Habemus Papem

Dear beloved of Trinity,

Yesterday, on the second day of the conclave, white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel—a signal to the world that a decision had been made. The 133 Cardinals, representing 70 nations, had reached a sacred consensus: a new pope had been chosen. Through these men, it is believed, the Holy Spirit has moved—God Himself has spoken.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, becomes the 267th successor to St. Peter and the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics around the globe. He now bears the mantle not only as the Holy Father, but as one of the most recognizable symbols of Christianity in the world.

From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, overlooking a sea of thousands gathered, Pope Leo addressed the faithful with words of hope and challenge:

“We have to look together at how to be a missionary Church—building bridges, engaging in dialogue, always ready to receive others with open arms. Like this square—open to all—so must we be open to everyone who needs our charity, our presence, our dialogue, our love.”

In these uncertain times, we are in need of a leader who can call us to unity, who can help us rise above division. We need someone with open arms and an open heart to embrace the beauty and dignity of all God’s children. We need a shepherd marked by both humility and courage—ready to proclaim the Good News of Christ to a world aching for truth, justice, and love.

In the days and weeks ahead, I invite you to pray for Pope Leo. May his leadership and ministry breathe new life into the Church—one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. And may we, wherever we are in the Body of Christ, be inspired to live out our common mission: to share God’s boundless love with the whole world.

Easter Blessings,

Paul

Save the Date! VBS

Trinity Church's Vacation Bible School will take place June 23-June 27, 2025, from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. 

Programming will be for children in grades prek-6 and will have stations for Bible stories, music, crafts, STEM, and recreational games. Snack will be provided.

Official registration info to come next week! In the meantime, please email Annie at brysona@trinityprinceton.org with questions. 

Important! We need many volunteers to make this happen. Please email Annie if you are interested in volunteering as a "station leader" or a "group leader". A curriculum will be provided to all station leaders. Middle School and High School students are more than welcome and encouraged to volunteer as helpers.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this fun, important summer activity for our church!

Trinity Church Choir Benefit Tea

 Sunday, May 18, 2025, 3:00-4:30 pm

You are invited to join us for a delicious traditional English Tea at Trinity Church.  Return to an elegant era and have a ‘cuppa’ delicious tea especially blended for this occasion, plus homemade scones with clotted cream and jam, savories, and sweets, all served by formally garbed waitstaff and surrounded by lovely floral arrangements.  

Best of all, you will be helping our magnificent choir continue to make beautiful music, not only here in Trinity Church but on an invited tour to sing at English cathedrals in 2026!   Our choirs will sing for a week at Ely Cathedral and will be the Choir in Residence for an entire week at Westminster Abbey - an amazing opportunity for an outstanding choir!

This special event is priced at $45 per person for a regular ticket, or $85 for the Champagne Experience, which includes champagne and cocktails/mocktails, and a take home gift bag.

Seating is limited, so reserve your tickets now by contacting Terri Brown at terribrown4@gmail.com or 609-915-3800.  Or, tickets can be purchased in person on Sunday, May 11 between the 8am and 10:30 services outside Pierce Hall, and in the narthex after the 10:30 services.

Wake Up

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

There was a time when sleeping was no problem for me. Once I went to bed, I could sleep through the night without stirring until morning. But then, the battle would begin. The alarm would go off, and no matter what I set my “clock-radio” to—classical music, smooth jazz, or nature sounds—no matter how soft or soothing the volume, it always felt like a fire truck siren pounding my eardrums with a sledgehammer. I would groan as if in pain, hit the snooze button, and repeat the cycle every eight minutes for three or four rounds until someone downstairs would yell, “Paul, wake up! Get up! You’re going to miss the bus!”

Waking up can be hard. Sometimes we don’t want to wake up—we’d much rather stay wrapped in the warmth of our bed and the comfort of our dreams. But life isn’t meant to be slept through. We sleep because our bodies and minds need rest in order to live and thrive. What would life be if we slept through it? Unfortunately, at times that’s exactly what we do.

Easter calls us to wake up. Wake from our slumber. Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls to the amazing gift of life and the truth of God’s love.

In Growing into God: A Beginner’s Guide to Christian Mysticism, John Mabry writes:

“We come from God, and to God we long to return. But how? The Christian tradition is filled with saints and sinners just like us, pilgrims and mystics who have traveled this road in search of spiritual maturity. They sent us letters outlining exactly how to wake up, how to remember our true nature, and how to return to the Divine Presence.”

John Philip Newell, in Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul, reminds us that our Christian journey—perhaps more accurately, our human journey—“is about waking up to a knowledge that is deep in the very fabric of our being. It is about living in relationship to this wisdom.” He continues, “The problem is that we keep going back to sleep, or otherwise live in ways that neglect this deep knowing.”

Dear friends, the alarm has sounded in the joyous proclamation of Easter:
Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Wake up, dear ones!
Wake to life and love.
Wake to joy and hope.

Wake to beauty and possibilities.
Now is the time to live—fully awake, fully alive—in the truth of God’s redeeming love.

Easter Blessings,

Paul

WorkWell Forum

In recent years, Trinity has held an ongoing dialogue about incarceration and the modern prison-industrial complex. We’ve read about and heard from people familiar with the struggles of life behind bars. Now it’s time to consider this: How do those who have spent years in prison adjust to life outside? 

Join us for the forum hour on April 27 to hear how one nonprofit, the Workwell Partnership, is addressing this issue. A Trinity outreach partner, WorkWell provides job- and life-skills training to returning citizens. Hear what one man has to say about how WorkWell changed his life—and from some of the people who have helped lead the program: Executive Director Jeannette Rizk and board members Connie Leyden and Tom Gates.  

I’m headed on the straight and narrow. Treat people the way you want to be treated—you never know when you are going to run into an angel. And they do walk the face of the earth.         

   —WorkWell graduate Murray 

WorkWell sessions are like therapy—they sprinkled stardust on me. I found courage to be a better man, not just for myself but for the community.

  —WorkWell graduate Larry

Oregon Trailblazers

Oregon Trailblazers May Gathering: Saturday, May 17

On Saturday, May 17, the Oregon Trailblazers fellowship will celebrate the end of the program year with a potluck. To celebrate Mtr. Kara's impending sabbatical departure, the theme this month will be Wild West. Bring tacos, barbecue, or anything else festive! Sign up here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1moYWLZgHG4OK7St6dz4ZtOxfTqk9yAAwmQUP1A8xa5k/edit?usp=sharing

Candle-making for the Choir Tea

20's-30s Event: Candle-making for the Choir Tea, Sunday, May 4

On Sunday, May 4, the 20s-30s Fellowship will share sandwiches and help out with a project to make candle centerpieces for the Choir Tea. Join us for fun with a purpose, supporting our choir as they prepare for their trip to England next summer. As always, RSVP here to make sure we order enough food:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbUwPzgavJWrHQoKV1gjR9PKA3h1-yWXjNfxDaJiHpImcSOw/viewform?usp=sharing

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