Weekly eNews for

October 30, 2025

INTERIM RECTOR'S CORNER

 Dear Members and Friends of St. Monica’s,


             Ken and I went over to watch the kids from Heavenly Day Preschool go "trunk or treating" in the parking lot this morning. The kids were in costume. I saw Spiderman, a butterfly, a princess, a pirate, an astronaut, a pumpkin, and a strawberry! There was also a pick-up truck decorated to look like a pirate ship, complete with "water" (a blue tarp) and a plank to walk! It was all pretty cute. Plus I got to see Matt Devlin dressed up as a banana! 


I've started reading aloud to one of the preschool classes once a week. The teachers pick the books, so all I have to do is show up and be charming!  I know Kathy used to do this when she was the Rector here, and I can see why. These kids are very sweet! Laura Rodriguez, Director of the preschool, (we call her, "the other Laura") has invited St. Monica's to partner with them to put on Vacation Bible School next summer, and the Vestry has already voted to set some money aside for this. We will, of course, need volunteers to help, so keep your eye peeled for a "Save the Date" VBS Announcement!


Just a reminder that I am flying to Warsaw, Poland, next week. I leave on Monday, after Len Koch's Memorial Service (which is at 10 a.m.), My husband has been travelling quite a bit for work, so this will be the first time since I started working at St. Monica's that we will have some time away together. John has a conference for two of the days, but I look forward to a little R&R, and a chance to get reacquainted with my spouse! I am looking forward to the time away! Not only that, but Ken is preaching on All Saints' Sunday, so I get two-week break from preaching! Trust me -- I like preaching, but as one of my priest friends used to say, "It's just so weekly!"


Sylvia+

NEW MESSAGES THIS WEEK

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS REMINDER

Daylight Savings Time is coming up THIS weekend! Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour this Saturday so you’re not too early for church on Sunday morning.


Enjoy that extra hour of sleep, you’ve earned it!

STEWARDSHIP BRUNCH & TRIVIA

We are pleased to let you know that we have over 50 people signed up for the Stewardship Brunch following the 10am service in Parish Hall THIS Sunday. That represents over half of what our current attendance levels are.


We will have a few extra seats in case anyone wants to come at the last minute. Thank you to all who have signed up. As we indicated, this is an opportunity for fun, food, and fellowship as we launch our stewardship effort for 2026.

A BIG THANK YOU!

Our partnership with The Salvation Army’s Stock the Shelves campaign has come to a close, and what an incredible response it was! Thanks to the generosity of our St. Monica’s family and Heavenly Day Preschool, we collected enough food to feed many families in our community.


While we don’t have an exact count, the results far exceeded expectations. We were given five collection boxes between the church and preschool and together, we filled nearly four times that amount!


Your donations will help families in Naples and Immokalee who are facing food insecurity. Every can, box, and bag made a difference.


Thank you to everyone who gave and helped share God’s love in such a tangible way.

MEN'S BOOK GROUP - NOT MEETING NOV 3

The next meeting of the Men's Book Group will be Nov 10 at 9:30AM in the church conference room. We will not meet Nov 3 so that we can attend Len Koch's funeral. Len started the men's book group.


We will be taking up a new book - Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh. We will cover the foreward, introduction and Chapter 1 at our Nov 10 meeting. Tom Gibson will lead our discussion. We are open to all the men of St. Monica's. Please contact Ed Strong for further information.

FIRST SUNDAY PLATE OFFERING

The Plate offering for this weekend will be collected for Harvest Time Ministries of Bonita Springs, Fl. They serve farmworker families who work in the fields, planting and harvesting many fruits and vegetables. Harvest Time provides food, clothing and love to the families. 


By giving this weekend, you are directly helping the families that are working hard to provide us with our fruits and vegetables. 


How to give

  • Cash or check during the offering.
  • Make checks payable to St. Monica’s and note in the memo line: Harvest Time Ministries. 


Thank you for being a part of this effort to collect for those in need. 


If you have any questions, please contact Heather Williamson. 

TRUNK-OR-TREAT TURN OUT WAS A SUCCESS!

What an amazing morning! Our Trunk or Treat was a huge success thanks to everyone who joined in the fun. Kids, teachers, parishioners, parents, friends, and visitors all helped make this a joyful event to remember.


