End of a ministry - Rector's Rambling for December 9, 2018

A hard decision was recently made to end a 20-year ministry.  After multiple changes by the host institution, and glitches resulting from them, the Sunday Holy Communion Service at Independence Village in Plymouth has come to an end.

Over four years ago I was asked to become a part of this ministry.  The ministry was started by Fr. Patrick Lowery, at that time a priest of the Anglican Church of America.  It was his parish, with a weekly Mass on Sunday morning that was not only to the residents of the retirement community, but also a weekly traditional 1928 Communion Service to people in the larger Plymouth area.

When Fr. Lowery became a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church he had to end his affiliation with the ministry because of their rules forbidding the celebration of the Holy Communion outside of a consecrated church building.  Next, a priest from the Polish National Catholic Church led the services for a few years before his retirement and move to Florida.

It was at this point that Fr. Lowery (whom I have known for over 20 years) and Mr. David Sharpe contacted me about helping to keep the ministry going.  David and Janette Sharpe were among the founding members of that ministry, having come from the old Incarnation Church (originally Episcopal, then Orthodox).  Several of our current members here at St. John’s were members at Incarnation before it closed.  And the organist at the service was the great-aunt of our parishioner Dennis Lennox.

Because I am here on Sunday morning, we were able to move the service to 1:30 PM every other week, yet that put us in conflict with afternoon clean up and events.  But the 20 to 40 people showing up weekly were appreciative of the opportunity to pray, sing hymns, and most importantly, to receive the Blessed Sacrament.

I hope in the new year we will find another location to restart this ministry, perhaps closer to St. John’s.  Suggestions are welcome.