The Evangelist
The Episcopal Church of St. Mark the Evangelist
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY WEEK
When you wake up on Easter, April 5,
my prayer is that you will know in a
new and altered way not who you are
but whose you are. And that a long
awaited ‘Alleluia’ will burst forth from
your lips, before your eyes see the light
of Easter morn! After 40 days and 40
nights of Lent, we have moved from the
darkness of the wilderness towards the
light that Easter promises, as we have
faithfully examined our lives before
God, through our prayers, reading the
Bible and our anonymously donated
Lenten booklet, attending Monday
Beach Morning Prayer at 8:30 a.m.
and the Tuesday Lenten series, reading Zealot, and quiet listening before
God that the season of Lent allows and
requires. Lent prepares us to walk into
Holy Week fully prepared to be able to
look into the mirror and know beyond
a shadow of a doubt who we have left
behind and whose we have become.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on March 29, then we gather for
Maundy Thursday on April 2, for the
Institution of the Holy Eucharist and
the Stripping of the Altar, with the
culmination of Holy Week on Good
Friday, April 3, as we reflect upon the
Stations of the Cross, ending with the
crucifixion of Jesus on the hard wood
of the cross. Each service during Holy
Week feeds upon the other, and with
our presence and participation, only
then can we fully live what Christ
walked 2000 years ago in the greatest
love story, making the angels in heaven
hear authentic joy resonate from our
Easter ‘Alleluias!’
In the beginning of the first century,
believers gathered in people’s homes for
a dinner party, and this is how Church
was born into the world, similar to our
SOUL gatherings. The first century
Church was really a covered-dish supper, where all of the people gathered
and brought a contribution to the meal.
After they visited with one another and
enjoyed their feast, they would come
together and end the meal with the
Holy Eucharist, which was the memory
of what Jesus commanded at The Last
Supper with his disciples. Like the
early Christians, we too come together
weekly to share this sacred meal of
bread and wine, which would give them
and gives us the strength and courage
to live life with Christ in the coming
week. This is why I tell you when I see
you that you were missed Sunday in
church, because it genuinely makes me
sad when I don’t see you in church.
As your minister, my greatest wish for
each of you is that you will make the effort to come and be fed with his sacred
meal that has been feeding Christians
for 2000 years. Holy Week is your time
to prepare yourselves for Easter, and as
you participate in each service, Easter
will have a power that neither you nor
I will be able to verbalize but we will
know that Christ is upon us.
The re-telling of the Last Supper and
the fulfillment of the teachings of
Christ is now called Maundy Thursday.
Maundy Thursday is when we celebrate
the Institution of the Last Supper.
Maundy in Latin means mandatorium,
which translates, the Great Commandment.
March 2015
At his Last Supper, Jesus left his disciples with this great commandment,
which remains the summary of all of
his teachings and the reason that he is
ultimately willing to allow himself to be
crucified so that we can be saved from
our sins. Love one another as I have
loved you. (John 13:34) Sounds simple,
right? Remember and be grateful like
I am that Jesus is the God of Second
Chances and third and… this is the
heart of Holy Week and the message
that there is no Christianity, no Church,
no Community of Jesus unless we
make the time and are willing to give
of ourselves, by loving and forgiving
our spouses, partners, children, friends,
colleagues, and strangers like Jesus was
willing to forgive us when he gave his
life for us. Love one another. Forgive
one another. Lay blame down before it
breaks you into pieces and leaves you
alone and bitter. Who cares in the end
who was right? Lay it down.
When we choose not to live as Jesus
taught, we have decided for whatever
reason to take ourselves out of the
greatest love story ever told and lived.
When Easter comes, it is God’s promise that God’s love will never be killed,
but will resurrect and never die. When
life looks the darkest and most bleak,
God saves this Easter love for you, so
that the connection that we share with
Jesus, with his disciples, with the people
of our Holy City, Jerusalem, with St.
