Beloved,
I hope that many of you will be able to attend this year's Annual Meeting either in person or via the live-stream. As Paul writes in his first letter to the Church in Corinth, "there are many parts, but one body." We, each of us, is an integral part of this Body of Christ that we call the Cathedral Church of St. Paul. Each of us is necessary to its wholeness and each person that joins in our life here, becomes necessary to our wholeness.
The work of the Church is not just the worship on Sunday morning, but the fullness of stewardship - how we steward our money, how we share with the community, how we build up disciples, how we work toward a more just society, how we hold one another in prayer and love. All of that is stewardship in its fullest sense - stewarding all of who we are and all of what we have for the furthering of God's kingdom on earth.
This Sunday we will hear about all the ways in which we are doing that, and we will elect the leaders we believe can help us to continue that work. We will talk about the budget, about mission, about our place in the diocese and in this city, and more.
I hope to see you there - you who are the arms, hands, feet, legs, eyes, ears, mouths, and hearts of Jesus Christ; the Body of Christ, broken and raised up as new
Beloved, you are beautiful. I love you and God adores you.
Greta+
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Cathedral Church of St. Paul News & Events |
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This Sunday, January 23, St. Paul's will hold its Annual Meeting directly following our 9:00 a.m. worship service. There will only be one worship service that day. Both the worship and the meeting will be in person and live-streamed on the Cathedral's YouTube channel.
Included in the proceedings will be an election for official parish positions, a review of the activities of the Cathedral over the past year, and recognition, thanks, and celebrations for the contributions of everyone here at the Cathedral.
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Thank you to our nominating committee - Lisa Schnell, Annegret Schmitt-Johnson, and Paul Van de Graaf - for gathering this slate of nominees for St. Paul's Vestry.
Kenzo An: I’m honored to have been nominated to serve on the Vestry of St. Paul’s. Though I only first stepped foot into St. Paul’s on the first Sunday of Advent 2019 (and just baptized in 2018), my experience with this beautiful community has already been a defining and incredibly full chapter in my life.
I’m proud to have been part of our Pastoral Care Group, welcomed as a lector for our services, weathered our transitions through this pandemic, witnessed the embrace of Greta Getlein as our Dean, and made many Spirit-loving friends. In gratitude to the encouragement of our Deacon Stan Baker, I’m currently in the discernment process towards ordained ministry with a wise committee chaired by Sarah Howe. I’m also grateful for my mentorship with Kate Maynard as a contributor to our eSpirit series. I’m now enjoying our Confirmation class preparing to be received into the Episcopal Church this Easter.
I live in the New North End of Burlington with my wonderful wife Diane Bensel, our beloved fiery 6-year-old son Mozen, and our friendly cat Oak. I sell for a research and consulting firm out of my home office. My deepest joys are praying, writing, reading, marathon training, and hanging with family & friends.
Macaulay Onuigbo: It is an honor and a distinct privilege to be invited to serve on the Vestry of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul. Since joining the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in 2018, soon after I moved to Burlington, VT, I have felt most welcome here. In the past year, I have joyfully served as a Crucifer for some of the Sunday services. The Cathedral Church of St. Paul community is a most inclusive one and you should please continue the good work.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I used to enjoy the after-service adult bible study sessions, usually chaired by a senior clergy. Please, let us always remember the less privileged, the disenfranchised, the oppressed and the needy in our society. I am a physician (nephrologist) at the University of Vermont Medical Center, and a professor of Medicine at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine, University of Vermont.
Keith Pillsbury: Thank you for the invitation to serve as a part of the Vestry for St. Paul's. I will do my best. Penny and I joined St. Paul's in the 70's. We were attracted to its sacred music, thought-provoking sermons, and liturgy. We were especially appreciative of the children's programs in acolyting, crucifering, pageants, drama, choir, and summer camp at Rock Point.
I respect the church's active outreach to support the broader community. After retiring from Middle School teaching (36 years) and the Burlington School Board (25 years), I became a volunteer for the Joint Urban Ministry Project and a member of its Board of Directors.
