Epistle

From the Rector

Observing Eastertide

My dear parishioners and friends of St. Paul's,

I always admire professional journalists and professional publications in their ability to think way ahead in terms of deadlines! This is being written to you before we have celebrated Holy Week, and so I find I must change the gear of my mind from pre-Palm Sunday to Eastertide and the Ascension!

We have certainly had a very good Lent, not only in terms of our numbers present for the various programs, but also in terms of good and fulfilling programs. I am very grateful to Fr. Barnett and Frs. Lewis and Radley and to Jeffrey Smith for their contributions to our Wednesdays in Lent. Many thanks, too, to all those who assisted with the setup and cleanup from those evenings.

Also many thanks to those who were so faithful in the observations of Stations of the Cross and other devotions each Friday in Lent. A recent visitor here has been Mr. Peter Macken, the membership secretary of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, and in a letter to me following his visit with us, he said how struck he was by the extraordinary commitment of the people of St. Paul's to their parish church. This Lent has underscored that commitment, for which I am forever grateful.

There is a tendency, of course, in some quarters to observe a thorough Lent and then, strangely, to rather ignore the 50 days of Easter. Thus it will have been that we keep the days of Easter Week as prayer book Holy Days -- as they seem to be indicated as such in the Book of Common Prayer -- with three Masses a day here at St. Paul's. The 50 days of Easter are very much an ongoing extension of the reality of the Resurrection and days in which we find that more and more profound implications are drawn out from that transforming event in our lives and in the life of the world.

Ascension
The whole month of May, almost, falls within Eastertide. Forty days after Easter is, of course, the great Feast of the Ascension. In a very real sense, I think, the circle and cycle that is begun at the Annunciation, follows through the Incarnation, then through the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, then to the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, and is completed only in the event of the Ascension, when he, to put it simply, returns whence he came: He came down and now goes back up again, pulling us up with him!

All too often, the Feast of the Ascension is neglected in the Church, and this must lead to an inadequate understanding of the Paschal Mystery. The Proper Preface of the Ascension puts it beautifully: "that where he is we might also be and reign with him in glory." Our principal celebration on Thursday, May 20, for the Ascension will be a Procession and Solemn Mass at 6:30 PM.

Pentecost
The Easter cycle culminates in the Feast of Pentecost, or Whitsunday, this year on Sunday, May 30. With the Bishop of Washington's permission, Bishop James W. Montgomery, retired Bishop of Chicago, will be with us on that day at 11:15 AM to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation and to receive the reaffirmation of baptismal vows for those who have been involved in our Pilgrims in Christ catechumenate class since last fall. This is obviously the climax of their journey together and a moment of significance in our common life together.

In many places, people stay away at the prospect of a bishop with confirmation. I know that that will not apply here, as you will make every effort to gather with those who will become new members of our parish community at that service, to support them and to give them a warm welcome.

Unfortunately, that is Memorial Day weekend, but it seemed to me that the liturgical calendar of the Church should take precedence over the secular calendar, and what more glorious day than Pentecost to have with us a successor of the apostles to administer Confirmation, to celebrate Mass, and to preach for us. Bishop John Chane is gracious to allow this arrangement, and he is very well aware of our emphasis in this parish on lengthy and thorough preparation for confirmation, which, by its timing, must always fall at this time of year rather than at the bishop's visitation, which is usually on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul in January.

In addition to the visit of Bishop Montgomery, we look forward to a visit in May from Fr. Eric Simmons, C.R. Fr. Simmons is a member of the Community of the Resurrection in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, and will be here as a guest of Bill and Liz Ryon. Fr. Simmons will be the preacher at the 9 and 11:15 Masses on Sunday, May 16. I know that you will extend to him a warm welcome. I shall be leading another pilgrimage to England and Walsingham in 2005, and it is my plan to take a northern route, which will include, I hope, a visit to the Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield.

Baptism
I would like to take the opportunity of these pages to address the timing of the Sacrament of Baptism. It has been increasingly our desire to have baptisms at St. Paul's on the days that are deemed as being especially appropriate in the Book of Common Prayer, namely All Saints' Day in November and All Saints' Sunday, the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord in January, the Great Vigil of Easter, and Pentecost. Sometimes circumstances dictate that we should be more flexible than just those dates -- for example, for those parishioners who live overseas at the moment and who will eventually be returning to Washington and to this parish. This happened with the Buzby family earlier this year and will happen again with the Jones family visiting from Tokyo in June. Arrangements for baptisms, just as with arrangements for marriages, should not be made without prior consultation with one of the parish clergy.

