Our 2025 Annual General Meeting will be held this Sunday, January 26. The meeting will begin in the nave right after the 10:30 service with the election of new Vestry members and other brief business, after which all are invited to proceed to the undercroft for a catered lunch and to hear reports from various leaders and committees of our community. In preparation for the meeting, please feel free to browse our 2024 Annual Report by clicking HERE.
On the first Sunday of each month from February until May, teens of our parish (12-18 year olds) are invited to join us for honest, casual conversations about faith with donuts (and fruit, for those who prefer!). Our conversations will be loosely focused on the themes of:
Scripture (Feb. 2)
Tradition (Mar. 2)
Reason (Apr. 6)
Experience (May 4)
On the topic of scripture: What parts of the Bible resonate with you? What parts don’t? What other written things have influenced how you think about God and faith (novels, poetry, manga, music)? Join Rev. Heidi and Seminarian Elishia McAllister for on the first Sunday of each month at 9:30 a.m. in the undercroft.
Our recent planning meeting led to a number of things to look forward to in the coming months. Mark your calendars for the following YAE events (for young adults ages 21 to 39ish). For more questions about YAE, talk to Rev. Heidi or email yaeforjesus@gmail.com.
Sunday, February 2, 12:45 p.m. – Prepare and serve food for Chapel on the Green
We will meet in Trinity’s undercroft at 12:45 p.m. to prepare sandwiches to serve at the 2 p.m. outdoor service. Diana Nunez will be bringing arepas, which we will warm and also serve.
Help at Chapel on the Green is especially helpful in the cold winter months, when volunteers can be scarce. Let us know if you plan on joining on Feb. 2! Reply to yaeforjesus@gmail.com
Do you feel moved to preach that day? Sermons at Chapel on the Green are about 5 minutes long, extemporaneous. Be in touch with Heidi for more information: hthorsen@trinitynewhaven.org
Tuesday, March 4, 7:30 p.m. – Archie Moore’s Trivia
A YAE favorite—food is on us!
Friday, April 4, 5:30 p.m. – Stations of the Cross
We will continue our annual tradition of walking the Stations of the Cross, set in a new outdoor location (TBD) in the community. Dinner to follow.
Sunday, May 4, 1 p.m. – Next planning meeting
Join us at Atticus Market on Orange. We’re hoping for good weather!
Due to the forecast of inclement weather, we have decided to postpone the Evensong service this afternoon so the singers and congregation are not traveling unnecessarily. We look forward to welcoming singers from across the region to sing Evensong on Sunday, May 4 when the service has been rescheduled.
Starting this Sunday, January 19, join us at 9:30 a.m. in the undercroft library for a seven-part adult education series on the Psalms: wisdom, joy, music, anger, justice, and nature. Sessions will be lead by a variety of voices in our community. Come for one or all!
Jan. 19 – Introduction, Tonita Branan
Jan. 26 – Psalms and Wisdom, Heidi Thorsen
Feb. 2 – Psalms and Music, Simon Lee
Feb. 9 – Psalms and Anger, Lisa Levy
Feb. 16 – Psalms and Justice, Elishia McAllister
Feb. 23 – Psalms and Nature, Rich Walser
Mar. 2 – Psalms and Joy, Luk De Volder
Stewardship envelopes will be available in the church starting this week, located near the sexton’s office. If you requested envelopes and are unable to pick them up in person, please email kpicha@trinitynewhaven.org or call 203-624-3101 to request that they be shipped to you. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our community.
We have received toys, AA batteries, books, and more in response to our request for items for the Little Blessings Nursery. Thank you to all who have donated! As Janna, one of our nursery staff, said: "We feel so loved and so thankful for everything!"
Each year, Center Church on the Green hosts the annual Charles Ives Recital featuring the recipient of the Charles Ives Prize. The Charles Ives Prize is an annual scholarship sponsored by Center Church in support of an organ student at the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music. This year, we are excited to welcome Holly Broadbent to play on our 1971 C.B. Fisk Opus 54 organ. Holly is an Australian organist in her second year of the Masters of Music program at Yale, studying with James O'Donnell. The recital will feature music by J.S. Bach, Claude Debussy, and Jonathan Dove. All are warmly welcome to the recital on Sunday, January 26, at 4 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
Join us this Sunday, January 12, for our first Choral Morning Prayer of the new year! The Schola will sing music by Margaret Burk, John Ireland, and Lucy Walker. Choral Morning Prayer will be offered on the second Sunday of every month this semester, with the exception of the month of April. All are welcome.
