A Celebration and Renewal of Shared Ministry
Sunday, June 4, 2023
The Congregation of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church welcomes the Reverend Dr. Wesley S. Williams, Jr., Senior Minister and Celebrates the Renewal of Shared Ministry. The service was officiated by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, the Homily by The Reverend Dr. Luis Leon.
TESTIMONIALS
Today, my clients are different – they are my neighbors, my community, strangers whom I have not yet befriended, and my fellow members of this Church. With my heart and hands bound in service to Christ, who died for me on the cross, I now gift this cross to St. Mary’s, as a symbol, henceforth, of the work we will do together in our neighborhood. Let us remember that the cross is our might, the cross is our strength, the cross is our ransom, and the cross is the medicine of our soul. The cross is our sign to defeat the devil and all evil temptation, as Christ himself defeated all evil with the cross.
Beautiful as it is, this cross came from a troubled and war-torn part of the world; and yet, here, today, in Foggy Bottom, we live in a community, also troubled on so many levels. May this cross be a symbol for us. May it remind us that we, who have believed in Jesus Christ, are saved by the power of his cross, and, where the love of Christ resides,
On behalf of this congregation, and in the spirit of shared ministry that we have lifted up in God’s presence today, I offer to Father Wes this portable Communion set, as a symbol of the work we will do together outside the doors of this building, reaching out first to our neighbors in St. Mary’s Court. May we use this, along with our God-given talents, time, and treasure, and with the love in our hearts, to bring Christ into the homes of our neighbors who are sick, shut in, lonely, hurting, and in any way thirsting for compassion, for kindness, for peace, for relief from oppressive circumstances, for basic needs to be met, and for the knowledge that, in us, they have neighbors who love them, and, in Jesus, they have a friend who will always carry their burdens.
We have celebrated the renewal of this working relationship between clergy and congregation in the great prayer of the Church. Father Wes, I commend to your love and care, the people of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. My brothers and sisters in Christ, I commend to your love and care, your Senior Minister, colleague and friend, Father Wes. May you all continue to walk together in service, in compassion, in respect, in peace, and in the Way of Love. God’s blessing be with you, Christ’s peace be with you, the Spirit’s outpouring be with you, now and always.
Amen
Our 156th Anniversary –
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Welcome to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. We hope that today’s Holy Eucharist will give you some idea of the nature of this community of faith! St. Mary’s Church is a multicultural, multigenerational parish of the Episcopal Church, located just steps from the Foggy Bottom/GWU Metro stop. We are the first African American Episcopal community in the City of Washington, founded in 1867. Our community includes families that have been with St. Mary’s for generations, recent immigrants from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and around the world, students, and recent transplants to the DC area.
As the Senior Ordained Minister at St. Mary’s, it gives me great joy to gather with this faithful group of Christians who inspire me every day. If you are looking for a faith community with a rich past, rooted in beautiful worship, unshakeable trust in God’s love and mercy, and great hope for an even brighter future, come and join us at St. Mary’s – All are Welcome. All are Loved. No Exceptions.
Faithfully,
Father Wesley S. Williams, Jr.
Our 156th Anniversary Homilist
Today’s homilist is Ms Allison Seymour, an Emmy award winning anchor who has been waking up viewers on morning news in her hometown of Washington, DC since 1999. Allison started her career in television at the Washington, DC bureau of ABC News, behind the scenes, before earning her Master of Mass Communication at the University of South Carolina. She is a proud graduate of Hampton University where she is enshrined in the Mass Media Hall of Fame. Allison’s on-air career began during the blizzard of 1993 in Utica, New York. She would go on to work in Binghamton, and Albany, New York. During the summer of 1998, Allison took an anchor position in St. Louis, Missouri, where, on her first day on the job, she met her future husband, radio and television host, Marc Clarke. Allison is a member of St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Jack and Jill of America. When Allison is not working, you will find her spending time with her husband and their three daughters and two shelter pups.
Feast of St. Mary’s
Sunday, August 13, 2023
Our Guest homilist, Amanda P. Williams, MD. is the Medical Director of a maternal healthcare company dedicated to improving health equity. Dr. Williams’ insightful and timely message — maternal health and health equity — are topics currently getting the media attention which is long overdue.