Mission and outreach
Eastertide will also be the time when I and a small group of people representative of the parish will be looking at the various and exciting suggestions for St. Paul's mission at home and abroad. I do not anticipate that we will be making any change in our current social outreach programs and that therefore the Red Sea program on Tuesday evenings, the Grate Patrol, and our work with the Salvation Army will continue as they have before.

We are also committed to our new work at George Washington University, and I am grateful to David McGaw and those who are assisting him with the initiatives that are underway in that area. During Eastertide, we will be establishing some objective criteria for us to apply to requests for foreign missions. You will see in the article on page 6 that a number of such requests have been made. We will then apply those objective criteria to our decision-making, and I hope that we can begin the season of Pentecost with an announcement of our new commitments overseas. As already published, the cutoff date for applications for foreign mission support will have been Easter Day.

All these are exciting new developments as all of us, clergy and people alike, move forward to become God's people on the move with God's mission in view.

Presentations on sexuality
As I mentioned in the March Epistle, I have been consulting with our other clergy in how to address the issues surrounding sexuality that we need to engage as a parish family. At the time of writing, I am delighted that Dr. Barry Seltser, an Episcopalian with a Ph.D. in biblical studies from Yale University, and the Rev'd Ron Conner, an associate priest at Christ Church, Georgetown, and at Ascension and St. Agnes, have agreed to make presentations on this topic. This dynamic duo has already made a number of presentations at Christ Church, Georgetown, and they come highly recommended by the rector and the vestry of that parish.

Dr. Seltser will make a presentation on "Homosexuality in Holy Scripture" and will address those passages classically associated with homosexuality in the current debate. He will speak on Wednesday, June 23, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the dining hall.

One week later, Fr. Conner will present teachings on the Tradition on matters of sexuality, which will obviously include the classic arguments from natural law, on Wednesday, June 30, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the dining hall.

I also AM hoping that a member of the commission that has been appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury to address this issue within the worldwide Anglican Communion will also be able to come and speak to us about the work of that commission and how he views the way forward for Anglicans worldwide.

It is my hope that these evenings will provide a framework for our ongoing conversation, discussion, and learning. You will have the opportunity on those evenings to make suggestions as to follow-up, and I shall then attempt to take those suggestions into consideration as we develop our Christian Formation classes for next fall.

Building improvements update
You will read elsewhere in this Epistle a report from the Building Improvements Committee. I am very grateful to Larry Cook, Chair, Larry Toombs, Fr. Barnett, and Doug Colmery, who are the members of this committee, for their hard work in continuing to implement our plans for the new narthex. As you will read there, the good news is that this project, with our acquisition of 2422 K St. and our sale of the three rental properties on 25th St., has now grown to include the full incorporation of 2422 and the current townhouses where the offices are housed into one single project, which will be addressed as a whole and with a master plan.

The bad news is that this has caused a further delay in the immediate construction of the narthex. But it has been wise of the committee and of the Vestry to proceed with caution so as not to have to undo any initial construction on the narthex at a later date. We are looking at, then, not only the construction of the new narthex but the incorporation of the three properties on K Street into one coherent and accessible whole, which will serve the parish for generations to come. I know that these delays are frustrating and worrying, but I do assure you that at this time we have full confidence not only in the committee but also in our new architects, and our frustration can surely be outdone by our excitement at a much bigger plan that is now in process.

Annual meeting notice
By way of advance notice: The Annual Meeting of the parish will be held on Wednesday, June 2. (See the related article on page 8.) Please note, therefore, that the June Epistle will be mailed first class with the materials required for the Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 18, so that the by-law requirements of notice can be met by one joint mailing. Please also therefore note that the deadline for the June Epistle is earlier than usual, namely May 3.

In closing, I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of us all for all those who will have worked so hard behind the scenes and "up front" for Holy Week and Easter. I have always believed that "commitment" converts, and at no other time of year is this more true than in the present season.

May God richly bless our mission and ministry in the name and in the power of the risen Christ. With my gratitude and love in the risen Christ,

Andrew L. Sloane +

Choirs to Sing in Williamsburg

The Choir of Men and Boys and the Girls Choir will travel to Williamsburg on Friday, May 21, to present a concert at historic Bruton Parish Church as part of their well-regarded concert series.