Mark’s parishioners and School members, who are struggling that Christianity is where we learn whose we are in
this world. You are loved and forgiven
by Christ. Let your words tell people
that you believe this great news! Have a
Holy, Holy, Holy week.
The Reverend Eliza R. Ragsdale
Assistant to the Rector
[email protected]
MARCH BIRTHDAYS:
Aris Amitirigala
Lauren Amitirigala
Ileana Bardisa
Rick Bauer, Sr.
Haley Bauer
Ricky Bauer
Evie Breckenridge
Craig Breckenridge
Allie Breton
Ted Carpenter
Susan Carpenter
Patrick Carroll
Nick Chu
Neville Clarke
Rita Collister
Joe Cooper
Pat Cooper
Maria Denison
Andrew Fox
Carol Fox
Elsada Frazier
Kristin Gundlach
Allie Hall
Ritchie Hamm
Lindsey Heyworth
Jean King
Diane LaVault
Christy Lambertus
Warren Leong
James Long
Autumn Martin
Meghan McCormick
Jessica Moody
Landon Rausch
Kathy Rodgers
Cate Ruiz
AP Smith
Drew Sobczak
Paul Spada
Nicole Troop
Monica Weick
Dane Williams
Helena Ylagan
PALM CROSSES
ST. MARK’S BOOK CLUB
LENTEN SERIES
and SOUP SUPPER HOSTS
Our annual series is well on its way,
and there’s time for you to join us! We
enjoy a light supper of soup, salad and
bread. Come and judge the soups from
various St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
ministries. Experts will share their
thoughts on different topics with us to
provide fascinating discussions. This
year our topic is “Who Is Jesus?” Our
Lenten series brochure is available in
the church and on our church website.
Here’s a list of our guest speakers:
March 10
The Reverend Geoffrey St. John Hoare
Rector of All Saints Church
in Atlanta, Georgia
Soup Chefs: Episcopal Church Women
March 17
Monsignor Vincent Kelly
Catholic Archdiocese
of Miami, Florida
Soup Chefs: Choir
March 24
The Reverend Fawn Mikel
Christ Methodist Church
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Soup Chefs:
9:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Parishioners
On Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., during our
Lenten Series, each volunteering team
will have Soup Chef competition in
our School Dining Hall. We thank all
volunteers for supporting this event’s
success!
SUNDAY HOLY EUCHARISTS
On Tuesday, March 24, join dedicated
volunteers who will gather to make
Palm Sunday crosses in the Vestry
Room from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch will be provided.
8:00 a.m. - Rite I
9:15 a.m. - Rite II - Family Service
10:00 a.m. - Sunday School/Adult Ed.
11:00 a.m. - Rite II
Church and School Office Hours:
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday
March 26, 2015
Our Book Club will be
discussing Zealot by Reza
Aslan. We will gather
at the home of Dianne
Garvin, PhD., from 11:30
a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Please
RSVP to Dr. Garvin at: 954-258-1834
or 954-561-3046. The 2014-15 schedule and book list can be found in the
June-July 2014 Evangelist issues, on our
website at www.saintmarksepiscopalchurch.com, or by calling Mother Liza
at 954-563-5155 for additional information.
HOLY WEEK BEACH
MORNING PRAYER
Mother Liza Ragsdale will lead the
Holy Week Beach Morning Prayer Service on Monday, March 23 at 8:30 a.m.,
barefooted, on the beach, at Lauderdale-By-The Sea’s pier, at Commercial
Boulevard and A1A. Please come and
allow your toes to feel the warm sand
as our prayers are lifted up to God,
supported by the rhythm of the ocean’s
waves. Please call Mother Liza Ragsdale with any questions: 954-563-5155.
If you are hungry, some of those who
come to worship will then eat breakfast
at the Anglin’s Café on the pier, which
is owned by a former St. Mark’s Episcopal School family.
