people I want to sit down and have some conversation with. Of all the biblical people, aside from the Lord himself, when I get to heaven, I want to meet Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene, who was one of the people, one of the women, who followed the way and teachings of Jesus and who probably provided much of the funding for his movement. Mary Magdalene, who with some of the other women and only one of the male disciples, stood with his mother, Mary, at the cross as he died. Mary Magdalene, who, even after he died, on that Easter morning, got up with some of the other women early in the morning, before the day had begun, in the dark, got up to perform the rituals of love to anoint the body of Jesus in his grave. Bishop Curry closes his message with the following: Last year in March, on March 13th to be precise, another Mary Magdalene, her name, Barbara, Barbara Clementine Harris, bishop of the church, a voice of love, and justice, and compassion, a voice of deep and profound faith, first woman to be consecrated a bishop in Anglican Christianity, died and entered eternal life. This was early in the pandemic. Fortunately for us, Dean Kelly Brown Douglas had worked with Bishop Barbara to make sure that her memoir was completed, and they completed it. She gave it the title from the words of a gospel song that says, and I quote: Hallelujah anyhow Never let your troubles get you down Whenever troubles come your way Hold your hands up high and say Hallelujah anyhow! Those words characterize the life of Bishop Barbara: hallelujah anyhow. In spite of hardship and difficulty, hallelujah anyhow. In spite of injustice and bigotry, hallelujah anyhow. In spite of war and violence, hallelujah anyhow. And that, my friends, is the spirit of Mary Magdalene. That, my friends, is the tenacity of those who would follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his way of love. In spite of hardship and toil, hallelujah anyhow. In spite of the fact that this Easter is the anniversary of the assassination and the martyrdom of Martin Luther King, Jr., hallelujah anyhow. In spite of the fact that these are hard times, hallelujah anyhow. Our work goes on. Our labor for love continues. We will not cease, and we will not give up until this world reflects less our nightmare and more God’s dream where there’s plenty good room for all God’s children. Hallelujah anyhow. When I get to heaven, I can’t wait to hear Mary Magdalene and Bishop Barbara tell me he’s risen. Hallelujah anyhow. Amen. You can listen to or read Bishop Curry’s complete message here.

2 Welcome Yvette Jeffery Vestry Notes Our New Parish Secretary Your vestry met on April 20th. We Yvette Jeffery began continue to manage the budget with Sean training as our parish Francis’ help. We approved the payment of secretary on April 5th. the first quarter Outreach budget She has a wealth of office commitment to RACAP, Habitat for experience from her years Humanity, Global Teams, and Episcopal working with the Small Relief Development. Business Administration. Wayne Mudge reported that we received 3 bids to repair Creasy Hall’s foundation. Yvette was born in New York City to Angel After discussion the vestry approved Luis and Juanita Cruz. She has two moving forward with the middle bid. The younger sisters, Diana Alvarez, who lives in furnace in the Christian Ed Bldg was Adkins, and Joana Pardo, who lives in replaced. Dallas. Yvette Jeffery, our new parish secretary Yvette and her husband, Tom, married in was introduced to the vestry and she was December 2000. They have two daughters, welcomed by all. Damaris Mateo and Simona Jeffery, and three granddaughters, Lilyanna (16), Approved Projects Which Require Funding Michayla (13), and E’Layna (3). Yvette and (Any amounts accepted) Tom moved to Universal City from Atlanta, > Wireless Security Cameras – Approved GA in the Fall of 2019 to be closer to family. up to $1,200—Received $200 Her favorite thing to do is spend time with > New siding and windows for the family. Christian Ed Bldg > New shed When you have a chance, welcome Yvette to our St. Matthew’s family.

Monday Noon Prayer Meeting Resumes in May It is with much joy and gratitude we announce our weekly Monday prayer meeting will resume on May 17th. We will meet in the parish hall instead of the library to allow for social distancing. Masks will also be required. All are invited to join and pray The DEADLINE to submit articles, for those in need as well announcements, poetry, and photos as to give thanks for our for the Missive is the 15th of the many blessings. month. Any late submissions will be in the next month’s issue. 3 CELL TOWER TREE By Diane Woods You may have noticed the addition of a tall tree on our grounds that looks a little odd. Kim Turner, city manager of Universal City, provided the following explanation of the odd shape at the April 6th City Council meeting, “While the “tree” on Kitty Hawk is not yet finished, it will always look a bit odd. The longer branches at the top are meant to camouflage the soon- to-be-installed platform and the antennas. If the top branches were shorter, then the platform and antennas would stick out about 12 feet. The design of the ‘tree tower” also considers the wind load. The longer branches on the bottom of the tree would create an undue load requirement on the tower. The missing spaces on the bottom of the “tree” are currently removed until the platform is added, then the different branches will be added. Attempts to completely camouflage the tower is extremely difficult and thus a slightly less than perfect tree will result.” The company which put up the tree approached St. Matthew’s with an explanation for and with a request to lease a portion of our grounds for the cell tower. With approval from the Diocese of West Texas, we agreed to the lease for a large one-time payment. The vestry used the payment to open an investment account with the Church Foundation so the funds will earn dividends while we determine the best use of the money. Our first decision was to approve using 10% of the money for outreach. More updates to come as decisions are made.

