RENOWNED HARPIST AT CATHEDRAL
Laura Porter will play at 6PM and 11PM Christmas Eve services
Hailed as the leading harpist in the Central Valley, Laura Porter is Principal Harp with the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra and co-principal for both the Bakersfield and Modesto Symphonies. She is equally versatile as a soloist, a free-lancer, an orchestral harpist, a choral accompanist, and a chamber musician. She is the harpist of the Figarden Trio, a group dedicated to exploring repertoire for flute, bassoon, and harp. Porter teaches extensively, both privately and as harp instructor for Fresno Pacific University and Fresno State.

Raised in Tucson, Arizona, Laura attended Mills College in Oakland for her Bachelors, then the University of Southern California for her Masters and other post-graduate work in music performance. She was a fellow for three years at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute. 
CHRISTMAS SERVICE PROGRAMS
4PM CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
CHRISTMAS DAY
6PM & 11PM PROGRAM
CHRISTMAS EVE
9AM PROGRAM
CHRISTMAS DAY
ONE SERVICE ON SUNDAY, DEC. 29
Sunday, December 29th St. James will be holding one service at 9:00AM. This service will be a spoken Eucharist (no music) in the Cathedral. A festive coffee hour will follow the service.
FEAST OF THE HOLY NAME
January 1st | 9:00AM | Chapel
On the 8 th day of Christmas, the baby Jesus was brought into the covenant. Under the Law of Moses, all male infants were to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth (Lv 12:3). It was also customary at this time for family and friends to witness the naming of the child. Celebration of the Holy Name reflects the significance of the Holy Name of Jesus, and the emphasis of the Gospel of Luke on the naming of Jesus. The name "Jesus" is from the Hebrew Joshua, or Yehoshuah, "Yahweh is salvation" or "Yahweh will save."

Join us at 9:00AM on January 1 st in the Chapel for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus when we gather for the first mass of the year. 
THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY
January 5th| 5:00PM | Cathedral
Epiphany is an ancient church feast marking the Magi’s visit to the infant Jesus, bringing him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It is celebrated on January 6th—marking the end of Christmas. However, like Christmas, the celebration can begin on the eve of the Epiphany, January 5th.

St. James invites your family to join us on Sunday, January 5th, at 5:00PM for our annual Epiphany service which will include “The Blessing of Chalk for Home Blessings.”

What is the “Blessing of Chalk?” The chalking of the doors is a centuries-old practice throughout the world. We will bless chalk that service participants will then take home and write in chalk the following above the entrance of their home: 20 + C+M + B + 20. The letters have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi - Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar - who came to visit Jesus in His first home. They also abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat: “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross, and the “20” at the beginning and the “20” at the end mark the year.

Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request that Christ to bless those homes. We ask for Christ’s blessing on our homes and on all who live, work or visit them there. The chalking of the doors of a home encourages Christians to dedicate their life at home to God and to others. Seeing the symbols over our doors can help to remind us, while passing in and out on our daily routines, that our homes and all those who dwell there belong to Christ.