In this three week series, we will explore the benefits Holy Communion brings even when we are in between celebrations. Especially relevant in a time of pandemic when we cannot meet together around the Lord's Table, we will see the Holy Communion continues to provide us ample ministry even without actually partaking. According to a deeply rooted biblical theology--grounded in the doxology of both Old and New Testaments--the mere anticipation of a future celebration is a summons to a life of rigorous self-examination and repentance unto discipleship in the here and now.

In this first lesson, we lay the biblical foundation for the Prayer Book's "pastoral theology" of Holy Communion, and where it shows up (in force!) in the third Exhortation.

For this series, we will follow the order and language of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the theological standard of global Anglicanism. While the 1928 Book of Common Prayer's Exhortations are similar, they deviate in a number of ways which will be noted in the course of lessons. Download the 1662 Exhortations here.

Download the audio file for Part 1 below:

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Greetings Holy Trinity family,
 
These are the times which try men’s souls. So wrote Thomas Pain in the early days of the American Revolution. But Thomas Pain had nothing on Coronavirus.
 
This has been a trying time for our church fellowship. Not being able to gather together on Sunday is not easy for any of us, least of all your leadership who yearn to serve you in public worship. Many of you have expressed to me a similar longing to come together, and we’ve only had to miss one Sunday together so far!
 
It seems we are going to have to go on longing for a little while longer.
 
Last week, as you know, Governor Whitmer issued an executive order to all Michiganders to shelter-in-place until the end of the day April 13. That is the day after Easter Sunday. The governor’s order effectively decided for us whether or not we would be able to gather publicly for Holy Week. We will not.
 
By the grace of God, the order does provide an exemption for churches in the conducting of public worship. That means we have the freedom to live stream our services to you from the church as we did last Sunday, and we will. But with the order as it stands, it no longer seems prudent for the clergy to bring Holy Communion to peoples’ homes as we did last week. That means our Sunday worship will be according to the Office of Morning Prayer for the time being. Our eventual return to Holy Communion will be all the more sweet.
 
The Morning Office is a historic service, one that was the norm on Sundays for most Anglicans historically, and one which our bishop recently reminded all his clergy is “just as Anglican” as the liturgy of Holy Communion. Indeed, the Morning and Evening offices are treasures of our tradition, reflecting as they do a truly unique blend of ancient catholic order and reformed emphasis on the Word. Some of our Prayer Book’s most treasured prayers are native to these services, and they deserve our honor, reverence, and attention.
 
With regards to Holy Week itself, the leadership of the parish has decided to offer to you what we can of our annual services, and a little more besides. We will be conducting virtual services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, as we have done these past years. They will be familiar to you, with a few differences here and there necessitated by our digital medium. But I dare say you can experience the drama of Holy Week by them if you chose to.
 
In addition to these, to compensate for our inability to be together, we will also offer Evening Prayer Monday through Wednesday in Holy Week. Within our beloved Prayer Book itself, there are in fact readings offered for every day of Holy Week which we have historically not taken advantage of at Holy Trinity. We will hear the full passion accounts in all four of the Gospels. This is surely a poignant way to mark the solemnity of the time. I commend these daily services to you as a meet and right extra discipline for the holiest week of the year.
 
The Holy Week schedule is as follows (all via Zoom)

• Palm Sunday: Liturgy of the Palms and Morning Prayer, 10:30 am
• Holy Monday
  • Morning Prayer, 8:00 am
  • Mid-Day Prayer, 12:30 pm (hosted by Bishop Julian)
  • Evening Prayer, 8:00 pm
• Holy Tuesday:
  • Mid-Day Prayer, 12:30 pm (hosted by Bishop Julian)
  • Evening Prayer, 8:00 pm
• Holy Wednesday:
  • Morning Prayer, 8:00 am
  • Mid-Day Prayer, 12:30 pm (hosted by Bishop Julian)
  • Evening Prayer, 8:00 pm
• Maundy Thursday:
  • Mid-Day Prayer, 12:30 pm (hosted by Bishop Julian)
  • Evening Prayer with Stripping of the Altar, 8:00 pm
• Good Friday:
  • Morning Prayer, 8:00 am
  • Office of Good Friday with Litany, 12:00 noon
  • Stations of the Cross, 5:30 pm
• Holy Saturday
  • Mid-Day Prayer, 12:30 pm (hosted by Bishop Julian)
  • Vigil Office with Renewal of Baptismal Vows and Litany, 8:00 pm

 
Later service times are designed to make things easier for households with children. Fr. Tim is preparing some simpler offices for parents to use with their children earlier in the day on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, so our youngest saints are not left out.
 