SPONSOR BUTTERFLIES
or EASTER FLOWERS!
Your donations towards the cost of the
butterflies, which provide a meaningful symbol of resurrection and new life,
will be honored in the Easter bulletin.
Please fill out an order form and place
it in the offering basket or send to the
church office. Forms will be available
in the back of the church. The deadline
to sponsor butterflies is Wednesday,
March 25, and the deadline for Easter
flowers is Friday, March 27.
Spring Forward
VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED!
Sunday, March 8
Remember to set your
clocks ahead 1 hour,
before bed on Saturday.
This event has been rescheduled due to the
death and burial services scheduled for
Mr. Gary Rotella (March 14).
7:00 a.m.–Noon
SATURDAY, MARCH 21
DROP OFF YOUR TREASURES
Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays
contact Dafney to arrange your drop-off
954-334-0101
ST. MARK’S GIRL SCOUTS
EPISCOPAL
CHURCH AND SCHOOL
1750 East Oakland Park Boulevard @ Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33334
St. Mark’s Episcopal School Performance
March 19, 20, and 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Matinee performance on March 21 at 2:00 p.m.
St. Mark’s Gymnasium
VIP Reception
Thursday, March 19 @ 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
$50 per person includes ticket,
or $20 reserved seating.
All other performances
$25 preferred seating @ $20 for general reserved seating.
Tickets may be purchase through St. Mark’s website at
www.ticketriver.com/event/14460
Troop 10709 participated in the 10th
Annual Mall Madness at Coral Square
Mall in Coral Springs on February 28th
– March 1st. They had loads of fun
shopping, dancing, doing crafts, and
eating at this Girl Scout only, lock-in at
the mall. Participants included Logan
Clark, Reese Clark, Maaya O’Flaherty,
Romina Ricettie, and Katherine Vanoff
(pictured above). Special thanks to girl
scout moms, Gemma O’Flaherty and
Kate Vanoff, for participating in the
event and helping the girls get “decked
out” for the fun.
MOVED? CHANGED
CONTACT NUMBER?
CHANGED EMAIL
ADDRESS?
We want to hear from you. Please contact
Dafney Cadet-Guillet at 954-334-0101
[email protected] to have your
information updated in our church
database.
EASTER BAPTISM
April 5
Holy week begins on Sunday, March 29, with two services at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00
a.m. We will celebrate Palm Sunday and Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem as Hosanna!
Donkey rides will be available. Butterflies will be entombed before the service in
the sanctuary.
BEACH MORNING PRAYER
A1A and Commercial Boulevard Pier – March 23 l 8:30 a.m.
PALM SUNDAY SERVICES – March 29
8:00 a.m. l Holy Eucharist, Rite I
9:00 a.m. l Donkey Rides and Butterfly Entombment
10:00 a.m. l Blessing of Palms, Holy Eucharist, Rite II
MAUNDY THURSDAY EUCHARIST – April 2
8:05 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
GOOD FRIDAY – April 3
12:00 Noon – 3:00 p.m. l Stations of the Cross
EASTER
During Lent, we began Ash Wednesday
as adults reaffirming the vows made at
our baptism. The Alleluias of Easter are
the perfect time to publically sponsor your child or a family member in
this life affirming sacrament of being
marked as Christ’s own forever, with
the living waters of Baptism. Please
schedule a meeting with Mother Liza
Ragsdale if you would like to sponsor
someone in baptism, by calling Mrs.
Dafney Cadet-Guillet, 954-334-0101.
Festival Eucharist – April 5
8:00 a.m. l Choral Eucharist, Rite I (choir, brass, and timpani)
9:15 a.m. l Family Eucharist, Rite II, followed by Butterfly Release
11:00 a.m. l Choral Eucharist, Rite II (choir, brass, and timpani)
25th Annual Walk for the Animals
A huge THANK YOU for all of your help in supporting our church and school’s
first annual Walk for the Animals. It was a wet (very wet) morning, but our students still came and participated. I am blown away by our team’s fundraising…. We
raised a total of $885 for the Humane Society of Broward!!! We blew our original
goal of $300 out of the water. Next year, we’re going to set our goal even higher. Our
students who were involved are very excited about what we accomplished. Thank
you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to organize this pack and represent St. Mark’s in our community. We could not have accomplished this without
you!
