The ministries of pastoral care at St. Paul’s are a priority.
As we enter our season of contemplating what the church means to us, I think about all of the ways that we are called to care for one another and support one another. Especially in this time when so many people are suffering, grieving, sick, lonely, and in need of support on many levels, the church is called to be a reminder, through presence, prayer, and sacrament, that others are walking this journey with you.
The Rev. Gwynn Crichton is our associate for Pastoral Care. She and the Uber Flower Deliverers, Eucharistic Visitors, Transportation Ministry, Cook Angels, and the Pastoral Care Team are doing an excellent job of being the heartbeat of Jesus for our congregation. Because the pastoral care needs are so great and continue to increase, I am inviting the Rev. Jenny Montgomery (photo above) to assist Gwynn and the other clergy who attend to pastoral care at St. Paul’s.
Jenny retired last summer, having served most recently at Trinity Episcopal in Newtown, CT. Prior to that, she served as rector of St. Andrew’s in Arlington, VA. She has a D.Min. in Ministry Development from VTS with an emphasis on trauma and recovery in parishes. She has a special love for pastoral care. Her first call as an ordained priest was as the assistant vicar at Christ Church in Glen Allen, so she has a special affection for Richmond as well.
The position will be quarter time and will serve to support Gwynn and her lay ministries. Her ministry with us begins the week of October 18th and will be re-evaluated in January 2022. She will not join the clergy in worship on Sunday mornings, but you can find her and her husband, Joe Glaze, in the pews of St. Paul’s. I hope you’ll greet and welcome them.
A huge thanks to Gwynn and to all of you who serve as living reminders of God’s loving presence.
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Yesterday, we celebrated the feast day of Saint Luke. Tradition tells us Luke was a physician – a healer. In the spirit of health and healing, here’s a prayer for the feast of St. Luke:
Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Peace,
Charlie+