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| Grace Church prides
itself on being a parish strong on teaching. By
dipping into the pages on Jesus Christ, the
sacraments, weekly homilies, pastoral letters
and reports, you too can be challenged, uplifted
and informed as we are every Sunday.
"All guests who
present themselves
are to be welcomed as
Christ."
The Paschal Candle
The Easter Triduum is simply the beginning
of Eastertime, for the festival lasts fully
fifty days until the Day of Pentecost.
Throughout this time, the principal sign of
the crucified and raised Christ in our midst
is the Paschal Candle blessed in the
darkness just before dawn on Easter Day.
Extinguished on the Day of Pentecost,
throughout the remainder of the year the
Paschal Candle stands by the Font. It is lit
for baptisms and funerals as a sign that
baptized Christians have died already with
Christ and now live in him for ever.
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The Font
Lent began as a time of preparation for
Easter baptism, once upon a time the only
day in the year when this sacrament of new
life was celebrated. Because we do not
baptize in Lent the life-giving waters are
drained away, and the dry font is sealed for
forty days and nights. At the Easter Vigil
the Font is blessed for the celebration of
baptism, and now overflows with life-giving
water.
New
Church Plans
Meyer
Shircore
Architects
have been
working on
our new
church
design, and
Mark II of
the floor
plan is now
complete. Shortly,
this will be
available
for viewing
and
discussion. The new
worship
space seats
comfortably
160 people
(currently
80), opening
out into a
paved
courtyard
for larger
occasions. There will
also be a
spacious
entrance,
meeting
room, church
office,
kitchen,
sacristy,
bathrooms,
and storage
area. Our
garden
continues to
be available
to us, but
will be more
sheltered
and secure
from the
street. Provision of
a rectory
apartment on
the top
floor of the
three-level
building is
also being
discussed. In
conjunction
with
diocesan
authorities,
Parish
Council will
be
functioning
as our local
building
committee.
"Christ, look upon us in this
city
and keep our sympathy and pity fresh
and our faces heavenward,
lest we grow
hard."
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