New Ministry Celebration at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

During the summer of 2020, in the middle of Covid, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church of Westborough began the daunting task of finding a new rector. As is standard, yet a small miracle given the pandemic, they were able to find an interim priest named Mo. Mary Rosendale.

Mo. Mary grew-up in Colorado, and attended Colorado Mesa University, after which she was a missionary at an orphanage in Misindi, Uganda. She went to the Virginia Theological Seminary, in Alexandria, VA. Previous to coming to St. Stephen’s, Mary was the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Ware, MA for 4 years. While at Trinity she worked as one of 4 Domestic Violence Chaplains for the region and oversaw the ministries that the church ran. Mary did CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at Bellevue Hospital in NY, NY where she worked as an intern chaplain for the hospital. Her Husband, Fr. José Reyes currently serves at St. Mark’s/San Marco’s, Worcester, together they have two young children.

In the March of 2021, the vestry of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Hopkinton contacted the vestry of St. Stephen’s. They had read an article in a small community newspaper about Mo. Mary joining St. Stephen’s as their interim, and they had an idea. They proposed that St. Paul’s and St. Stephen’s enter into a collaboration, with Mo. Mary as the Priest in Charge for both churches, one-quarter time at St. Paul’s, and three-quarter time with St. Stephen’s. This was unheard of, since St. Paul’s is in a completely separate diocese from St. Stephen’s, but it was definitely something in which the vestries and parishioners of both churches were interested. In the fall of 2021, the Bishops of the Diocese of Western MA and the Diocese of Massachusetts each gave their blessing for this new collaboration.

As time passed, the collaboration between the two churches blossomed into more than anyone could have ever dreamed. In addition, the love and appreciation for Mo. Mary’s leadership, compassion, friendship and service grew as well. As the initial contract with her came to a close, it was unanimous that St. Stephen’s wished to call her as their next rector.

On Saturday, September 7th St. Stephen’s held a Celebration of New Ministry to officially install Mo. Mary Rosendale as their 13th rector. The service was presided over by Bishop, Douglas Fisher and was full of meaningful liturgy, ceremony and beautiful music. During the service Mo. Mary was presented with symbolic gifts from members of St. Stephen’s. Mo. Mary read from the Gospel of John 15:9-16, in which Jesus teaches us to “love one another.” Bishop Fisher then addressed the congregation with a heart-warming sermon speaking of the blessings of this new beginning for Mo. Mary, St. Stephen’s and St. Paul’s, and also of how their faith in God and each other will enable them to help each other through the “seasons” that all churches go through.

The service was filled with St. Stephen’s congregants, clergy from across the Diocese of Western Massachusetts and friends and family of Mo. Mary, with everyone signing joyously in celebration of the event. The service concluded with the recessional, “Lift High the Cross,” and was followed by a catered dinner in Fay Hall.

You can view excerpts from the service here: https://www.ststeph.com/sermons/celebration-of-new-ministry