Sermons
Shrove Tuesday & Ash Wednesday Event
Shrove Tuesday & Ash Wednesday Events:
- Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper – 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm – free for everyone! Eat In or Take out available
- Ash Wednesday Liturgies
- 7 a.m. – Said Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes
- 5 p.m. – Sung Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes
- Imposition of Ashes available by appointment if you are unable to attend either liturgies. Call the church office.
Mass for the Feast of the Presentation of Christ
Mass for the Presentation of Christ in the Temple will be offered at Holy Cross on Wednesday, February 2 at 12 noon. The Feast of the Presentation marks the 40th day since Christmas.
Traditionally it is the last day to remove all the Christmas greens and décor from the church. It commemorates the day on which the first born male child would be presented in the Temple in Jerusalem, in accordance with the law. It demonstrates to us, among other things, that our Lord himself fulfilled all the requirements of the law, that having fulfilled the law he might offer us.
It also marks the time when the Blessed Virgin Mary would undergo the traditional rites of purification and return to her normal public life.
Join us in person or online at 12 noon for this feast.
Mass on the Feast of Epiphany – January 6, 2022
Mass for the Feast of The Epiphany will be held on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 12:00 noon. You may attend in person or online via Facebook Live.
Readings for the Mass: https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearABC_RCL/Epiphany/Epiph_RCL.html
Christmas Eve Services 2021
Christmas Eve Services at the Church of the Holy Cross
4:00 p.m. – Said Mass with Carols & Sermon for Children
10:00 p.m. – Sung Mass of Midnight
Both Services will be available online through Facebook Live or in-person.
Christmas Day Mass will be offered at Christ Church in Pottersville
Buy Local Weekend- November 27th
Here at Holy Cross
Christmas Bazaar including:
- Cookie Walk!
- Holiday food items!
- Candy Walk!
- Grandmother’s Attic!
Christmas in Warrensburg – December 4th
Join us for the Christmas in Warrensburg Events going on here in the Holy Cross Parish Hall!
A Message from the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Albany
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
In his Address to the Convention of the Diocese of Albany on October 24, 2020, Bishop Love announced his intention to retire as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany, effective February 1, 2021. The rationale for his decision, and the context in which he has made it, is set forth in the text of his address.[Found Here]
We, the members of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Albany, are dismayed that Bishop Love was left with no acceptable options that would have allowed him to continue with a sense of integrity the ministry entrusted to him as a bishop. With many, both within and beyond our diocese, we await, with keen sadness, the impending retirement from leadership of a courageous leader and brother, a “contender for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3), who continues to prioritize, unstintingly, the spiritual health of our diocese over every personal consideration.
Bishop Love remains our Bishop Diocesan until February 1, 2020. On that date, the Standing Committee will become, by operation of the Canons of the Episcopal Church, the “Ecclesiastical Authority” of the Diocese of Albany until such time as his successor is elected, confirmed, and assumes leadership of the diocese. This means that the Standing Committee will corporately assume responsibility for all of the functions of a diocesan bishop except for sacramental acts reserved to a bishop, such as confirmation, ordination, and the consecration of churches. Until that date, the Standing Committee remains the Bishop’s “Council of Advice.” No other changes in the structures, authority, staffing, or conduct of diocesan affairs follow automatically upon the Bishop’s retirement.
We are writing to you today to assure you that we are already learning and preparing to assume those functions. Members of the Standing Committee are studying every aspect of diocesan operations to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted transition, so that we can begin planning for the nomination and election of Bishop Love’s successor, on a timetable yet to be determined.
Our earnest prayer is that we be guided by the Holy Spirit in both the organization and execution of the tasks before us. We commit to do all in our power to continue to support, encourage, and serve you, and all of the Episcopal parishes, people, and clergy of northeastern upstate New York in our ongoing work of worship, discipleship, and evangelism.
You will hear more from us from time to time as our work progresses and circumstances develop. Many of you no doubt already have both general and specific questions and concerns. As we tackle issues systematically and with prayerful deliberation, we will keep you abreast of developments. It is our hope that you will find your own questions and concerns addressed in due course in communications from us. Visit this page frequently to find the latest news. Be assured, though, that you may contact us by sending an e-mail to SCPresident@albanydiocese.org.
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). Let us pray as individuals and communities. Pray for Bishop Love, Karen, and their whole family. Pray for us. Pray for the person God will eventually identify to be the tenth Bishop of Albany. Pray for everyone involved in the daily work of running our diocese and its missionary outposts. The prayer below distills our hopes for the future. We encourage its regular and frequent use, publicly and privately, by individuals, groups, and parishes, as an expression of our unity in the Spirit.
There is much to do. Were we left to our own devices, it would be impossible. With God, however, all things are possible, and in this lies our hope.
May God’s mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany:
The Rev. Scott Garno, President
Janet Papa, Secretary
The Rev. Kathy Alonge-Coons
Christopher Cassidy
John Hyde
Jean Stevens Lauria
The Rev. Tom Malionek
Teresa Mumby
The Rev. David Ousley
The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Papazoglakis
The Rev. Derik Roy
Sue Ellen Ruetsch
Prayer in a Time of Transition
Heavenly Father, we praise and thank you for this, your diocese of Albany.
