Weekly eNews for
April 9, 2026
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MESSAGE FROM OUR INTERIM RECTOR
The Rev. Sylvia R. Czarnetzky
A woman named Margaret Magnusson died last month in Sweden at the age of 91. You probably have never heard of her, but her obituary was published in The Wall Street Journal. When she was in her eighties, Magnusson wrote a book called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. She believed that we all become burdened by the clutter we have, and that we owe it to our children to get rid of as much stuff as we can before we die so our children do not have to do it.
I cannot remember how I first heard of this book, but it captured my imagination. When I was preparing to move to Oxford, I got rid of a bunch of stuff. Crystal and silver I never use. Framed pictures I had grown tired of. Tons of books. A set of wrought iron patio furniture. A portrait of my great great grandfather on my mother’s side that I had no particular attachment to. (It was something I inherited by default. My sister and brother did not want it. But the face of the portrait was so dour that I longed to get rid of it.)
This relative of mine, Francis Marion Roots, and his brother, Philander Higley Roots, had made a fortune. They invented the pump that makes cotton gins run, called the Roots Blower. Roots Blowers are still manufactured in Connersville, Indiana, where Mr. Roots’s factory was originally built in 1854. (Believe it or not, the company is still in business!) So I telephoned the company and offered to give them the portrait to hang in their corporate offices. They were delighted to accept it and were even willing to pay to ship the portrait from Mississippi to Indiana. (The framed portrait weighed a country ton.) I was kind of proud of myself for finding a good home for the portrait of Mr. Roots.
If you are thinking about downsizing or anticipating a move to smaller quarters, I would highly recommend this book to you. I think our clutter kind of weighs us down. It felt good to get rid of a substantial amount of clutter five years ago. I stored most of what was left in a climate controlled storage locker and in the attic of our Oxford home when John and I moved to Florida. Now here is the thing. I cannot even remember what is in storage in Oxford. If I have lived without this stuff for five years, surely I can live without it, period.
So someday soon, I will finish this work. I will get rid of more clutter so that I do not leave behind a mountain of stuff to be sorted through after I die. In the meantime, I am preaching the gospel of decluttering to people at my stage of life. I encourage you to read the book. I hope it will inspire you to clean out those closets so your kids do not have to. The idea of letting go of a bunch of stuff before you die, where the term “Death Cleaning” came from, is more and more appealing the older I get.
MESSAGE FROM OUR SR. WARDEN
Ed Strong
As noted last week, the Vestry held its retreat on March 28th and finalized our goals and objectives from our standpoint. Vestry members have formed small teams working on each of three key sets of objectives. Each group has initially been charged with recruiting some additional members and identifying short-term actions that can be achieved within the next 90 days.
Many of you participated in feedback sessions as our drafts were evolving.
HERE is a link to the product of the Vestry retreat. As noted before, we hope you will consider how you might serve. Contacts for each of the first three goals are included in the link as well. There is a fourth goal about financial issues that mostly have been completed or have to wait on a new priest to finalize.
OPEN PLATE DONATION - April 11 & 12, 2026
HEAVENLY DAY PRESCHOOL
Our April plate collection will support Heavenly Day Preschool.
Because Easter falls on the first weekend of the month, this collection will take place the weekend of April 11th and 12th.
Any cash placed in the offering plate, or checks with “Heavenly Day Preschool” noted in the memo line, will go directly to support their work.
Heavenly Day has been part of St. Monica’s for 14 years, using our classroom space and enriching our campus with their presence. They provide a caring, faith-based preschool experience with small classes, a strong sense of community, and a dedicated staff.
We invite you to consider giving as a way to support their ministry and to thank them for being such a valued part of St. Monica’s for so long.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Heather Williamson.
MESSAGE FROM OUR DEACON
The Rev. Ken McCaslin
Dear Friends,
On Friday, April 17, Cheri and I will begin a journey by flying first to Singapore. In Singapore, we look forward to reconnecting with some travel friends—a couple we met during our previous travels. We are excited to reunite and explore Asia together this time. Our cruise will take us to various destinations, ultimately concluding in Tokyo. Following the cruise, we will continue our travels by flying around the world, arriving in Miami, and then making our way north to Maine. The reason for this trip to Maine is to officiate my Aunt Jo’s funeral. My family will gather from many different locations now that the ground in Maine will be free from frost. I have been reflecting on Aunt Jo, who was the last of her nine siblings to return to Jesus. This has been a challenging period for me and my siblings, as we now find ourselves as the leading generation in our family.
Due to these travels, I regret that I will miss the May Eucharist with those of you at All Seasons, Arbor Trace, and Seascape. However, Jack Hufty and Jesse Roberts will continue to be present with you. Sylvia will be covering for me as the presider for the service, so I encourage you to join our Rector at the altar table.
Please know that while I am away, you all will remain in my prayers and thoughts. If God wills, I plan to return to St. Monica’s in time for the services on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31, Trinity Weekend when I will preach.
Your deacon,
Ken
SATURDAY SOCIAL POTLUCK
If you have any questions, please reach out to
JoAnn Sarconi
MEN'S BOOK GROUP
The Men's Book Group takes a summer hiatus each year. This year we finish up our current season over the next six weeks with a discussion of For Everything A Season by Joan Chittister. The book follows the "times" of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. We will start with the overview - The Season of Life and A Time to be Born at our April 13 meeting at 9:30AM in the church conference room. We are open to all men of St. Monica's. Feel free to join at any point.
If you would like more information, please contact Ed Strong.
NAME TAGS
At the Vestry Retreat March 28, we began work on finalizing our goals and objectives for this year. One area for action is to revamp our process to welcome and recognize new attendees. We have already begun work on that issue.
