Dear St. Marks Parish,
The restoration of your nativity scene has been a year long labour of love by myself and my friend, the artist, Sheila Gordon. I did the repairs to the pieces, including replacing the cow's horn and Joseph's foot as well as a few noses along the way. Sheila lovingly painted and decorated each piece and then I varnished them and put the covering on the bottom...it truly was a joint effort and a project not a chore. I did uncover a bit of history about the nativity set. I am not sure how long it has lived at St. Mark's but here is a glimpse of the company that made it originally. The pieces are made from a resin mold -- much like fiberglass without the glass. It's a technique rarely used anymore as most similar pieces are made of plastic. The company which made the pieces did so more than 50 years ago in upstate New York .....ALFCO-NY ...stands for Artist Latex Foam Company of New York. They worked primarily on Nativity scenes, cigar store Indians and decorative and mounted horse heads. The company is now out of business. They were located in New Rochelle, New York, and were responsible for crafting the resin-based home/restaurant decor ship figurehead reproductions in the 1960's and 1970's. Another church in Spencer City had a nativity set like ours and they redid it as well...it took seven people combined working more than 340 hours of labor on the project Sheila and I feel blessed that our set did not take as much restoration as theirs appeared to need! We hope you will enjoy and treasure this nativity set for many more years to come. Kind regards, Robbie Coller Together in Faith: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” Matthew 3:3
Jesus continues to come into our world, and we are the ones who continue to prepare his way. Advent invites us to search for our own unique opportunities to do just that! Liturgical Decorations: The flowers on the Altar are sponsored today by Becky Ford in thanksgiving for the 36th anniversary of Fr. Steve’s ordination to the priesthood. Christmas Compassion: This year St. Mark’s will sponsor five low income families with children at Christmas. We would like the families to enjoy a full beautiful Christmas with a tree, decorations, dinner, and gifts of clothes and toys. We will gather donations and purchase gift cards for groceries, gas, and department stores. This will facilitate the purchase of clothes and toys, to avoid sizes and gender lists. Pre-owned, good condition Christmas trees and decorations will be appreciated. Anyone willing to help with this project, please contact Fr. Gerardo Brambila or Gloria McManus in the office. Christmas Flowers: Remember a loved one or offer thanks in our Christmas Eve service bulletins. Please fill out a Christmas Flowers form found in the pew pocket or Narthex and enclose it with your payment in the envelope provided. Forms and money are due no later than Wednesday, December 16th. Calling Bishop’s Committee Candidates: Will you consider running? As a candidate, you will need to be a member in good standing, committed to growing spiritually, and supportive of both the mission and ministries of our church. If you meet these expectations and would like to explore serving on the Bishop’s Committee, please contact Fr. Gerardo at 480-964-5820 no later that December, 16th. Thrift Store Holiday Hours: MarkDowns Thrift Store will close on December 22nd and reopen on January 10th. It will be open on December 27th from 9 am to Noon during the Food Pantry operation. Thank you so much for being our customers. We appreciate all of those that donate to us and those that buy. From, Sally Worthington (Ministry Leader) and Volunteer Staff Upcoming Ministry Meetings:
Mark Your Calendars:
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We appreciate your secure online donation to St. Mark's, using either PayPal or through the Diocese of Arizona using FaithStreet. PayPal sends your donation directly to St. Mark's. For FaithStreet, please select "St. Mark's Mesa" from the drop down menu under "select a fund."
Archives
March 2024
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We appreciate your secure online donation to St. Mark's, using either PayPal or through the Diocese of Arizona using FaithStreet. PayPal sends your donation directly to St. Mark's. For FaithStreet, please select "St. Mark's Mesa" from the drop down menu under "select a fund."
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