Weekly eNews for
Oct 8th, 2026
MENU
NEW THIS WEEK
MESSAGE FROM OUR SR. WARDEN
This week the church received a request from a financial advisor for us to join in a call to help individuals who wanted to include St. Monica's in their will. Sounds good doesn't it? Checking the email it came from led to the recognition that the domain was in Germany and there is no organization by the name stated in the email address. Checking email addresses for even slightly suspicious messages is one really good step to take if you have any qualms about something that sounds really good but is not known to you., a reminder that all the information available to any applicants for the rector position is on the St. Monica's website under Rector Search. As we have noted previously the search is open until November 5. The process is - applications go to the Diocese and they do a review any applicants before sending our search committee a vetted list of those they deem appropriate for us. We are not privy to any information on the applications until the Diocese sends the search committee that final list. And even then the search committee is charged with keeping their work confidential. We can say our search committee is once again preparing its own process of vetting any applications. We do know the last search only yielded two candidates at the Diocese level.
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS ARE
LIMITED THIS COMING UP WEEK
Please note that the church office will be closed on Monday, October 12, in observance of Columbus Day. There will be no regular office hours that day.
Laura, our Parish Administrator, will also be out of town October 8 through October 15 to attend her nieces' wedding on Oct 10th and her son’s wedding on Oct 13th. During this time, office coverage will be limited, and responses to phone calls and emails may be delayed.
Regular office hours and availability will resume upon her return.
Thank you for your understanding, and please plan accordingly if you need assistance from the church office.
OFFERING PLATE TOTAL
FOR OCTOBER
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our October First Sunday Plate Offering.
Together, we raised $564 for Harvest Time Ministries of Bonita Springs! Your generosity will help provide food, clothing, and support to local farmworker families in our community.
We will once again support Harvest Time Ministries with our First Sunday Plate Offering in November. Thank you for your continued generosity and for helping us share God’s love with our neighbors.
POTLUCK SOCIAL
This Saturday 10/10/2026
Join us this Saturday, October 10, for our Potluck Social immediately following the 5:00 p.m. service.
Bring a favorite dish to share, along with wine if you would like. If you are bringing something for the potluck, please have it in the Parish Hall by 4:00 p.m. so everything can be set up before the service begins.
Come enjoy good food, fellowship, and time together with your St. Monica’s family. All are welcome!
LAST CALL: WHO WANTS TO HELP A FOSTER CHILD
at Target on 12/5
Several of you have reached out to indicate your interest in helping a foster child shop for their loved ones. All you do it shop with them and help them decide. They will have a gift card provided by another donor.
If you haven't already let Melanie Rose know, please reach out to her by sending an email <HERE>.
She is going to give the final list of names to Fostering Success on 10/15.
It's really a fun day and will only take about 2 hours of your time to put a smile on their face!
MEN'S BOOK GROUP
The kick off meeting of the men's book group was filled with reflective discussion on The Last Lecture. We will continue our examination of that book by reading Chapters 5-11 for our meeting October 12 at 9:30 AM in the church conference room. We remain open to any men of St. Monica's. Feel free to stop by to check it out. Questions may be addressed to Ed Strong
LADIES LUNCHEON
FOR OCTOBER
Join Us for Lunch at Mel’s Diner!
Come enjoy good food, fellowship, and conversation with your St. Monica’s friends!
Monday, October 12 at 12:30 PM Mel’s Diner 28601 Trail Edge Blvd. Bonita Springs, FL Located just off Tamiami Trail, US 41
We hope you can join us for a relaxed afternoon together. All are welcome!
ORGAN DEDICATION CONCERT
OCTOBER 25th - 4PM
Join us on Sunday, October 25th at 4:00pm. for a special choral and instrumental concert celebrating St. Monica’s 35th Anniversary. The program will feature music by Mozart, Beethoven, and Malotte, along with a variety of sacred music and patriotic selections honoring our nation’s 250th anniversary. This special celebration will also include the dedication of St. Monica’s new Walker organ. A 20 voice choir and 10 instrumentalists will perform under the direction of Allen Stock, Music Director at St. Monica’s. The concert will last approximately 75 minutes, with a reception immediately following. The concert is open to everyone, and no tickets are required. A freewill offering will be received. Come celebrate this special milestone in the life of St. Monica’s through an afternoon of beautiful music, fellowship, and thanksgiving!