Accompanied by organist Charles Burks, the choir will sing a program entitled "Five Centuries of English Church Music." The trip will also afford the choristers a chance to visit the historic colonial city, before returning on Saturday evening. Opportunities remain for your financial support of the tour! [JS]

Stuart Shelby, Seminarian Assistant

Please welcome Stuart Shelby to St. Paul's -- he will be our seminarian assistant this summer. He will spend a few days with us in late May and then be here from July 4 to August 22. He will assist with services on Sundays and in the reading of the Daily Office.

Stuart is a candidate for Holy Orders in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast (Florida and Alabama). He will graduate from Virginia Theological Seminary in May 2005 with a Masters of Divinity degree.

Before entering seminary, he served as a vicar's lay associate for four years and helped with the building of a new congregation, the Church of the Apostles in Daphne, Alabama.

Stuart and his wife, Crista Joy, are expecting their first child in June.

Marian Societies to Meet in May

In May, a month traditionally associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary, both the Society of Mary and the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary (ESBVM) will hold national meetings locally.

ESBVM
The ESBVM will hold its semiannual meeting at 10 AM on Saturday, May 1, at Grace Church, 3601 Russell Rd., Alexandria.

In the morning session, the Rev'd Dr. Donald Charles Lacy will speak about "Our Blessed Mother." Dr. Lacy, a native of Indiana, is a minister in the United Methodist Church. His three ministries may be characterized as pastoral, literary, and ecumenical. Since 1960, Dr. Lacy has published over 800 articles and 100 sermons. He is heavily involved in efforts of Christian unity and interreligious concerns.

After lunch, the Rev'd Dr. Reginald Fuller, a widely respected Anglican scholar, will speak about "The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary: An Anglican Perspective." Dr. Fuller, a native of Sussex, England, has served as a professor at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Union Theological Seminary, and Virginia Theological Seminary, where he has been professor emeritus since 1985. He is the author of several books, including Preaching the Lectionary.

For more information, contact Bill Ryon at 703-451-7062 or wryonjr@verizon.net, or check the society's website, www.esbvm.org.

Society of Mary
The following Saturday, May 8, the national annual meeting of the Society of Mary will take place at Mt. Calvary Church, 816 North Eutaw Street, Baltimore. The Solemn Votive Mass will begin at noon. A luncheon will follow the Mass. For lunch reservations, contact Fr. McClean at Mt. Calvary, 410-728-6140 or MtCal@aol.com. If you have questions, contact Bruce Lawrence at 301-755-2731 or lawrence@pire.org. [BL]

New Parishioner Profile -- Julie Whitis

Julie Whitis is a student at the George Washington University; she majors in public health and plans to graduate next year. She also lives across the street from St. Paul's -- which is how she found her way to our parish several months ago.

"One Sunday, I decided that I would just try it because I missed belonging to a spiritual community and felt a need to worship and get closer to God through a service," says Julie. She adds, "The extreme and immediate friendliness of everyone here is what has made me stay, along with Fr. Sloane's sermons and my dedication to the Grate Patrol."

Julie, who is from Texas, was brought up Baptist, but found her way to the Episcopal Church four years ago. After graduation, she hopes to work for the World Bank, UNICEF, or Save the Children, since she is most interested in international programs for children's health and nutrition.

Most of you will meet Julie very soon (or will already have met her), as she is a member of the parish directory committee and has helped during the photo sessions. She can also be seen in the nursery before the 9 o'clock Mass.

Please greet Julie Whitis at the 9 o'clock Mass. [EB]

Suggestions for Domestic Mission Projects

The following suggestions were made by St. Paul's parishioners for possible support in the parish's mission and outreach activities:

Continue our homeless ministries.*
Participate in D.C. Habitat for Humanity projects: Capital Women Build and Interfaith House.**
Canvass the neighborhood for ministry needs.
Lead Morning Prayer, lectio divina, or other devotions in the homes of seniors.
Involve our parish youth in mission projects.
Adopt a school for Big Brother/Big Sister activities.
Sponsor children in Third World countries through a group such as Christian Children's Fund.**
Contribute financial and intercessory support to the Community of St. Mary's Malawi Mission.**
Assist in the rehabilitation and renovation of the infrastructure of St. Matthew's Church, Benguema, Sierra Leone.**
Send a group of parishioners to a country for hands-on assistance -- with support of the rest of the parish -- possibly a relatively close country such as Haiti or the Dominican Republic.
Build a relationship with the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem by supporting a health program for mothers and children in Jerusalem or the West Bank.
Support development work (mainly schools and hospitals) in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.
Support the "Kids4Peace" program operated by St. George's College, Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.
Support/assist with the work of the Sisters of St. Margaret in Haiti.

