Annual Report 2024
ALL THINGS NEW
Suzanne and her family, 2021.
From the President
As we look back at 2024, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared together. While none of us could have anticipated the challenges we faced with the flooding of our church building in the past few years, I am inspired by the resilience that has been at the heart of this community’s response.
In so many ways we experienced these words from Revelation 21 take shape among us this past year: “See, I am making all things new.” Even in the face of destruction, we’ve witnessed how God is renewing us—not only physically in the restoration of our church, but spiritually and relationally through the way we’ve come together in support of one another and our mission.
I am grateful for your continued commitment to Saint Peter’s, for your generosity of time and talent. Of all the stories this annual report could tell, it is the service of many to our community — from faith formation to outreach for migrants, and from liturgies to care for the vulnerable.
Thank you for being an essential part of this journey. Together, we are making all things new.
Suzanne Loranc, President
From the Clergy
As we close another year, we reflect on the great truths we have lived together—especially the promise from Revelation that “I am making all things new.” It has been a year of transformation, a year where we’ve experienced both the weight of loss and the hope of renewal. Though we never expected the flood that disrupted our space, it has opened the doors for God to work in new and unexpected ways within us and through us.
Your continued support and generosity have been a source of strength, not just in rebuilding our physical space, but in sustaining the heart of our ministry. Because of you, we’ve been able to continue offering meaningful liturgy, engage in vital outreach, and deepen our shared life in Christ. Together, we care for the most vulnerable, accompany migrants, and continue to provide a rich array of programs for all ages.
Thank you for your unwavering faithfulness, for walking this journey and for sharing your gifts in community. That’s what this annual report highlights: your ministry in this place and to this city we love.
Pastor Fabián Arias
Pastor Jared R. Stahler
Pastor-in-Residence David Larson-Martínez
Pictured left to right on Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe in December: Pastor Fabian Arias, Joaquin Gerardo Pastrana Uranga from the Consulate General of Mexico in New York, Bishop Paul Egensteiner of the Metro NY Synod, ELCA, and Pastor Jared Stahler.
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE
IN 2024…
123 people increased their annual Stewardship Giving
6 volunteers helped to staff the reception desk for a total of over 88 hours
Members and friends gave $258,801 to the second phase of the matching grant from National Fund for Sacred Places
We transitioned to using Kiwi Partners, a trusted leader in not-for-profit accounting
We completed three audits: 2021, 2022 and 2023 as part of significant milestone in our finance office recalibration
Check back soon for a long-form report.
A program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Kiwi Partners has been working with non-profits since 1998.
Tait Weller’s team is selected and organized around your Saint Peter’s specific needs and requirements.
ACTION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
IN 2024…
Funded by grants and donations, the weekly food distribution provided food to more than 800 people every Tuesday
The Compass Program impacted 930 people during the year
150 coats were collected and distributed
280 families enjoyed the Three Kings Party
400 turkeys (4,340 pounds!) were distributed to 500 families
Check back soon for a long-form report.
Our Bilingual Mass for Epiphany and Three Kings Party drew a crowd of more than 250. Festivities included food, a nativity presentation, piñatas, and gifts for children and families.
With the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Metro NY Synod, our Mutual Aid Fund provided Christmas turkeys as well as scarves/gloves/etc to 500 families at our regular food distribution program.
Advent and Christmas 2024 saw overwhelming support for Coat for a Friend: Children’s Edition with 100+ coats to families in need!
Over 27 families were led by Pastor Fabian from Mexico City to Queens, NY to be reunited with their families, some having been apart for more than 20 years.
PARISH LIFE
IN 2024…
We celebrated 13 First Communions
We celebrated 36 Confirmations
Throughout the year, 520 families attended the Intergenerational/Family Days
We enjoyed 8 parish wide brunches together
For the full year we gathered to commemorate birthdays every month
Check back soon for a long-form report.
Holy Week included a number of beloved traditions including, daily bi-lingual mass and Via Crucis. The Saint Peter’s Choir and Bach Collegium presented J.S. Bach's Passion According to Saint John, BWV 245. This performance commemorated the 300th anniversary of Bach’s “John Passion,” performed for the first time on Good Friday 1724.
We celebrated the 60th Anniversary of Ordination of The Rev. Dale R. Lind. Pastor Lind, who is Jazz Pastor Emeritus, has served his entire ministry at or in some-way affiliated with Saint Peter’s.
Our former The Rev. Dr. John S. Damm Diaconal Fellow for Cross-Cultural Ministry and Engagement (2022-2023), Deacon Erin Brown was consecrated by the Lutheran Diaconal Association during a Bilingual Mass for the Second Sunday of Easter.
We “kicked off” our Parish life program year with a parish-wide brunch, holding a festival of enrollment for our faith formation classes and celebrating the 1st Anniversary of Ordination for Pastor David Larson Martinez, our Pastor-in-Residence for Faith Formation.
LITURGY AND THE ARTS
IN 2024…
Celebrated the return of Jazz on the Plaza this summer with 8 fantastic performances
For the second year, a fully bilingual dramatization of John’s Gospel was presented on Good Friday by Creative Proclamations
Have 18 people who sing regularly in the choir
We received 2 Cultural Medallions from Historic Landmarks Preservation Center honoring Louise Nevelson and Lella and Massimo Vignelli
Hosted 4 Jazz Memorials
Check back soon for a long-form report.
May was filled with remembering. Two major religious commemorations: the Shoah with Central Synagogue as well as the 40th, and final, Memorial Vespers.
For the first time since 2016, we welcomed back Jazz on the Plaza! Presented with The Arts and Architecture Conservancy at Saint Peter’s, BXP, and The Grand Central Partnership. This leading outdoor festival featured a variety of groups each Wednesday in July and August.
This year, we celebrated All Saints Day and Día de los Muertos “in full” for the first time since the merger of our two predecessor congregations in 2020 and the flood of 2021. An all-day festival with an emphasis on cultural exchange, education, and community building, we made crafts, decorated, and watched dance performances.
Saint Peter’s received two Cultural Medallions placed by the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center in honor of Louise Nevelson and Lella & Massimo Vignelli. These Vignelli-designed Medallions are affixed to the Lexington Avenue entrance and are part of a “Notable New Yorkers” program, which has placed nearly 150 cultural medallions, to date, throughout the five boroughs.