Ms. Kelly Bray
Third Grade Teacher
TRUE FUND IS IN-REACH
AND OUTREACH MINISTRY
The third Sunday of each month we
collect two offerings; the first is our
pledge offering which is what we have
pledged to give back to God from our
bounty. The second collection is to
support our TRUE FUND in-reach /
outreach ministry. The TRUE FUND
was first established to assist any
parishioner who was in need of financial assistance with their various living
expenses, when life’s surprises made
life financially challenging. If you are a
parishioner and are in need of financial
assistance, we encourage you to apply
for assistance from the TRUE FUND.
We have forms in the office, which you
would need to come in and complete
and all assistance requested are kept
confidential. The TRUE FUND also
provides financial assistance to people
in the Fort Lauderdale area who are
financially challenged and are seeking
short-term assistance with electric or
water bills, or rent. Mr. Frank Neingel
oversees the TRUE FUND application process with the approval of our
Rector and Head of School, Father Bob
Trache. Mr. Kelly Harris 954-334-0128
is the staff person who assists with this
in-reach/ outreach ministry. Please give
generously to the third Sunday TRUE
FUND offering remembering that
there by the grace of God go I, or you,
or a family member.
The Reverend Eliza R. Ragsdale
Assistant to the Rector
[email protected]
“There is a time to weep…and a time to heal.” The Book of Ecclesiastes
Friday, March 6, 2015
Dear St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and School Community:
It is with a heavy heart that we write to inform you that our beloved Principal, Dr. Kitty Rotella, suffered a
tremendous loss Wednesday night when her husband, Mr. Gary Rotella died suddenly. These difficult days in life
are exactly the time when our cherished Community of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and School prove to those in
need, how we persevere when our hearts are broken. We are strengthened by our St. Mark’s Episcopal
Community and the bonds of faith that we hold sacred. We hold dear the promise of eternal life that those who
live in the Lord never see each other for the last time.
Dr. Rotella arrived home from her busy day at St. Mark’s Episcopal School to find an ambulance in their
driveway. Her husband was not feeling well and was immediately taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where Mr. Gary
Rotella died peacefully, surrounded by Dr. Rotella, their family, and closest friends.
Mr. Gary Rotella’s Wake will be held on Friday, the 13th of March, from 3:00 – 8:00 P.M., at Baird-Case Funeral
Home located at 4343 North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33308. His Funeral Mass will be
conducted at Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church located at 4595 Bayview Drive, Fort Lauderdale,
Florida 33308, on Saturday, the 14th of March, 2015, at ten o’clock in the morning. Dr. Rotella will host a
reception following the Mass at Coral Ridge Country Club, from Noon-2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials in
memory of Mr. Gary Rotella may be given to: The Boys and Girls Club of Broward County, 877 NW 61st Street,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309 (954) 537-1010 or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place,
Memphis, TN 38105.
The greatest gift that we can give to Dr. Rotella, as she grieves this loss, is to hold her in our daily prayers and to
continue to live as faithful people. Hasidic Wisdom teaches us that the only true prerequisite to prayer is a broken
heart. As we move forward, let us provide friendship and kindness to Dr. Rotella, as she navigates her life from
henceforth. Dr. Rotella loves St. Mark’s Episcopal School with all of her heart, and her continued support, of our
church’s growth and ministries, is another window into her soul, which is truly filled with God’s love for all
children and people.
Faithfully,
The Reverend Robert G. Trache
Rector and Head of School
The Reverend Eliza R. Ragsdale
Assistant to the Rector