Consider or continue activities in the areas of:

GWU Ministry*
Appalachia**
Native Americans in Montana (or other areas of the United States)**
A tutoring/mentoring program with Stevens Elementary School (or another D.C. school)
Literacy
Manna, Inc., helping low and moderate income families in D.C. take pride in their communities and become involved in their renewal
Connection to Companions in World Mission and a grant by the Vestry to a Companions request*
Rainbow of Hope (a ministry of Worldwide Evangelization for Christ) in Sierra Leone, catering to orphans, particularly those with polio, mental retardation, and cerebral palsy**
Building projects in Honduras chosen via our Diocese: a bakery, a school, a deanery to house visitors and guests working on future projects; Diocesan Pilgrimage to Honduras*/***
Zambian Orphans and the Zambian Anglican Church, particularly regarding the AIDS crisis in Zambia
Focus on religion and its role in peacemaking in international outreach

* St. Paul's has previously supported.

** An established link exists with (a) particular parishioner(s).

*** The Diocese has established links.

The Wardens, Vestry and People of St. Paul's Parish
cordially request your presence at
The Silver Jubilee of Ordination to the Priesthood of
The Reverend Father Andrew L. Sloane
Tuesday, June 8, 2004, at 6:30 PM
Solemn Mass of the Holy Spirit in the presence of a Bishop
The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane, Bishop of Washington, Presiding
The Reverend Prebendary David N.C. Houlding, SSC, Preacher
Music of the Mass: Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass
Reception following

Historical Notes on Parish Investment Properties

St. Paul's has for some decades owned properties on 25th Street as a component of its endowment. We have always had a small endowment; something we hope will be changed in the coming years. An endowment provides the necessary seed money from which to launch our ongoing mission to the community at large and the people we serve from it.

Toward the end of World War II, our 23rd Street church was taken by eminent domain to construct a hospital tending to wounded veterans, later George Washington University Hospital. We took the proceeds from that taking and began the acquisition of land and the construction of a church at our present K Street location. Alas, the funds we were given were not enough to actually complete the church building, as is evident from the unfinished porches at the K Street entrances.

When the Parish relocated to K Street from 23rd Street, we also acquired three rundown townhouses -- 955, 957, and 959 25th Street. For some time, one of the properties housed the parish sexton, Calvin Wilbon, and his family. In the mid-1970s, these three townhouses were renovated, and, in the process, 957 and 959 were combined into one residence and became the rectory, leaving 955 for rental. Construction/renovation was done by G. Morris Steinbraker & Company of Georgetown at a cost of $95,000. In addition to this undertaking, Steinbraker renovated the former rectory apartment located "over the store" above the current parish offices and made that available for rental use.

Many old timers will recall that on the vacant space to the west of the church (between the church and the row of townhouses on 25th Street) there were two small townhouses fronting on K Street that were owned by the parish. These townhouses had been vacant for many years due to severe structural problems that rendered them uninhabitable. Some time during the period of renovation to the rectory, these K Street townhouses were razed.

In the 1980s, the parish acquired two more townhouses on 25th Street for rental and long-term investment, 961 and 953 25th Street. We now owned townhouses at 953, 955, 957+959 (combined), and 961, all in a row.

When Fr. Richards retired in 1973, the Vestry honored his many years of service by providing him with a monthly stipend and purchased a large two-bedroom apartment at 4600 Connecticut Avenue, NW (since sold) for his lifetime use.

Finally, in the early 1970s the parish made an offer to purchase 2422 K Street for a price in the low 90s. Not much is said in the parish lore about why this effort to purchase 2422 failed, but I get the distinct impression that a change in the Vestry's composition brought in those who had "cold feet" about such an acquisition. Whatever the reason, we withdrew our interest, which, in hindsight, was a costly withdrawal.

In 2002, the Vestry authorized the purchase of 2422 K Street. The acquisition price was $770,000, with a current mortgage balance of $642,000. This purchase caused a major rethinking of our commitment on 25th Street on the west in favor of development to the east. Like all commitments of this magnitude, how to finance this redirection is a critical component of the task.

The Vestry decided to liquidate the 953, 955, and 961 25th Street townhouses, and this was systematically done in 2003 and 2004. The total net proceeds to the parish after all expenses and commissions were $1,245,000. As of this writing, plans are being contemplated to restore 2422 K to a useable condition and as an integral part of our parish physical plant for ongoing parish use. This, coupled with how to proceed with the restoration of the current church offices, brings us to one of the most important stages and set of challenges this parish has had to face since we broke ground for the nave in the 1940s.