Military Outreach Ministry By Susan K. Brown, (contact person), [email protected] May is National Military Appreciation Month and, appropriately, has several special recognition days: 1st: Silver Star Service Banner Day (honoring America's wounded, injured, and ill service members) 1st: Loyalty Day 8th: V-E Day 14th: Military Spouse Day 15th: Armed Forces Day 22nd: Maritime Day 31st: Memorial Day There are also two longer recognition periods: 1st-8th: Public Service Recognition 8th-15th: Armed Forces Week Source: www.veteranownedbusiness.com

4 Survey says… The long running game show, Family Feud, invites players to provide their best guesses as to the most popular answers to a variety of survey questions. Your Vestry and Covid Response Team want your input on our next steps in our church life regarding the pandemic. Those of you who are email users will receive a survey asking for your input. Any who are not actively online will receive a phone call. Your thoughts matter and we will put all that information into our planning for future actions, so please do reply!

RACAP News By: Kathy Ercoline

Thank you, again, to all who participated in the “40 Cans for Lent Program”. RACAP’S NEEDS CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. The pantry is open five days a week for food distribution. Any non-perishable foods, cash, and hygiene and paper products are accepted to fill the shelves. RACAP would not be able to continue its ministry without the help of its member churches. All donations and contributions are greatly appreciated. Current Pantry Needs: Dish Soap Diapers sizes 4-6 Pull-Ups sizes 3T-5T Spaghetti Boxed Meat Helpers Tomato Products Jelly Rice Feminine Hygiene Products (pads, tampons, etc.) All toiletry items (shampoo, bar soap, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.) Also, hotel and/or sample sizes are needed. NOTE: Toilet Paper is NOT needed… the cities of Live Oak and Universal City donated a combined total of over 2,100 rolls! Is your harvest too big for you? Do you have fruits or vegetables you would like to share with RACAP clients? Please feel free to donate any surplus fruits or vegetables you might grow to RACAP and RACAP will include them in their grocery orders. RACAP is available for donation drop offs Monday-Friday 1-3 p.m. …307 Pfeil St., Schertz, TX… (210) 658-1613.

March Pantry Assistance # of Families assisted: 51 # of People assisted: 118 # of Pantry Visits: 39 # of People fed: 88 Estimated value of food given: $3,575

“Thank you for helping us help others.” 5 Happenings Around From the Blog The Diocese Requesting Humanitarian Assistance for Reconnecting with your Beloved—A Families Seeking Asylum Couple's Retreat: April 30-May 2 at The Rt. Rev. David M. Reed, Bishop of West Mustang Island. The Couple’s Retreat is Texas, writes to the Diocese with a call to designed in such a way that allows time and serve individuals and families seeking techniques for reconnecting with each other asylum. Bishop Reed shares, "The most as well as activities, teaching, ample free immediate and urgent needs are for time, a special dinner Saturday night, and a volunteers, as the pandemic allows; for food vow renewal as part of our closing Eucharist. and other basic necessities; and for You will leave feeling reenergized in your temporary housing. ...We can, by grace, marriage and reconnected with your beloved! offer Easter light to people who have 115th Spiritual Retreat in Recovery: traveled a long way in darkness. I May 7-9 at Camp Capers. The diocesan encourage you and your congregation to Spiritual Retreat in Recovery provide a safe consider how you might bring the light of place to deepen one’s spiritual journey. It is Christ to our asylum-seeking brothers and open to anyone in recovery from alcoholism sisters during these Great Fifty Days of or other addictions, as well as families and Easter." Read more here. friends affected by the disease of addiction. Members of AA, NA, ACA, Al-Anon and Departures Announced in College Missions other recovery practices will share their Department experience, strength, and hope in a Allie Melancon, Director of College community of love and support. All friends in Missions, will leave the diocesan staff this recovery are welcome. summer. She joined the diocesan staff in Happening #147: May 14-16 at Camp 2011, during the Rt. Rev. Gary Lillibridge’s Capers. This is a spiritual renewal weekend tenure. After completing her final for older high school students, led by their requirements, by the grace of peers. To protect participants and staff, God and with the consent of the Standing COVID-19 guidelines and protocols will be Committee and people, she will be ordained upheld during the Happening planning and to the diaconate in June and begin her during the weekend itself. curacy at St. Thomas’, San Antonio in Fall Yoga Retreat: May 21-23 at Mustang 2021. Chelsea Mueller, Valley Regional Island Conference Center. Escape to your Coordinator for Vital UM, announced she island home for a weekend centered on the will return home to Michigan, to begin healing, rejuvenating, life-giving practices of graduate school at the University of yoga, meditation, and contemplative Michigan in Fall 2021. Chelsea served in Christian prayer. This retreat is open to all, the Rio Grande Valley for the last 5 years. regardless of your yoga or meditation Avery Moran, who served as a campus experience. missioner and worship leader with Vital UM since 2017, will begin a full-time youth You can find more information and minister position in a local Episcopal registration on these and other events at church next fall. Read more here. https://www.dwtx.org/events

6 WE WILL CONTINUE WITH A SINGLE SUNDAY SERVICE AT 9:00 a.m. FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE

MAY 2021 SUNDAY MINISTRY SCHEDULE

NOTES ABOUT OUR RETURN TO IN-PERSON WORSHIP:

• We still need volunteers to be Ushers to help maintain our COVID-19 safety guidelines. Please prayerfully consider volunteering; contact Barbara Duffield, Terry May, or Ellen Yelverton.

• A Prayer Minister will be available for private, special request prayers in Creasy Hall following the service.

MARCH 2021 FINANCIAL REPORT

ST. MATTHEW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 810 Kitty Hawk Road, Universal City, Texas 78148 210-658-5956 www.stmatts-uc.org 7