I love spending time with the youth in our church family. Seeing them connect with each other and grow in their relationship with God is so worth every moment we spend working with them. 

Liz, Youth Leader

Did you know that part of Sarah Gibbs’ purpose in giving the land that is St. Mary’s included establishing a seminary? The word seminary comes from the Latin seminarium, meaning “seed-plot.”

Today, we usually think of a seminary as a place where people are trained for ministry. In Sarah’s time, however, the word might also have referred to a women’s school or college. Whatever type of seminary she envisioned, one thing is clear: education was part of Sarah Gibbs’ vision for St. Mary’s from the beginning.

While a seminary was never built on this property, St. Mary’s has a long history of offering Christian formation and education to its members and friends.

This fall, we have once again embarked on an active season of Christian formation for all ages. Our younger members gather for Sunday morning classes. Our youth come together on Friday evenings. Adults meet for Bible study on Friday mornings, and in the coming weeks we are looking forward to a course on Celtic spirituality. Our monthly Family Dinners bring generations together around the table for food, fellowship, and community.

None of these opportunities simply happens. Our children’s, youth, and Family Dinner programs alone require at least 30 hours each month of planning, organizing, and leadership by clergy, lay leaders, and trained volunteers. Our Christian Formation Team is dedicated to making each of these opportunities as spiritually meaningful, community-oriented, and inclusive as possible.

Alongside this investment of time and leadership is a significant financial investment by St. Mary’s. Our annual budget provides the foundation —maintaining the Parish House and keeping the lights on, supporting staff and administrative expenses, providing the supplies and food — that make these programs possible. For 2026, $26,737.50 of our budget is allocated to support this ministry and the resources that sustain it.

That investment is made possible by your financial gifts to St. Mary’s.

As recipients of Sarah Gibbs’ legacy, we have a mission not only to maintain her vision but to help it grow.

Nearly two centuries after Sarah Gibbs planted the first “seed-plot” at St. Mary’s, we are its caretakers. As we look to the future, our responsibility is not simply to preserve what was planted here in 1843, but to tend it, nurture it, and help it continue to grow for generations to come.