Shrove Tuesday Pancake Breakfast was observed by St. Bede’s Episcopalians in their own inimitable way on Sunday after church. Shrove Tuesday, called “Pancake Day” in most of the English speaking countries, is referred to as Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) by French speakers because it is the end of Shrovetide which proceeds Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the 40-day Lenten or liturgical fasting period. It sprang from, the custom of using up all fattening foods before the start of Lent.

Providing an experienced flipper at one of these was a special guest from Uruguay, Virginia Gravins, an agricultural engineer and head of department at her college. Others overseeing St. Bede’s Pancake Day were Libbye Brooks and Doug Laird.

Ash Wednesday services will be observed at St. Bede’s beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25. The public is invited to attend. During the short worship service, Father Powers will first make a sign of the cross, using ashes upon his own forehead and then on the foreheads of each of those who kneel at the altar rail. As he does this he will recite the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” The ashes come from burning palm leaves used at last year’s Palm Sunday and are mixed with anointing oil.

Beginning this coming Sunday at 9:15 a.m. in Parish Hall will be a Lenten study of C.S. Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity. The public is invited to participate.

Among those on St. Bede’s Sunday morning prayer list for recovery are Dr. Peter C. Rollins, home following heart surgery earlier this month at Hillcrest. Also Dean Coonrod, a heart patient who is critically ill in Hillcrest.

By Margaret Speegle
Recording Secretary