The creativity and care that went into every trunk, the smiles on the children’s faces, and the teamwork between Heavenly Day Pre-K and St. Monica’s truly captured the spirit of the day.


A special thank-you to everyone who decorated, handed out treats, helped with crafts, or assisted with setup. You made it a wonderful celebration for our little ones.

THINGS TO COME

FRIENDSGIVING SOCIAL  - November 8th

It’s hard to believe the holidays are right around the corner! 


Our annual Friendsgiving Social will take place on Saturday, November 8 in the Parish Hall. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy an evening of food and fellowship.


Please bring a main dish, appetizer, side dish, or dessert to share. Food may be dropped off in the Parish Hall after 4:30 p.m.


We look forward to celebrating together and giving thanks for our parish family!

LADIES & GENTS LUNCHEON  - November 10th @ 12:30PM



Let’s enjoy good food and great company together! 


We’ll be heading to Bonefish Grill on Monday, November 10 at 12:30 PM.


Location: 26381 S Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs


Everyone is welcome! Come hungry for fellowship and fresh seafood!

LESSONS & CAROLS - December 20th @ 6:30PM

Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 20th, 2025, St. Monica’s presents A Service of Advent Lessons & Carols at 6:30 p.m. (after the 5 o’clock service).  Helen Tintes-Schuermann and I are planning the liturgy, which will include a number of readings from the Bible, a couple of anthems, and lots of Advent-y hymns to sing. It won’t be as fancy as the Lessons & Carols service Ron Doiron used to do, we will do a pared-down version that (I hope) won’t tax our small-but-mighty choir too much. Please come if you can! It’s a great way to prepare to celebrate Christmas!

Have You Filled Out the Directory Survey Yet?

We’re reaching out again to all members and friends of St. Monica’s with an important request. Our new Directory Survey was shared recently, but so far only a small number of people have responded. We’re very grateful to those who have already updated their information, but we truly need everyone to take a few minutes to complete the survey.


This isn’t just about keeping the Directory up to date. The survey also helps us confirm that everyone can access it correctly and that all contact details are accurate. Even if you believe your information is already correct, please fill out the survey so we can verify everything.


If you’ve had trouble accessing the Directory, there’s a place in the survey to let us know. Someone from the church office will follow up to help.


Please take a few minutes to complete the survey today. Accurate and accessible contact information helps us stay connected and ensures you don’t miss important eNews or church updates.


Thank you for your help as we continue to strengthen our St. Monica’s family connections.


For any questions, contact the parish administrator.

TAKE THE SURVEY

RECAP OF THINGS TO REMEMBER

PASTORAL CARE MESSAGE

Dear Friends,


Your clergy are here to walk with you. Pastoral care is an important part of the ministry of the clergy, so please don't be shy! At any time reach out to one of us and we would be happy to talk to you, anoint you, pray with you, or walk with you. If something is going on medically or otherwise in your life, let us know. If you are going into the hospital, let us know ahead of time so we can visit, and, more importantly, be praying with and for you.



The Rev Sylvia Czarnetzky           

Interim Rector 



The Rev Ken McCaslin

Deacon

DR. RON DOIRON BEQUEST

As you all know, Dr Ron Doiron passed away this summer and his funeral service was held here at St Monica’s. We are deeply touched to share that he has generously bequeathed a significant donation to St. Monica’s. Dr. Doiron made an extraordinary impact on both our choir and our congregation, and we are profoundly grateful for his kindness and legacy. Please join us in keeping Dr. Doiron and his loved ones in our prayers.

MUSIC COMMITTEE UPDATE
The search for a music director and other support for the music program is in full swing. Job postings for the music director position were placed in the major organizations that serve the relevant potential applicant pool including our diocese, the national Episcopal Church, the Guild of Professional Organists, and others. The committee is also working on outreach to local colleges and organizations to attract candidates for this position and that of section leaders to help build the choir. We will keep you posted as we move forward.

BULLETIN BOARD

NAME BADGES HELP KEEP ATTENDANCE

Please take a moment to find and wear your name tags because it makes it easier for visitors and other parishioners to recognize you by name and allows the office to note your attendance (a requirement for the Diocese). As you leave the church, please leave them in the baskets near the doors and they will be placed back on the board for pick up the following weekend.