If you filled out a visitor card anytime this year, you should find a name tag on the board where all the name tags are. It is a different color than the others indicating you are new and have not joined the church as yet. If you decide to join, after the membership process is completed, see the "I am New" on the church website, we will switch the name tag to the white background. We use the white name tags to track membership attendance.
We apologize for any delays in resolving this issue that many of you have raised. But we think, on this item, we have a good interim solution, while the whole onboarding process is being examined.
If you have any questions, or want to give feedback on your experience, please speak to to Melanie Rose. or any Vestry member.
If you do not find a name tag, please let us know that too.
We strive to be a welcoming place of worship. We are working hard to live up to that objective.
LADIES & GENTS LUNCHEON – April 13th, 2026
Join us for a fun and relaxing lunch outing at Lulu B’s on Monday, April 13 at 12:30 PM.
Lulu B’s is located at 2374 Immokalee Road in Greentree Plaza, and it is a great place to enjoy good food and good company together. We would love for you to come along, share some conversation, and spend a pleasant afternoon with friends.
Everyone is welcome, and we hope you can join us.
For more information contact Linda Duffy (link is connected to the church directory, be sure to be logged in).
THINGS TO COME
LIFELINE SCREENING - MAY 14th
Do you knit or crochet?
Now to Nov 2026
CAN you help me, help sick and premature babies in Uganda?
Let me introduce myself, my name is Ellen Milan. I am a member of St Monica’s and a retired neonatal intensive care nurse and a volunteer with Health Volunteers Overseas, a private non-profit dedicated to improving the availability and quality of health care in developing countries through training and education of local health care providers. I have been teaching, and working with, Ugandan neonatal healthcare providers, and families of sick and premature babies, since 2001.
DID YOU KNOW… newborns (especially prematures) can lose a significant amount of heat from their heads (the largest surface area of their bodies), which puts them at risk for hypothermia (low body temperature). Hypothermia in the newborn period is considered an important contributor to newborn morbidity (illness) and mortality (death) especially in low-resource countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes newborn thermal care as a critical component of essential newborn care.
Prematures are many in Uganda and other parts of Africa and this is do in part to the high rate of “natural twining”. Twins and higher order multiples (triplets or more) have an increase risk of being born prematurely.
Covering a baby’s head can make a substantial impact in avoiding hypothermia even in the smallest of babies. Knit and crochet hats can be life saving.
God willing, I will be returning again, to Uganda, in November 2026.
If you have any questions or would like more information, you can find me in the directory located HERE.
With gratitude, Ellen
DO YOU FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK?
If not, you’re missing out on all the fun things happening around St. Monica’s. Be sure to follow our page so you can stay connected with photos, events, and moments from our parish family.
SUPPORTING FOSTERING SUCCESS EVERY THURSDAY
When you visit Lake Park Diner in Founder Square on Thursdays, $1 will be donated to Fostering Success Naples as part of their giving initiative. This is a great opportunity for St. Monica’s to support one of the local organizations we also help.
Fostering Success is a nonprofit serving children and young adults in the foster care system here in Collier County. Their mission is to provide strategic education and enrichment opportunities that help foster youth reach their full potential. Programs include academic mentoring, scholarships, basic needs support like beds and diapers, and life skills training for young adults transitioning out of care.
Every dollar given through the Founder Square helps extend that mission. It’s another simple way to make a meaningful impact in the lives of vulnerable children and families in our community.
At 2 Locations:
Founders Square
8856 Founders St Naples
239.539.1559
Downtown Naples
944 7th Ave North Naples
239.228.6351
COME PRAY WITH US
Your faith and scripture will come alive as we pray together. We invite you to spend a special hour with us each week.
All are welcome to gather in the church sanctuary every Tuesday at 10 am. We will praise God with song, read and pray with Scripture, share faith experiences, share intercessory prayer for our needs and the needs of others and also healing prayer.
For more information contact Theresa Miller
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. 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
In-Person and Zoom
In-Person Only
Please email the church office 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.
APRIL ANNIVERSARIES
4/9
Eric & Suzanne Bodley
4/17
Frank & Susan Shrewsbury
4/24
Ashan & Carole Nabbie
4/29
Dan & Sandi Zeidman
APRIL BIRTHDAYS
4/1
Susan Beauregard
4/2
David Chalick
4/9
Joanie Schumacher
4/12
Lynn Landreth
4/16
Al Russell
4/21
John Dessauer
4/24
Tom Cotè
Kathy Franco-Bronson
4/25
Susan Cillufo
4/27
Benji Freigang
4/28
Anita Lackey
4/29
Doug Ball
Cindy Gault
Ashan Nabbie
Patrick Walsh
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 contact the
church office during office hours after hours please reach out to: Rev. Sylvia R. Czarnetzky at 662.645.8887 or Deacon Ken McCaslin at 610.608.0704.
PASTORAL CARE MESSAGE
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.
ACCESSING THE PRAYER LIST:
For the safety and privacy of our members, the Prayer List will no longer be published on the website or included in the eNews, as both are publicly accessible.
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.
If someone would like to receive our eNews, they do not need to wait for the church office. The fastest way to sign up is to visit our website: www.stmonicasnaples.org, click the orange “THIS WEEK” button, and select “Sign up for the Weekly eNews.” Once they complete the form, they will begin receiving the eNews every Thursday at 5PM.
If someone has already contacted the office or signed up but has not received the eNews by the following week, please ask them to follow up so we can confirm their email address was entered correctly.
Thank you for helping others stay connected and informed about what is happening at St. Monica’s.
