SUNDAYS, FEBRUARY 22 – MARCH 22, 2026 at 10:00 am in Skiles Hall
Lenten Adult Education Series
Maturing in the Spirit: Spiritual Formation for Daily Life
Father Scott+ will be our guide.
This series will provide an introduction to the Spiritual Life with teachings, reflections and conversations. We will use examples from Scripture, the writing of the saints, and our own stories to find the many ways in which God calls us to grow and to mature, in our individual and community journeys.
Come join, fellow sojourners!

Meal Train for Marilyn Welch
As I have been visiting our parish member, Marilyn Welch, with weekly communion, she has experienced a decline in her health. Last week she had a stay in the hospital and is now home with around the clock Hospice Care.  While her mind is engaged and hopeful, her body is not cooperating! I offered to start a Mealtrain at Holy Cross to help with meal preparation, and after discussing with her caretakers and family, she agreed to allow me to ask for help on Sunday and Thursday. Other friends and family will cover other days. The Hospice worker has agreed to heat anything that needs it and will share the meal with Marilyn. But please use disposable, reusable containers. I will pick them up as they accumulate and they will be available for you to pick up and reuse in the kitchen in Skiles Hall. If you are able to help, please click this link and sign up to deliver some love and support to Marilyn. Marilyn has been a member of Holy Cross for over 50 years! She lives in the red house, in the curve, just down the road from the church on Highway 194 and they use the back door. She loves visitors and seeing her church friends. If you cannot provide an occasional meal or visit, please consider sending cards of encouragement. If you have ever gotten a birthday card from Holy Cross, it came from Marilyn. That has been her ministry to all of us for years.  The link is below and the sign up is easy. Mary Pietan will be coordinating the list from her winter home in Florida until she returns to us this Spring. Many thanks, for the gift of your time, Mary! Thanks to all of you for your love and support of Marilyn.
Peace, Kim Gauss

It’s Time for ECW’s “MARCH” for Diapers!
We will be collecting all sizes of new, unopened packages of diapers (both adult and child!) through the entire month of March. Please leave your donations in the labeled boxes in Skiles Hall.
With an early Easter, and our Annual "March for Diapers," the ECW is sad to announce that our annual St. Patrick's Day party will NOT be held. Since this is a large money making event, please send donations to Holy Cross and put ECW in the memo line. Andrea is working on a small recipe booklet to encourage donations. Any contribution large or small is greatly appreciated.

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2026
Lent & the Gift of Imagination with Katerina Whitley
Valle Crucis Conference Center
Come join us for an experience that will give new meaning to the sacred and challenging season of Lent. This Lenten Retreat will have a different focus than others you may have attended.
We will spend our time considering how the gift of Imagination can help us read the Bible with intelligence and a renewed understanding. We will learn about how the prophets imagined God’s purpose for God’s creation.
Enter more fully into the stories and emotions of the Passion with master teacher Katerina Whitley. The program will be in the beautiful, light-filled Johnson Hall, with lunch provided. $65 covers an amazing facilitator, lunch, snacks, and program materials.
Please contact the Valle Crucis Conference Center to register for this workshop, or follow this link to sign up: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/lent-and-the-gift-of-imagination.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2026
Ladies Day Out
Our first Ladies Day Out was a huge success; we enjoyed making old-fashioned Valentines and sharing tea together. Our next event will be on Saturday, March 14th, at 2:00 PM at the Appalachian Theatre in downtown Boone to watch the comedy "Southern Hospitality." The play features a member of the Holy Cross community along with several other local performers.
Tickets are $19 for seniors, students, and children, and $22 for all others. You can purchase them at: https://www.apptheatre.org/events-and-tickets/beanstalk-southern-hospitality.
Gentlemen are also welcome to join the fun. We hope to see you there!

 

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2026
Men’s Night Out at the Zellner Party Barn

After a two month mid-winter hiatus, the Men’s Night Out (MNO) group begins its TENTH year of brethren fellowship from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17 in the Party Barn at the home of Jim Zellner, located at 3664 Winkler’s Creek Road in Blowing Rock, NC 28605. Parking is available, but carpooling is strongly encouraged. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, our meal will consist of beef and lamb shepherd’s pie -- along with a poultry alternative, both infused with Guinness! -- with a fresh green salad, Irish soda bread, and dessert. As always, bring your favorite beverage to enjoy and share (think Irish whisky and beer). The suggested donation is $10 per person and your RSVP is due no later than 5:30 p.m on Sunday, March 15 to KeithTMartin@gmail.com.

MNO is a monthly opportunity for brethren from within our parishes and throughout our community to enjoy an evening of fellowship together. Remember to bring your beverage of choice, but PLEASE RSVP by the due date. If you do not drive at night, need a ride to and/or from MNO, or are without reliable transportation for whatever reason, please let us know. We have participants from all over the High Country who would welcome your company and be happy to pick you up and deliver you safely home. Come join us!

