The vestry is the elected governing body of the church. St. Mary’s vestry consists of 12 lay members of the congregation and the rector. Four members are elected to three-year terms each year at the annual meeting. The vestry typically meets on the second Tuesday of most months. This year, vestry member Tim Williams is writing monthly reports to keep you informed about what our vestry is up to!
Dear Fellow Parishioners,
I hope that everyone is moving into a pleasant and enjoyable summer pace. I’m writing to offer updates on the work of vestry. First of all, we want to thank everyone for the great turn out to celebrate the feast of Pentecost with Bishop Akiyama. There were lovely and joyful celebrations at all the regular services, showing the vibrant and welcoming community we create at St. Mary’s. There were confirmations and receptions into the church at every service, too: 11 confirmations and 2 receptions.
With regard to the work of the vestry, we convened on June 8, 2025 and elected Tim Williams (yours truly!) as the new clerk, replacing Mary Anne McMurren. Thank you for your service, Mary Anne. I hope I can clerk as well as you!
We received an exciting report from Ryan+ concerning the hard work and wonderful accomplishments in Children, Youth, and Family Ministries. This was a full school year, indeed, with a large group of young people. Approximately 50 children and youth participated in Sunday School classes, and 7 youth were confirmed. That confirmation class will begin their pilgrimage on June 27 and return to Eugene on July 8. The work that led to these successes was due to the 24 adult volunteers who gave of their time and energy to make robust programming possible. So, vestry offers a big “shout out” to Ryan+ and the many volunteers who made the school year great. And if you’re interested in volunteering in the future, reach out to Ryan+. He’d love to hear from you!
In other news, we learned from the subcommittees that they continue to work on their two projects: enriching belonging and creating a welcoming parish. We received some building updates, as we tie up loose ends with the renovation project. As you know, we’re also undertaking a new renovation of the parish grounds. Stage 1 has begun, and many of you may have noticed that the grounds running from the Alley to the courtyard look different: beds have been cleared and are ready for new native and drought-resistant plants. This is an ongoing project, and we will keep you apprised of its progress.Thank you to the newly re-formed Grounds Committee for their hard work on this project!
Tim Williams
