Prayer Cycle for the Week of Sept. 27, 2026

The power of prayer keeps us connected with God and each other.

We invite you to pray daily for yourself, your family, and for our parish family.
Note: The cycle of prayer for parish members is from our Parish Directory.

LINK TO OUR WEBSITE
LINK TO SUNDAY WORSHIP BULLETINS
LINK TO DAILY PRAYERS ONLINE

The Fourth Sunday of Creation Season  
Proper 21 Collect 

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. -BCP

John Coleridge Patteson, Bishop, and his Companions, Martyrs, 1871
  The names below, "LFF" are celebrations from "Lesser Feasts and Fasts", online 2025. Holy Days are in the Book of Common Prayer.  https://www.episcopalchurch.org/wpcontent/uploads/2025/03/lesser_feasts_and_fasts_-_2024__final_.pdf

Prayers and Gratitude for the Parish 

 David, Isabel, Gary, Judy, Matthew, Chris, Pam, Ray, Kay, Jane, Daphne, Kissa, Carolyn, Charlotte, Stephen, Bill, Gregory, Tim, Tasha, Gloria, Helen, Fran, Milinda, Don, Jill, Mel, John, Rebekah, Zack, Michelle, Harrison, Elisha, Scott, and Jacob.  

We give thanks for the rich abundance of wetland grasses and for Richard, who is deployed in service to our Nation.

Prayers for Friends of St. Benedict

Nancy Jo, Adam, Tina, Amanda, Jess, Tim, Gary, Shane, Marianne, Ron, Kelly, Oran, Judy, Michael, Kevin, Lauri, Jason, Cindy, Beverly, and Tanner

Prayers for the Departed 

Prayers for Birthdays & Anniversaries
__________________________________________

In the case of a pastoral care emergency, please call the Rector directly
360-485-7281

Monday - September 28 - For Parish Members

Jody
John

Paula and Eustochium of Rome, Monastics and Scholars, 404 and c.419

Tuesday - September 29 - For Parish Members

Barb
Eleanor

Wednesday - September 30 - For Parish Members

Bob
Karen

Jerome, Priest, and Scholar, 420

Thursday - October 1 - For Parish Members

Felicia
Arianna
Zyllah
Serenity

Thérèse of Lisieux, Monastic, 1897

Friday - October 2 - For Parish Members

Donald
Chun (Jenny)

Remigius of Rheims, Bishop, c.530

Saturday - October 3- For Parish Members

Bob 

John Raleigh Mott, Ecumenist and Missionary, 1955

Sunday - October 4, 2026
St Francis Day

Make me an instrument of your peace...

Worship Services - 8 am and 10:30 am  

For the members of our parish family that
passed away  this year:

Mary Eberling
Kathleen Bruner
Kristie Louise Gouley
Paul Conroy
Judith Rockwell
Carolyn Baldwin
Charlotte Dickison

Give to the departed eternal rest;
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Parish Office:

Call or leave a message for an Appointment
office@stbenedictlacey.org

Vestry members:

Gerald Apple, Bob Beckman, Dianne Hoist, Vicky Newlun, Nancy Zabel

Parish Leaders:

The Rev (Dr) Beth Echols
Rector

The Rev. Kathy Prehm,
Associate Priest

The Rev. Tony Irving,
Deacon

Mr. Jeff Zahir
Senior Warden

Mr. Norman Gregory
Junior Warden

Mrs. Karen Monroe,
Maestra

If you ring it, they will come (Updated Oct. 1st)

Summoning the faithful to worship by the ringing of bells is an ancient tradition in the Christian church; one that is especially beloved in the Anglican/Episcopal tradition. The British have developed it into an art form, known as change ringing. When St. Benedict Episcopal Church was built in 1987 the original design called for a bell tower. However, money ran out and the tower was never completed. After a nearly 40-year wait, that plan is finally coming to fruition. We are in the process of building that long-awaited bell tower. This page will document that progress.

To follow the journey from the beginning,
jump to the bottom of the page, and scroll up.

At long last the bell is installed and the tower is complete. It rang for the first time for the funeral of Charlotte Dickison, one of our founding members, who looked forward with anticipation to her church getting a bell after a 39 year wait.

Monday, September 14, was a historic day in the history of St. Benedict Episcopal Church.  The tower was raised by a giant crane, and the bell from All Saints Episcopal Church, Seattle, WA, was installed.  Even Sheriff Sanders dropped by to take a look.

Special shout-out to our own Norman, who carried the vision of our founders forward, who envisioned a bell tower generations ago.  We were also blessed with parishioners who stepped forward in labor, Bob Wille and Bob Knudson, Clarice Gregory, and others.  And to the many parishioners who have supported this project in funding and prayers.  Thank You

The Lord has commissioned our Congregation to call the people of Lacey to worship, and we shall.

The scaffolding is up. The materials have arrived. As soon as the crane arrives, construction can begin.

Our Sunday School children (and one big kid!) testing our new bell.

A Second Bell Finds a New Home! 

