Dear Friends,

As I walk around Grace Church this Friday morning, I recognize that we are in the calm before the storm. Outside my office window, spring is springing. Tulips and daffodils have pushed through the dead thatch of winter. The magnificent magnolia tree is about to burst into flower, and the tourists and neighbors who want to bask in nature’s glory won’t be far behind. Opening day for the Yankees and the Mets has already occurred (with predictable results, I might add). Grace Church School students will return from spring break on Monday, bringing with them all the energy that makes the campus buzz during the week. Soon it will be Holy Week and Easter, the time we remember and celebrate the central proclamations of the Christian faith.

Immediately following Easter, the lull in our efforts to restore Grace Church will come to an end. Scaffolding will return to the south aisle, though not with as big a footprint as we had last year. Four stained glass windows – three in the south aisle and one above the columbarium – will be removed for a complete refurbishment. Also, as the weather warms it is our goal to repair and waterproof numerous exterior facades. If all goes well, this summer you will see the parish house and rectory encased in scaffolding. Scaffolding is good! We make no apology for it to people who think it is unsightly. It shows that we care, and that we are participating in the renewal of the world God has made. Thank you for your capital campaign gifts that are making the work possible. 

Before we all get caught up in the joyful activities that are just ahead, I want to call your attention to one event that I hope you will put on your calendars now. I refer to the celebration of Patrick Allen’s 25th Anniversary as Organist and Choirmaster of Grace Church. The date is Friday, April 25, beginning with Annual Spring Choir Concert at 7 pm in the church, followed by a festive reception outdoors in Huntington Close (Tuttle Hall in case of rain). 25 years is an extraordinary achievement for Patrick. What a blessing for Grace Church he has been – and will continue to be. Music has always occupied a central place in the ministries of Grace Church, but Patrick has taken it to another level and brought along with him a generation of choristers and their families. He has instilled in them a love of music, and the liturgy, and the Lord whose praises we strive to sing.  

We are hoping for a full church on April 25. Patrick has requested that all gifts in honor of the occasion be directed to the Choir Special Projects Fund, which will be essential in sending the choir on a concert tour of France in the summer of 2026. Check out the link here for how to give, and give thanks, and celebrate. Do it today, while the doing is good.

See you in church,

Don