At this time, we are not fully sure when we will be allowed to resume our worship in person. Easter Day itself will be celebrated virtually. For that reason, we will postpone our annual parish tradition of singing the Alleluia Chorus until that Sunday when we can gather together again. It will be a grand monument to our joyful reunion.
 
I conclude with this: coronavirus makes not a lick of difference to the victory of our God in Jesus Christ. While we don’t celebrate Easter the way we would like to, we celebrate just the same, because no power in this world can put Jesus back in the grave. Even in a pandemic, we sing our Easter hymn—alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!—for the Lord is risen indeed. In this strange time, I implore you to continue to show forth your true heavenly citizenship by worship, self-denial, and love of neighbor. Let’s show this world that God’s people are not easily brought low, for our King lives and reigns, with the Father and Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
 
Blessings to you all in Jesus,
Adam+

The Rev. Adam D. Rick, Th.M.
Rector, Holy Trinity Parish

Please see the Second Pastoral Letter from March 18 if you haven't already.

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Dear Holy Trinity family,
 
On Monday night, the leadership team of the church met at my home to discuss our ministries going forward in the midst of this health crisis. Paramount in our thinking were a few key things:

• The transcendence and eternal sovereignty of God: the ministry of the church is not just for the benefit of its members, but also and more importantly to bear witness to the timeless truth of God and the good news of his Son Jesus Christ in all times and in every circumstance no matter how severe. Whatever we do cannot give short change to this.
• The church must serve her most vulnerable members: Christ became nothing in order to liberate us, and he taught us thereby that no one’s circumstance is too small to secure his notice. We need to be especially willing to sacrifice in love for our weakest members, as he sacrificed his own glory to die on the cross for us.
• Governing authorities have in the past 72 hours significantly enhanced their urging for communities not to gather in groups larger than 10. They have especially warned of the effect the young and asymptomatic are having spreading the virus; because the incubation period can be up to two weeks, people who go about their day because they “feel” healthy may in fact be infecting others without realizing.
  • It’s important to stress here that we live in a country where we are blessed to be free of government interference on our religious life, and no one has yet mandated that we not meet, but one wonders how we can do our part for the larger community of our own free accord. They will know us by our love, our Lord says.

 
For these reasons, our leadership team has decided in consultation with our bishop, with great reluctance but with a solemn sense of duty, TO MOVE OUR SUNDAY SERVICES TO AN EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE FORMAT the next two Sundays. We will revisit this as we approach Palm Sunday, and we pray earnestly that we can gather together for the observances of Holy Week, by far the most important part of the church year.

• UPDATE: as of this afternoon (Wednesday, March 18), our bishop has formally removed this choice from us: he has now asked all his churches to go exclusively online.

 
Let me stress: Holy Trinity Parish is still open for business even if we are not gathering together physically. The church is NOT shutting down, it’s just shifting how it does business temporarily. Especially with the tools of modern technology, we felt we could make this sacrifice without violating our duty to God or to one another.
 
So to sum up, here is how our ministries while adjust over the next two weeks:

• Sunday mornings: we will gather ONLINE for one service at 10:30 on Sunday morning for the next two Sundays (Lent 4 and Lent 5). We will use a free internet conferencing tool called Zoom to do this, which you will need to download onto your computer, tablet, or smart phone the first time you click a meeting link (see below). This tool has the benefit of allowing you all to see one another (if you use a device with a camera) and that will enhance our sense of togetherness even while physically parted.
  • THIS JUST IN: Bishop Julian will join our service on March 29 via Zoom.
• Choir and other Sunday volunteers: these will be off for the time being. Members of the choir should expect to hear from your leadership soon about plans for Holy Week.
• Sunday fellowship hour: obviously without a physical service, there will be no gathering for food after. This will continue for a time even after we resume our physical services (with the possible exception of the Easter Vigil Break-Fast).
• Wednesday night formation: Awana will be cancelled for the time being. Adult formation will continue to meet ONLINE via Zoom.
  • THIS WEEK you are all highly encouraged to try and Zoom into this as a perfect opportunity to test the system in advance of Sunday morning. We will meet at 6:30 as we always have, and I will be discussing the Psalms of Lament, an appropriate subject for times like this.
• Friday Mom’s Group: these will be conducted via Zoom for the time being.
• Friday Stations of the Cross: we will conduct this service also ONLINE via Zoom.