A hearty thanks to Bob Knudson and Bob Wille, who, with the passion and inspiration of Norman Gregory, have given St. Benedict another bell, much bigger and older than the first.  Construction has started on the tower as well. We stand in awe and gratitude for the blessings that we have received. 

We welcome contributions towards the
bell and construction of the tower.

A bell tower needs a good foundation. We don’t want our tower to lean like that that one in Pisa. Forms set and concrete poured. Word has gotten out. Todd Henderson, the Canon for Property in the Diocese of Olympia came to visit. He is being shown the progress by our Junior Warden, Norman Gregory. Mr. Henderson be on the look-out for a second bell we can use.

Our bell will need strong brackets to hold it in place. Bell ringers can be enthusiastic. Here is Arthur Fischer from the Barony of Glimm Mere group that meets at St Benedict. He came to offer his professional welding skills to help Norman and Clarice make custom bell tower brackets as called for by the structural engineer.

A bell needs a tower. The designer of the St. Benedict Bell Tower is Dennis Lyons, shown here with the model for his design. Mr. Lyons is a known craftsman in our Community who is behind many of the projects that you see throughout the neighborhood.

It starts with a bell. We searched for a bell, and found an Episcopal Church willing to donate one. A good start, but we are looking for a companion, so it won’t feel lonely.

Your Altar Guild

-From the Sacristan

I just want to give a shout-out to my incredible team, who spent 2 days cleaning the nave and sanctuary. Janet, Julian, Barb, and Sharon worked long hours to vacuum the pews, remove spilled wax, polish the furniture, and prepare for a burial service.  

I hope you noticed the shine when you walked in. We are a small team with busy lives, so we would love to have a few new people join us. Stop into the sacristy after church and see what goes on back there, or contact me. Come and be part of our team.    

(St. Benedict is grateful for all of the members of the Altar Guild and especially for the tireless devotion and leadership of our most awesome Sacristan, Nancy Zabel.  Job Well Done! -The Congregation)

Sunday School Field Trip on Oct. 11th

The Sunday school class is going to enjoy the newest, largest Lacey Park on October 11that 2; 00 p.m. We will meet at Greg Cuoio Park at 2711 Carpenter Rd. N.E. near the Park Pavilion. Bring a snack and your walking shoes for a short nature trail walk, and we will also enjoy the newly constructed playground area. Come join us for a fun fall outing! If you have any questions, please contact Caroline Madden or Kelly Ellis .

The Power of Orange

We have been wearing orange on Sundays to remember our bond with nature.  We have also been exploring what Scripture says about Creation during Adult Education.

Did you know that each year on Sept. 30th, known as Orange Shirt Day, Tribal Nations across North America pay tribute to the Native children who were forcibly removed from their families and placed in boarding and residential schools.

Come and join us during Adult Education on Sunday, October 4, 9:15 am, as we review the St. Benedict Episcopal Church in the Parish of Lacey Land Acknowledgement.  I hope that you will join us and be part of the conversation.

St. Francis Day, Blessing of the Animals

Remember to bring your pets, plants, and all parts of God's good creation on Sunday. Both Services will begin with the prayer for our companions. You are welcome to remain in Church with your pets and bring them up for Communion.

Charlotte Dickison laid to Rest

The Congregation laid to rest one of the founding members of the Church, Charlotte Louise Dickison, on September 26. Please keep Charlotte, her family, and all of the faithful departed in your prayers.

Name the Bell Contest

Have you submitted your idea to name our bells?  There is a labeled basket in the Narthex where you can place your suggestions. The last day to put in your suggestions is WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th.
 
A ballot will be made with all the suggestions for the congregation to vote for the top five names. Ballots will be distributed on Sunday, October 4th, and must be returned by October 14th.

The names will be announced at the All Saints Day Service on November 1.
 
Let's get out the vote.

The Book Club is reading the book: "Theo of Golden "

The Wednesday Morning Book Group is reading the book: Theo of Golden: A Novel by Allen Levi. We expect to start discussing Theo of Golden at our 11:00 am Zoom meeting on Wednesday, August 19th, 2026.

If you’re new to the group and wish to join us, please send me an email, and I’ll send you a link to the meeting.  

Send the email to Anne Metzler at annieg426@gmail.com . 

Episcopal News Service

The Episcopal News Service (ENS) has been added to the St. Benedict Web Site for your convenience.  It is a successor to the bi-weekly paper, Episcopal News, that ran from 1835 to 1937. Episcopal News Service  offers in-depth reporting of local, regional, national and international news for Episcopalians and others interested in the church’s mission and ministry. Episcopal News Service is the official news source of the Episcopal Church.

The link will be posted each week for your easy access.  We hope that you find this new service helpful, click on the link below. 

Wednesday Healing Service

The Episcopal Church has an established tradition of providing healing services. The St. Benedict Healing service is a public gathering where folks come together to pray for healing and wholeness for themselves and others, with the laying on of hands and anointing with oil. The Service emphasizes prayer, spiritual support, and a sense of community in seeking God's healing presence.

Our community is blessed with the Great Cloud of Witnesses and so we call on the Saints of our faith to inspire us to wholeness.

We gather each Wednesday at the side chapel at 12:15. I hope you will join us.