Holy Comforter E-Messenger for Sunday,
May 4, 2025
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Email Prayer Request Coverage
During our interim period Email Prayer Requests will continue to be sent. The church office, which is managed by Katie, will send requests Monday-Thursday during work hours. Volunteers will pick up coverage from Thursday afternoon through Sunday night.
If you have a prayer request during the week, call the church office at 804-355-3251 or send an email to office@hoco.org.
If you have a prayer request between Thursday and Sunday, please contact these volunteers (whose contact information is in the parish directory).
May 1-4 Kipley Herr
May 8-11 Jenni Brockman
May 15-18 Julie Edwards
May 22-25 Jenni Brockman
May 29-June 1 Julie Edwards
If you would like to be added to the list of those who receive the email prayer requests, please contact Chris Hall, whose contact information is also in the parish directory .
Pastoral Emergencies During our In-Between Times
If you have a pastoral emergency, at any time of day, call Bishop Susan Goff (her number can be found in the parish directory). Susan's email is segwaze@gmail.com.
HoCo Rocks!
We all know that HoCo Rocks, but this Summer we're showing it! As a Summer art project, the kids will be painting rocks each week. Sometimes the theme will follow the gospel reading. Sometimes it will be things like Earth/creation, love, peace, hope etc. We will collect rocks all Summer long, and at the end of the season carry them outside to bless them and decorate the yard. Please join us in this fun endeavor!! You can paint rocks any Sunday with the kids. You can paint rocks in the chapel any time, as we will leave it set up. You can paint rocks at home and bring them in to share. Let's show the world how much we ROCK!
Important Parking Information
Church Parking on Staples Mill Rd is "diagonal back-in" parking. A City of Richmond parking representative was present last Sunday to enforce this regulation. Parishioners have noted that these spaces are very narrow. We are making an effort to have them widened. Also note that the two non-diagonal "spaces" are not for parking but for access to the sidewalk; please do not park in those areas. Parallel parking spots on Monument Ave. and Monumental St. are also available.
Love One Another Diocesan Day Retreat - May 9
Click on the image above to read all about it.
The Conclusion of a Pastoral Relationship
After ministering to the needs of the HoCo parishioners and community for almost 12 years, The Rev. Dr. Hilary Borbon Smith concluded her pastoral relationship with us on Sunday, April 27th. As part of the day's service, Hilary and Bishop Susan Goff led the congregation through a ceremony which included "humble and hearty thanks for the ministry which we have shared in these years now past," as well as the laying on of hands by our community and prayers for Hilary. The special ceremony concluded with a blessing given by Hilary and a particularly poignant hymn, "Rise, O church, like Christ arisen."
Afterwards, the congregation moved to the Cary Montague Room for a celebration of the love that Hilary has engendered. There, Bishop Goff led us in prayer and parishioners enjoyed a Southwest-inspired menu (tacos and all the trimmings) in honor of the "land of enchantment" (New Mexico), Hilary's soon-to-be new home, where she will be closer to her father and stepmother. Festive decorations provided by Carol Gibbs and Tracy Councill, mariachi music provided by Bill Dennis and a photo slide_presentation by Chris Hall added charm to the bittersweet sendoff of our beloved rector.
In a program following lunch, emcee Gayle Turner read a letter of appreciation to Hilary from The Rt. Rev. E. Mark Stevenson, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.
To show HoCo's appreciation for Hilary, the congregation gifted her with a framed picture of the church; a framed photo collage of Hilary's first year at HoCo; a photo album with parishioners' pictures and a binder of "What Hilary Has Meant to Me" parishioners' thoughts compiled by Debi Taliaferro; a special, well-deserved monetary gift presented by Senior Warden Angie Palmer on behalf of the vestry; a dog collar for Hilary's beloved Dash emblazoned with the Episcopal shield; and a framed artwork of Galatians 5:22-23 inscribed on the back with calligraphy by Tracy Councill which read, "To the Rev. Dr. Hilary Borbon Smith, Rector, Church of the Holy Comforter, Richmond, VA, 2013-2025 in recognition of your service, spirit, and love. You have been an inspiration and a blessing to us all."
Many thanks to all who participated in the development and execution of Hilary's farewell event.
Goodbye for now to our dear Hilary with pleas to return and preach soon and often!
Will Dickinson - May 4
On Sunday, May 4, The Rev. William "Will" Dickinson, Transition Minister for our diocese, will preside, preach, and offer a Forum after the 10:00 am service. Will has been working with our vestry since March to ensure a smooth transition as we seek new clergy leadership for the interim period and beyond.
Earth Day Service - May 11
On Sunday, May 11, The Rev. Heather K. Baggett will preside for our Earth Day Service at 10:00 a.m. While not on Earth Day, this is the first Sunday closest to it that works for our Earth Day celebration. Make Every Day Earth Day!
James River Singers - May 16
James River Singers is pleased to announce that we will be in concert Friday, May 16th and Saturday, May 17th.
Stay tuned for more details concerning our May concerts.
Friday, May 16th; 7:30 p.m. Church of the Holy Comforter; 4849 Monument Ave.
Saturday, May 17th; 7:30 p.m. All Saints Episcopal Church; 8787 River Road
Ticket purchasing information will be forthcoming
Tickets are: $20 Regular, $15 Senior (55+), $10 Students
Your financial support - by purchasing tickets and through your generous donations - allows James River Singers to continue our tradition of "giving voice to the human spirit". James River Singers is a 501 c3 and all donations are tax deductible. You are welcome to mail any donations to: 11148 Oakcrest Dr; North Chesterfield, VA 23235
Group Spiritual Director - May 18
Spiritual Direction is a spiritual discipline in which we pause in silence and reflect on where we have experienced God in the past weeks. It is an ancient practice dating back to the desert mothers and fathers.