The long-term benefits to our mission are enormous and unquestioned. Your Vestry recognizes its important role as stewards in implementing these goals. God's work must truly be our own -- and we're doing it! [JdM]

Vestry Nominees Sought

The Annual Meeting of St. Paul's Parish will be held on Wednesday, June 2. Among the purposes of the meeting will be the election of four members to the Vestry for three-year terms -- to replace Larry Toombs, Pat Byrd, Ed Loucks, and Peter Agnew, whose terms are expiring -- and one member for a one-year term to fill the seat vacated by Nevin Brown, who resigned last year after leaving the area.

According the Canon Law of the Episcopal Church, "the Vestry shall be agents and legal representatives of the Parish in all matters concerning its corporate property and the relations of the Parish to its Clergy" (Canon 14, Section 2). The role of the Vestry in regard to parish property is also recognized in civil law in the District of Columbia.

St. Paul's Vestry spends a lot of its time on the Parish budget, balancing expected income with anticipated expenses in accordance with priorities established in the Long-Range Plan.

If you would like to nominate someone (or yourself) to serve on our Vestry, please forward to a member of the Nominating Committee a brief biographical sketch of the individual, a statement as to his or her willingness to serve, and a signed copy of a Certification of Eligibility to serve.

Precise criteria for eligibility are set forth in the by-laws, but, in general, the individual must be 18 years of age or older, a communicant of the Episcopal Church in good standing, and a pledger whose pledge was paid in full for the calendar year 2003 and whose pledge is current for 2004.

Nominations may also be made from the floor during the Annual Meeting, but the same criteria must be met. Intent to nominate an individual from the floor must be conveyed to the Parish Secretary at least 60 minutes before the start of the June 2 meeting.

The Nominating Committee requests that nominations be forwarded by May 10; the list of nominees will be published at least 14 days prior to the Annual Meeting. If you have further questions regarding the nomination process, please contact one of the five members of the Nominating Committee: Peter Agnew (chair), 703-318-8572 or pragnew@comcast.net; Pat Byrd, 703-751-7876 or pbyrd17@comcast.net; Ed Loucks: 301-879-8609 or edloucks@comcast.net; Allen Payne: 703-243-9342 or apayne71@comcast.net; and Larry Toombs, 703-548-8847 or srwarden@StPauls-KSt.com. [PA]

Notice of the Parish Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of St. Paul's Parish will be held on the evening of Wednesday, June 2. Mass (including the necrology) will begin at 6 PM. The meeting will be called to order in the church at 6:30 PM to establish the quorum, adopt the agenda, make appointments, and cast the first ballot. This will be followed at approximately 7:15 PM by a potluck supper in the dining hall. At approximately 7:45 PM, the meeting will reconvene in the dining hall to do the necessary business and to finish the elections.

Our featured speaker at that time will be the Rev'd Canon Mary Sulerud, Canon for Ministry and Resource Development of the Diocese of Washington. Her topic will be "Budget and Stewardship: Tools for Mission and Ministry." Canon Sulerud has already been a great help to our parish leadership in our budget process for 2005 and in our development of planned giving.

Phil Schlatter will also make a presentation on our new approach, already begun and continuing in the summer months, for the 2005 budget. Fr. Sloane will make his remarks available in writing ahead of the meeting. The Vestry will present written reports regarding mission and ministry projects, as well as providing a "roll of honor" to honor all our volunteers. The final list of voters for the special parish meeting on April 18 will serve as the provisional list of voters for the June Annual Meeting as of April 19. The final voters' list will be published on the Vestry bulletin board on Tuesday, May 18.

At its last meeting, the Vestry appointed Larry Toombs, Senior Warden, as the Planned Giving Officer. He is charged to consult with the diocese and the Episcopal Church Foundation to develop a plan for planned giving in this parish. This work will help us to benefit the parish in our bequests, charitable trusts, insurance policies, and the like. Watch this space for more details as this work gets under way in the summer months. [ALS+]

Building Projects Update

In January 2004, the Washington, D.C., firm of Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (SHCA) was retained to complete plans for the new narthex and elevator, begun nearly two years ago by the previous architectural designer. The Building Improvements Committee is now in the process of working with SHCA to develop a design that will allow for, even encourage, the evolving mission of the parish expressed in space, in light, and in solid materials.

In the interval between the original firm's withdrawal from the project and the hiring of SHCA, the parish acquired the adjacent property at 2422 K St., a large, unrenovated mansion with spacious rooms located on a large piece of land strategically located adjacent to the parish buildings. Last year, the Vestry appointed a task force to study potential uses of 2422. Upon review of several alternatives, the Vestry determined that the property should be developed entirely for parish uses.

