Weekly eNews for
April 2, 2026
MENU
NEW THIS WEEK
BRING EVERYONE YOU KNOW
Nieces, Nephews, Cousins, Children, Grandchildren, invite your Neighbors!
MESSAGE FROM OUR SR. WARDEN
Ed Strong
The Vestry held its annual retreat last Saturday. We worked on finalizing the goals and objectives in the strategic plan including assigning Vestry members to lead further work on implementing them. We will also do more to gather your feedback on the revised goals and objectives.
Importantly the Vestry leaders for the goals will be reaching to the congregation to engage more members in the implementation process.
Please prayerfully consider where you see yourself joining in this effort. It will be the best way for each of us to have a say in the direction St. Monica's is taking.
The Vestry Annual Retreat from last Saturday.
NAME TAGS
At the Vestry Retreat March 28, we began work on finalizing our goals and objectives for this year. One area for action is to revamp our process to welcome and recognize new attendees. We have already begun work on that issue.
If you filled out a visitor card anytime this year, you should find a name tag on the board where all the name tags are. It is a different color than the others indicating you are new and have not joined the church as yet. If you decide to join, after the membership process is completed, see the "I am New" on the church website, we will switch the name tag to the white background. We use the white name tags to track membership attendance.
We apologize for any delays in resolving this issue that many of you have raised. But we think, on this item, we have a good interim solution, while the whole onboarding process is being examined.
If you have any questions, or want to give feedback on your experience, please speak to to Melanie Rose. or any Vestry member.
If you do not find a name tag, please let us know that too.
We strive to be a welcoming place of worship. We are working hard to live up to that objective.
MEN'S BOOK GROUP
We will conclude its discussions of "In the Garden of the Beasts" at its next meeting, April 6, at 9:30 AM in the church conference room. Our next book will be "For Everything a Season" by Joan Chittister. Using Ecclesiastes as reference points, the author reflects on multiple aspects of life. This is the author of "The Gift of Years," a book that enthralled our group early in our formation. We remain open to all men of St. Monica's. Please come and join us at any point.
If you would like more information, please contact Ed Strong.
NEW SCAM ALERT
We’ve recently been made aware of a new scam which has targeted our church & some of the members. How this one is working:
You may receive an email that appears to come from PayPal stating that someone has sent you money. Shortly after, you may receive a call or email from someone claiming the payment was sent by mistake. They will then ask you to send the money back. This is a scam.
WHAT TO DO (& NOT DO):
Do not send any money in response to these requests.
Do not click links in the email.
Do open a new browser or use your app to log into your PayPal account directly.
If the person is on the phone, instruct the sender to resolve it through PayPal directly & hang up.
If by email: Delete the email & do not reply.
In these cases, no real payment was ever sent. The email is designed to look convincing and create urgency.
Please stay aware, and if it feels wrong - then trust your instinct.
THINGS TO COME
OPEN PLATE DONATION - April 11 & 12, 2026
HEAVENLY DAY PRESCHOOL
Our April plate collection will support Heavenly Day Preschool.
Because Easter falls on the first weekend of the month, this collection will take place the weekend of April 11th and 12th.
Any cash placed in the offering plate, or checks with “Heavenly Day Preschool” noted in the memo line, will go directly to support their work.
Heavenly Day has been part of St. Monica’s for 14 years, using our classroom space and enriching our campus with their presence. They provide a caring, faith-based preschool experience with small classes, a strong sense of community, and a dedicated staff.
We invite you to consider giving as a way to support their ministry and to thank them for being such a valued part of St. Monica’s for so long.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Heather Williamson.
LADIES & GENTS LUNCHEON – April 13th, 2026
Join us for a fun and relaxing lunch outing at Lulu B’s on Monday, April 13 at 12:30 PM.
Lulu B’s is located at 2374 Immokalee Road in Greentree Plaza, and it is a great place to enjoy good food and good company together. We would love for you to come along, share some conversation, and spend a pleasant afternoon with friends.
Everyone is welcome, and we hope you can join us.
For more information contact Linda Duffy (link is connected to the church directory, be sure to be logged in).
LIFELINE SCREENING - MAY 14th
Do you knit or crochet?
Now to Nov 2026
CAN you help me, help sick and premature babies in Uganda?
Let me introduce myself, my name is Ellen Milan. I am a member of St Monica’s and a retired neonatal intensive care nurse and a volunteer with Health Volunteers Overseas, a private non-profit dedicated to improving the availability and quality of health care in developing countries through training and education of local health care providers. I have been teaching, and working with, Ugandan neonatal healthcare providers, and families of sick and premature babies, since 2001.
DID YOU KNOW… newborns (especially prematures) can lose a significant amount of heat from their heads (the largest surface area of their bodies), which puts them at risk for hypothermia (low body temperature). Hypothermia in the newborn period is considered an important contributor to newborn morbidity (illness) and mortality (death) especially in low-resource countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes newborn thermal care as a critical component of essential newborn care.
Prematures are many in Uganda and other parts of Africa and this is do in part to the high rate of “natural twining”. Twins and higher order multiples (triplets or more) have an increase risk of being born prematurely.
Covering a baby’s head can make a substantial impact in avoiding hypothermia even in the smallest of babies. Knit and crochet hats can be life saving.
God willing, I will be returning again, to Uganda, in November 2026.
If you have any questions or would like more information, you can find me in the directory located HERE.
With gratitude, Ellen
DO YOU FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK?
