Discussions Continue on In-Person Worship and New Clergy

Dear Saints of St. David’s:Linda-Guest-Senior-Warden-St.-Davids

I’d first like to thank the two dozen parishioners who attended last week’s Community Forum on Reopening. We had a lively and informative discussion, and while no formal decisions were made, the forum helped us clarify the many steps that St. David’s needs to take before allowing in-person attendance.

These include a registration system to support contact tracing; the potential requirement for attendees to sign liability waivers; the open question of clergy; a procedure for cleaning the sanctuary before and after services; and a plan that we can file with the State of Rhode Island and the Diocese.

Our executive team will be meeting again soon to continue working on all of these issues to ensure that we keep our parish family safe and healthy.

In the meantime, I invite you to join us for Morning Prayer services on the St. David’s Facebook page every Sunday at 10 a.m. Please also join me in thanking the worship team who share their time and talents to maintain this vital ministry.

On the topic of clergy, St. David’s junior wardens and I have had conversations with a potential interim priest, and continue to work with Canon Dena Cleaver-Bartholomew from the Diocese of Rhode Island to place clergy with us as soon as is practical.

As I mentioned in my last letter, we will most likely have interim clergy for a time before starting the discernment process.

Please remember that you will find the only 100-percent accurate information about St. David’s in the messages published by the church.

I realize that we are in an uncertain time where many things can change quickly, but I assure you that I will continue to communicate the most up-to-date information possible, and I ask that you refer anyone with questions to official church emails, eLamp, and Facebook messages.

Thank you for your patience and understanding through this challenging time, and please continue to hold the entire St. David’s family in your prayers.

Love and Blessings,
Linda Guest, Senior Warden

Prayer for the Parish

Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.