 
A few extra things we are doing:

• Daily Prayer: We will be offering Morning and Evening Prayer via Zoom throughout the week, Morning Prayer on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8:00 am, and Evening Prayer on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 pm. These will last about 30 minutes.
• Email contact: the church is rolling out a new email client using the Mail Chimp platform. After this email, expect most communication to come that way. You shouldn’t have to change anything on your end, but know that sometimes when Mail Chimp accounts roll out, it can land in folks’ spam folders, so keep on eye on those, and designate our mail as a “safe sender” in whatever email program you use.
• Printed directories: if you have an entry in the parish directory and you did NOT pick one up last Sunday, they are being mailed to you.

 
For all online gatherings, the church has set up a webpage with direct links to help you get where you need to go. At any scheduled time, simply go to this webpage to find the relevant links: http://www.trinityhillsdale.org/covid-19.html
 
Let me conclude by offering a few exhortations:

• In this time of crisis, do not forget to love one another. Send each other cards. Call each other. Be mindful especially of our shut-ins and older folks; they will feel especially hard the pain of their isolation right now.
• We have a Facebook group for reaching out with needs and coordinating help. Check it often, and please use it if you need something: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1117026265311095/?source_id=189454161090394
• DO NOT FORGET TO TITHE: the church is still open for business, as I said, and we continue to be thankful for your generous support. You can give online, or you can mail cash or checks to the church’s mail box (P.O. Box 845, Hillsdale, MI 49242); DO NOT send money to our physical address, as the Post Office will not deliver mail there.
• Please monitor your emails for further updates from the church as they come.

 
May God bless you and keep you this peculiar Lenten season.
 
In his service,
Adam+
​
The Rev. Adam D. Rick, Th.M.
Rector, Holy Trinity Parish

The following collects were prayed from the altar on Sunday, March 15, and they may be of use by individuals during this time of great sickness.

​Prayer for the sick
(BCP 2019, For a Sick Person, p. 231, adapted)

O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need: We humbly beseech you to behold, visit, and relieve any who have fallen ill during this pandemic. Look upon them with the eyes of your mercy; comfort them with a sense of your goodness; preserve them from the temptations of the enemy; and give them patience under their affliction. In your good time, restore them to health, and enable them to lead the remainder of their life in your fear, and to your glory; and grant that finally they may dwell with you in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for great sickness
(BCP 1928, p. 45, modernized)

​O most mighty and merciful God, in this time of grievous sickness, we flee unto you for comfort. Deliver us, we pray, from our peril; give strength and skill to all those who minister to the sick; prosper the means made use of for their cure; and grant that, perceiving how frail and uncertain our life is, we may apply our hearts to that heavenly wisdom which leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

​Prayer for medical professions
(BCP 2019, No. 50)

​Almighty God, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ went about doing good, and healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people: Continue in our local hospital and clinics his gracious work among us, console and heal the sick; grant to the physicians, nurses, and assisting staff wisdom and skill, diligence and patience; prosper their work, O Lord, and send down your blessing upon all who serve the suffering; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For civil authorities
(BCP 2019, No. 30, modified)

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, send down on those who hold public office the spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice, that in these troubled and stressful times and with steadfast purpose, they may faithfully serve in their offices to promote the well-being of all people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In times of social conflict or distress
(BCP 2019, No. 44, modified)

​Increase, O God, the spirit of neighborliness among us, that in peril we may uphold one another, in suffering tend to one another, and in sickness, loneliness, or uncertainty befriend one another. Grant us brave and enduring hearts that we may strengthen one another, until the disciplines and testing of these days are ended, and you again give peace in our time; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For trustfulness in a time of worry
(BCP 2019, No. 80)

​Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For quiet confidence
(BCP 2019, No. 82, modified)

​O God of peace, who hast taught us that in repentance and rest we shall be saved, in trustfulness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the answering of prayer
(BCP 2019, No. 100)

