Updated January 27, 2026

WORSHIP

Procession & Sung Mass on Candlemas
Join us on Monday, February 2, at 7 p.m. as we celebrate this Major Holy Day. We will bless candles for use during the liturgical year. You may also bring your own candles from home to be blessed.

Ash Wednesday Masses
Lent begins on Wednesday, February 18. Low Mass with the imposition of ashes will be offered at 12:05 p.m., and Sung Mass with the imposition of ashes will be offered at 7 p.m. Ash Wednesday is a day of special devotion, observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial.

Ordination of John Hager to the Diaconate
Our summer seminarian, John Hager, will be ordained to the diaconate on Saturday, March 7, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in McLean, Virginia. All are welcome to attend!

FORMATION

Online Adult Formation Series 2025–2026
Our monthly online adult formation series for the 2025–2026 program year continues on February 5, 2026 at 7 p.m. Join us for “Time and New Creation in Pauline Theology: Living ‘as if’ Between Worlds” with Alexandra Brown, Ph.D., Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor in Bible at Washington and Lee College. We hope that parishioners and Friends of the parish alike will join us for these stimulating presentations! Email the parish office for the Zoom link.

MUSIC

Music Notes
The Mass setting for this Sunday, February 1, is by Bryan Dunnewald, and is dedicated to his parents. Bryan is a former organ scholar at St Mark’s, Locust Street, and is now President and Tonal Director of Schoenstein Pipe Organ Builders, as well as a longtime Friend of Good Shepherd. The anthem, “Beatitudes,” by the New York-based American composer Nancy Wetsch, is a dramatic freestyle chant setting that gives primacy of focus to these simple, direct words. The organ voluntaries comprise the two movements of Brenda Portman’s prizewinning Diptych. Dr. Portman is organist of Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and enjoys a growing reputation as a composer of attractive and original new works.

The Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple gets its liturgical nickname, “Candlemas,” from the declaration of the elderly prophet Simeon that the tiny child was to be a light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of God’s people of Israel. The anthem, by the late-16th century German Kapellmeister and composer Johann Eccard, recounts the story of Jesus's presentation to God by his parents, according to Jewish law, in the Temple in Jerusalem. The music combines artless simplicity and the rich sonority of six independent voices. The organ voluntaries that frame the service— one by a 20th century Scotsman, the other by an 18th-century French organist— both bear the title “Offertory,” the part of the Mass where gifts of bread and wine are brought to the altar to be offered back to God, suggesting a parallel to the Jewish ritual which is also an offering back to God out of all he has given.

The Good Shepherd Choristers
Our chorister program for children ages 7 and older is going strong, but it’s never too late to register to participate! If you know of a child who might be interested in joining, please contact Robert McCormick, and please help us share information on this program with others in the local community.

OUTREACH

Social Concerns Committee Meeting
The Social Concerns Committee meets regularly to discern how Good Shepherd can serve the greater community by easing suffering, giving hope, and identifying and helping individuals and families who are in need. As a prayerful presence within the parish, members of the committee actively pray about ways in which the gifts and resources of our parish can be aligned with acute needs in the local community and beyond. The committee will meet on Zoom on Saturday, January 24 at 10 a.m. Questions? Email Jason Crockett through the parish office.

Campus Ministry
Good Shepherd’s campus ministry is open to all students at local colleges and universities. The group meets bimonthly on the campus of Bryn Mawr College for an LGBTQ+/Allies Bible Study. The list of meeting dates may be found on this website. Our next meeting is on Friday, January 23 at 4 p.m. at Bryn Mawr College (Old Library, London Room). Please contact Father Kyle for more information.

COMMUNITY AND FELLOWSHIP

Congratulations to New Vestry Members!
At our annual parish meeting last Sunday, Jason Crockett, Courtney Dalton, and Will Hillegeist were elected to the parish vestry. Jason Crockett has agreed to serve as Rector’s Warden for the coming year. Thank you to outgoing vestry members Jennifer Dee and Brett Hart for their faithful service on the vestry for the last three years!