The strategic acquisition of 2422 K St. has enabled us to think "outside the box" regarding the original narthex design and to consider how to incorporate 2422 into the fabric of the existing physical plant. Now under consideration is a sequence of related projects, beginning with construction of the narthex, renovation of 2422 K St., renovation of the existing offices in 2424-2426 K St., and necessary upgrades to building systems and infrastructure. The new architects have begun to study functional building uses, existing conditions, and zoning regulations and to apply building code analyses in a process to refine the original narthex plan and to integrate it into an overall master plan for parish building facilities. A design and construction schedule will be developed shortly.

While amendments to the original contract with the new design team are being finalized, work has already begun toward preparation of a design that considers the entire church complex, how we live in it today, as well as how we want to grow in the future. [LC]

May Treasurer's Report

St. Paul's has been blessed by the generosity of our parishioner Stuart Harbour. Stuart remembered St. Paul's in his will with two bequests: one for the benefit of the music program in the amount of $12,500, which the Vestry has designated to go toward the completion of the organ cabinets at the back of the church; and one in the amount of $25,000 for the benefit of the endowment. Look for future articles and announcements about planned giving now that Larry Toombs has been appointed chairman of the Planned Giving Committee.

St. Paul's Hunger/Homeless Ministry has been the recipient of two grants, one for $3,800 and one for $5,000. The $3,800 grant was the result of the Fannie Mae Walkathon in November.

The Finance Committee has gotten off to a good start. It is working closely with the Building Improvements Committee in developing recommendations for financing the construction projects that are underway. See the articles on this page and page 7 that talk about the construction projects and the sale of the 25th Street properties, which will be used to fund these projects.

We have now completed the first quarter of 2004. We are on track with our budget. Pledge and plate income are running slightly over budget, and total expenses are slightly under budget through the end of March. For additional financial information, consult the Vestry bulletin board, in the hall on the first floor of Pillsbury House, where the monthly Treasurer's report is posted.

As of April 5, 2004, we have received 257 pledges totaling $614,212. Of those 257 pledges, 90 are increases, 105 remain the same as 2003, 25 are new, and 37 are decreases. For 2003, 270 pledges were received for a total of $682,249. [LW/PP]

Help with Drug Discount Cards

The Secretary of Health and Human Services recently sent out a letter to all Medicare recipients about new benefits for prescription drugs that start in 2006. Interim help will start in June 2004, with Medicare-approved drug discount cards. These cards will offer drug discounts, not drug coverage.

Your mailbox will soon be deluged with offers by "sponsors" competing for your business. These sponsors will include private companies, health insurers, Medicare HMOs, and pharmaceutical companies, all of whom have been approved by Medicare. Discounts will vary between cards. Some will offer 15% and others as much as 40% off prescription drugs. Sponsors are allowed to change prices weekly. Some drug companies will only offer discounts on the drugs they make; others will offer "open formularies," which means they will include discounts on all drugs. Each sponsor will specify which pharmacies accept their own particular card. You can only choose one card. Enrollment starts May 3, 2004.

In addition, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams is expected to approve a plan adopted by the D.C. Council called the AccessRx Program. Discounts on medications for D.C. residents 62 and older with an annual income below $18,620 for an individual or $24,980 for couples will be eligible. Uninsured Washingtonians of any age will get a break if their household income is not more than $32,585 for individuals, $43,715

In addition, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams is expected to approve a plan adopted by the D.C. Council called the Access Program. D.C. residents 62 and older with an annual income below $18,600 for an individual or $25,000 for couples will be eligible for discounts on medications. Uninsured Washingtonians of any age will get a break if their household income is not more than $32,585 for individuals, $43,715 for couples.

You need to be on the alert for fakes. Don't agree to buy any card that does not carry the official Medicare logo. Do not give your Medicare number, Social Security number, or credit card number to anyone over the phone, at the door, or on the computer.

Your is available to help you sort through these offers and give you enough information to empower you to make your own decision. Call Jean Litwin at 703-790-1715 to make an appointment. [JL]

Max Wittges Recital at St. Paul's

At 7:30 PM on Saturday, May 15, St. Paul's will present a recital with bass-baritone Max Wittges, accompanied by Music Director Jeffrey Smith. Wittges has gained an international reputation for his powerful and moving interpretations of Richard Wagner's Heldenbariton roles, most notably Wotan/Wanderer in Der Ring des Nibelungen and Amfortas in Parsifal. Wittges has also garnered critical acclaim for performances in vast array of operatic repertoire. Among his recent roles are Wotan in Die Walkre and Boris in Boris Godunov, both at the Staatstheater Braunschweig in Germany. Wittges has sung on opera stages throughout Europe and the United States.

