Updated October 7, 2026

WORSHIP

Upcoming Major Holy Days and Special Services
Our custom at Good Shepherd is to celebrate Mass on all Major Holy Days of the Church year. Allowing God’s extraordinary time to break into our ordinary time is a hallmark of the Anglo-Catholic tradition. You are encouraged to make these feast days a part of your regular rhythm of prayer, if at all possible. Join us on Monday, October 19 for the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, Low Mass at 12:05 p.m.

Annual Diocesan Convention – Opening Evensong
The 243rd Annual Convention of The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania will take place October 9 and 10. All are invited to the opening Evensong on Friday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, 19 S. 38th Street, Philadelphia. This service will be sung by a large choir consisting of choristers, volunteers, and staff singers from most of the churches in the diocese. Some of our own choristers and staff singers will join them, and Alden Wright, our organist, will offer the prelude. Music includes Herbert Howells’ Collegium regale canticles and Margaret Burk's I lift up my eyes. Please attend if you are able!

Choral Evensong & Benedcition of the Blessed Sacrament
Join us on Sunday, October 18 at 3 p.m. for a service of Choral Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 3:00pm. This service is particularly special as our choristers will sing in worship for the first time this year at this service. The music will include Herbert Howells’ Collegium Regale canticles and Margaret Burk’s I lift up my eyes. 

MUSIC

Music Notes
Sung Mass this Sunday (October 11th) will include music of Olivier Messiaen and Herbert Sumsion. Of particular interest this week is the anthem, a setting of O Sacrum Convivium (O Sacred Feast) by 20th-century French composer, Olivier Messiaen. The text of this work, which contemplates the mystery of the Eucharist, is by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), who wrote very many other great hymns in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. This text pairs especially well with today’s Gospel, which recalls the parable of the marriage feast. Olivier Messiaen, who composed this setting, was a devout Roman Catholic and a pioneering and prolific composer. His music is marked by a distinctive and colorful use of harmony in particular, which is on full display in this piece, where the slowly changing chords and vocal textures echo the sense of mystery and joy in Aquinas’s text. Messiaen had synesthesia, a cognitive phenomenon wherein music and sound are innately associated with color, allowing Messiaen to inwardly ‘see’ the music shift colors with each change of harmony. Pairing with this piece is the opening voluntary: Cantilène by Jean Langlais, a colleague of Messiaen’s whose music is rather similar in affect. The Mass setting is by English composer Herbert Sumsion, who lived almost contemporaneously with the afformentioned French composers, but whose music seems worlds apart from theirs. Interestingly, Sumsion lived briefly in Philadelphia, teaching at the Curtis Institute from 1926–28.  

Good Shepherd Choristers
Our chorister program provides children and youth ages 7 and above with outstanding professional choral training, music theory, leadership development, and abundant performance opportunities. We pay each chorister a stipend to underscore the seriousness of the training we offer. No previous musical experience is required, only an eagerness to learn, age-appropriate reading proficiency, and the ability to match pitch. We welcome a diverse array of choristers from all walks of life and varied backgrounds, and of any religious tradition or none. Rehearsals for this season have already begun, but registration is always open! Please contact Alden Wright if you are interested in registering your child or observing a rehearsal. Questions? Email Alden Wright.

formation

Godly Play
Children enter into parables, silence, sacred stories, and liturgy in order to come close to God who is at work in the world around them. Godly Play presumes that children have some experience of the mystery of the presence of God in their lives, but lack the language, permission, and understanding to express and explore it. The teachers tell stories and ask “I wonder…” questions meant to guide the children on their spiritual journey and help them fall more deeply in love with God. Godly Play is for children 3 years old through 6th grade. Godly Play meets on Sundays at 9:30 a.m.

Adult Forum
The Adult Forum meets on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. while our children are in Sunday School. This fall, our class is Rooted and Renewed: Living the Tradition, Growing in Faith, Discerning Our Future. Together, we will explore the core pillars of our common identity as we learn who we are and how God is calling us to serve. This week, we explore our use of traditional language in the liturgy. Youth in grades 7 and up are invited to join this class.

