Events

Climate Solutions Community Forum2 p.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday, April 6, 2024Meeting Room, St. Benedict’s Episcopal ChurchLos Osos Valley Road and Clark Valley Road, Los Osos I.             Antarctica’s Melting – An Urgent Call to Stop Global Warming Don Maruska, climate solver and author of “Solve Climate Change Now: Do What You Love for Healthy Planet,” will share what he learned as a special guest on an expedition to Antarctica in December 2023. Explore what’s happening in the vital ecosystems of Antarctica, Iguazu…

Our celebration continues on Easter Morning, with a contemplative communion service at 8:00 a.m. and a Festival Eucharist at 10:30 a.m.

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 just after sunset, at 7:45 p.m. 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…

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 p.m. as a way of personally connecting with Jesus’ sacrifice. We will mark the day with a traditional Good Friday liturgy at 12:00 noon and the church will be open for prayer and meditation from then until 2:15 when we will walk the Stations…

On Maundy Thursday we remember Jesus’ last supper with his friends and the subsequent betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane. After a simple Eucharist with (optional foot-washing) 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. The service leaflet is available here: https://www.stbenslososos.org/2023/04/06/maundy-thursday-7pm-april-6/

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when we remember Jesus’ triumphant ride into Jerusalem, incongruously on a donkey. This is the service when we 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. April 2, 10:30 a.m., Palm Sunday Liturgy with Blessing of Palms, Procession, and Passion Gospel.

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. The wonderful Stations were gifted by the Hirahara family and made for us by Chloe White. Tuesday, April 4, at 4:45 p.m. and Good Friday at 2:15 p.m.

You are cordially invited to join us in celebrating the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall’s long and successful career at St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church. Please join us for a retirement party on Friday May 19th, 2023 at 6:30pm at St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church. We will have food, drinks, and plenty of memories to share. Come raise a toast and bid farewell to our dear colleague and friend. We hope to see you there to help us give Caro a proper send-off. Sincerely, the Retirement Party…

See eyepopping images of climate change from space, gain insights about a just transition, and tap free resources to enjoy making a difference and save money. Sponsored by Citizens’ Climate Education, ResilientSLO, Rotary Los Osos, and the Earthcare Team at St. Benedict’s. The Earthcare Team and the Citizens Climate Lobby are sponsoring a special event in celebration of Earth Day. It will include a presentation by Susan Callery from NASA on “An Out of This World View of Climate Change.”…

Please consider joining an on-line conversation about Brian McClaren’s book “The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World’s Largest Religion is seeking a new way to be Christian.” Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good.  Many people experience Christianity as a system of belief, focused on…