While living in Washington in the early 1990s, Max Wittges sang from time to time at St. Paul's and is featured on the CD Advent at St. Paul's. We hope many parishioners and friends will enjoy this unusual evening.

The program will include music by Robert Schumann, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gerald Finzi, and Richard Wagner.

Tickets available at the door: $15 ($10 students and seniors). [EB]

It Never Hurts to Ask

Is there a stack of cash inside your boss's desk, just waiting for you to ask for it?

You may think not, but several people involved in the St. Paul's hunger/homeless ministries have recently found hidden pots of outreach gold in their very own offices.

"You never know where it is, all you really have to do is ask," said Rhoda Geasland, who oversees the St. Paul's outreach programs.

The St. Paul's hunger/homeless ministries, which include Grate Patrol, the weekend breakfast distribution for about 200 homeless neighbors, and Red Sea, the weekly dinner gathering for parishioners and a small group of homeless or formerly homeless friends, have recently secured over $10,000 in funding from grants, some of which started out by asking at the office.

The regular St. Paul's budget does not include a line item for the hunger/homeless ministries. Rather, specific donations from parishioners and people outside the parish have funded the programs.

But in the past year, the homeless ministries have branched out to receive their first grants. Those grants have secured new funding for the programs, of course, but have also opened new doors for outreach and evangelism, introducing St. Paul's ministries to new groups of people and potential volunteers from D.C. and across the country.

The St. Paul's outreach team has learned a new funding slogan, "It never hurts to ask."

Sometimes with the magic words "please" and "outreach," you can find that suddenly funding appears.

More often it takes grant-writing. And occasionally, you also have to get 100 people to lace up their walking shoes and take a stroll for the homeless.

Such is the case with the Fannie Mae Foundation Help the Homeless Walk-a-thon each fall.

Thanks to the enthusiastic support of St. Paul's parishioners, we received $3,800 from the walk-a-thon. That sum included $1,800 that parishioners donated or recruited. One walker was able to get 100 percent matching donations for her entire family for the event just by asking her employer.

Fannie Mae also awarded St. Paul's a $2,000 bonus for having 100 walkers. The foundation has a system with a number of bonuses at different levels for having a certain number of people on the walk. To count, Fannie Mae requires each person to actually walk, not just register or donate.

St. Paul's was able to meet the target for the $2,000 bonus because of great participation in the mini-walk the quarter-mile walk around the neighborhood between services one Sunday last October. About 60 people joined the mini-walk, including adults, babies in strollers, someone in a wheelchair, and dozens of kids all holding tight to a cute, festive balloon guideline that C.B. Wooldridge crafted.

Thanks to the teachers, parents, children, youth, and sponsors who made the effort a success.

A month later, a team of parishioners and their friends, neighbors and housemates took to the Mall for the big walk-a-thon. Ten of the Red Sea and Grate Patrol members joined St. Paul's for the walk to help maintain the programs that contribute to their needs.

St. Paul's had to complete a grant application and gain approval from Fannie Mae to qualify to receive funding from the walk. But becoming a qualified member of the Fannie Mae Foundation Help the Homeless program has created other benefits, besides just the funding.

St. Paul's is now listed on Fannie Mae's website as a contributing member organization for volunteer opportunities in the area. As a result, the church has received calls each month from new volunteers for Red Sea or Grate Patrol. In the past two months Grate Patrol has seen participation of youth groups from Texas and Maryland, in addition to a group of St. Paul's youngsters who also headed out on Holy Saturday.

Other parishioners have found Grate Patrol volunteers by mentioning the program at lunch with co-workers or sending out an email to friends.

Grate Patrol also won a $5,000 grant from the Capital Group on K Street. One of the regular Grate Patrol volunteers, who works at Capital Group, discovered the company had money available to help fund outreach programs in DC, specifically in the Foggy Bottom area. St. Paul's submitted a grant proposal that successfully garnered the $5,000 award.

Similarly, a St. Paul's parishioner responding to an inter-office memo for participation in a corporate-sponsored volunteer fair started a chain of events that led to more grant writing, inclusion in a major volunteer network, and another $5,000 grant from the International Monetary Fund.