​Almighty God, you have promised to hear the petitions of those who ask in the Name of your Son: Mercifully incline your ear to us as we make our prayers and supplications to you, and grant that what we ask faithfully, according to your will, we may obtain effectually, for the relief of our necessities and the setting forth of your glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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​Greetings Holy Trinity family,
 
Much has transpired in the last 48 hours regarding the coronavirus outbreak which is affecting the entire world: travel bans have been imposed by our President, certain areas of the country are on increased lockdown, several area universities (Michigan State, University of Michigan, Purdue University, among others) have announced they are switching their instruction to online rather than allowing students to return from spring break. Our own Hillsdale College has pushed back the start of classes after spring break from this Monday to the following Wednesday to allow professors time to move their courses to online delivery to accommodate students who don’t want to return, though as yet we expect most students will come back. In some cases, even some churches have postponed their services, or offered dramatic changes to how they are offered. Cardinal Dolan recently put a rapid stop to the passing of the peace at a Mass at which he was presiding!
 
All of these developments are rather worrisome for many. Here is what I suggest as your pastor:

1. If you are feeling concerned, I encourage you above all to take your anxieties to God in prayer. He alone makes us to dwell in safety.
2. In addition, the best source of information about the virus is not presently the news media or your favorite YouTuber or blogger; please pay close attention to the announcements of actual health authorities (the CDC, WHO, etc), and avoid ingesting or spreading false information.
3. If you are unsure what to believe, or if you feel at risk of illness, go see your doctor without delay.
4. Finally, if you are part of an ask-risk demographic for serious complications from the virus, you are encouraged to take whatever precautions you think best for you and your family. If this means missing church, then so be it. BUT if you do absent yourself on Sunday, I highly exhort you to gather your family on Sunday morning and pray Morning Prayer from the prayer book together, being especially mindful to offer up the Collect in a Time of Great Sickness on page 45. The Litany also, with the Supplication included (pages 54-59) has traditionally been used in churches during times of great anxiety, and may be appended to the end of Morning or Evening Prayer. I commend it to you.

 
Here are some of the things Holy Trinity is doing about the virus:

1. We will NOT be cancelling any of our normal services. It seems pastorally unwise to remove the people’s recourse to worship even during times of sickness. Expect our services to continue as normal, but if you do not feel well or you are concerned about getting sick, you are welcome to stay home and worship privately.
2. We are attempting to procure supplies of hand sanitizer to distribute in the pews, though supplies have been a little hard to come by. At the very least, a couple large dispensers will be available at the front entrance of the nave. Please avail yourself of them.
3. The clergy likewise will be making use of hand sanitizer (from the altar) during the distribution of Holy Communion.
4. Holy Communion will be administered like normal; folks who are feeling unwell or who are concerned about getting sick are invited to take Communion in one kind (that is, just the bread) for the time being. Be assured of the full benefit of the sacrament in this mode of partaking.
5. During the administration of Holy Communion, PLEASE DO NOT INTINCT THE WAFERS YOURSELF. If you would like your bread dipped in the wine, please permit the server to dip it for you and place it directly on your tongue. Our servers will no longer allow you to intinct yourself for the time being.

 
Further, please consult these recent guidelines from our diocese and national church:

• A letter from our Bishop, Julian Dobbs.
• A letter from our Archbishop, Foley Beach. 

​If you miss church and would like a pastoral visitation, with or without Communion, please reach out to me or Fr. Tim.
 
Offer yourselves to God, and he will care for you. Peace be with you, friends.
 
Blessings in Jesus,
Adam+
 
Rev. Adam D. Rick, Th.M.
Rector, Holy Trinity Parish

IN MEMORIAM
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Bishop Peter Hess Beckwith
September 8, 1939 - October 4, 2019

Bishop Peter Hess Beckwith, 80,  entered into glory on Friday, October 4 after a short illness, with his wife and two sons at his side. He was born September 8, 1939 in Battle Creek, Michigan to Robert & Florence “Frosty” (Hess) Beckwith. Peter was married July 10, 1965 to Melinda (Foulke) Beckwith.

