The week of August 8

Join us this week at St. Stephen’s

Monday August 7  

The Ambassador deadline

Wednesday August 10 –

6:00 pm – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant

Incense will be offered at this Mass

Supper following at a local restaurant

Thursday August 11 –

2:00 pm – Requiem Mass for Elizabeth “Betty” Spur (+7/27/2016)

Fr. Jamie, celebrant

James Mackay, music

Michelle Gelinske Patnode, cantor/soloist

Friday August 12

Fr. Jamie’s day off

Sunday August 14  – 12 Pentecost

11:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Coffee Hour following

Fiber Arts Festival 2016

Please join John Baird at the Fiber Arts Festival this weekend at Rheault Farm in south Fargo (all apologies to John that I did not get this information out earlier)

Obituary for Betty Spur

Elizabeth Spur, 80, Fargo, ND, died Wednesday, July 27, 2016, from kidney failure in Sanford Palliative Care Unit.

Elizabeth was born August 31, 1935, in the rural mountains of West Virginia. She lost her parents at the age of five and was adopted by relatives who lovingly raised her and supported her in her many and varied school activities, including Honor Society, Drama, Speech Founder Charter of the Thespian Gavel and Mark Society, and head majorette.

She was an Ohio Medical College graduate and Maumee Valley Hospital RN in Toledo, OH. She served as National Program Chair for the National League of Student Nurses. After graduating from nursing school, she worked as an RN in Cleveland, OH, at St. Alexis Hospital and Parma Community Hospital.

She married Dr. John Spur on October 27, 1956, in Cleveland, OH. During their fifty-two year marriage, she supported his education and career and faithfully tended to him in his later years before his death in 2008. Together, they raised four children and had one grandson. She supported her children’s activities in Girl Scouts, Brownies, hockey, Indian Scouts, art and piano lessons.

For most of her life, Elizabeth suffered from debilitating disease processes including Crohns disease. During her well periods, she enjoyed travel, community involvement, and the outdoors.

Her most treasured travel experience was a spiritual pilgrimage to Israel. Her most joyous adventure occurred in Florida while working with the US Coast Guard in saving the Right whale, the largest creature on earth. Elizabeth sighted a previously undetected Right whale. Her monitoring efforts and findings led to the US Coast Guard closing a shipping lane so the mother whale could successfully give birth without injury due to passing ships.

Her community involvement included adopting immigrant families and working with Head Start programs.

She enjoyed the outdoors, especially gardening to provide fresh vegetables and berries to family and friends and planting brightly colored flowers to provide substance to butterflies and bees.

In her final days, she enjoyed visiting with friends on her front porch, admiring apple trees lovingly pruned by her late husband, watching bunnies and birds feeding in the grass, feeling the breeze on her face, and watching trees wave and leaves flutter in the wind.

In her final hours she repeatedly said, “I’m happy.”

Elizabeth and her family greatly appreciate the kindness and caring of those who prayed with her, for her, and over her. Special thank you to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and Sanford Palliative Care.

A memorial service will be Thursday, August 11, 2016, at 2 PM, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 120 - 21st Avenue North, Fargo. The service will be presided by Father Jamie Parsley. Reception at St. Stephen’s will follow the funeral.

In lieu of flowers, Elizabeth and the family would ask that you consider a donation to the charity of your choice.

The Feast of the Finding of the Relics of St. Stephen

August 3 is the little known feast of the Finding of the Relics of St. Stephen (I always say it’s good to take any opportunity to celebrate our patron saint):

O Lord, grant that we may imitate what we worship so we may learn to love even our enemies, as we celebrate the finding of the body of him, who knew how to pray for his persecutors, to our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen. 

High Plains Reader article featuring Dan Nygard and his reunited band

In case you missed it in the High Plains Reader, here is an article in which our very own Dan Nygard and his reunited band, The Krebscouts, are featured:

http://hpr1.com/index.php/arts-entertainment/music/punk-rock-reunion

Requiem Eucharist for Betty Spur set

The Requiem Eucharist for Elizabeth “Betty” Spur has been set for Thursday, August 11 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Stephen’s

Burial of ashes will follow in the St. Stephen’s Memorial Garden  

A reception for Betty will be held following the service.

Your continued prayers for the repose of Betty’s soul, as well as prayers for her family, are requested. 

Prayers for Sandy Kenz

The prayers of St. Stephen’s are requested for Sandy Kenz, who had surgery last night to repair an ulcer and to have her appendix removed.

Please no visitors at this time.

O God of heavenly powers, by the might of your command

you drive away from our bodies all sickness and all infirmity:

Be present in your goodness with your servant Sandy, that her

weakness may be banished and her strength restored; and that,

her health being renewed, she may bless your holy Name;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.