Prayer Cycle for the Week of Nov. 1, 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 Feast of All Saints Day
All Saints Day Collect 

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.- BCP

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, Stephen, Bill, Gregory, Tim, Tasha, Gloria, Helen, Fran, Milinda, Don, John, Rebekah, Zack, Michelle, Harrison, Elisha, Scott, Jacob, Sonny, and Douglas.
We pray that the built and natural environments of our parish will grow in harmony with one another.    

 Prayers for Friends of St. Benedict

Nancy Jo, Adam, Tina, Amanda, Jess, Tim, Gary, Shane, Marianne, Ron, Kelly, Oran, Judy, Michael, 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 - November 2 - All Souls
All the Faithful Departed

O God, the Maker and Redeemer of all believers: Grant to the faithful departed the unsearchable benefits of the passion of your Son; that on the day of his appearing they may be manifested as your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.- BCP

Tuesday - November 3 - For Parish Members

Andrew 

Richard Hooker, Priest and Theologian, 1600

Wednesday - November 4 - For Parish Members

Devin
Sam
Lillian
Mathias

Adeline Blanchard Tyler and her Companions

Thursday - November 5 - For Parish

Kaye

Friday - November 6 - For Parish Members

Tricia

William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1944

           Saturday - November 7- For Parish Members

Patricia

Willibrord, Bishop and Missionary, 739

Sunday - November 8, 2026

Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

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

Harvest Sunday: November 22nd

Harvest Sunday is November 22nd. During the month of November, please bring items for the food bank. There will be a suggested list in the Narthex.  Put your donation items in the basket in front of the altar. They will be blessed and then delivered to the Food Bank on November 23rd. 

Voting in 2026

Prepared by Karen Fraser

(This is an occasional article that relates the Congregation of St. Benedict Episcopal Church relationship to the Parish of Lacey)

We all know how absolutely fundamental voting is in our country.  

• It assures that “we the people” have influence over the values and priorities of each level of government.

• It assures we each have a voice in who our public leaders will be.  

• Through voting, we are basically setting the table for how our government will prioritize and organize and how it will treat the public.

 
The US Constitution states that the right to vote applies to all citizens ages 18 and over.  
 
In the State of Washington, registering to vote can take place up to and including Election Day.  So, if you know someone who is not registered, there is still time for them to do so.
More information on this is below.

The General Election this year will be on Tuesday, November 3---not many days away. Everyone is encouraged to vote---to register your values and opinions.
 
On the ballot will be:

• Members of the US House of Representatives

• Members of the Washington State Legislature

• Five State Supreme Court Justices, serving statewide

• One State Court of Appeals Judge, serving our region of the state

• One District Court Judge, serving Thurston County

• Two Thurston County Commissioners

• Seven Thurston County elected officials who are department heads for:  Sheriff, Auditor, Treasurer, Assessor, Clerk, Coroner, Prosecuting Attorney  

• Two Thurston County Public Utility District Commissioners.  The PUD manages a variety of drinking water systems.

• Three initiatives for the people, containing proposals for state policies,

The text, summaries, fiscal impact statements, and arguments for and against each, written by committees and not the Secretary of State, are in the Voters’ Pamphlet.

• One local ballot measure about libraries.

• A Lacey Fire District bond measure, to be voted on by residents of the District only.

 
Information on all these ballot measures is in the Voters’ Pamphlet.
 
In Washington, we vote by mail. This makes voting easily accessible and convenient for everyone. You can take whatever time you need to consider each candidate and ballot measure.
 
Everyone should have received their ballot by now, and your Voter Pamphlet. 
 
It’s exceptionally important to be attentive to turning your ballot in on time so it can be counted.  If it is even one minute late, it will not be counted.
 
The absolute deadline is 8 pm, Tuesday, November. 3. It’s soon!
 
There are three ways to ensure your ballot gets in on time:

• Totally reliable:  Drop it in a Ballot Drop Box any time between now and 8 pm on Tuesday, Nov 3.  A list of all locations is in the envelope your ballot came in, on yellow paper.

• Totally reliable, should you choose to do it, is to vote in person at the Thurston County Auditor’s Office before 8 pm, on Tuesday, November 3.  Address is:  3000 Pacific Avenue SE, Olympia, 98501.

• Less reliable, I’m sorry to say, is to put it in the postal mail.  The challenge with turning in your ballot via the US Postal Service is that it must be postmarked by 8 pm on November 3 to be counted.  

There is no guarantee that if you drop your ballot in the mail on Election Day, or a few days before, it will be postmarked on or before 8 pm on November 3.  
 
This is because the speed at which mail is currently being processed is often slower than it used to be.  This is due to cost-cutting measures taking place in the Postal Service.  These are affecting mail pick-up, sorting, and delivery.
  
Thus, the closer to election day that you put your ballot in the mail, the greater the risk your ballot might be affected by delays and not arrive at the County Election Headquarters on time to be counted.       
 
Therefore, this year, state and county election officials are strongly urging people to cast their votes by placing their ballots in Ballot Drop Boxes, rather than sending them through the mail.   
 