Captain Caleb Pillsbury moved to a North Danville, Vermont farm after the Revolutionary War. He was buried there, and his many generations of offspring continued to farm In Vermont. I left our farm to attend UVM, do my service in Vietnam, and became a teacher. I would love to help however I can as a part of the Vestry.
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Eucharist at Home During These Extraordinary Times |
During this ongoing pandemic and the rise of cases in Vermont, many of you have made the decision to not come to church in person, and to attend virtually through our live-stream. While this keeps you safe, it also means you are not able to receive the Body of Christ during the Mass with those who are gathered in the Nave.
Beginning next week, you may stop by the Cathedral or make other arrangements to pick up a small jar with several consecrated hosts that you may receive on Sunday morning during the live-stream.
Office hours for pick-up are Tuesday - Friday from 8:30 - 12:30. If you cannot come by or send someone on your behalf, please call or e-mail the office to make other arrangements. 802-864-0471 or admin@stpaulscathedralvt.org
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2022 Directories Available Sunday |
Printed updated copies of the St. Paul's directory will be available on the Narthex table at the Annual Meeting for those who would like one, and will be available for pickup at the Cathedral during office hours - 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Tuesday through Friday beginning next week. If you would prefer we send you a digital copy of the directory, just let us know.
Thanks to everyone who sent us their updated information.
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Justice Speaks: God's Creation and Pesticides |
Have you sensed a special energy while visiting a forest in the spring as leaf buds are swelling and delicate flowers are aroused from winter slumber? Or gratitude for summer foliage providing shade and oxygen while using the carbon dioxide you breathe out? Do you feel gratitude to trees cut and chopped for firewood to keep you warm? Does our view of Lake Champlain remind us of the sacred nature of water as essential for all life, shared and recycled, vulnerable to contamination, yet sometimes powerful and destructive?
Reverence for life is integral to our response to the loving, creating Being we call God, and to our relationship with God’s creation, upon which we depend for life. But our world offers darker choices which degrade and violate the sacredness of God’s creation.
Epiphany invites us to open our hearts and minds to Jesus as Author of life, to the sacredness of life. May we join with others to resist the forces in our midst that idolize money and possessions and degrade and devalue life. Jesus invites us to live in covenant with each other and with Earth in affirmation of life and dignity for all.
How can you help? You can contact State Representative Carolyn Partridge (cpartridge@leg.state.vt.us), Chair of House Agriculture Committee, and urge her to take up H.626, a bill to stop use of neonic-treated seeds in farm crops, and to take testimony from beekeepers on this bill. Ask your friends or family in Londonderry to email or call her at 802-874-4182 with support for this bill. Know any beekeepers?
The bill is important because pollinators are crucial to food production, are in danger from neonic-treated seeds, which make the whole plant toxic to pollinators. The pesticide treatment offers no significant help to the seeds or crops, moves into water and is toxic to aquatic life.
and blind-copy (bcc feature) the message to Sylvia Knight (sknightinvt73@gmail.com) - she's part of the VT Pesticide Network VT developing support for this bill.
You can read more about this issue here.
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Cathedral Arts Presents Young Artists' Showcase |
Cathedral Arts is excited to present the 49th Annual Young Artists Showcase Recital, which celebrates the excellent work of young performing artists from throughout the state of Vermont.
The recital will be live-streamed on January 25, 2022, at 12 noon (due to COVID guidelines in effect, the Cathedral will be open only for the artists and their families). Find a link to the live stream on YouTube here!
Program:
Arabesque 1 by Claude Debussy
Maddie Crowne, piano
Caprice En Forme De Valse by Paul Bonneau
Jayme Billings, alto saxophone
Prelude from Suite Bergamasque by Claude Debussy
Laura Zhou-Hackett, piano
Fantaisie for Viola and Orchestra by Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Elizabeth Messier, viola, & Hailey Messier, piano
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Lector Training January 29 |
When you serve as lector during worship, you give voice to ancient words that heal, strengthen, encourage, and proclaim.
Many of you have asked about how to read during the service at St. Paul's. The first step in the process is to join us at our next training session, scheduled for Saturday, January 29 from 9 - 10 a.m. at the Cathedral.
If you are interested in becoming a lector and would like to attend, please let us know so that we can expect you by emailing the Cathedral office: admin@stpaulscathedralvt.org.