Inspire and sustain us in this time of transition.
Incline our hearts to do your will,
and so direct us in your ways
that the leader you are raising up to be our Bishop
will find here joyful disciples, making disciples,
united in faith, unflagging in hope, and steeped in mutual charity.
In your mercy,
accept our repentance, and grant us peace;
look with patience on our enthusiasms;
and pour rich gifts and grace
upon all who are entrusted
with the ongoing work of your church;
so that, with diligence and charity, we may discern correctly
and walk righteously in your ways.
This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Pastoral Update from the Rector
Dear Holy Cross Family and Friends,
Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It goes without saying that we’re in a strange time in our common life. And although what’s going on is unique to our experience, I was reminded last week that as unique as our situation is, the scripture holds true, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) As it turns out during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918, churches and public venues were similarly closed, even in the Upstate NY area. Unlike our forebearers, though, we have several important advantages. First, we have a better understanding of disease and how it spreads. And secondly, we have means technological means to overcome the distance and isolation which slowing the community spread of infection requires.
I am reminded of a favorite word of our dear friend the late Jane LeCount. In her last years, every time I would visit with her, she would always remind me of the word “connections.” She’d remind us that we’re all connected in some way. In this time of our “quarantine,” it’s important for us to stay connected. From the telephone to Facebook, from email to Skype, we’ve got plenty of ways to keep those connections open. I want to encourage you to keep making those all-important connections with your friends, your family, and yes, your Holy Cross family! Keep the community of Holy Cross alive and well!
Community lies at the heart of the of our Christian faith and our life as the Church. And while this pandemic has taken away from us the ways in which we are normally formed as a community, I’ve been encouraged by those who have joined us in following our services online. There are even some folks who have created online accounts for the sole purpose of participating in the streaming services. Your presence, your comments, your likes and shares are an encouragement to me personally and I thank you for them. Please keep joining us for these online services, and do share the live stream and other posts from our Facebook page to your own page when you see them (by clicking share on the post), and invite your friends and family to like our church’s page. This will help others see what’s going on here. These little acts of evangelism are great ways to encourage others to join our community – even if it’s only online for right now. You never know what fruits God will bless us with down the road.
For those who don’t use Facebook, I am working on finding a way to stream the services to YouTube. You don’t need an account to watch videos on YouTube. Presently, I am doing my best to make sure the services we stream on Facebook are uploaded as a video on YouTube so you can watch later. Generally, it takes a few hours after the live service to get these up on the site. Also, if you haven’t already, head over to the Facebook and YouTube pages, like and subscribe to them and turn on the notifications so you know when we’re live or have uploaded a video.
While we can’t be together physically during this season, our spiritual communion will continue, as does the sacramental ministry of the Church. We continue to offer the Mass on a regular basis during which we pray for your needs and the needs of the parish. Mass will be streamed at 10 a.m. on Sunday and at noon on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please don’t hesitate to call or email or text me your concern and intentions which we can pray for during this time. Also, during this time, the sacraments and pastoral care for the sick are still available. Please don’t hesitate to contact me about these needs if you know of them.
While we were hopeful that we might get back to normal in time for Holy Week and Easter, it’s clear now this won’t be the case. Our Bishop has extended the cancellation of public services until after Easter and this will probably be extended for a long period. While we can’t change the date of Easter, we will no doubt plan a big “back to church” Sunday when it happens and encourage people to attend in great numbers!
For now, our Holy Week Schedule of Streaming services will be as follows:
Palm Sunday – 10 a.m.
Tuesday & Wednesday – 12 p.m.
Maundy Thursday – 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday Liturgy – 12 p.m.
Holy Saturday Liturgy (Not the Easter Vigil) – 10 a.m.
Easter Day – 10 a.m.
Lastly, on behalf of the Vestry and Finance Committee, I want to ask you to be mindful of your financial contributions to Holy Cross. Even though our in person Sunday liturgies are on hold, our financial obligations are not. While Holy Cross does have a small endowment from which we could draw to cover some of our expenses, even this has taken a significant loss due to the drop in the stock market recently. The finance committee is working as I write to find ways to help make giving easier for everyone through online/electronic means. In the meantime, mailing your envelopes to the church is the best method. Your continued contributions during this time will ensure that we’re meeting our financial obligations as the come up now and not having to play catch up in the future. Thank you in advance for your support. I know for some people this crisis has also meant a loss of income and we are appreciative of any support you can give.
https://www.facebook.com/HolyCrossWarrensburg
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU8g8fHcNIKsohgJwFjSt3w
Temporary Schedule of Services during the Pandemic
Our Revised Mass Schedule
Sunday Mornings- Holy Eucharist at 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday: Holy Eucharist at 12 noon
Watch Streaming videos at https://www.facebook.com/HolyCrossWarrensburg/live
Join us for our Parish Picnic!
Please Join us!
Sunday September 15
Mass offered at Noon (only Service offered this day)
Cook out picnic to follow
Bring something to share!
The Warren County Fish Hatchery
145 Echo Lake Road
Warrensburg, NY 12885