Parish Inreach
While St. Brendan's is a church with a deep commitment to community outreach, its members also take part in a healthy amount of parish inreach. Let's face it: We like spending time together and we try to take care of each other. That means we have specific groups of members who discuss bestselling novels, take hikes in the woods, send cards of concern, teach knitting and crocheting, make meals for the sick and connect in other ways.
Book Club
Members of St. Brendan’s Book Club meet monthly in the church library to discuss the pre-selected book and choose future reading topics. Meetings are typically held on the First Monday of each month. All are always welcome, so please join us for some fun, fellowship, and fiction (usually)!
Brendan's Boots
In the spirit of St. Brendan the Navigator, the church's hiking group, Brendan's Boots, hits the trail once a month to enjoy nature, fresh air, and fellowship. This is a great way to exercise our bodies & well-being as well as appreciate God's gifts around us. After leaving the trail, participants enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Caring Cards
It’s important that we show church family members that we care and what better way than to send a greeting card! The Caring Cards Ministry sends cards to church members who are ill, grieving, going through hardships and/or absent from our pews. Cards are available in the narthex for you to sign before and after both services on some Sundays. Please take a moment to sign cards for our church family members. Thank you!
Green Thumb Gang
The Green Thumb Gang ministers to the grounds and exterior of St. Brendan’s. We take care of the gardens, engage in small landscaping projects, perform minor maintenance on the outside of the building, and maintain the reverence and beauty of the memorial garden. Anyone who enjoys gardening, the outdoors, or simply fellowship is welcome. Work days are announced in advance in the Navigator.
Memorial Garden
St. Brendan's Memorial Garden sits alongside the church, in a quiet green space outside the chapel doors. It serves as a final resting place for parishioners who wish to have their remains interred here after their death. The names of everyone whose remains are part of the garden appear on a plaque in the parish chapel.
Men's Breakfast
Every month, the men of St. Brendan’s are invited to sit around and do nothing. They do it best at the Men’s Breakfast on the second Monday of the month at Eat ‘n’ Park in Franklin Park. Afterwards, it’s back to work!
Merry Meal Makers (M and Ms)
The Merry Meal Makers are a group of volunteers who prepare (or buy) meals and deliver them to parishioners who have recently had surgery, lost a loved one, or have another need for which a meal, a smile, and a kind word can help.
Spirituality Ministry
St. Brendan’s Spirituality Mission began in February 2021, during the pandemic. Our definition of Spirituality is a pathway meant to take us out of ourselves. It could be anything that embraces our connection to God, to each other, to nature, and to all of God’s creatures. Our activities have included walking a labyrinth together, Forest Bathing, the meditation/walk at the Pittsburgh Botanical Garden, a drumming circle, and the Native American Pow Wow to learn about that culture and spirituality.
St. Brendan's Scholarship Program
The scholarship program was launched in 1996 with a generous gift by late parishioner Dorsey Doddroe. Grants are not based on financial need or academic performance, but on the level of a student's involvement at church. Since the program's inception, more than 75 grants have helped over 35 St. Brendan's students who are enrolled in full-time post-secondary education. Parishioners can help sustain the fund through occasional contributions in the Sunday church plate or at the church office.
.png)
Sticks and Strings
Calling all fiber crafters for Sticks and Strings! Do you knit, crochet, embroider, or do other hand-held fiber arts? Let’s get together for fellowship, fun, and handcrafting! Sticks & Strings meetings are on the third Tuesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. and the first Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m., in St. Brendan’s library. Please join us - everyone is welcome, regardless of experience level. We hope to see you there!