As our parish moves into a time of change and reflection, SD provides an opportunity for us to quiet our souls and focus on our personal experience of God.
Beginning Sunday 5/18 and continuing once a month on the third Sunday of the month (11:30-12:30 parlor), we begin
Group Spiritual Direction for any who wish who come. The group is formatted and uses periods of silence/ meditation as well as personal sharing of our experiences. Confidentiality is maintained. All are welcomed.
The group will be lead by Joella Rhoades, a Spiritual Director at Richmond Hill for 14 years and a trained group facilitator.
HoCo Book Group - May 20
The HoCo Book group will NOT meet in April, as our regular date, Tuesday, April 15th) falls in Holy Week. Our next regularly scheduled Book Group will be on Tuesday, May 20th, at 7:00pm via Zoom link provided separately closer to the date.
For our May 20th gathering, we will be reading A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan. A historical thriller, which was published in 2023 at 404 pages and won a number of awards, the book "tells the riveting story of the Klan's rise to power in the 1920's, the cunning con man who drove that rise, and the woman who stopped them."
Here a brief summary:
"The Roaring Twenties-the Jazz Age-was also the height of the uniquely American hate group the Ku Klux Klan. They hate Blacks, Jews, Catholics, and immigrants in equal measure, and took radical steps t deny them the American promise. And behind their takeover of the Heartland and the Qwest was a charismatic charlatan named D. C. Stephenson.
Within two years of Stephenson's arrival in Indiana, he'd become the Grand Dragon of the state and led the group out of the shadows to be celebrated at local churches, family picnics, and town gatherings. Judges, prosecutors, governors, and senators proudly proclaimed their membership. But at the peak of Stephenson's influence, it was a seemingly powerless woman-Madge Oberholtzer---whose deathbed testimony revealed his secret cruelties and finally brought the Klan to their knees."
Contact: Peggy Hombs
Church Calendar
There's a new way to get to the church calendar: click on the link to the left, below "Ministry Offerings."
Note that once the calendar has loaded, you can change the view to "Week" or "Month" by clicking on the "Schedule" button at the top right.
Saint Of The Week: Catherine
Click on the image of Catherine of Siena to hear more about her mystical writings and her political boldness in "Speaking truth to power" during the Middle Ages.
I took this photo of her tomb in the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome.
All the Saints
Parishioner Laura Hunt has been recording talks about a different Saint each week for some time now - see below for this week's Saint, Thomas Traherne.
Now, you can listen to past talks about saints with a click of a link. Chris Hall has kindly, brilliantly set up a dedicated page on the HoCo website. Check it out here: https://www.hoco.org/saints.htm
Thank you Laura!
This Week's Birthdays
Happy Birthday to all those who have birthdays this week!
Rev. Dr. Douglas Thorpe, 3rd
Dr. William Stewart, 3rd
Charlie Souder, 5th
Nathalie Clara-Marie Bowles, 6th
Christopher Richardson, 8th
Connection Time - An Important Part Of Growing Our Community
Spending time together after church helps us know each other better, and meet newcomers, and help them to feel welcomed and included. We plan to have Connection Time every Sunday with or without food. To make it less complicated and easier to help, we have updated the Sign-up Genius
(https://bit.ly/hoco_connections) with these options and are asking that one person take one task on a Sunday:
- Drinks: making coffee, putting out a pitcher of water
- Putting snacks out that will be provided by Parish Life and will be in the kitchen
- Clean-up after Connections
Please consider signing up for one or more options.
If you have any questions, please contact Susan Boze, the vestry person for Parish Life. Thanks for taking part in this important ministry!
Welcome to the Church of the Holy Comforter (HoCo)! Here is Some General Information
Join us at church on Sundays at 10:00 am for a service of the Holy Eucharist. We often use prayers from Enriching our Worship, which offers expansive images of God. We live stream our Sunday morning service on FaceBook and post it to be seen at your convenience on FaceBook.
Parish office hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
If you have a pastoral need, and would like to schedule an appointment to speak with a member of our parish clergy, please contact our parish administrator, Katie, at office@hoco.org.
If you would like to make a financial offering, you may use online giving or US Mail. Thank you for supporting God's ministry to our local community and beyond through HoCo.
This Week's Worship Bulletin
Click on the image above to read this week's bulletin.
Wednesday Worship At Church
The Wednesday Service is continuing. On May 6 we will honor the feast day of St. Alcuin of York. Please join us for Centering Prayer at 11:45 am and for Eucharist at 12:15 pm.
Metro Richmond at Prayer (Richmond Hill Cycle of Prayer)
We pray for health care in Metropolitan Richmond: For persons living with terminal illnesses and for their families, friends, and communities. For persons working to find cures for diseases.
Monday Night Adult Formation
On February 24 we begin a new program entitled Embracing the Prophets in Contemporary Culture, presented by Walter Bruggeman, a six-part study considering how we may "confront today's 'Pharaohs'". The Hebrew prophets can be our inspiration to speak truth to power in the present age. We meet via Zoom every Monday from 7:00-8:00 pm. You can find the Zoom link on the HoCo website. Any questions, please contact Maria Scott, ntrvrt1958@gmail.com.
Informal Artists of HoCo announces UFOs – Un Finished Objects
We'll meet in the Conference room from 10:30 - noon (ish) on Tuesdays to work on our own personal projects. Knitting, sketching, drawing, writing... good conversation and busy hands! All are welcome - bring a friend. Contact Kipley Herr if you have any questions.
The Current Messenger
Click on the image above to see this season's issue.