At the end of August, we asked for support in the way of catching up on pledges and extra offerings, if possible. While we cannot be precise in tying September income to that request, we can say that our giving income was more than twice what it was the same time last year. Thank you all for your support. It is a blessing to serve you.
Weekly eNews for
October 16, 2025
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Last week, we rolled out this brand-new layout for our eNews to make it easier to read and navigate. This week we have completed the mobile version for those that want the eNews on the GO!
Now we’d love to hear from you!
Do you like the new format, or do you prefer the old version? Your feedback will help us decide how to move forward.
NAVIGATION
INTERIM RECTOR'S CORNER
Dear Members and Friends of St. Monica’s,
X
Sylvia+
NEW MESSAGES THIS WEEK
SR WARDEN UPDATE
STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE
The committee continues to formulate the stewardship plan for our 2026 campaign. As a teaser, please keep the time slot after the November 10 AM service open for some good fellowship, good food, and entertaining activities. More to come shortly but please know, the committee is hard at work and full of ideas.
CONCERT ON OCTOBER 25th
Recent music graduates from FGCU, along with interim Music Director Helen Tintes, will present a lively program of Opera and Spanish/Latin American music for voice and piano on Saturday, October 25th at 7 pm. A free will offering will help support these young musicians as they apply for masters programs in 2026. Please come and help support these young artists!
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.
THINGS TO COME
TRUNK-OR-TREAT - October 30th @9AM
If you love Halloween but live in a neighborhood without many trick-or-treaters, this event is for you! Heavenly Day Pre-K is hosting a Trunk or Treat for their children and has invited St. Monica’s to join in.
Here’s how you can participate:
Set up: Arrive with your car (feel free to bring a friend), open your trunk, and decorate it. Please keep decorations fun and cheerful, Heavenly Day has requested no scary themes.
Snacks and Trinkets: Bring at least 40 items to hand out. Ideas include pretzel packs, Pirate’s Booty, toddler-safe snacks, bubbles, coloring books, or small stuffed toys. Please note that they have asked for no candy.
Timing: The event runs from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The children will dress up, parade around to collect treats, then head into the Parish Hall for crafts.
Craft Helpers: If you’d prefer to stay indoors, volunteers are also needed to assist with craft tables in the Parish Hall.
Early Birds: Help is also needed with Parish Hall setup starting at 8:00 a.m.
If you would like to participate or have questions, please contact Heather Williamson. We’d love to know who plans to be there.
SAINTS WORKSHOP - November 1st @ 9AM
My Dear Friends,
Catherine Gotshall’s book is getting incredible reviews. Last week I shared what Retired Presiding Bishop Michal Curry had to say. I also shared what I had to say, yet you still have not signed up for this workshop. Maybe if your hear from our own Bishop?
In the Letter to the Hebrews, we are reminded that we are surrounded by “a great cloud of witnesses;” we are the inheritors of the faith and wisdom of the saints who have gone before us. This unique book leads us beyond merely learning about the saints to the experience of praying with the saints, expanding and deepening the movement from our head to our heart. The purpose of this book is not simply to remember the saints as figures of the distant past, but to encounter the saints as fellow pilgrims along our spiritual path. We are invited to pray with the saints in their own words and, using Anglican prayer beads as a spiritual tool, to more fully open our souls to God.
This book is a much-needed resource for the church in our time. In a world saturated with information, we are beckoned to experience the transformation and renewal of our hearts and be reminded that we do not walk alone, but we walk with all those who have trod the pathway of holiness both now and in ages past.
The Rt. Rev. Douglas F. Scharf Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida
REGISTER By visiting this link clicking < HERE >
Please join us at the workshop on the Saints,
Saturday 11/1 from 9-11am at St. Monica’s Naples
DAUGHTERS OF THE KING - LAST WEEKEND IN OCTOBER
Join us for a special Service of Preparation for Admission to The Order, celebrating Rita Allan and Anita Lackey.
Worship with us on Saturday, October 25 at 5 PM or Sunday, October 26 at 10 AM as we gather in prayer and support for these faithful women in this meaningful step of their spiritual journey.
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!
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.
RECAP OF THINGS TO REMEMBER
MEN'S BOOK GROUP
The Men's Book Group continues its exploration of Richard Rohr's book Falling Upward. Thus far the group has found this book both challenging and inspirational. We have shared insights and experiences as we have moved through the chapters. Our schedule of reading is Oct 6 - Chapters 6 and 7; Oct 13 - Chapters 8 and 9; Oct 20 - Chapters 10 and 11; and Oct 27 Chapters 12 and 13 plus a final overview.
As always, we invite any men of St. Monica's to join us at any point. We meet Mondays at 9:30AM in the church conference room. Please address any questions to Ed Strong.
SALVATION ARMY FOOD DRIVE
Our annual partnership with The Salvation Army’s Stock the Shelves campaign is underway! Throughout October, we’re collecting nonperishable food items to help support families in Naples and Immokalee who are struggling with food insecurity.
HOW TO DONATE
Starting this Sunday, October 5, please bring your donations to the church and place them in the marked collection box located by the main entry doors.
ITEMS MOST NEEDED
Canned goods
Pasta
Rice
Every contribution makes a difference. Even one can or box helps restock local food pantries and bring relief to those in need. Thank you for giving generously this season.
SPECIAL VESTRY MEETING
The Vestry met in a special session to address several important matters:
We are blessed to have a wonderful preschool, Heavenly Day!, operating at St. Monica’s. There are many valuable opportunities for us to partner with them. You may have already seen the announcement for their Trunk or Treat event on October 30. The Vestry voted to collaborate with Heavenly Day! on hosting a Vacation Bible School at our church this coming June, with Rev. Sylvia volunteering to serve as coordinator. To help support this program, the Vestry approved $1,000 from the Endowment Fund.
The Vestry also approved up to $3,000 to address safety concerns in the play area behind the Parish Hall.
Finally, the Vestry authorized St. Monica’s participation in a Christmas Giving Tree in partnership with Fostering Success, a nonprofit serving foster children in the Naples area. This organization was the recipient of our open plate offerings during the first weekends of August and September.
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
10/3
Scott & Stacey McCurdy
10/6
Chuck & Charla McHenry
10/10
Charlie & Ruth Kalwinsky
10/13
Ned & Sara Meekins
Dan & Kathi Rabideau
10/20
Bruce & Rita Allan
10/22
John & Marilynn Dessauer
10/23
Greg & Ryan Smith-Landwehr
BIRTHDAYS
10/2
Sue Baker
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
10/16
Ryan Smith-Landwehr
10/21
Lorraine Maurer
10/22
Mary Gentzle
Kathy Romatzick
Barbara Wilcox
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 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.
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!