Chimes January 2025

New Year’s Day at St. John’s was a day I will remember for years to come. We celebrated the second concert of the Paul-Martin Maki Music in the Manor Concert Series. We had a full audience, selling all 100 tickets! The Bach Brandenburg Concertos were each and all breathtaking. The way the Parish Hall was set in an oval surrounding the musicians on three sides offered you an up-close immersion with the musicians. You could see them interact with their instruments, each other, and the audience. Time almost stood still as each movement was played.

The audience was a mix of parishioners and people from the community. The intermission reception was delicious and a wonderful opportunity to visit with those in attendance as well as the musicians. Thank you to Locals 10538, other cooks from the parish, and dedicated volunteers who set up and clean up. The air was full of joy, gratitude, and excitement. I also enjoyed Matthew’s harpsichord solo, giving the parishioners in attendance an opportunity to see him in a different context other than in a liturgical setting. Thank you to all who made this experience a gift to remember!

Annual Meeting

Please attend to get an update on St. John's finances, outreach, and other ministries.

This year’s annual parish meeting will take place on Sunday, January 26. Here are the details:

• After an abbreviated Eucharist service at 10:00 am in the sanctuary, we will move to the Parish Hall for this year's annual meeting. Please note that while the 10am service will be Zoomed, the annual meeting will not be, as you need to be present to vote.
• The nominations will be presented and we will vote for this year’s Nominating Committee.
• We will elect four Vestry members and the Senior Warden. As we have announced, the 2025 Nominating Committee has put forward the following slate: Senior Warden for a second, two-year term: Pete Bennitt; Vestry candidates for three-year term: Erin Constabile, Dacey Hall, Brooks Powlen, and Sonny Wooten. Please see the bios for each candidate, below.
• In addition, current Vestry member Kurt Weisenfluh will become Treasurer beginning in June 2025, and will work with current Treasurer, Frank Pierson, until then.
• The Annual Report will be distributed in the week before the Annual Meeting. Please read the Annual Report before the meeting. This will give you a chance to reflect on what is presented and to formulate any questions you'd like to share at the meeting.

Reminder to Ministry Leaders: Please submit your reports for the Annual Report to Laura Rawlings by Thursday, January 16. Thank you!

The Vestry Nominating Committee, comprised of Mike Raso, Russ Hall, Kelly Chubet, Carla Berry, Tori Pough, and Amy Jaswal, is pleased to announce the slate for Vestry members to be elected at our Annual Meeting, January 26, 2025.

Senior Warden

Pete Bennitt

I am a lifelong Episcopalian. I was baptized, confirmed and married at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Butler, Pennsylvania.

St. John’s has been an important part of my family’s life since my wife, Sonita, and I moved to Larchmont. All three of our children were baptized and confirmed at St. John’s and went to nursery school and Sunday school at St. John’s. I have been involved in many aspects of the church including currently serving as Senior Warden, serving on the vestry, serving on and chairing the finance and investment committees, ushering, participating in numerous midnight runs and other community projects, and teaching Sunday school.

I have worked in the finance industry since completing graduate school in 1998. I am currently a managing director at United Growth Group, a family office. I also serve on the finance committee of the Larchmont Yacht Club.

I believe that St. John’s is an integral part of our community. St. John’s provides opportunities for spiritual and personal growth as well as resources for and engagement with the community. I would be honored to continue to serve St. John’s and am committed to helping it fulfil its mission.

Three-Year Term

Erin Constabile

My parents moved to Larchmont when I was 15 months old and joined St. John's shortly thereafter. That was about 55 years ago and I have been a parishioner to different degrees throughout. I attended St. John's Nursery School and I believe I was in the third class...... I went through Sunday School, Confirmation classes and Youth Group, sleeping at the Cathedral on more than one occasion. I am the oldest of 5 and the only child, or grandchild (waiting on one), not baptized at St. John's. My parents were quite active- my mother in particular. She served on St. Margaret's, Altar Guild, Vestry and ECW and always helped with the bazaar, sorting dusty books for days. My father also served on the vestry and helped with the bazaar for years.

I spent many years going to church only on holidays. When my mother became ill with dementia it became a place of solace and reflection as I grappled with the anger and sadness around her illness and decline. I attend either the 9 or 10 am service when I am in town.

I have done some volunteering for the Bazaar over the past couple of years and always donate to the silent auction. I helped with the redecoration of the office by taking and helping with the installation of the photographs.