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Embrace Gratitude: UTO Blue Boxes Available |
Please take a United Thank Offering (UTO) blue box from the Narthex table when you are in church this week and next. Fill it with your spare change whenever you feel gratitude, and bring it with you in November when we'll have our ingathering.
The UTO is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through UTO, individuals are invited to embrace and deepen a personal daily spiritual discipline of gratitude. UTO encourages people to notice the good things that happen each day, give thanks to God for those blessings, and make an offering for each blessing using their UTO box. UTO is entrusted to receive the offering and distribute 100% of what is collected to support innovative mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and Provinces of the Anglican Communion.
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Tips for Coming to Church in Inclement Weather |
The Cathedral contracts out our snow removal, salting, sanding, and landscaping. However, depending on the timing of the precipitation, you may still arrive at church on Sunday to find the parking lot on the hill, which is very steep, to be slick.
In the event of freezing rain or snow, we suggest parking in the lower lot. We will be sure to leave the downstairs door unlocked so you can enter the church more easily on a flat surface in freezing, wet, or slick conditions.
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An Update on the Epiphany Dossal |
You may have noticed that our beautiful Epiphany dossal has not been hung this year.
The complexity of hanging this particular dossal requires close contact among volunteers (in addition to a volunteer who is willing and able to climb an 18-foot ladder). With that in mind, we have decided not to hang it this year.
We are exploring alternatives to the current process, which could make dossal changeovers more feasible for fewer volunteers down the road - stay tuned!
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St. Paul's Clergy and Staff to Test Weekly |
Like many congregations, St. Paul's has been slowly returning to familiar worship routines, including in-person services, after nearly two years of pandemic-fueled precautions. Now, as COVID case numbers surge to new levels, we are re-evaluating our protocols to make sure we are keeping our congregation safe.
To that end, we are re-emphasizing past public health precautions, like mask-wearing for all, regardless of vaccination status, and encouraging physical distancing when attending worship services. We will continue to live-stream worship for those who are more comfortable participating remotely. Additionally, we are mandating weekly testing of Cathedral clergy and staff, so that you know that you can safely approach clergy at Church, and stop by the office during the week.
Safeguarding public health and mitigating the risk of COVID transmission is a responsibility we take very seriously.
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The next opportunity for Baptism at St. Paul's will be the Easter Vigil, which takes place on Saturday, April 16 this year. Baptism is the first step in a person's life of faith.
If you are interested in baptism but circumstances necessitate a different date, we will try to accommodate your need. Baptisms are not held in the season of Lent (the forty days leading up to Easter) and are not encouraged during Advent (the four weeks preceding Christmas).
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Mid-Week Eucharist with the Sacrament of Healing |
All are welcome to join us for a service of Holy Eucharist with the sacrament of healing weekly on Thursdays at 12:15 p.m. in the Chapel, led by the Rev. Sally Webster.
This quiet, simple service follows the usual order for Holy Eucharist, and is open to all, in addition to those who desire prayers for healing.
Generous God, we give you thanks for your beloved Jesus Christ,
in whom you have shared the beauty and pain of human life. Look with compassion
upon all for whom we pray, and strengthen us to be your instruments of healing in the world,
by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Weekly Silent Witness and Prayerful Vigil in Response to Racism |
The Cathedral's weekly Silent Witness and Prayerful Vigil continues this Sunday, January 23, at 1:00 p.m., in response to racism in our nation, state, and community.
In the event of really bad weather, we will send out a notification by Facebook (please use your own discretion). Face masks are optional if you are fully vaccinated. Please, if you can, bring a non-perishable food item - a volunteer will deliver all the donations gathered at the vigil to the Food Shelf. If you have a sign you would like to hold, bring it! This event is open to the community.
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Mid-Week Afternoon Tea with St. Paul's Clergy |
How's your week going? Need a mid-week pick-me-up? Looking for a chance to connect with your CCSP friends? Come have a cup of tea with us on Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. via Zoom.
Here at the Cathedral, we've been missing coffee hour - that incarnation of Christian community and communal bonding that contributes to our sense of holistic well-being as a parish. This casual weekly gathering will be hosted by Dean Greta Getlein and/or Deacon Stan Baker, and offers a chance to gather, reconnect with old friends, and meet new ones.