REGULAR CHURCH GATHERINGS


Zoom Only

  • Contemplative Prayer: Wednesdays, 11am – Zoom


In-Person and Zoom 

  • Bible Study: Fridays, 9am – Library
  • Men's Book Group: Mondays, 9:30am – Conference Room


In-Person Only   

  • Prayer and Faith Sharing: Tuesdays, 10am – Church   
  • Ladies & Gents Luncheon: 2nd Monday, 12:30pm – Different locations   

Please call the church office at 239.591.4550 or email for the link and password to the Zoom meetings.

OFFERING ENVELOPES - Just as a Reminder

We are so grateful for your ongoing generosity and faithful giving. Every offering you give helps us continue the mission and ministry of St. Monica’s, and we truly appreciate it.


That said, we have a small but important request: please do not tape the flaps of your offering envelopes


As shown in the image, the envelope flaps are designed to stay closed once you seal them with the glue inside the flap. When tape is added, it makes it much harder for our office staff to open them quickly and carefully. It slows down the processing, increases the risk of tearing checks or cash inside, and adds extra steps to what is already a detailed task


We know the intention behind taping is likely to keep the contents secure, but we assure you the envelopes are kept safe and handled with care from plate to processing


Thank you for helping us by leaving the flap untaped, it’s a small act that makes a big difference


A ST. MONICA'S PRAYER

Dear Friends,

 

In our Tuesday staff meeting we ended with St. Monica's prayer. It was for her son to return to the church. When he finally returned he became the future Saint and Bishop Augustine of Hippo who became a prominent Christian theologian and philosopher.

 

We thought we might share it with you:


St. Monica, I need your prayers. You know exactly how I'm feeling because you once felt it yourself. I'm hurting, hopeless, and in despair. I desperately want my child to return to Christ in his Church but I can't do it alone. I need God's help. Please join me in begging the Lord's powerful grace to flow into my child's life. Ask the Lord Jesus to soften his heart, prepare a path for his conversion, and activate the Holy Spirit in his life. Amen.

ANNIVERSARIES

11/7

George & Anita Lackey



11/ 26

Herb & Marciadee Newman

BIRTHDAYS

11/2

Eric Bodley

GiGi Camilari

Rob Crevier

Susan Shrewsbury


11/5 

Bill McCown


11/7 

Charla McHenry


11/8

Dayona Paz Pedroza


11/9

Kathy Crevier


11/17

Dick Rumpf

Barbara Williamson

11/18

Barbara Donovan

Hugh Gower

Jim Moritz

Nancy Nick


11/20

Lorraine Ciano


11/22

Betty Devlin

Carol Yarusevich


11/23

Greg Smith-Landwehr


11/27

Debbie Corey


PRAYERS & VISITS

PASTORAL CARE

If you go to or are going into the hospital, or your spouse, partner, or family member is experiencing a pastoral or health care issue, please call the church office during office hours at 239.591.4550 and after hours please reach out to:  Deacon Ken McCaslin at 610.608.0704.

ACCESSING THE PRAYER LIST:

For the safety and privacy of our members, the Prayer List will no longer be viewable in the on the website nor added back to the eNews due to the public accessibility of both.

 

We understand how important this list is to our Church family, and we want to ensure you can still access it in the following ways:

 

1.   Online Access: Log in to our  Members Directory. Once logged in, click on "Additional Pages" and select "Prayer List".


2.   Printed Copies: Printed versions are available at any of our services or can be picked up from the front office.

 

Thank you for your understanding and support as we prioritize the privacy and safety of our members.

SHARE THE eNEWS WITH OTHERS

If someone approaches you expressing interest in receiving our eNews, you can let them know that they don't need to wait for the office to handle it. The quickest and easiest way for them to sign up is by visiting our website at www.stmonicasnaples.org/ and registering themselves. By taking this simple step, they'll start receiving our updates promptly. If they've previously contacted the office to be added and haven't received the eNews the next week, advise them to reach out to confirm that their email address was correctly noted. We want to ensure everyone stays connected and informed about all the exciting happenings at St. Monica's. Thank you for helping others get connected to our eNews community!