A Sweet, Sweet Spirit in This Place

Princeton is alive with energy and joy as people return for Reunions Weekend. From across the country and around the world, they come back—to see old friends, to party, to reminisce, and to sing once again Old Nassau. There’s something deeply moving about remembering together: sharing stories, laughter, and those classic “Do you remember when?” moments.

But alongside the joy, there can be an experience of melancholy and pain. The passing of time brings with it the loss of beloved friends, and some relationships fade. This, too, is part of the tapestry of our lives.

This time last year, I began my sabbatical with a trip to Kentucky. On my first weekend there, I visited Walnut Street Baptist Church—the church of my youth. I stopped in on an adult Sunday School class and was greeted by those who had known me when I was a boy. Many of them are now in their late 80s and 90s. In that moment, I was no longer an adult visitor—I was again the young boy known as “Little Paul,” sitting in the church balcony with my parents, peering down at my grandparents below and spotting my sister across the way with the youth group.

Fifty years have passed in what feels like a nanosecond, yet so much has changed. And in our hearts and minds, through the gift of memory, we can travel through time and experience for but a brief moment, experience our own sacred reunion. I can close my eyes and return to Mrs. Paine’s Sunday School class. I can feel the waters of my baptism and feel Dr. Dehoney’s hands upon my shoulders. I can hear the congregation singing what we sang almost every Sunday:

There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place,
And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord…

This Reunions and Memorial Day weekend, I invite you to enter into a sacred time of remembering. Let your heart be a place of reunion—a gathering space for the beloved cloud of witnesses who have walked with you on your journey of life and faith. Hear their voices. Feel their presence. Give thanks for their lives and the ways they continue to be with you.  

How beautiful it is to remember. How holy it is to gather. How powerful it is to sing:

Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet heavenly Dove,
Stay right here with us, filling us with Your love…

Let us gather. Let us remember. Let us sing. Let us rejoice—for the gift of life, for the presence of the Spirit, and for the love that binds us together across the years.

Peace and Blessings, 

Paul+

Summer Schedule

Dear friends,
A reminder that his Sunday we will be fully transitioned to our summer service schedule. Please bear these changes in mind as you plan your worship attendance:

  • This Sunday, May 25, we will transition to the summer service schedule for Sundays: Holy Eucharist Rite I at 8 AM, and Holy Eucharist Rite II at 10 AM.

  • Evening Prayer has ended for the summer, and will resume at the start of fall classes at Princeton Seminary.

  • Morning Prayer is now taking place at 7:45 AM Monday-Friday on Zoom only. There will be no in-person Morning Prayer in the Michael Chapel until classes start in the fall. The link to the Zoom may be found on the parish website.

  • There will be no midweek services of the Holy Eucharist (Tuesday noon or Wednesday 5:30) after this Sunday, May 25. Midweek services will resume in the fall.

We pray that God’s love, grace, and peace will be with you this summer - and always.

Welcome Emilio Feijóo!

As our former Director of Communications Char Mansfield transitions to their next chapter of life in Chicago, we warmly welcome Emilio as our new Director of Communications.

Emilio E. Feijóo is a fourth year graduate student in the Comparative Literature department. He was born in Baymo, Cuba and came to the USA when he was two years old. 

He received a dual Bachelor’s from Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), a Master’s in Ideology and Discourse Analysis from the University of Essex and a Master’s from the University of Cambridge with a focus on public intellectuals.

His research interests include poetics, rhetorical theory, French and German 19th and 20th century philosophy, and Caribbean literatures. Before pursuing his doctoral studies, he worked at a small personal injury law firm in Naples, FL as a marketing and operations executive. For the last decade, his undergraduate and graduate studies have revolved around one question: how does a theory of poetry translate into a theory of politics?

Please give Emilio a warm Trinity greeting as you see him around.

The coming of a new dawn

Dear Beloved of Trinity,

I just had the joy of being on retreat at the Washington National Cathedral with my dear friend and first boss at Christ Cathedral in Louisville, Fr. Keith Marsh, our own beloved Rev. Joanne Epply-Schmitt, and 30 other beautiful children of God. We were guided by the wisdom of John Philip Newell—spiritual teacher, speaker, and author rooted in the Celtic tradition, and former warden of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland.