LETS MAKE OUR CONCERT SPECIAL!
Our 35th Anniversary and Organ Dedication Concert is coming up on Sunday, October 25 at 4:00 p.m., and we are looking forward to celebrating this special occasion together!
We would love some help making the reception afterward just as wonderful. We are asking parishioners to bring a favorite appetizer or finger food to share with our guests.
Food may be dropped off in the Parish Hall between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. so everything can be arranged and ready before the concert begins.
Whether it is savory, sweet, homemade, or your favorite go to appetizer, we would be grateful for your contribution. Thank you for helping us make this a warm and welcoming celebration for St. Monica’s!
THINGS TO COME
MISION PENIEL
Hello All. As the Fall arrives, we hope to see many of our members returning and looking for a way to give back to our community.
We are scheduled to serve at Mision Peniel on 10/23, 12/4, 2/12, and 4/23 this season. If you are not familiar with this service, it is a wonderful day of packing and distributing food and other items to the farmworkers of Immokolee and their families. Please let me know if you would like to join us for any or all of the dates, particularly the October date as it is coming up. Text is the best way to reach me. We will meet at St. Monica’s at 1:00 to carpool and will return around 6:30. I always recommend bringing water, a snack, comfortable shoes, a hat, and a St. Monica’s tee shirt if you own one.
Thanks in advance! Debbie Corey
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.
Premature births are common in Uganda and other parts of Africa and this is due in part to the high rate of “natural twinning”. 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 return 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 Milan
TRUNK or treat - Heavenly day preschool
CAN you help me, help sick and premature babies in Uganda?
Heavenly Day Preschool is looking for volunteers to decorate trunks and help keep the children safe during their Trunk or Treat. If decorating a trunk, please arrive early enough to be set up and ready by 9:15 AM. Please bring non candy treats only. To volunteer, contact Heather Williamson at 239 273 1188.
LET'S MAKE A CHILD SMILE THIS CHRISTMAS
Gift of Giving with Fostering Success
St. Monica’s parishioners are invited to join Fostering Success for its annual Gift of Giving event on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at Super Target, 2415 Tarpon Bay Blvd. in Naples.
Volunteers will be paired with a foster child and spend a couple of hours helping them shop for Christmas gifts for their siblings and foster parents. Each child will receive a gift card, which has already been generously provided by another donor, so all that is needed from volunteers is their time and a willingness to help make the day special.
Melanie and Janet have participated for the past three years and say it is a wonderful experience. There is something especially meaningful about watching the children carefully choose gifts for the people they love.
If you would like to participate this year, please contact Melanie Rose for more information or to let her know you are interested.
BULLETIN BOARD
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.
STAY SAFE ONLINE - YOU ARE A TARGET!
Have you ever received an email that looked like it came from us, your bank, or even a friend, only to wonder if it was really legitimate?
Scammers are becoming more convincing every day, and churches are one of their favorite targets. That's why we've created a new Online Safety & Security page filled with simple tips to help you recognize scams, protect your personal information, and know what warning signs to watch for. The page explains how scammers impersonate trusted people, why they target churches, and the easy steps you can take to stay safe online.
Take just a few minutes to explore this valuable resource & share with others. It could help you avoid becoming the next target.
👉 Visit our Online Safety & Security page < HERE >
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
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.
OCTOBER ANNIVERSARIES
10/3
Scott & Stacey McCurdy
10/6
Chuck & Charla McHenry
10/13
Ned & Sara Meekins
10/20
Bruce & Rita Allen
10/22
John & Marilynn Dessauer
BIRTHDAYS
10/3
James Mullen
Frank Shrewsbury
Shirley Woolaway
10/6
Jim Gatter
George Lackey
Michael McCampbell
10/12
Ruth Leigh
Nancy Moritz
10/14
Muriel Burkett
10/21
Lorraine Maurer
10/22
Mary Gentzle
Kathy Romatzick
10/24
Stacey McCurdy
10/27
Wil Ward
10/28
Betty Cable
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 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.