IMF encourages its employees to seek volunteer opportunities and invited St. Paul's to participate in its Volunteer Fair. In addition to recruiting volunteers for Grate Patrol and Red Sea, our hunger/homeless ministry got the attention of IMF's corporate volunteer board, who were thrilled to find strong outreach ministries in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood.

IMF invited St. Paul's to submit a grant proposal and awarded the hunger/homeless programs $5,000. Further, St. Paul's outreach programs are now part of IMF's website and extensive volunteer network.

With three successful grants this year, the outreach team is looking forward to other new opportunities to explore such options. "It never hurts to ask." [AF]

Feast Days in May

St. Philip and St. James, Apostles
Saturday, May 1
9:15 AM Morning Prayer
9:30 AM Low Mass
5:00 PM Confessions
5:30 PM Devotions at the Walsingham Shrine
5:45 PM Evening Prayer

Ascension Day
Thursday, May 20
6:45 AM Morning Prayer
7:00 AM Low Mass
Noon Low Mass
5:30 PM Devotions at the Walsingham Shrine
5:45 PM Evening Prayer
6:30 PM Procession and Solemn Mass

The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday
Sunday, May 30
7:30 AM Morning Prayer
7:45 AM Low Mass
9:00 AM Sung Mass with baptisms
11:15 AM Solemn Pontifical Mass and Confirmation
Bp. James W. Montgomery, presiding and preaching
6:00 PM Solemn Evensong and Benediction

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Monday, May 31
6:45 AM Morning Prayer
7:00 AM Low Mass
Noon Low Mass
5:30 PM Devotions at the Walsingham Shrine
5:45 PM Evening Prayer
6:00 PM Low Mass

Parish Statistics

Transfer out: Nevin Brown, to the Church of St. Ignatius of Antioch, New York City

May Birthdays

1 Helene Beckwith; Merlyn Boakai
2 Larry Cook; Karen Guishard
3 Joel Sanford Burrows; Andrew de Michaelis
7 John Schnorrenberg; Margaret Taylor
10 Harold Carrow, III; James Spaulding
11 Serge-Emile Simpson
12 Sean Byrd; Virginia Fitzpatrick; Elizabeth Henderson; David Kassir
13 Gloria Sellers
14 Barry Johnson
15 Charlotte Latham
16 Ron Grant; Bruce Hardy
19 Sophia Haughton
22 C. Cornelius Efird
23 Lowell Miller
25 Arnitta Coley; Rebecca Radley
27 Richard Rubin; Arianna Viles; Darya Viles; Kyan Viles; Reginald Wolfe
28 Nan Burrows; Gwyneth Dickey; Polly Peckham; Laurel Radley
30 Marie Louise Walter

If you have a May birthday that was not included, or if there are any mistakes, please contact the parish office. [MW]

The Epistle
A monthly publication of St. Paul's Parish
K Street -- Washington, D.C.

Editors Christine Nevius, Alistair Nevius
Assistant Editor Allison Freeman
Desktop Publisher John Walker
Contributors Peter Agnew, Elisabeth Braw, Larry Cook, Jeremiah de Michaelis, Bruce Lawrence, Jean Litwin, Polly Peckham, Bill Ryon, Andrew Sloane, Jeffrey Smith, Lynne Walker, Melva Willis

Submissions Invited
We welcome the submission of articles, comments, and suggestions. Manuscripts and correspondence can be dropped off at the church office or e-mailed to the editors at nevius@erols.com. Electronic manuscripts are preferred. Articles accepted for the Epistle are subject to editorial revision.

SAINT PAUL'S PARISH
2430 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037-1797
phone 202-337-2020
fax 202-337-7418
e-mail info@StPauls-Kst.com
Web www.StPauls-Kst.com

St Paul's Parish Staff
The Rev'd Andrew Sloane, Rector
The Rev'd Edwin Barnett, Assistant
Dr Jeffrey Smith, Director of Music
Charles Burks, Assistant to the Director of Music
Melva Willis, Parish Administrator
Frederick Murdock, III, Maintenance Manager

The Vestry
The Rev'd Andrew Sloane, Rector
Larry Toombs, Senior Warden
Pat Byrd, Junior Warden
Gregory Capaldini, Secretary
Lynne Walker, Treasurer
Peter Agnew, Ed Loucks; Kenwin Benn, Larry Cook, David McGaw, Marcia Stanford; David Chase, Jeremiah deMichaelis, Cynthia Efird, Phil Schlatter.

Our Mission
St. Paul's Parish seeks to restore all people to God and to each other, through Sacramental Worship and Christlike lives.

Deadline for next issue: Monday, May 3