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and Races
Mark your calendars for our annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and Races for children and adults! Shrove Tuesday is February 17, and the supper will begin at 6 p.m. We need help purchasing food items, setting up for the dinner, cooking the dinner, and cleaning up. Sign up here!

Stewardship Giving Tree
We are just $11,000 away from our pledge goal of $265,000. Reaching our pledge goal this year is essential as we look to supporting leadership transitions and the ministry that makes this parish thrive. We invite you to spend some time browsing the giving tree when you’re next in the retreat house. The giving tree is a concrete way of reaching our stewardship goal. If each of us plays our part, we can reach our goal! The Giving Tree idea is simple:

1. Pick an ornament from the tree, choosing a budget item and amount that appeal to you.
2. Print your name and e-mail address on the back of your ornament. 
3. Place the ornament in the box. 

If you have already pledged, the ornament amount will be added to your existing pledge for 2026. If you are making a new pledge, the ornament amount will be your new pledge. Thank you for your support of ministry at Good Shepherd!

Music Transition
Please keep Robert McCormick in your prayers as he transitions to a new position at St. Stephen’s Church, in Richmond, Virginia. We are grateful for all that he has done to build and strengthen Good Shepherd’s music ministry over the past two years. We are also grateful that parishioner Jack Burnam has agreed to serve as our Interim Organist and Director of Music from February 1 through Easter, and it’s our hope that a new Organist and Director of Music can join us shortly after Easter.

Helping Our Fellow Parishioners
Can you cook a meal? Offer a ride? Help around the house for a few hours? Our own Jennifer Dee is having surgery this week and a link has been established by one of her friends to help coordinate addressing many of the needs during recovery. It can be found here. We are looking to contribute to this effort. If you would like to bring meals to the Retreat House on Sundays, Allen Crockett will be happy to get them to the Dee’s house. Just let him know you are leaving food by calling or texting him at 484-426-8781. 

Parish Prayer List

In the Anglican Communion cycle of prayer for Iglesia Anglicana de Chile (Sunday), The Diocese of Sur – Iglesia Anglicana de Chile (Monday), The Diocese of Del Sureste – La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico (Tuesday), The Diocese of Swansea and Brecon – The Church in Wales (Wednesday), The Diocese of Sydney – The Anglican Church of Australia (Thursday), The Diocese of Tabora – The Anglican Church of Tanzania (Friday), and Te Pihopatanga o Te Tai Tokerau – The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia (Saturday).

For Sarah, Archbishop of Canterbury-designate, Sean, our Presiding Bishop, and Daniel, our bishop, and in the diocesan cycle of prayer for Iglesia Anglica de la Region Centra de America (Sunday), Diocese of Connecticut (Monday), Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe (Tuesday), Compass Rose Society (Wednesday), St. Luke’s Germantown (Thursday), St. Luke’s, Newtown (Friday), and Holy Innocents St. Paul’s, Tacony 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, Music Search, and Social Concerns Committees, for our pledge campaign, 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: Renee Barrick (Sunday), Will Hillegeist (Monday), Corene Lemaitre (Tuesday), Debbie Amen (Wednesday), Emma Simpson (Thursday), Hassan and Fazil Baloochiyan, and Melika and Leila Balouchiyan (Friday), and Jeaneane Mills, Sloane Mills, Jack Chisholm, and Nina Chisholm (Saturday).

In our Friends of Good Shepherd cycle of prayer: Jim and Vickie Wilson (Sunday), Neil Schaaf (Monday), Kelsey Naughton and Family (Tuesday), Colin O'Malley (Wednesday), Chip and the Rev. Professor Sarah Coakley (Thursday), Sean Price (Friday), and Mark Nester (Saturday).

For those in need, especially for  Julius, Sackville, Holly, Robin, Debbie, Sean, Diane, David, Linda, Connie, Paul, Signe, Rita, Fred, Leslie, Kile, Bradley and family, Drew, Susannah, Kathy, Phil, Jane, Bruce, Barry, Pat, Jesson, Doug, Gilbert, Marcille, Charles, Carol, Alex, Frank, Lizzie, James, Sue, Peter, Rebecca, Haviland, Molly, Carolyn, Brandon, Gary, Nanette, Justice, Jim, Deidre, and Sandra.

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