ON-GOING ACTIVITIES AT ST. BEN’S
ABUNDANCE SHOP– Thrift shop at 2025 9th St. COMMUNITY DINNER – Providing and serving food at SBCC, on 1st Thursday of odd-numbered months, in conjunction with Los Osos Cares. EARTHCARE – ZOOM 3rd Wednesdays 3pm. Discussion/action group seeking spiritual and practical solutions to environmental concerns. HEALING SERVICE – FACEBOOK – A time for prayers for healing at the 10:30 service on 5th Sundays HOLLISTER INSTITUTE – ZOOM –Opportunities for stimulating discussion and thoughtful exploration. Currently: “The Nonviolent Life” Tuesdays at 10:15 LAUNDRY LOVE – Helping low-income families with funds, soap, and friendly assistance at Osos Clean Laundry. 4-6pm on last Wednesdays PEOPLE’S KITCHEN – Providing and serving lunch at 40 Prado, 1st Saturday of even-numbered months SATURDAY EUCHARIST Evening Eucharist on 2nd Saturdays at 5:30pm Zoom and Facebook VESPERS AND CONVERSATION – ZOOM – 5:30 pm Tuesdays
VESTRY / PARISH COUNCIL – ZOOM – 3rd Sundays at 12:30pm.
- The Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall, Rector
- Stef Shuman, Sr. Warden
- Jane Wu, Jr. Warden
- Lisa Gonzalez, Treasurer,
- Lorienne Schwenk, Clerk
- Esta Kandarian,
- Alan Kiste,
- Benjamin Nucum
- Helen Schnieders
- Barbara Schippers
- Maureen Titus
Bidding Book Prayers – If you’d like to request prayers for someone and have their names read out during the online worship services on Sunday, please submit their names to stefshuman@sbcglobal.net during the week (by Friday).
We are grateful for God’s financial providence and blessing. Thank you for making your offerings by mail to our PO Box, or on-line https://www.StBensLosOsos.org/support-us/
BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK Mar 19, Don Maruska
ANNIVERSARIES: March 9, Ron and Laura Thompson
Unless otherwise stated, our meetings happen on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7977776046?pwd=VUFZSXY3UVpNVitJaDl2VmhPS3E2UT09 Passcode is: 93402
The 10:30 am Sunday service is live-streamed on Facebook: www.facebook.com/stbenslososos/ but you do not have to sign up for Facebook to watch it. You can also watch it on our website: https://www.stbenslososos.org/facebook-including-live-stream/
Service leaflets are available under the Worship tab on our website: https://www.stbenslososos.org/category/service-bulletin/
This Week at St. Benedict’s
Sunday, March 14
- 8:00 am – Worship service (Zoom)
- 9:30 am – Outdoor Service in church parking lot
- 10:30 am – Live-streamed worship service (FaceBook)
- 11:30 am – Virtual Coffee Hour (Zoom)
Monday, March 15 RECTOR’S SABBATH
Tuesday, March 16 (All Zoom)
- 9:45 am – Prayers for the Morning
- 10:15 am – Hollister Institute: “The Nonviolent Life” by John Dear
- 5:30 pm – Vespers
Wednesday, March 17
3pm Earthcare (Zoom)
Friday, March 19
5pm Service of Remembrance marking a year of Covid 19.
Sunday, March 14
- 8:00 am – Worship service (Zoom)
- 9:30 am – Outdoor Service in church parking lot – weather permitting
- 10:30 am – Live-streamed worship service (FaceBook)
- 11:30 am – Virtual Coffee Hour (Zoom)
- 12:30 Parish Council
ANNOUNCEMENTS
SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE – 5pm Friday, March 19
March 19 marks one year since we went into the first Covid shelter-at-home. The SLO deanery churches will be marking that day with a service remembering all those who have lost their lives in the pandemic, especially the more than half a million Americans who have died and their families. A deanery-wide service (including all seven Episcopal churches in San Luis Obispo county plus San Ardo) will take place at 5pm on Zoom at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81292759479 Meeting ID: 812 9275 9479
LENTEN NOONDAY PRAYERS – Join Bishop Lucinda and the diocesan staff for a weekly series of brief noonday prayers for Lent every Tuesday. Each prayer, which will include a reflection from the Bishop or staff members and guests, will be streamed live at the diocesan YouTube page at 12 noon, or may be accessed there anytime later. Search YouTube for Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real.
QUIET MORNING OF MEDITATION AND REFLECTION Join us on Saturday March 27 from 9:30 to 12 for a quiet morning of Meditation and Reflection as we begin Holy Week. We will follow a pattern of shared silence, reflection on a poem or Bible passage using the reading as a way of encouraging our souls to connect and speak to us, and time alone for journaling or art work or whatever your soul is calling you to for that time. This is an opportunity to make time to be quiet and reflective in company with others and in your own space with spirit. It will be in our normal Zoom room and led by Caro+.
HOLY WEEK AT ST. BENEDICT’S
Holy Week starts March 28 with Palm Sunday, when we remember Jesus’ triumphant ride into Jerusalem, incongruously on a donkey. Our 8:00 Contemplative service will be on Zoom as usual. At the 9:30 outdoor service we will process with palms and then go suddenly into the Passion Gospel, relating Jesus’ betrayal, trial and death: it’s a sudden change which brings us up short and connects us to the pathos of human love and human loss. Sunday March 28, services at 8 (Zoom) 9:30 in-person and 10:30 on Facebook will all reflect this joy and grief. Stations of the Cross: walk the Via Dolorosa – the way of tears – which is also the Way of Peace and of Hope as we follow the story of Jesus’ journey to the cross and beyond. This year we will not be displaying the wonderful Stations gifted by the Hirahara family, and made for us by Chloe White. However you can make a private pilgrimage with them at any time by participating in the service on our website: https://www.stbenslososos.org/stations-of-the-cross/ We will also walk the stations together during Holy Week on Wednesday March 31 at 5pm
Maundy Thursday April 1, 6:30pm On Maundy Thursday we remember Jesus’ last supper with his friends and the subsequent betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane. This year we will enjoy an agape meal together on-line. An agape meal is literally a love-feast, a communal meal shared among Christians with love. You are invited to prepare a simple meal in your home which we will bless and then enjoy eating as we remember the last supper together. Afterwards, the church is stripped of all its color and artwork, ending with the stripping of the altar, reminding us of how Jesus was stripped naked. We depart in silence, just as his disciples left him, silently melting into the night.