I am a first grade teacher and have been at Riverdale Country School for 32 years. I also run their service projects. I've always been an active community member and volunteer where I can.

Candace (Dacey) Killam Hall

My husband Greg and I joined St. John's in 1983, the year we moved to Larchmont from New York City. I was a New England Episcopalian and Greg an Iowa Presbyterian, so we visited local churches of both denominations before choosing sides. The friendliness, inclusiveness and outreach of fellow parishioners quickly pushed St. John's over the top. Our three children were born soon after, and were baptized, educated (St. John's Nursery School AND St. John's Sunday School), confirmed, and one even recently married at St. John's.

Over the years, I have been involved in St. Margaret's, the ECW, Altar Guild, Stewardship Campaigns, terms on the Vestry, working at the Bazaar, teaching Sunday School, attempting to herd Angels at the Christmas pageant...in other words, I have had a wonderful lifetime of forming friendships, watching all of our children grow, and deepening my faith with the help of fellow St. John worshippers. Many years of scrambling to get everyone to church on time has solidified my habit of attending the 10:00 am service.

After several years as a banker, I made a career change and became a New York City Teaching Fellow and taught English in a Bronx high school.

I now teach English courses at CUNY/Lehman College, but am currently on leave to enjoy having become a serial grandmother in a wonderfully short time.

Brooks Powlen

My wife Christine and I moved to Larchmont from NYC in 2018 with our two children, Hailey (7) and Charlie (2). We were quickly drawn to St. John’s through Hailey’s amazing preschool experience, and our shared love of and feelings of comfort at the Sunday services. We have been attending the 10am service for about five years. I currently work as a private equity investor, and find joy as a father and lover of tennis, golf, and the outdoors.

Sonny Wooten

My name is Edward Wooten and go by the nickname Sonny. I am a retired 72 years old and have been an Episcopalian since 1984. I served on the Vestry at St. Andrew’s in Murray Hill NJ from 1991 to 1994 and have been an avid volunteer at many Episcopal parishes.

My wife, Connie, and I became frequent visitors to New Rochelle area when my daughter, Lara, her husband, JB, and my granddaughter Audrey moved from the Upper West Side in May 2020. As the COVID situation moderated, Connie and I sought a second Episcopal church home in this area and first visited St. John’s in July 2020.

The warm welcome by Rev. Lisa and the 8 o’clock parishioners caused a quick decision to make St. John’s our “away from home” parish. Our home parish at the time was St. Luke’s in mid-town Atlanta. Connie and I moved to Mamaroneck 14 months ago to support our kids and two grandchildren on a more permanent basis. Our kids and grandchildren are also attending St. John’s, so we have more recently moved from the 8 to 10 o’clock service to include them in family services and kids’ Formation classes. However, Connie and I attend 8 o’clock, when possible, to be with “old friends”.

Connie supports Hope Community Services with meal provisions. My parish involvement includes helping Connie and joining St. John’s Men’s Dinner. I retired with over 36 years tenure from American Express in 2016 that included a five-year stint in NYC. I still dabble with new fintech opportunities, ventures and assist industry colleagues with their endeavors.

While here, my community activities focus on family, particularly my grandchildren. Mostly due to living space limitations, hobbies including biking, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, wood working and plain tinkering are on hold. However, St. John’s offers great opportunities for me to better diversify my community commitments and capabilities.

I am humbled to be nominated serve St. John’s parishioners. My hope is to effectively grow St. John’s Christian presence in our communities.

Treasurer

Kurt Weisenfluh

I am originally from Cohasset, MA and a graduate of the University of Vermont. My wife, Maura, and I have three boys; Matt, Owen, Kurt Jr. All were baptized at St. John’s.

We lived in Larchmont 1992 to 2009, then in the Bay Area and Virginia from 2009 to 2019. When we moved away we joined St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Orinda, CA then St. Paul’s Episcopal in Alexandria, VA. We were active in both. Our children all attended St. Stephens & St Agnes School, an Episcopal day school in Alexandria.

My career is in institutional fixed income trading and I have been working on Wall Street about 35 years. Our interests include family adventures, sailboat racing, fishing, skiing.

We moved back to Larchmont in 2019 and have become regulars at the 8:00 Sunday morning liturgy. I am thrilled to be able to serve the parish.