THURSDAY – SATURDAY, MARCH 19-21, 2026
March Women Writers Workshop with Katerina Whitley
Valle Crucis Conference Center
Writing is often a lonely pursuit. You may find that it’s much easier to write in the company of like-minded people and with the guidance of a professional who loves to encourage others in the craft of writing. The March Women Writers Workshop invites women of all backgrounds to step away from daily noise and into a quiet mountain setting. Over several days, you’ll write, listen, and share in a small, supportive circle. Join this group of women writers to capture memories, define thoughts, express emotions, and bring order out of chaos. New writers are most welcome!
Join master author Katerina Whitley as we explore ways to express ourselves in writing. This is a full two-day retreat, with options for commuter and one-day pricing. The program will be held in Crab Orchard Hall, with lodging in the Mission House. The program begins with an afternoon gathering and potluck on Thursday March 19 and concludes the afternoon of Saturday March 21. All meals are included.
A native of Thessaloniki, Greece, Katerina Whitley has worked as a church journalist on the diocesan and national levels, taught at universities, and is the author of eight books and hundreds of articles, including a stunning new memoir, Myth and Memory: My Childhood in WWII Greece.
Please contact the Valle Crucis Conference Center to register for this workshop, or follow this link to sign up: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/women-writers-2026-march-workshop.

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SUNDAY – FRIDAY, MARCH 22-27, 2026
Soul Sauntering: A Celtic Retreat with the Rev. Karla Woggon

Valle Crucis Conference Center

Honor the Celtic feast of Imbolc, marking the midpoint between winter and spring, and St. Brigid, the saint of liminal threshold places. Reflect on transitional moments through various spiritual practices, including contemplative walking in nature, group and individual reflection, dream work, reflection on the sacred stories of our lives, and creative expression. Nature will serve as our Spiritual Director, guiding us into deeper awareness and connection. The retreat offers a sacred space to honor transition, discover new insights, and embrace the grace found in the in-between moments of life. Come and find your place in the sacred flow of nature and spirit.

Facilitated by The Rev. Karla Woggon, a retired Episcopal Priest and seasoned spiritual director, dream worker, pilgrimage leader, and lover of stories. Please contact the Valle Crucis Conference Center to register for this workshop, or follow this link to sign up: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/soul-sauntering-celtic-retreat.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2026
Evergreen: The Spirituality of Aging with Rebecca Husband Maynard

Valle Crucis Conference Center

You’re invited to a contemplative retreat exploring the sacred dimensions of growing older. Through guided reflection, spiritual practices, and small groups, participants discover how aging can be a time of deepening wisdom, renewed purpose, and spiritual flourishing. Like the evergreen that remains vital through all seasons, we explore how to cultivate resilience, find meaning in life's transitions, and embrace the gifts that come with accumulated years. This gathering offers space to honor both the challenges and possibilities of aging, drawing on contemplative traditions and the lived wisdom of the group to illuminate the spiritual journey of our later chapters.

Please contact the Valle Crucis Conference Center to register for this workshop, or follow this link to sign up: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/evergreen-the-spirituality-of-aging.

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Will you help with this year’s Valle Country Fair?

The VCF team has a few vacancies this year. We are searching for a Volunteer Coordinator, an Outside Vendor Coordinator, and a Road Sign team. Can you help? These roles do not take much time, most are physically low impact AND are critically important to the success of the fair.

• Volunteer Coordinator: The main task is to match volunteers with our Holy Cross booths that needs extra hands. You will work directly with the Fair Chairs and Booth Leadership to help them fill volunteers for the day of the Fair. Most of the work can be done by email and phone calls. The volunteer coordinator is present on Fair Day in the volunteer tent to help direct volunteers. Find a friend to assist and lighten the load!

• Road Signs: This person finds a friend or two and puts up banners and signs along roadways 3-4 weeks before the fair then takes them down the Sunday after the fair. This job takes 3-4 hours at the most and goes faster with more people. This work is somewhat physical but requires no heavy lifting. Bob Gates has all the information on exactly where the signs go, and the Gates will train you. Easy peasy.

• Outside Vendors: This person will shadow our current outside vendor coordinator (Trish Lanier) this year and will take over this leadership role in 2027.This coordinator works directly with non-Holy Cross food vendors (examples include the kettle corn vendor, funnel cake vendor, etc) to schedule their attendance, share information with the layout chairperson and answer questions as needed. This work is physically low impact.

Please contact Tracey Heiss or Julie Gates by emailing them at vcf.chairs@gmail.com or by calling directly. Thank you for your consideration!