St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

05/29/2026

Holy Trinity Sunday

We are so close to June. Farmers markets will be starting soon - this is where I do my gardening. I ask the vendors how they grow their vegetables and then I buy them. No kneeling, weeding or watering needed! I always look forward to fresh corn on the cob, tomatoes and Indiana Cantaloupes. It is so refreshing to cook with fresh foods. This year, my goal is to perfect a smoked cabbage on my Green Egg.

I had the chance to go up to the Akron yesterday to participate in the diocese regional conference. We did an exercise the Diocese strategic planning process which included the vision statement -

Connected in Beloved Community, we seek to be faithful, healthy, effective, and sustainable sharers of the transformative love of Jesus.

We looked at the four core values - Faithful Tradition and Common Worship, Belonging and Common Life, Courageous Witness and Justice, and Discernment and Transformation

I got the chance to brag about St. Matthew's and Grace inviting each other to our lunch bunch and their dinner gatherings. I also mentioned that we have volunteers from Grace helping to clean up our church!

Joe and Kay Ashby were there - always great to see them.

Robert Bemis obituary - in case you missed it.
https://www.denbowfh.com/obituaries/Robert-Bemis?obId=48438483

A note from our stewardship committee -

"Scarcity says we must cling tightly to what we have, but resurrection invites us to share freely, knowing that love multiplies."

Sunday May 31 - 9:00 am - Bible Study

Sunday May 31 - 10:00 am - Mass - Father Hofer

Sunday May 31 - 11:15 am - FOOD - Lee is in a smoking mood - he will bring ribs on Sunday - plan accordingly.

Sunday May 31 - 12:00 pm - Vestry meeting

Tuesday, June 9 - Lunch Bunch - Cracker Barrel

Saturday, June 27 - Pride Mansfield

Diocese News - May 24, 2026


Lee A. Peters

05/26/2026

05/26/2026

✨ Midweek Mending: A Weekly Healing Mass ✨

Join us this Wednesday morning as we gather in Grace’s Chapel to seek healing, community, and renewal. In a world deeply in need of restoration, we pause to rest in the grace of God.

🙌 This Week's Liturgical Theme: “For Social Justice”

Drawing from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (1979), our focus this week reminds us that true healing is never just personal—it is communal and systemic. When Jesus healed the blind beggar Bartimaeus (Mark 10:42-52), He didn't just restore his sight; He restored his dignity, brought him from the margins of society, and integrated him fully into the community.

True "mending" means working to dismantle the structures that blind us to the needs of others and oppress the marginalized. Justice is what love looks like in public! ❤️

🗓️ When: Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 9:00 am

📍 Where: Grace’s Chapel | Grace Episcopal Church and Pantry
🏢 Address: 41 Bowman Street, Mansfield, Ohio

🎙️ Preacher & Celebrant:

Homilist: Fr. Christopher D. Hofer, Priest-in-Charge
Celebrant: Fr. Daniel Orr, Priest Associate

🌱 Our Mission: To Nurture our Members and Feed our Neighbors.

Whether you are seeking physical healing, emotional comfort, or strength to fight for a more just world, there is a place for you at this table. Come as you are. 🕊️

05/23/2026

Due to unforeseen circumstances, tomorrow's Bible Study at St. Matthew's, scheduled for Sunday, May 24, has been canceled. The program will resume the next week. We welcome you to attend the 10:00 am service. Remember to wear red.

05/23/2026

🔥 The Feast of Pentecost 🔥

Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the dynamic outpouring of the Holy Spirit with vibrant joy and community!

📍 St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
1515 Mifflin Avenue, Ashland, Ohio

📅 Sunday, May 24, 2026

💥 Schedule of the Day:

9:00 am – Bible Study with Fr. Don Moore 📖
10:00 am – Festival Holy Eucharist with Fr. David Sipes ⛪✨
11:15 am – Community Potluck 🍽️

🎈 Don’t forget to wear RED! 🎈

To help us celebrate the fiery spirit of the day, we encourage everyone to wear red.

❤️ Potluck Details: Please bring a red food item to share for our community lunch!

Whether you are a lifelong member or walking through our doors for the very first time, there is a place for you here. Come catch the fire of fellowship!

05/22/2026

Today, we honor a true visionary, Harvey Milk. 🌈 His legacy is a powerful reminder that hope is a prerequisite for change.

Who was Harvey Milk?

Harvey Milk was a pioneering American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978.

Why was he important?

Harvey’s election was a landmark moment for the LGBTQ+ rights movement. He was a tireless advocate for equality, visibility, and the power of a unified community. He famously said, “You gotta give ‘em hope,” and that hope fueled a movement. He fought for anti-discrimination ordinances, civil rights for all marginalized groups, and affordable housing.

His legacy today:

Though his life was tragically short, Harvey Milk’s legacy is monumental. He paved the way for generations of LGBTQ+ leaders. Today, we continue to strive for the equality he championed. His birthday, May 22nd, is celebrated in California as Harvey Milk Day, a day of memory and activism.

His portrait, surrounded by the vibrant, swirling colors of the progress flag, perfectly captures the enduring, hopeful spirit he championed. His small camera lens pin reminds us that even when we are not in office, we can still be powerful advocates for change through activism, journalism, and personal expression.

Let’s honor his memory by continuing to push for a more just and inclusive world. 🏳️‍🌈✊

05/21/2026

Memorial Day is here already. This is the earliest Memorial Day can be - the next time Memorial Day will be on the 25th will be 2037. Over the next 11 years, how will our lives be changed. Some of the children in our church will be in high school. Who knows where artificial intelligence will take us. Maybe it will discover the cure for cancer - we can only hope!

We also want to take the time to remember those who died during the many wars conflicts that have allowed the United States of America to remain free. Even if we disagree on whether they were just causes, men and women volunteered, and in some cases drafted to go to war. Many did not return home. I have mentioned this before, but when I heard that people in Belgium adopted the graves of service members to take care of, it really brought the sacrifice into reality. Not only did they die fighting for us, their final resting place is not at their home. It is where they died, fighting not only for us, but for the democratic world in which we aspire to be.

The weather is getting better, but slowly. It is great to have the sun out today. I will be taking a walk later at Audubon Park. It needs to get a bit
warmer for me to take my naps in my hammock.

Dawn and I will be traveling to Tennessee to visit my cousin, so we will miss church. Know that we love you all and will miss you this week. We will
return on May 31.

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. Here is a brief history and description of
it. https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-is-pentecost-and-why-is-it-important/

We know that is when the disciples were filled with the holy spirit and were able to speak multiple languages. Dawn and I attended a church in Hyattsville Maryland on Pentecost Sunday. No fewer than a dozen people read
in their language. It was quite impressive. If you do know or can read a second language, check with Father Sipes on Sunday. WEAR RED.

A note from our stewardship committee -

"Scarcity says we must cling tightly to what we have, but resurrection invites us to share freely, knowing that love multiplies."

Sunday May 24 - 9:00 am - Bible Study

Sunday May 24 - 10:00 am - Mass - Father Sipes

Sunday May 24 - 11:15 am - FOOD - Sticking with the color RED Bring RED
foods

Tuesday, May 26 - 4:30 pm Dinner Group from Grace - Chinatown - Ashland Ave., Mansfield Contact David Eisel to RSVP [email protected]

Tuesday, June 9 - Lunch Bunch - Cracker Barrel

Saturday, June 27 - Pride Mansfield

What-s-New-in-the-Diocese-of-Ohio---May-21--2026


Lee A. Peters