Peter graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Hillsdale College, a Master of Divinity from University of the South Sewanee, and a Master of Sacred Theology from Nashotah House Theological Seminary. He also received an Honorary Doctor of Theology from Hillsdale College and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Nashotah House. Bishop Beckwith served 18 years as the Episcopal Bishop of Springfield, Illinois, retiring in 2010. It was there he also served as a chaplain to the Illinois State Police, an office he held until his passing. In May of 2014, Bishop Beckwith was appointed an Assisting Bishop for the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes in the Anglican Church in North America. Bishop Beckwith also served his country in the Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy Reserve for 27 years. He retired in September 1999 as the Deputy Chief of Chaplain for Total Force with the rank of Rear Admiral (RDML). He served as College Chaplain for Hillsdale College from 2010-2016 where he retired and was named Chaplain Emeritus. Bishop Beckwith was active in Delta Tau Delta’s Kappa Chapter, where he served as both Chapter Adviser and Chaplain.

He is survived by his wife Melinda of 54 years, two sons, Peter II (wife Fiona) Beckwith, of Westerville, Ohio and Mike (wife Martina) Beckwith of Eagle, Colorado; four grandchildren, Lauren, Nikki, Emma and Mishko Beckwith; and brother, Jon (wife Kathy) Beckwith of Hillsdale. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Robert E. Beckwith, Jr.

Peter’s life was centered on the warmth of giving and sincere concern for others. Whether from the pulpit, or in one-on-one private conversations, he was always honest and straight forward, yet thoughtful and relatable. Peter will always be positively remembered by his parishioners, acquaintances, friends, and loving family which he cherished deeply.

The Beckwith family will receive friends for visitation Thursday, from 5-8, PM, at the VanHorn-Eagle Funeral Home in Hillsdale. Funeral services for Bishop Peter Beckwith will be held Friday, October 18, 2019 at 11:00 AM at Christ Chapel of Hillsdale College with Bishop Ronald Jackson officiating. Fr. Adam and the Choir of Holy Trinity Parish will assist. Interment will follow at Lake View Cemetery in Hillsdale. A reception will follow at the Searle Center of Hillsdale College.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes (ACNA), Holy Trinity Parish in Hillsdale, or Christ Chapel at Hillsdale College.

After the service last Sunday, our membership held a semi-annual meeting of the parish to discuss some important developments in the life of our diocese and our parish. No formal votes were taken and no motions were presented, but the formality of a meeting of the membership called by the vestry in accordance with the by-laws of the parish gave an appropriate venue for the announcements.

Our Senior Warden, Wendy Coykendall, gave a very quick snapshot of the finances of the parish. Holy Trinity's investment fund account had a balance of $113,653 at the end of May. This is a 9% increase in the fund since December 2018. Our income based on cash receipts through May of this year is $52,704. Our corresponding income at this time last year was $44,528, a difference of $8,176 in the right direction. Our finances are strong, and the members of our parish have risen to the challenge of a high budget this year. On behalf of the vestry, I would again like to express my gratitude and astonishment. We belong to a generous church, and we are continually amazed by God's providence and the generosity of his people. As always, the monthly financial report reviewed by the vestry is available to view on the bulletin board near the entrance to the undercroft.
​

At the Synod of our diocese, CANA East, held in May, some important changes were made to the diocesan Constitution and Canons. The Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA for short) was founded by the Church of Nigeria in 2006 to provide support for faithful Anglicans in the United States as they came out of The Episcopal Church. CANA went on to help found a new church in the United States called the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA for short). As a result of this history, our diocese, through CANA, enjoyed something like "dual-citizen status" in both the ACNA and the Church of Nigeria.

The time came for some increased clarity about the precise relationship of CANA with the Church of Nigeria. All of the CANA dioceses (of which CANA East was one of three) were given the choice to be totally affiliated with either the ACNA or the Church of Nigeria, but no longer both. Our diocese chose to retain our membership in the Anglican Church of North America while seeking ministry partner status with Nigeria.

We still enjoy full communion with the Church of Nigeria through the ACNA and through GAFCON (both of which the Church of Nigeria helped found). But our new relationship with Nigeria required a change of name, and so at our recent diocesan Synod, our diocese changed its name to THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF THE LIVING WORD.