Children up to age 7 and their adults are invited to Storybook Sunday at 9 a.m. in the undercroft. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has a vision of God's dream which he shares here with young listeners: it involves people who reach out and hold each other's hands but sometimes get angry and hurt each other—and say they're sorry and forgive. It's a wish that everyone will see that they are brothers and sisters no matter their way of speaking to God, and no matter the size of their nose or the shade of their skin. An activity and discussion follow reading of the book by parishioner Patricia Martin.
Back in November, Spirit Quest collected hundreds of shoes for those in need and now we're ready for a new Quest. What will it be? Bring ideas or come and brainstorm with us during Coffee Hour this Sunday. Meet Angela at 11:45 in the undercroft then we'll head upstairs to the upper room. New members always welcomed with a smile! Spirit Quest is a group for children of the parish ages 8-11.
Children, Youth, & Family Ministry will be offering two catechetical sessions on the sacrament of Holy Communion on February 2 and 9. Both sessions take place at 9 a.m. in the undercroft. We will learn why it is so important to receive Jesus in this way and how it is central to our worship as Episcopalians. Receiving Holy Communion for the first time will hold a special place in our February 23 Family Worship Service.
The Trinity Book Group will be meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, January 15 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss A Misalliance by Anita Brookner. This book explores Anita Brookner's typical theme of loneliness, of an inability to connect with other, and of the dry-eyed despair of some women's lives. If you wish to join the zoom please contact Jenny Briggs. jenniferobriggs@gmail.com
At our upcoming Annual General Meeting on Sunday, January 26, we will welcome four new Vestry members and a new Vestry Clerk. We are so grateful that Keisha Blake Harp, Rachel Scotch, Andrew Smyth, and Anna Zhao have accepted the call to serve as the Trinity Vestry Class of 2028. Susan Alsamarai is becoming our new Vestry Clerk. Click the button below to learn more about our new Vestry members!
Keisha Blake Harp is honored to join the vestry at Trinity Church. With a professional background in nonprofit leadership and business development. A passionate advocate for service and community, Keisha also volunteers with organizations such as The New Haven Chapter of the Links Inc, and the Junior League of Greater New Haven.
Keisha earned degrees in International Relations and Spanish from Tufts University, a M.Phil in Latin American Studies from Cambridge University, and Law from the University of London. Outside of her work, she enjoys traveling, exploring diverse cultures, and supporting efforts that foster inclusion and growth. Keisha is excited to bring her faith, experience, and commitment to her role on the vestry. Keisha is blessed to share her life with her husband, Wendell Matthew Harp, and their son, Wendell Blake Harp. Their family’s journey of faith is deeply connected to Trinity Church, where Keisha and Wendell exchanged their vows and where their son, Wendell was baptized.
Rachel Scotch is a Right to Counsel housing attorney at New Haven Legal Assistance Association (NHLAA). The Right to Counsel Program was created during COVID for certain tenants living in residential properties. Tenants who are income-eligible may be able to have a free lawyer represent them if they are facing eviction or loss of their housing subsidy. Her role involves constant communication with clients and landlord’s attorneys, as well as filing motions and reviewing cases on a daily basis, and representing her clients at court hearings.
A New Haven county native, she received an associate’s degree from South Central Community College (currently known as Gateway). Her educational journey then took her to Southern CT State University, Paier College Art School, and eventually to Yale for her Bachelors degree, followed by a law degree from Northeastern University in Boston. While in Boston, she became a public defender and worked for the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) for 12 years. She and her spouse Josh met in Boston, and when they started looking to buy a house, she encouraged a move back to New Haven. They recently relocated from there to Hamden.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys daily hikes with their rescue dog, kayaking with her husband, and is an avid amateur baker. She also loves following the Red Sox and Bruins (be sure to ask her about the decade she spent working at Fenway Park!) She and Josh are frequent volunteers with Chapel on the Green at Trinity.
