UPCOMING SERVICES
HOLY EUCHARIST
Sunday, October 4 - 1:00 PM
The Rev. Fred Stevenson - Celebrant
HOLY EUCHARIST
Sunday, October 11 - 1:00 PM
The Rev. Ted Christopher - Celebrant
Vestry Meeting follows the coffee hour
HOLY EUCHARIST
Sunday, October 18 (St. Luke's Day) - 1:00 PM
The Rev. Fred Stevenson - Celebrant
HOLY EUCHARIST
Sunday, October 25 - 1:00 PM.
The Rev. Ted Christopher - Celebrant
EVENING PRAYER
CONFIRMATION AND BAPTISM CLASSES
Do you want or know someone who may want to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church? Do you or someone you know want to be baptized or to formally reaffirm baptismal vows? We will be offering preparation sessions for those interested.
Please contact Marilyn Pyeatt for more information.
HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Our parish is always evolving. You make the difference at St. Luke's. We need volunteers to help in so many areas: serving at the altar, helping us make "a joyful noise", greeting all who attend our services, arranging flowers, helping with the Food Pantry and Community Lunch, and so much more. Anyone that would like to volunteer to help in any aspect of our parish life are asked to contact Greg Williams or Marilyn Pyeatt.
THIRD ANNUAL PRIDE PARADE & FESTIVAL 
October 9, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
St. Luke's is proud to announce that we will once again be part of the Altoona Pride Parade this fall. The festival portion with various vendors will be at Heritage Plaza beginning at 5 p.m., and the parade begins at 6. The Episcopal float will be decorated at St. Luke's at 4 p.m. that day, and all are welcome to help. If you would like to participate in any way - decorating and/or riding on the trailer, walking/passing out flyers/candy, donating for the decorations, candy, printing, or in any other way, please contact info@stlukesaltoona.org
NEXT VESTRY MEETING
Sunday, October 11
St. Luke's vestry will meet on Sunday, October 11 following the service and coffee hour. All are invited to participate.
Please email Padraic Farrell at info@stlukesaltoona.org if you plan to attend.
INVITE WELCOME CONNECT
Invite Welcome Connect is a framework that helps congregations transform their approach to evangelism, hospitality, and belonging from a maintenance mindset to a mission-driven culture rooted in the Gospel. St. Luke's new parish team for this initiative is Alice Drus, Padraic Farrell, Caleb Gwinn, Bradley Jasper, Emily Letsche, and Olin Mittan. Woody Pyeatt serves as an ad hoc member helping with organization. The group will be reporting back to the congregation at the vestry meeting on October 11.
CHOIR REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
Our choir is back! There will be rehearsals on 
October 11 and 18 at noon. If you or anyone you know might be interested in joining the choir, please contact the church office at 814-942-1372.
COMMUNITY LUNCH!
WEDNESDAY, October 14 at Noon
St. James Lutheran Church
You're cordially invited to join us for lunch on
Wednesday, October 14 at
St. James Lutheran Church,
1407 Eighth Ave., Altoona.
The meal is available for dine-in or take-out. The luncheon is free, though we gladly accept donations.
Interested in volunteering? We could always use your help. Contact info@stlukesaltoona. org.
ST. LUKE'S FOOD PANTRY FUNDRAISER - OCTOBER 18 at 6 PM
WORK, EAT, PRAY AT MT. ETNA
Saturday, October 24 - 9:00 a.m.-noon
Directions to Mt. Etna
St. Luke's Episcopal Church and Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light have hosted a monthly Work, Eat, Pray at Mt. Etna for many years and this particular section of the Lower Trail has been transformed by our work. Since the Fall of 2025, we have been experimenting with scheduling our work at different times of the day, so please be sure to note the time as well as the date of our next gathering. At each work party we spend the first 2 hours doing habitat restoration- removing non-native invasive plants which don't feed our native insects so we can replace them with native plants to help heal the planet that God has given us. This will be followed by a half-hour shared snack and conversation and end with Morning or Evening Prayer from the beautiful monastic tradition.
Dedicated to serving our community. Our monthly Food Pantry is open to anyone in need.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
2:00 - 5:30 p.m.
The next Food Pantry distribution at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Eighth Avenue and 13th Street, Altoona, will be October 29th from 2:00-5:30 p.m.. Food distribution is done on a drive-through basis. Line up along Eighth Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets.
YOUR help is always needed to feed our neighbors, and new volunteers are always welcome, especially for the food distribution and the two days previous.
Tuesday the 27th, we will pick up pet food starting about 1:30 p.m.. We will load pet food into Greg's van, and it will stay there until we unload it onto the table on 8th Avenue on Thursday the 29th. It saves handling and aching backs!
Wednesday the 28th, we will be packing boxes for our neighbors starting about 10:30 a.m.. Hopefully, we should be done by about 4:00 PM. The order has to be separated, shelved, refrigerated, and so on. We will then start packing boxes for our neighbors.
Thursday the 29th, we will gather about 10:30 a.m. and continue packing boxes, moving food boxes into the rear of the sanctuary, putting out signs and tables, setting up tents, etc. so we are ready to begin distribution promptly at 2:00 p.m., continuing until 5:30 p.m.. Then we have to put it all away; the signs, tables, tents, and any undistributed food. Luckily, we have often been able to start this process earlier, sometimes as early as 4:00 p.m., so the whole process goes smoothly. Even so, folks who can stay till the end are GREATLY APPRECIATED!
We need your help! WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! Come when you can, leave when you must, and remember that your help and your prayers are a blessing for all involved. If possible, let Woody or Greg know when you can be there to help.
IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS!
Special Requests for October: peanut butter, jelly/jam, oatmeal or other cereal, packaged side dishes (pasta or rice based), and canned pasta, soups, or stews.
Contact Laura Gottfried-Letsche or Woody Pyeatt.
Monetary donations may be sent to the church or done by using this Paypal link or by check to the church office. Thank you!
Food Pantry Facebook Page
2026 Food Pantry Schedule
The Episcopal Church
Welcomes You
