Updated October 1, 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!

MUSIC

Music Notes
The choral music offered at Mass this Sunday (October 4) comes from two prominent figures of the German romantic period - Mendelssohn and Rheinberger. The setting of the Ordinary is Rheinberger’s Missa Sanctae Crucis in G major, a wonderfully intimate and gentle unaccompanied setting, much smaller in scale than many of his other works. Rheinberger lived and worked for most of his life in Munich, and his Latin masses and unaccompanied motets pioneered the values of the contemporaneous Cecilian Movement, which sought to restore the role of plainsong and Renaissance polyphony in the Roman Catholic Church, replacing the theatrical and operatic music in fashion at the time throughout Europe.  

The anthem is Verleih uns Frieden by Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn was born into a prominent Jewish family, and after converting to Lutheranism, he made a significant contribution to church music through his compositions and his championing of the works of J.S. Bach, living and working in Leipzig at Bach’s former church, St. Thomas.  

Mendelssohn himself had a special affection for this wonderfully simplistic and optimistic piece which sets words by Martin Luther, which are in fact a paraphrase of the earlier Latin hymn, Da pacem, Domine. The organ music bookending the Mass also comes from the German romantic repertoire, with some compositional studies by Mendelssohn’s friend, Schumann, and one of Mendelssohn’s own organ works.    

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

Rector’s Discretionary Fund
Did you know that the plate collection on the first Sunday of every month is designated to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund? This fund is used to provide assistance, at our priest’s discretion, to those in need. You can also make a contribution at any time via Realm, or by writing a check with “Rector’s Discretionary Fund” in the memo line. 

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 Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil (Sunday), The Diocese of Bukuru – The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) (Monday), The Diocese of Bunbury – The Anglican Church of Australia (Tuesday), The Diocese of Bungoma – The Anglican Church of Kenya (Wednesday), The Diocese of Bunyoro-Kitara – The Church of the Province of Uganda (Thursday), The Diocese of Busan – The Anglican Church of Korea (Friday), and The Diocese of Busoga – The Church of the Province of Uganda (Saturday).

For Sarah, Archbishop of Canterbury, Sean, our Presiding Bishop, and Daniel, our bishop, and in the diocesan cycle of prayer for The Church of Ceylon (Extra-Provincial to Canterbury) (Sunday), Diocese of Taiwan (Monday), Diocese of Tennessee (Tuesday), St. Paul’s, Chester (Wednesday), Church of the Incarnation, Morrisville (Thursday), Church of the Annunciation (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: McCartney Woulard (Sunday), Charles Zeiders (Monday), Bob Mickle (Tuesday), Brian Miskew, Polly Garcia Vega, and Emma Paredes (Wednesday), Elly Mulcahy (Thursday), Jebamalaidass Pushparaj, Vasanthi Jebamalaidass and Sanjay Crispin Jebamalaidass (Friday), and William Shepard (Saturday).

In our Friends of Good Shepherd cycle of prayer: Michael Krasulski (Sunday), Cynthia and Frank Hill (Monday), Charlene Cranmer (Tuesday), Jesson Geipel (Wednesday), Gary Harney (Thursday), Ralph Onesti (Friday), and Esther Summers (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.