Together, we entered a sacred time of prayer, reflection, sharing, and healing, centered on his powerful work Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul: Celtic Wisdom for Reawakening to What Our Souls Know and Healing the World. John Philip’s teaching was a clarion call to awaken—from the slumber of disengagement and disillusionment, from the false gods of greed and power—and to be grounded again in the truth of God’s love revealed in Christ which is deep in our hearts and the truth of our identity.

He reminded us that we, as children of the Living God, are beautifully and wonderfully made. And as we live within the painful reality of a broken world, our faith is not an escape hatch; it is a sacred pathway that allows us to live as people of light and love in the midst of pain, division, and strife.

We are pilgrims on this earth—not knowing where the journey will lead, yet “seeking one’s place of resurrection, setting sail into the unknown in search of new beginnings.” (p. 222) As Newell writes, “Each one of us is a voyager. This is what the universe invites us to be in our lives and relationships, because the universe keeps changing, unfolding, evolving. Anything that resists new beginnings and new ways is finished.” (p. 248)

In this sacred time together, we received an invitation to “voyage faithfully” — even through the darkness — always looking for God’s light, always watching for “the coming of a new dawn.” (p. 248)

As we continue to live in this Easter season, may we open our hearts and souls to destinations yet unknown. For God who is faithful and loving—will surely lead us. And we, beloved voyagers, will indeed find our way home and to the coming of a new dawn.

Easter Blessings,

Paul

Vacation Bible School

Road Trip! On the Go with God: Vacation Bible School 2025!

Dates: June 23-27, 2025, 9:00 am-12:00 pm

Road Trip! VBS is based on Joshua 1:9, "The Lord your God is with you wherever you go." This verse reminds us that God's presence is always near, no matter where the journey of life takes us. Road Trip! invites us on an exciting journey as we discover new places, new friends, and ways that we can discover God's goodness and presence everywhere. 

Road Trip! is set out on the open road in an imagination-powered vehicle which will take Travelers on amazing adventures to exciting destinations. During each session, Travelers will learn that God is with them in whatever situation they face. With the help of great stories from the Navigators' Guide (the Bible), Travelers will explore timeless Bible stories that show how people from the Old and New Testaments journeyed with God through many locations and situations and found strength in God's presence wherever they went. 

Road Trip! VBS stations include Bible Stories, Music, Crafts, Recreational Games, and Science. Snack will be provided. 

Registration is open to children in grades prek-6. To register, please complete this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9e1Cpd3DLkBjbNcHnRb0LUnJRNl3qHKcKdKcj4vDqVUBa5A/viewform?usp=sf_link

We need many volunteers to make this happen! We will need volunteers to sign up as both Station Leaders and Group Leaders. Teens are welcome and encouraged to volunteer as Group Leaders. To volunteer, please use this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdM7oSW1UXE9gYAJIbv224hyvlu-nUizy6oEYzzpE06eQ0dBw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=106570045769459346946

If you have any questions, please email Annie Bryson (brysona@trinityprinceton.org). 

Habemus Papem

Dear beloved of Trinity,

Yesterday, on the second day of the conclave, white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel—a signal to the world that a decision had been made. The 133 Cardinals, representing 70 nations, had reached a sacred consensus: a new pope had been chosen. Through these men, it is believed, the Holy Spirit has moved—God Himself has spoken.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, becomes the 267th successor to St. Peter and the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics around the globe. He now bears the mantle not only as the Holy Father, but as one of the most recognizable symbols of Christianity in the world.

From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, overlooking a sea of thousands gathered, Pope Leo addressed the faithful with words of hope and challenge:

“We have to look together at how to be a missionary Church—building bridges, engaging in dialogue, always ready to receive others with open arms. Like this square—open to all—so must we be open to everyone who needs our charity, our presence, our dialogue, our love.”

In these uncertain times, we are in need of a leader who can call us to unity, who can help us rise above division. We need someone with open arms and an open heart to embrace the beauty and dignity of all God’s children. We need a shepherd marked by both humility and courage—ready to proclaim the Good News of Christ to a world aching for truth, justice, and love.

In the days and weeks ahead, I invite you to pray for Pope Leo. May his leadership and ministry breathe new life into the Church—one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. And may we, wherever we are in the Body of Christ, be inspired to live out our common mission: to share God’s boundless love with the whole world.

Easter Blessings,

Paul

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