While the official Church Year begins with Advent, around a month before Christmas, few people really think about the year in those terms, so we’ve listed major events and celebrations at Trinity on a calendar year basis.  We’ve grouped the months by quarter to deal with the moveable feasts of the church year.  We hope you find it helpful!  And don’t forget to check our Google Calendar for what’s happening right now!

First Quarter:

The 12 days of Christmas end, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, and winter comes to Northwestern Connecticut.  During one of the last two Sundays of January we hold our parish annual meeting and potluck lunch.

Toward the end of the first quarter we often have our own traditional Chocolate Sunday (celebrated the Sunday before Ash Wednesday) with a megadose of chocolate treats.  Typically we do not celebrate Shrove Tuesday because our parishioners come from such a wide geographic area.  We discovered that our traditional pancake supper got smaller and smaller, even as the congregation grew.

On Ash Wednesday we have a midday service and a 6 PM service, both with imposition of ashes, and the season of Lent begins.

Second Quarter:

Although some years it comes sooner, the quarter usually begins with Palm Sunday (when we process outside, weather permitting),  Holy Week (when we have two services on Good Friday, and sometimes hold Easter Vigil on Easter Eve, with the New Fire, candlelit procession, chanting of the Exsultet, readings and hymns).

On Easter we have our major services at the usual times, and we are delighted to welcome those who visit us only occasionally.  Following the 10:30 AM service, we have an extra-big coffee hour and an Easter Egg hunt for the youngsters.  (In some years the young people gather on Saturday to color Easter Eggs as well.)

Two major holidays, Pentecost and Trinity Sunday (our official birthday, when we have a picnic) wrap up the second quarter.  Sometimes there is a  parish cookout on Memorial Day weekend.

Third Quarter:

Traditionally known as “Ordinary Time” we have our services as usual.  The young people spend their time together , often outside, taking full advantage of our seven acre field for sports and games during the Sunday School time.  Our friends across the street at Lime Rock Park have their season in full swing (but they do NOT race on Sunday!)

We normally try to hold a parish-wide outreach project in the Summer — in recent years, collecting backpacks for local schools.  We also usually spend a day building for Habitat for Humanity sometime during the summer.  As the quarter ends, the young people migrate back inside and school begins for them.  We sometimes manage to squeeze in a “See you in September”  cookout during this period.

And, around the time school starts up, we celebrate the end of summer with Sundae Sunday, an event especially for the kids but secretly enormously popular with kids of all ages.  That’s right, we feature make your own ice cream sundaes at coffee hour that day.

Fourth Quarter:

Early in the fourth quarter, we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis with Blessing of the Animals — which we do right in church as part of the 10:30 AM Holy Eucharist.

So-called Ordinary Time draws to its conclusion with the feast of Christ the King, followed by Advent.  Advent is the beginning of the next church year in the Episcopal Church.

We participate in (and sometimes host) the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service for our Towns. The young people are usually busy creating their upcoming Christmas Pageant, which they present to us on the last Sunday of Advent during the 10:30 AM service.

At Christmas, we have a service on Christmas Eve — preceded by a choral concert.

On Christmas Day, we have a quiet Christmas service.  On the first Sunday following Christmas, we celebrate with a service of lessons and carols.

All Year Long:

–Our choir sings all church year long!!  And we love it!!  They also present an occasional Evensong.  Often our choristers have their ranks swelled by singers and other musicians from Crescendo — the musical organization created fifteen years ago at Trinity, now an independent 501(c)(3) organization that still makes Trinity their home base.  Please see our Music page for lots more about this!

–We have major outreach activities, including annual Outreach Brunches, when representatives of area non-profits come and tell us about their programs.  For more about our Outreach activities, please see the Outreach Page.

–We have art shows.  Do we have art shows!!  As many as seven shows per year in some years!  At the present time, in addition to our traditional Invitational show around Labor Day weekend, our Art Show committee hosts juried shows both for conventional artwork and for photographs.  We’re closely involved in the area art community.  See our Art page for more information.

–Our Young People are active all year long, too, through the entire church year.  Even summer, when summer sports sometimes substitutes for Sunday School!   Please see our Young People page.