All Souls' Day is Wednesday, November 2. It will be celebrated with a quiet, reflective service where our loved ones, the saints in our lives, are remembered by the reading of their names and the lighting of candles. The service will be at 5:00 pm and will be followed by a champagne and truffle reception.
There is an insert in the bulletin for you to submit the names of those who have passed whom you wish to be remembered at the All Souls' Day service.

The weather is turning cooler, and a ball of yarn will feel good in your hands! It is time to begin knitting baby hats for Salud Medical Clinic in Woodburn. These will be paired with little blankets made by Threads of Love Ministry and collected on our celebration on Epiphany in January. We will need a lot of little hats to keep up with the busy people in this ministry, so we welcome all knitters. Any pattern and any color would be wonderful! Some yarn and patterns are available in the Information Center

On October 2, St. Francis will be celebrating the feast day of our patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis saw in all creation - animals, plants, stars, people - the evidence of God's handiwork. We are honored to share in the name of this beloved saint, and we continually strive to be worthy of his name.

On this day, people are invited to bring their animals to church for a personal blessing. Children without pets are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffy. Our pets will be welcomed and blessed at both the 8 am and the 10:30 am services. We will also offer a drive-thru blessing at 11:30. It is a sweet moment, and a moving experience, to have our little dog, cat, turtle, canary, etc. blessed and honored.

We are pleased to welcome Mai Otsuki, from the Project Pooch Program at Maclaren School in Woodburn, to the 10:30 service on St. Francis Day, October 2nd. Project Pooch exemplifies the power of healing when humans and animals connect. We invite you all to come to hear her message that touches on loss and love.

Pictures will be taken, and after a time on the bulletin board, they will be yours to keep. Animals will find they also receive treats during the coffee hour. Enjoy this day with all its spirit and joy. We hope to see you, and your 4-legged and 2-legged friends!

Last Saturday, 17 refugee kits from St. Francis were delivered to the Refugee Care Collective. https://refugeecarecollective.org
It is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes the city of Portland to come alongside refugee families as they work to rebuild their lives. It is sponsored by Ecumenical Ministries. Refugees arrive to Oregon with few possessions, and have to quickly build their lives again. Restart kits are plastic tubs filled with essential household items, and a complete set is formed by eight unique restart kits – one for each area of the home. The kits are received by newly arriving families and individuals, meeting a tangible need and communicating a message of welcome. It’s a first step in saying, “You are not alone. We are here for you.” Outreach committee would like to thank you for your ongoing support. 

In addition to funding all of the supplies for 11 of the kits, Outreach has distributed $1,000 to purchase backpacks and $500 for school supplies to children identified as needing help in low income housing in Wilsonville. We have also allocated funds to help with the purchase of new school shoes. For the next few weeks, we will continue to collect coats, jackets, and tarps to assist St. Timothy’s in Brookings. The needs of the homeless in their parish are growing.

Thank you!
Carole Biskar

Adult Formation in August and September will center on Spiritual Care for Caregivers.
​Join Brendan and Terri on Sundays at 9:15 am and share conversations about the challenges and support for caregivers. Whether you are a professional caregiver or caring (now or in the future) for someone you love, please join us! We will be using wisdom from a book by nurse and priest Jean Denton called Walking Each Other Home. The book is available through Amazon or local bookstores if you’d like your own copy. Please also plan to reflect on your own feelings and thoughts using a journal, art supplies, or recording device; this won’t be shared but will be helpful.

Let’s Do Lunch is back with a new day! We hope you can join us on Tuesday, July 5th at 11:45 am. We will meet at Abella Italian Kitchen. A head count is helpful so there is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex. 
Questions? Contact Peggy Danford or Sandi Thompson.