Monday, 18 March 2024

St. John’s Episcopal Church hosts Christmas Eve service

LAKEPORT, Calif. – St. John’s Episcopal Church in Lakeport invites the community to its annual candlelight Christmas Eve service to be held on Tuesday, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m.

St John’s is located at 1190 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, on the corner of Clearlake Ave.

St. John’s has held annual Christmas Eve services since 1899. The church’s motto is “The Episcopal Church welcomes you,” and they are proud of their history of inclusion for all people who step through their gate and into the doors of the beautiful place of worship.

The Reverend Brother Jude Hill of the Society of Saint Francis will preside, with Brother Desmond Alban preaching.

Ever wondered where the Christmas Crèche came from?

It was the year 1223 in the town of Greccio, just outside Assisi in Italy. The town was preparing to celebrate Christmas.

The priest of the parish decided to invite a funny little preacher man and his band of followers to preach at the mass, a man called Francis, from Assisi.

You can imagine his shock when Francis arrived with a young mother and small baby, with an ox and a donkey and a shepherd and sheep and his sermon was the re-enacting of the nativity story from the Gospel according to Saint Luke.

Hence began the tradition of the Christmas Crèche, and for many years people would act out the Christmas story. Sadly, soon people substituted inanimate figures for real people. But thus began the tradition of the crèche.

Saint Francis was born in Assisi in Italy in the year 1182 and, after four great conversion experiences, gave away everything he possessed and lived and worked among the lepers and preached on street corners and begged for his food.

Soon many ordinary and wealthy people joined him, inspired by his life and wanting to live his way of life to serve the poor and those in need and to depend totally on God’s loving generosity.

Dozens who joined him soon grew to hundreds and thousands and then millions before he died at the age of 44 in 1226.

Since then, many millions of men and women have been inspired to follow his way of living a simple life and caring for the poor and needy.

The Society of Saint Francis was founded in 1919 in Wisconsin and has been doing this ever since in houses all over the United States. Brothers live under the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and wear the familiar brown robe and white rope with its three knots. Next year they celebrate their centenary.

In 1969 the Society merged with the worldwide Order of Anglican/Episcopal Franciscans, with houses all over the world to continue this ministry.

This spring, the brothers hope to move to The Hermitage of Our Lady of the Angels in Kelseyville, atop the hill on Diamond Dust Trail. They are currently restoring the old hermitage occupied for 25 years by Father Leo Joseph and adding a new building there. It will become a small retreat house/meditation center for people who need to come away and recharge their batteries.

The brothers will also provide a priest at St John’s Episcopal Church Lakeport and be involved in the life and ministry there.

Brother Jude, who has been a Franciscan friar for 40 years and is a Jungian analyst and psychologist, will be celebrating the Christmas Eve Eucharist.

Brother Desmond Alban, the minister provincial (superior), a former science/astronomy teacher, will be preaching.

Brother Jude will be heading up the Hermitage and moving there to live with other brothers.

Come to the 7 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass and meet them and hear about the plans.

Upcoming Calendar

22Mar
03.22.2024 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
‘Steel Magnolias’
23Mar
03.23.2024 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
‘Steel Magnolias’
24Mar
03.24.2024 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
‘Steel Magnolias’
30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Lakeport Community Cleanup Day
31Mar
03.31.2024
Easter Sunday
1Apr
04.01.2024
Easter Monday
15Apr
04.15.2024
Tax Day
5May
05.05.2024
Cinco de Mayo
12May
05.12.2024
Mother's Day

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