Pilgrims in Christ
Pilgrims in Christ is a process of spiritual formation that is based on the ancient catechumenate, which prepared candidates for baptism. At Good Shepherd, Pilgrims is broadly conceived and is intended for those seeking baptism, confirmation, reception into the Episcopal Church, renewal of baptismal vows, or simply a deepening of one’s own relationship with Christ. Pilgrims is both an introduction to the Christian faith and a journey of discipleship in community. Each session will begin with your questions, move into instruction, and conclude with a discussion. The class meets on Sundays at 1:30 p.m. in the Parish House, beginning next week. To register, email Mthr. Maddie.

OUTREACH

Support the Ardmore Food Pantry
The Ardmore Food Pantry is a ministry based at St. Mary’s Church (Episcopal) in Ardmore. The Food Pantry is entirely funded by individuals, congregations, and a few grants and receives no government funding, which enables the Pantry to serve guests without having to collect sensitive information like address or income. Gifts of any size are welcome at any time of year. There is also a basket at the back of the church where you can drop off non-perishable, unexpired food items only for delivery to the Pantry.

PASTORAL CALLS, VISITATIONS, & EMERGENCIES  

In case of pastoral emergency, or to have the Eucharist brought to someone unable to attend Mass, please call Mthr. Maddie at 682-460-6601. 

Parish Prayer List

In the Anglican Communion cycle of prayer for The Anglican Church of Burundi (Sunday), The Diocese of Central Busoga – The Church of the Province of Uganda (Monday), The Diocese of Butare – Eglise Anglicane du Rwanda (Tuesday), The Diocese of Butere – The Anglican Church of Kenya (Wednesday), The Diocese of Buye – The Anglican Church of Burundi (Thursday), The Diocese of Byumba – Eglise Anglicane du Rwanda (Friday), and The Diocese of Calabar – The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) (Saturday).

For Sarah, Archbishop of Canterbury, Sean, our Presiding Bishop, and Daniel, our bishop, and in the diocesan cycle of prayer for Bermuda (Extra-Provincial to Canterbury) (Sunday), Diocese of Texas (Monday), Diocese of Upper South Carolina (Tuesday), Church of St. Mary’s at Calvary, Elverson (Wednesday), St. Martin’s, Radnor (Thursday), Memorial Church of St. Luke, Bustleton (Friday), and Non-Parochial and Retired Clergy (Saturday).

For peace across the world; for this nation and its elected leaders; for all who live and serve in this local community; for the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the lonely, the oppressed, those in vulnerable communities, immigrants, and refugees; for those in prison, especially Dwayne and Michael, and all those who are suffering; for an end to injustice of all kinds, especially racial and economic injustice; for an end to gun violence, especially in our local community; for the good creation that God has entrusted to our care, that we may be faithful stewards of it; for this parish church, for all who worship and serve here: for our staff and vestry, for our Advancement, Finance, and Social Concerns Committees, for our campus ministry, for our chorister program, for our retreat house, for those who share space with us on this campus, for all yet unknown to us whom God will draw to this place to come to know and love our Lord Jesus, and for the growth of ministry here for the sake of the Gospel.

In our parish cycle of prayer: Eric Simonis and Shushi Yoshinaga (Sunday), Dillon, Lorraine, and Charlie Mahoney (Monday), Karen Tripp (Tuesday), Jack and Jeannette Burnam (Wednesday), Mary Campbell (Thursday), Rufus and Anne Hallmark (Friday), and Bob Boyer and Linda Thiel (Saturday).

In our Friends of Good Shepherd cycle of prayer: Gabe Simerson (Sunday), Robert Wright (Monday), Ruth Cunningham (Tuesday), Joshua Appelhans (Wednesday), Jim and Vickie Wilson (Thursday), Neil Schaaf (Friday), and Kelsey Naughton and Family (Saturday).

For those in need, especially for Chuck and family, John, Bob, Jack, Jeannette, Darlene, Lois, Paige, Ian, Celia, Chris, Suzanne, Amanda, David, Nancy, Peter, Frank, August, Moses, Jim, Pam, Julius, Holly, Robin, Debbie, Sean, Diane, David, Linda, Connie, Paul, Signe, Rita, Fred, Leslie, Kile, Bradley and family, Drew, Susannah, Phil, Jane, Bruce, Pat, Jesson, Doug, Gilbert, Marcille, Charles, Carol, Alex, Frank, Lizzie, James, Sue, Peter, Rebecca, Haviland, Molly, Carolyn, Brandon, Gary, Justice, Jim, Deidre, and Sandra.

To add names and requests to the prayer list, please complete this form.