If not, you’re missing out on all the fun things happening around St. Monica’s. Be sure to follow our page so you can stay connected with photos, events, and moments from our parish family.
SUPPORTING FOSTERING SUCCESS EVERY THURSDAY
When you visit Lake Park Diner in Founder Square on Thursdays, $1 will be donated to Fostering Success Naples as part of their giving initiative. This is a great opportunity for St. Monica’s to support one of the local organizations we also help.
Fostering Success is a nonprofit serving children and young adults in the foster care system here in Collier County. Their mission is to provide strategic education and enrichment opportunities that help foster youth reach their full potential. Programs include academic mentoring, scholarships, basic needs support like beds and diapers, and life skills training for young adults transitioning out of care.
Every dollar given through the Founder Square helps extend that mission. It’s another simple way to make a meaningful impact in the lives of vulnerable children and families in our community.
At 2 Locations:
Founders Square
8856 Founders St Naples
239.539.1559
Downtown Naples
944 7th Ave North Naples
239.228.6351
COME PRAY WITH US
Your faith and scripture will come alive as we pray together. We invite you to spend a special hour with us each week.
All are welcome to gather in the church sanctuary every Tuesday at 10 am. We will praise God with song, read and pray with Scripture, share faith experiences, share intercessory prayer for our needs and the needs of others and also healing prayer.
For more information contact Theresa Miller
NAME BADGES HELP KEEP ATTENDANCE
Please take a moment to find and wear your name tags because it makes it easier for visitors and other parishioners to recognize you by name and allows the office to note your attendance. As you leave the church, please leave them in the baskets near the doors and they will be placed back on the board for pick up the following weekend.
REGULAR CHURCH GATHERINGS
Zoom Only
In-Person and Zoom
In-Person Only
Please email the church office for the link and password to the Zoom meetings.
OFFERING ENVELOPES - Just as a Reminder
We are so grateful for your ongoing generosity and faithful giving. Every offering you give helps us continue the mission and ministry of St. Monica’s, and we truly appreciate it.
That said, we have a small but important request: please do not tape the flaps of your offering envelopes
As shown in the image, the envelope flaps are designed to stay closed once you seal them with the glue inside the flap. When tape is added, it makes it much harder for our office staff to open them quickly and carefully. It slows down the processing, increases the risk of tearing checks or cash inside, and adds extra steps to what is already a detailed task
We know the intention behind taping is likely to keep the contents secure, but we assure you the envelopes are kept safe and handled with care from plate to processing
Thank you for helping us by leaving the flap untaped, it’s a small act that makes a big difference.
A ST. MONICA'S PRAYER
Dear Friends,
In our Tuesday staff meeting we ended with St. Monica's prayer. It was for her son to return to the church. When he finally returned he became the future Saint and Bishop Augustine of Hippo who became a prominent Christian theologian and philosopher.
We thought we might share it with you:
St. Monica, I need your prayers. You know exactly how I'm feeling because you once felt it yourself. I'm hurting, hopeless, and in despair. I desperately want my child to return to Christ in his Church but I can't do it alone. I need God's help. Please join me in begging the Lord's powerful grace to flow into my child's life. Ask the Lord Jesus to soften his heart, prepare a path for his conversion, and activate the Holy Spirit in his life. Amen.
APRIL ANNIVERSARIES
4/9
Eric & Suzanne Bodley
4/17
Frank & Susan Shrewsbury
4/24
Ashan & Carole Nabbie
4/29
Dan & Sandi Zeidman
APRIL BIRTHDAYS
4/1
Susan Beauregard
4/2
David Chalick
4/9
Joanie Schumacher
4/12
Lynn Landreth
4/16
Al Russell
4/21
John Dessauer
4/24
Tom Cotè
Kathy Franco-Bronson
4/25
Susan Cillufo
4/27
Benji Freigang
4/28
Anita Lackey
4/29
Doug Ball
Cindy Gault
Ashan Nabbie
Patrick Walsh
PRAYERS & VISITS
PASTORAL CARE
If you go to or are going into the hospital, or your spouse, partner, or family member is experiencing a pastoral or health care issue, please contact the
church office during office hours after hours please reach out to: Rev. Sylvia R. Czarnetzky at 662.645.8887 or Deacon Ken McCaslin at 610.608.0704.
PASTORAL CARE MESSAGE
Your clergy are here to walk with you. Pastoral care is an important part of the ministry of the clergy, so please don't be shy! At any time reach out to one of us and we would be happy to talk to you, anoint you, pray with you, or walk with you. If something is going on medically or otherwise in your life, let us know. If you are going into the hospital, let us know ahead of time so we can visit, and, more importantly, be praying with and for you.
ACCESSING THE PRAYER LIST:
For the safety and privacy of our members, the Prayer List will no longer be published on the website or included in the eNews, as both are publicly accessible.
We understand how important this list is to our church family, and we want to ensure you can still access it in the following ways:
1. Online Access: Log in to our Members Directory. Once logged in, click on "Additional Pages" and select "Prayer List".
2. Printed Copies: Printed versions are available at any of our services or can be picked up from the front office.
Thank you for your understanding and support as we prioritize the privacy and safety of our members.
If someone expresses interest in receiving our eNews, they do not need to wait for the office to assist. The quickest way to sign up is by visiting www.stmonicasnaples.org and registering directly. Once completed, they will begin receiving updates.
If someone has already contacted the office to be added but has not received the eNews by the following week, please encourage them to follow up to confirm that their email address was recorded correctly.
Thank you for helping others stay connected and informed about what is happening at St. Monica’s.
