We continue to prepare our hearts and minds to create our own rule of life on Rally Day, Sunday, August 28. This Sunday, we will explore the theme GROUP more deeply in the sermon series: Vital Signs of Faith.

Upon completing this course, you will be eligible for confirmation on Sunday, September 25. All are welcome to learn more about their faith, whether or not you intend to be confirmed. 

On Rally Day, August 28, St. John's welcomes you back from the summer's fun, travels, and recreation. This year we will be creating a Rule of Life using the guidance offered in Dean Kate's new book Vital Signs of Faith.

If you need to reach out for pastoral care after church operating hours, call the church line at (904) 356-5507 and Press 4.

Join Dean Kate in launching her newest book, Vital Signs of Faith. The event will include book signing and refreshments.

RSVP at cathedralbookstore@jaxcathedral.org

Order your copy from the

The Beyond Van Gogh Exhibit is coming to Jacksonville Sept. 16. Beyond Van Gogh is a rich and unique multimedia experience, taking the viewer on a journey through over 300 iconic artworks including instantly-recognizable classics "The Starry Night", "Sunflowers", and "Cafe Terrace at Night", now freed from their frames. Set to a symphonic score and using the artist's own dreams, thoughts, and words to drive the experience as a narrative, Van Gogh's art comes to life by appearing and disappearing, flowing across multiple surfaces and heightening the senses with their immense detail. Guests will leave with a new appreciation of this prolific artist's stunning work.

The St John’s Cathedral Bookstore and Gift Shop is offering a special edition of their Zoom Art@Noon program. Grab some lunch on September, 22 at 12 p.m. and join us as we take a look at the life of Van Gogh and view and interact with his art. This program will prepare you for your visit to the exhibit. If you have seen the exhibit, this program will enrich your experience. RSVP Cathedralbookstore@jaxcathedral.org FOR Zoom link.

The Color of Law exhibition that highlights the impact of redlining in communities of color in Jacksonville will be on display throughout the summer.

All pieces in the exhibition are for sale. Proceeds will go to the artist and the Cathedral Bookstore and Art Guild. The small wooden houses are each priced at $150/each and proceeds purchase a class for a first-time home buyer through Historic Eastside CDC.

See the art and prices here. Contact Kathryn Bissette for more information.

Most people can’t wait for the weekend. Hungry kids can’t wait for it to be over. Duval County schools are now back in session and it has been estimated that approximately 20% of the county’s school children go without 3 meals a day. Children who struggle with hunger are more likely to have weaker immune systems, increased hospitalization rates, lower IQs, shorter attention spans and lower academic achievement.  During the school week, most of these children depend on the federal free and reduced-price meal program offered by their school, but the weekends are a different story. 

Blessings in a Backpack provides hungry-free weekends to children struggling with food insecurity. Students participating in the Blessings in a Backpack program show marked improvement in test scores, behavior, school attendance and health.

The First Coast Chapter of Blessings in a Backpack provides weekend nutrition to over 5,500 children through 46 school partners in three counties: Clay, Duval and St. Johns. During the last school year Blessings provided 200,000 weekend nutrition kits. This year the goal is 220,000. The St. John’s Cathedral Blessings in a Backpack team has adopted West Riverside Elementary School on Herschel Street in the Riverside neighborhood of Jacksonville. Qualifying low-income children are sent home each weekend with a packet full of satisfying and nutritional food. Last year, the team provided these packets to 105 children each weekend, approximately 1/3 of the school!

Our wonderful group of volunteers meets approximately every three weeks to pack the weekend nutrition kits. Each packing lasts approximately two hours. There are also plenty of opportunities to get involved with behind the scenes support outside of our packings. To join us, please contact Beth Kirwan (904) 703-9612, mkirwan88@gmail.com or Trish Roberts (904) 566-6660, patriciaproberts@gmail.com.

Starting on Rally Day, August 28^th and continuing throughout the month of September, there will be a container outside of Ingram Lounge to collect these items. 

If you want to help transport items to JASMYN, please contact Lynn Doiron at lynnsdoiron@gmail.com or 904-703-0847 (call or text)  For more information on JASMYN (Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network), go to www.jasmyn.org.

We are looking for adult leaders for the Sunday morning Youth Group. If you can dedicate one hour, at least one Sunday every month, please contact Megan Cochran. The Youth meet during the 10 a.m. service in the Undercroft.

St. John's Cathedral hosted a teacher planning day for the staff of The Cathedral School on Monday, August 16. Father Mark and Deacon Linda led a prayer service in Cummings Chapel and presented each teacher with a framed prayer for their classroom.

The service was followed by a delicious lunch in Taliaferro Hall with the Cathedral staff. Then, the teachers spent the rest of the afternoon in Ingram Lounge planning for the new school year. Blessings to The Cathedral School.