Good Friday, April 2 Good Friday is the day when Jesus was crucified. The Scriptures tell us that he hung on the cross for three hours, which we remember from noon until three. Some people choose to fast until 3 pm as a way of personally connecting with Jesus’ sacrifice. We will mark the day with a traditional Good Friday liturgy at 12 noon Then in the evening at there will be a simple on-line service of Tenebrae or darkness starting at 7:30pm as we hear the reading of John’s account of Jesus trail and death, gradually extinguishing the candles.
Holy Saturday and Easter Vigil April 3, 7:30 pm Holy Saturday – the time when Jesus was in the tomb. Then… finally we get to Easter, but we can’t quite wait until Easter morning, so we celebrate the night of Jesus’ resurrection starting at 7:30pm on Saturday with the Great Vigil of Easter. During this ancient service we light the new fire and bring light into the church for the recounting of our salvation history. Then, after we have renewed our Baptismal Vows, we celebrate the resurrection in a joyful singing of the Gloria before celebrating the first Eucharist of Easter. There will be two possibilities this year – the diocese is preparing a Vigil service which you can watch or, if there is enough interest, we will hold a simple service Vigil for a Pilgrim People service in the parking lot around the fire pit starting at 7:30. This will be shorter and simpler than the average vigil service yet will include Eucharist.
Easter Day Sunday, April 4: 8 am and 10:30 am Our celebration continues on Easter Morning, with a contemplative communion service at 8am and an in-person Eucharist at 10:30am. If we are not able to share the 10:30 Eucharist on Facebook there will be an additional Facebook only service at 12noon.
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THE RULE OF BENEDICT
Starting after Easter, Lorienne Schwenk will be leading a seven week reflection on the Rule of St. Benedict. We will be using Joan Chittister’s book, “The Rule of Benedict”, which contains the rule and her reflections. Please contact Lorienne if you are interested so we can determine the best time and date for this class. 805.200.7908 or purrsbythesea@gmail.com.
LOOKING AHEAD
Next Laundry Love Day: Mar 24, 4:00 pm
Quiet Morning Meditation & Reflection Mar 27, 9:30am (Zoom)
Next People’s Kitchen: Apr 3, 12 noon
THE BENEDICTION NEWSLETTER The March/April issue of our parish newsletter, The Benediction, is out now. It is accessible from our website under the News tab, and will be mailed and/or emailed to you.
HOLLISTER INSTITUTE DISCUSSION: Join us for a conversation about non-violent living based on the book “The Nonviolent Life” in which Dear explores the powerful journey of nonviolence rooted in the Christian vision of love. More information is here. Tuesdays at 10:15 through March 30 on Zoom.
DAILY PAUSINGS – Join us for Pausings – a few minutes of reflection with Caro+ posted every day at about 7pm on St. Benedict’s Facebook page. These few minutes of poetry, psalms, and prayers are a great way to end your day, or access anytime.
SLO DEANERY MEMORIAL SERVICE Friday, March 19 5pm: March 19 marks one year since we went into the first Covid shelter-at-home. We will be marking that day with a service remembering all those who have lost their lives in the pandemic, especially the more than half a million Americans who have died and their families. A deanery-wide service (including all the Episcopal churches in San Luis Obispo county plus San Ardo) will take place at 5pm on Zoom at the following link: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81292759479 Meeting ID: 812 9275 9479
THERE IS HELP FOR GRIEF; DON’T CARE ALONE Wilshire Hospice Center for Grief Education and Healing is offering local group discussions, workshops, counseling, and education. For details please see their website – – or contact Berkeley Johnson bjohnson@wilshirehcs.org
THE SLO EPISCOPAL CAMPUS MINISTRY Canterbury is undergoing a period of revisioning its ministry to college students in SLO in this challenging time. Campus ministry is one of the most important mission fields in the Church today. Your support is needed now more than ever. Please keep Canterbury in your prayers, and consider sending donations to: St. Stephen’s – Canterbury 1344 Nipomo Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3935
We also need to recruit members for the Board – people with an interest in the aims of campus ministry and who want to take on a leadership commitment as we search for a new Chaplain. If you are interested in serving, or have a nomination, please contact Liz Frost or Fr. Ian
ST. BENEDICT’S OPERATING INCOME
- Feb Income: $13,802.94
- Feb Budget: $13,454.17
- Surplus: $ 348.77
- YTD Income: $51,765.48
- YTD Budget: $26,908.34
- Surplus: $24,857.14
LOOKING AHEAD
- PERSONAL PRAYER A member of the Healing Prayer Ministry team is available each week to pray with you for special concerns. If you’d like this prayer support this week, contact Jill Denton 805 704 5826 If no answer, please leave a message and your call will be returned.
St BENEDICT’S CONNECTIONS: Please do not hesitate to contact Caro+ 805-704-5826 caro@stbenslososos.org She loves to hear from you. In an emergency, texts are best.
Be well, be safe, and stay in touch.
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