A message from Gayle...
July 27, 2010
Dear Friends,
This weekend will be my last time with you before I begin a 3 month sabbatical, from August 2 until November 2. The wisdom of the church recognizes that priests who work full time (and have kids!!!) get tired and in order to stay healthy and effective, periods of rest and re-creation are prescribed. Therefore it is in the contract of most rectors to take a 3 month sabbatical every 6 years, and believe it or not, I have been here for that long!
The intention of the time is to be away from the parish. So I will not be available to you as I usually am. If you have an emergency, an event or info the church should know, please contact Stephanie at the office. There is a whole corral of priests and friends standing by to help.
Priests use their sabbaticals for different purposes. Some use it for rest. Some visit relatives or places they have never been, do things they normally would not have the time to do. Some study areas of interest. Some might write or do research. It is a different experience for everyone because we all have different needs. I will spend most of my time in quiet prayer and study. It will be a lovely luxury to pray as much as I want, not squeezing God in between meetings and soccer practice. I will be praying for each of you and all of the wonderful things you do. I hope you will be praying for me also.
In my time away I know that the church will be well cared for. We have 2 wonderful priests who will be covering all the services. Your vestry has spent months preparing and praying. Every task we could think of is assigned to capable people. I know the leaders of the congregation will step up so that all of the deep Spirit and warm hospitality that is this church will continue. I ask that everyone do their part to make sure ministry happens and the love of Jesus Christ is visible. I am not worried.
I hope you can come this weekend to celebrate this opportunity for the church. Again, you will be in my prayers constantly. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this much needed time of rest!
Love,
Gayle+
Hello, and Welcome to our St. Thomas Home Page!
On behalf of all of the wonderful Christians who are part of our faith community, thank you so much for visiting our Internet home! We encourage you to visit the various areas of the site to learn more about what we have to offer.
At St. Thomas, we do our utmost to provide gracious hospitality to all we encounter, both within the doors of our lovely church and outside in the world at large. Our aim at St. Thomas is stated clearly in our Vision Statement, and we urge you to click on the appropriate link here to learn what we strive to be about.
Our charming parish church has been serving Berea and the Southwest portion of Cuyahoga County, Ohio (the Cleveland area) since 1893 in this location, and for many years before that in others. We are nestled in the midst of the beautiful Baldwin-Wallace college campus and just one block from the quaint downtown historic district of Berea.
We cordially invite you to come and worship with us next time you are in the area! We very much look forward to personally greeting you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and introducing you to our active and growing community of believers at St. Thomas Episcopal Church!
Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Gayle Catinella
Rector