Placing your ballot in a Ballot Drop Box assures it will arrive at the County Election Headquarters in time to be counted.
 
Again, there is a list of locations of Ballot Drop Boxes in your ballot envelope.  
 
You can register to vote up to 8 pm, November 3
In Washington State, you can register to vote until the polls close.  Here’s how:

1. To register online, go to Vote WA.gov for information on how to do it.

2. To register by mail, print a form on Vote WA.gov, fill it out, and mail it to the Thurston County Elections Office.  Must arrive by October 26.  If you think you might miss this deadline, deliver it in person to the Thurston County Auditor’s Office at 3000 Pacific Avenue SE, Olympia, 98501.

3. To register in person, go to the Thurston County Auditor’s Office before 8 pm, November 3.  Address:  3000 Pacific Avenue SE, Olympia  98501

 
A couple of other information points about ballots.

• Some people worry that ballot counting might be tampered with by “outside parties.”

This cannot happen.  In Thurston County and throughout the country, NO BALLOT COUNTING IS DONE ON THE INTERNET.  It is always separate and self-contained.

• You can watch ballot processing yourself.  Go to the county ballot processing center in the Mottman Industrial Park in Tumwater. They will gladly welcome you.  

To Summarize:

• Be sure to vote before Tuesday, November 3, at 8 pm

• I encourage you to vote by placing your ballot in a Ballot Drop Box.

 I’d be happy to chat with anyone about election procedures at Coffee.  

Silent Pledges

Jeff Zahir, Senior Warden

Something human happened in the aftermath of the tragedy in Bend Oregon last week.  The whole community noticed that everyone and everything had grown silent. 

Anything that could have been said would have been reductive.  Even crying was superfluous.  A community in witness doesn’t need to be coordinated.  It is governed by their shared humanity.

I hope that when you pledge your time, talent and treasure for our St. Benedict community, you will take a moment of silence to feel our shared humanity as a witness to Christ’s Passion.

The bell tower is completed, next up: the sewer project!

After years, decades even, of discussion, consultation, and concern, the St. Benedict Episcopal Church sewer project is underway.  A giant shout-out to our lead volunteer, Bob Beckman, and our Junior Warden, Norman Gregory, as well as your Vestry.

It was always the right thing to do, and now is the right time. The neighbors have been notified with apologies for any inconvenience and with hope for our shared future in our Parish.

Please be sure to thank Bob at Church on Sunday and Norman when he and Clarice return.

After years, decades even, of discussion, consultation, and concern, the St. Benedict Episcopal Church sewer project is underway.  A giant shout-out to your lead volunteer, Bob Beckman, and your Junior Warden, Norman Gregory, as well as your Vestry.

It was always the right thing to do, and now is the right time. The neighbors have been notified with apologies for any inconvenience and with hope for our shared future in our Parish.

Please be sure to thank Bob at Church on Sunday and Norman when he and Clarice return.

The Book Club will be starting a new book: For Such a Time as This

The Wednesday Morning Book Group is starting a new book:  For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional by Hanna Reichel. We expect to start discussing For Such a Time as This on Wednesday November 4th, 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 . 

Calling the Faithful to Prayer

For generations, church bells have called people to gather, pray, and mark important moments in the life of the church. Before a service begins, that familiar sound can serve as a simple invitation to pause and prepare for worship. 

The tradition of ringing church bells dates back to AD 400, when Paulinus of Nola first introduced bells in association with a church. In AD 604, Pope Sabinianus officially sanctioned bells’ usage.

By the early Middle Ages, church bells had become common in northern Europe, reflecting the influence of Irish missionaries. We have started our own tradition of ringing church bells here at St. Benedict.

The assigned Chalice Bearer will ring the bells three times ten minutes before the Service is to begin and three more times when the Service is set to begin.  

We are grateful for the support, donations, work, and prayers that have aligned our Congregation with this long-standing tradition and practice.

Your Daily Office can now come with Gregorian chant

Episcogeek alert: Your Daily Office can now come with Gregorian chant.

The Daily Office Chanted offers Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline every day, sung according to the Book of Common Prayer in the ancient tradition of Gregorian chant.

The Daily Offices, chanted by Scott Dettra
Scripture from the NRSV
Psalms from The Plainsong Psalter
Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer & Compline—every. single. day.

Whether you already have a Daily Office practice, have been meaning to start one, or simply find that prayer sometimes comes more easily when someone else does the singing, this free devotional ministry offers a beautiful new way to enter the Church’s daily rhythm of prayer.

And as the saying traditionally attributed to St. Augustine reminds us: Qui cantat, bis orat—“He who sings, prays twice.”

So unfurl your Episcogeek flag. (You have one, right?) And come pray.

Explore The Daily Office Chanted → https://thedailyofficechanted.podbean.com/ 

*"Episcogeek" is a playful, self-referential internet slang term used by members and enthusiasts of the Episcopal Church to describe someone who is deeply passionate or nerdy about Episcopal liturgy, history, theology, church polity, and traditions.

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.