A Good Enough Mother

by the Reverend Molly O'Neil Frank, Assisting Priest

When I was in my 30s, I remember reading The New York Times writer and novelist Anna Quindlen and being immensely comforted by her humorous and seemingly self-aware commonsensical take on motherhood. I can remember resonating with an observation that she made about the mythology of the perfect mother—the saintly ever patient mom who never gets angry and whose equanimity holds steady through the sleepless nights with a colicky baby right through the fretful ones with a teenager out past curfew.

The Seventh Sunday of Easter

Sunday, May 12

Join us in person at 8 am, 9 am, 11 am, or 5 pm

The Reverend Zack Nyein, Senior Associate Rector, will preach at all services this Sunday.



Join us online at 11 am. Download our service leaflet to follow along as we livestream from the church via our website, Facebook, and YouTube.



The Forum

Sunday, May 12 at 10 am

Mothers, Justice, and Health

Monique Rainford, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine and author of Pregnant While Black, commemorates Mother’s Day by reflecting on how we as a society can better protect mothers and their health.

Please post your questions in the comments section on Facebook or YouTube, or email the Reverend Peter D. Thompson at pthompson@stbarts.org.



This Sunday, all mothers and mother figures receive a pink carnation in honor of their loving contributions to our families and our society.

Mother’s Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1907, when Anna Jarvis held the first Mother's Day service of worship at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia.



With Hearts and Hands and Voices

Thank you, St. Bart’s, for supporting the With Hearts and Hands and Voices campaign for sacred music. Listen here to St. Bartholomew’s Choir Member, Robby Sweeney, speaking to the parish last Sunday.

Your gift to With Hearts and Hands and Voices will support all the ways that sacred music brings us together and inspires us. Make a gift online and select Gift Designation: Sacred Music Campaign, or include on the check memo.



Easter Triumph, Easter Joy: The Music of the Easter Season

Tuesdays through May 14, 7–8 pm, via Zoom

The clergy and staff of St. Bart’s explore some of the most beloved music associated with the Easter season. On Tuesday, May 14, Alexander Pattavina looks at Olivier Messiaen’s organ work L’Ascension. Learn more and register here.



Imagine Worship NYC: Spring 2024

Thursdays at 7 pm, in the church

Join us for a casual, contemporary, and inclusive candle-lit service with soulful original music led by Artist-in-Residence Mark Miller, followed by food and hospitality. Learn more.



The St. Bart’s Players present The Laramie Project

May 10-18 in the chapel



The St. Bart’s Players production of The Laramie Project will open on Friday, May 10 and run through Saturday, May 18. Click here for tickets and information on this production, a breathtaking collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.

St. Bart's LGBTQ+ Community Night: We are designating the 8 pm performance on May 17 as St. Bart's LGBTQ+ Community night, and St. Bart's Players are pleased to offer a $10 discount and free drink/snack voucher to this or any showing for members. Please purchase tickets at our.show/laramie using the code "SBLGBT" at checkout.



Crossroads' Everybody Eats Spring Fest

May 15, 2024, 5:30-8 pm, in the church

Join Crossroads Community Services in raising funds to combat hunger. Enjoy live entertainment, cocktails, and delicious eats. Be the Change. Give yourself permission to be a helper! Purchase tickets here.



Explore Class for Newcomers

Wednesdays, May 15, 22, and 29 at 7 pm, via Zoom

This three-week series is offered seasonally for newcomers. It offers an introduction to the Episcopal Church and an orientation to our community. This is a great next step for anyone curious about the church or looking to get involved. All are welcome! Register at stbarts.org/explore.



Learning Liberation: Prayer, Study, and Action for Social Justice

Thursday, May 16, 6-7 pm, in Room 44

Join us for a conversation with Nick Gordon, Director of Special Projects for the Bishop of New York, around diocesan efforts to address the asylum seeker crisis in our city, and to explore where St. Bart’s deep gladness can meet the city’s deep hunger. Nick will share concrete needs that we can respond to as a parish and help us to think through the theological grounding for this work. Please contact Associate for Visitor Services and Social Outreach Teagan Sage (tsage@stbarts.org) with any questions.



The Forum

Sunday, May 19 at 10 am

Hearing the Spirit's Call

Four members of the St. Bart's community exploring the possibility of ordination (Kate DiTullio, Nathan Peace, Bailey Regan, and Teagan Sage) reflect on how they hear the Spirit's call.



20s/30s May Picnic

Sunday, May 19, 1:15 pm, Cedar Hill in Central Park

Join other members of the St. Bart's community in their 20s and 30s for a picnic on Cedar Hill in Central Park (inside the 79th Street and 5th Avenue entrance). Meet in the back of the church after the 11 am service or meet us there! RSVP here.



Faith in Action: St. Bart’s Community Cookbook Project

We invite you to submit your favorite recipes to an Earth-friendly community cookbook. We encourage all recipes that feature an environmentally friendly spin, whether that be a fully plant-based entrée (say, cauliflower shawarma) or a simple lower-carbon swap (beef stroganoff that substitutes half of the beef for chicken). The cookbook will be made available online later this spring. Learn more and submit a recipe here.



2024 Pledge Campaign

I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11

The 2024 pledge campaign continues! St. Bart’s has received 311 pledges and over $1.1M pledged to date. A special thank you to our recent Pathfinders and Explore participants who made a pledge! To make a pledge, place your completed pledge card in the mail or visit stbarts.org/pledge. 

Your pledge is a critical resource for fulfilling the St. Bart’s shared mission. Your pledge is used to give benevolent aid and support, to pay clergy and staff salaries, to fund transformational initiatives, and to maintain our worship and community spaces. Your pledge to St. Bart’s makes a difference and your participation matters.



St. Bart’s Summer Camp

June 3–August 9

St. Bart's Summer Camp offers programs for ages 2–6 every week! Campers enjoy activities including sports in the full-sized gymnasium, outdoor play on the rooftop, arts and crafts, swimming, dance and movement! Learn more and register here.



The Mosaic Society

St. Bart’s established the Mosaic Society in 1997 to recognize and thank members and friends who have included St. Bart’s in their estate plans. To learn about making a planned gift to St. Bart’s and how you can arrange support for the future witness for Christ in this place visit the website and contact Jama Toung at jtoung@stbarts.org or 212-378-0278. The Mosaic Society will gather June 6 for its annual celebration of current and new members.



The Forum from Sunday, May 5

The Social Gospel

Sunday, May 5 at 11 am

The Sixth Sunday of Easter

The Sermon from Sunday, May 5 at 11 am

by the Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe