On Sunday mornings, a devoted group of women gather in the sacristy, a small room just off the hallway between the chapel and sanctuary. This room is a bevy of metalware, linen, altar hangings and cleaning supplies. It is in this room that the work of St. John’s Altar Guild is centralized.
The purposes and objectives of the Altar Guild are as follows:
- Prepare the altars of St. John’s Episcopal Church for the religious services as they are scheduled
- Preserve, protect and beautify the altars of St. John’s Episcopal Church, and other areas committed to its charge, and keep them ready for use
- Provide, preserve, and maintain the dressings, furnishings, vestments, vessels, missals, and books used by clergy and ministers in the conduct of religious services
- Provide and maintain sufficient stock of consumable items associated with religious services, such as candles and the elements needed for the services of Holy Communion
- To participate in the wider life of the parish, supporting those activities, programs and/or projects with its resources and those of its membership, as deemed worthy and approved by the membership
Members of the Altar Guild generally work one Sunday per month preparing the altars for the 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM services. They also clean up after the services. Some members of the Altar Guild specialize in preparation for weddings, re-stocking the votive candles in the candle rack in the main church and in the chapel, washing and ironing linens, arranging poinsettias and lilies around the altars at Christmas and Easter and maintaining them, or participating in special cleaning days to polish metalware.
The Rector is President of the Altar Guild, and Virginia Burton and Sarah Babcock are the Directresses.
If you would like to join the Altar Guild, please contact Sarah Babcock, or any member of the Guild.
~Among all of the important contributions the members make to the parish, polishing the brass is a noticeable one. Below are photos of the members enjoying the fellowship of the brass work.