Andrew Smyth has been a parishioner at Trinity on the Green since 2007. He served on the Vestry at Trinity from 2017-2020 and is involved in Trinity’s Pastoral Care Committee, Healing Prayer Ministry, Altar Guild, and Clean the Green initiative. He is currently Co-Head Usher, with David Assis and Karen Isaacs.Andrew also serves on the Episcopal Church at Yale Board of Governors and is chair of the Governance Committee and Secretary for the Board.
At home in New Haven, Andrew enjoys life in Westville with his wife, Jeanne, and two dogs, Arthur and Belphoebe. He is an active runner and participates in environmental initiatives in the area. At work, Andrew is Professor of English at Southern Connecticut State University, where he helps to prepare future secondary English teachers and does research in cultural animal studies, Early Modern English literature, and education.
Anna Zhao grew up in Liuzhou, also known as “Dragon City,” in Southern China, and came to New Haven in 2014 as an international student. She earned two master’s degrees at the University of New Haven, including an MBA with honors in finance. She was introduced to Trinity by her Godmother, Barbara Jarry, and felt an immediate connection. Anna was baptized during the Easter Vigil in 2015. Later that year, she met her husband, Bo Sandine, at a Trinity sermon drama directed by Bo's father, Bob Sandine. The two were married at Trinity in 2021.
Now in her third year at Commonfund, an asset management firm specializing in outsourced CIO (OCIO) services for nonprofit organizations, Anna thrives in her role supporting institutional clients. She also serves as a member of Trinity’s Investment Committee and sings in the Parish choir. Anna has a passion for integrating personal development and spiritual guidance into financial decisions. She embraces solitude and finds fulfillment in reflecting on her life journey, practicing meditation, conducting research, and refining her investment strategies.
In her free time, Anna enjoys traveling with her husband Bo, trying new restaurants, cooking traditional Chinese meals, and reconnecting with close friends. She is an avid tea drinker, a cat lover (though she does not own one!), and a beginner tennis player. Anna also loves learning about Middle Eastern cultures and languages and hopes to visit the region someday.
Anna is committed to bringing her financial expertise, strategic thinking, and dedication to Trinity’s mission. Her experience in nonprofit asset management and service on the Investment Committee equips her to support thoughtful stewardship.
We have been immensely grateful for Lisa Omark’s service as our Vestry clerk. She has fulfilled two terms as Vestry clerk, three year each, and our by-laws require us to call for a new clerk. Lisa has been a steady guide and diligent keeper of the Vestry records, also during the challenging years of Covid when all our meetings switched to Zoom. We could not have done it without you, Lisa! Thank you so much.
At this upcoming Annual General Meeting we are honored to welcome Susan Alsamarai who is standing for election to become our new Vestry Clerk.
Come and join Simon Lee and Sarah Johnson this Sunday, January 12, during coffee hour for a chat about music at Trinity. With Simon and Sarah as Trinity’s new music staff, we would like to reserve time to talk about music at Trinity during our worship and at other occasions. They are eager to share their plans for this upcoming year and welcome any questions you might have. Please join us!
On January 19 at 9 a.m. everyone interested in Altar Guild ministry is welcome to join the New Year breakfast meeting in the undercroft. Patricia Thurston, our Altar Guild leader, and our clergy look forward to connecting with everyone who feels ready to join the Altar Guild. We will take some time to connect but also plan for a number of projects in 2025. We hope to meet you then!
A Trinity parishioner who lives in Hamden (near intersection of Davis Street and Ridge Road) and uses a wheelchair is no longer able to drive to Trinity. They are looking for a ride to the 10:30 service as often as possible. If you are in a position to help (even if only sometimes), please email Lisa Levy, Community Care Minister, at llevy@trinitynewhaven.org. Thank you!
Chapel on the Green needs you! We are looking for 3-4 people to serve meals THIS Sunday, December 22. Start at 2:20 p.m. and end by 3 p.m.—an easy but important way to offer help to our unhoused neighbors. We will be indoors this week due to frigid temperatures. RSVP to Lisa at llevy@trinitynewhaven.org.
In case you missed it, click the video above to listen to our 2024 Christmas Concert! Huge congratulations to Simon Lee, Sarah Johnson, Nicholas Stigall, and all of our choirs for putting on a beautiful program and for helping to bring the light of the Incarnate Word to a darkened world.