The name of our diocese has changed. Here are a few things that haven't changed:

• Our bishop, Julian Dobbs, remains the same.
• Our diocese, while having a new name, otherwise is the same.
• Our relationship to the ACNA remains the same (we were and still are full members)
• Our status of full communion with the Church of Nigeria remains, even though we are now not directly under their authority.
• Our connection to the global Anglican church remains the same through GAFCON, of which both our diocese and the ACNA are full members along with Nigeria.
• Our commitment to historic Anglicanism, including the historic Prayer Books, remains the same (read: we'll keep using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer).

As you can see, on a day-to-day basis, nothing has changed for Holy Trinity. Our ministry and that of our diocese goes on unchanged and unhindered. We have a Gospel to proclaim, and God has given us a church home in which and through which we can get to work!

We thank God for the courageous leadership of the Church of Nigeria, and for the faithful service of our Bishop. May God in all things be praised.
​

The Parish Strategic Planning Committee was called into existence by the Vestry in December 2018, and conducted its work over Epiphanytide and Lent of this year. Fr. Adam reported on the final product of that committee, which was approved by the vestry at the June meeting. Click the links below to hear the audio, and to download the relevant documents.

In this recording, we conclude our exploration of Paul's pastoral heart before turning to a look at how Paul's life and teaching guide us in our experience of suffering. We find that suffering is hardly an afterthought or pastoral platitude of Paul's life, but a central plank of his understanding of his own ministry, and what it means to be a Christian at all. To follow Christ, for the Apostle, is to share in his sufferings, that by any means necessary, we may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:11).

​Download audio recording:

Mary Reed Snow, age 81, of Three Rivers, passed away peacefully Friday, May 17th, 2019 at Glenn Arbor Hospice Residence. Mary was born on May 9th, 1938 in Highland Park, MI, the daughter of the late Fred R. and Virginia (Stevenson) Reed.

On August 30th, 1959, Mary was united in marriage to, Taylor Snow, whom she adored and met while attending Albion College.  Their nearly 60 year marriage created a loving family, which includes her daughter, Cathy (Eric) Speirs of Flagstaff, AZ; two sons, Chris (Dawn) Snow of Battle Creek, MI, and Matt (Amy) Snow of Milton, Florida, and her five beloved grandsons, Taylor (Danielle), Andrew, Ben (Savannah), Tim and Sam Snow. Mary also thought of Quy Tran of Miramar Beach, FL as a surrogate daughter and shared close and loving relationships with many others in her extended family.     

Mary’s faith was her foundation, and she and Taylor have been long time members of the Holy Trinity Parish of the Anglican Church in Hillsdale, MI.  They also have had a special relationship with All Saints Anglican Parish in Pensacola, FL.  

Mary was an elementary school teacher for over 30 years, having spent the majority of her career with the Three Rivers Public Schools, as well as 6 years in Grand Ledge, MI.  Mary brought a remarkable passion to her teaching and unwavering commitment to positively influencing the lives of each and every one of her students.  

Mary was a committed resident of Three Rivers, which she treasured.  Her commitment began as a life guard in high school at the Three Rivers’ swimming hole.  Her community involvement continued throughout her life through her energetic participation in activities and organizations that were important to her.  She was a member of the Three Rivers Women’s Club for 52 years. She is perhaps best remembered as “The Pie Lady of Three Rivers” in recognition of her efforts with the Women’s Club Water Festival pie sale, which has raised thousands of dollars to support college scholarships for local students.  She and Taylor have also been important supporters of The Carnegie Center for the Arts, and many other community organizations.  Mary and Taylor were honored to be recognized as Three Rivers’ Citizens of the Year in 2008.  Mary cherished her friends far and wide, including many she had from her early days at Hoppin School.
  
Mary and Taylor also loved travelling.  Their travels led them to visit the Hopi Reservation many times to visit Mary’s close friend, who is one of First Mesa’s spiritual leaders. She especially enjoyed many Canadian wilderness fishing trips and spending winter months in Milton Florida, where she and her family lived for a time.  
The family will receive friends from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at the Hohner Funeral Home in Three Rivers.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, May 23, 2019 at the First United Methodist Church in Three Rivers, with The Reverend Adam Rick of Holy Trinity Parish as celebrant. 

Interment will be held at Riverside Cemetery in Three Rivers following a luncheon at the church.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to The Carnegie Center for the Arts, the Three Rivers Women’s Club Scholarship Fund or Holy Trinity Parish.  Envelopes are available at the funeral home.  Online condolences may be left at www.hohnerfh.com.