Join us every Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. via Zoom online or by phone:
Dial: 1-646-558-8656
Meeting ID: 871 5286 1108
Passcode: 1973
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Children and Youth Corner |
Church school will take place upstairs in the Commons Room this week during the Annual Meeting.
You can click here for the Third Epiphany edition of The Sunday Paper, a weekly publication for children that includes Scriptural images, and stories that relate the Gospel to the Old Testament, the life of the church, and their own lives.
All children aged four to 11 are welcome to join us for Church School, which takes place downstairs in the Parish Hall between the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services. If you are planning to participate or have any questions, please email Katie Gonyaw, our Children's Formation Coordinator.
Did you know? We also have a vibrant youth group - SPY - or St. Paul's Youth Group - available for kids in grades 6 - 12 that meets regularly. If you have questions or would like more information, speak to Marti Churchill, or email the Cathedral office at admin@stpaulscathedralvt.org. |
The Sunday Paper [Junior], to which The Cathedral Church of St. Paul has a paid subscription, is posted here with permission of the author/illustrator, Gretchen Wolff Pritchard. © Gretchen Wolff Pritchard, The Sunday Paper, 19 Colony Road, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, www.the-sunday-paper.com. All rights reserved. This is copyright material and should not be further forwarded or distributed.
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Join us this Sunday, January 23 as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist at 9:00 a.m., followed by our annual meeting at 10:00 a.m. Both the service and the meeting will be live streamed (as two separate events) on the Cathedral's YouTube channel for those who would like to join us virtually.
You can view or download the order of worship for the 9:00 Eucharist here.
You can view or download the 2021 Annual Report, which contains the agenda for the annual meeting here.
Church School will take place in the Commons Room (upstairs) during the Annual Meeting.
In person coffee hour continues to be on hold until further notice.
Other Regular Services
All are welcome to join us for our weekday services:
Morning Prayer, Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. In Person and on Zoom.
Compline, Sundays and Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. on Zoom.
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For Our Prayers This Week |
We pray for blessings and joy for those who celebrate birthdays this week: Miriam Burns, Judy Stewart.
Let us name before God those for whom we offer our prayers: Helene; Rob S.; Jay Vos; Martha Ladue; Baby Barhight; Ed Poley; Frances Range, Veronica and her four children; Karin Davis; Karen Lewis; Sandy Nicholson; Lisa and her family; Maria E. Righter; Cole; Nancy Johnson; Ella Baskett; Mary Magot; Michael Hill; Jean Erno; Chuck; Jackie; Michael Fernandez; Lillian Robinson; Stewart McHenry; Emily Harwood; Peter Adams; Elizabeth Webster; David, Carol and Samantha Simmons; Pat Barra; Margot (Lisa Schnell's sister); David Glendinning; Debbie Altemus; Vaughn Altemus; Marion Montross; Naomi Hodgett; Helen McGrath; and Mary Carter. For all those suffering from COVID-19 in our country or around the world, and especially those from our own faith family who have loved ones at risk or are themselves at risk. For those who have died from COVID-19 and for the grief of those who loved them.
We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died: Dottie Darling, Thomas Johnson.
We pray for those who are in the discernment process: Kenzo An; and for our seminarians, Bram Kranichfeld and Susan McMillan.
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"In everything give thanks."
--St. Paul the Apostle
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Lessons for January 23: The Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle (Transferred) |
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O God, by the preaching of your apostle Paul you have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Book Study Offered: The Problem of Slavery in Early Vermont |
In observance of Black History Month, the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum is pleased to announce:
Book Discussion, Monday, Feb. 7th at 6:00 PM via Zoom
The Problem of Slavery in Early Vermont 1777-1810,
by Harvey Amani Whitfield
Vermonters have always been proud that their state was the first to outlaw slavery in its constitution—but is that what really happened? This book "explodes this myth, demonstrating conclusively that the enslavement of people of color under various guises persisted in the state for another thirty years," attests Joanne Pope Melish, Associate Professor of History, University of Kentucky.
The book forces us to squarely consider the deepest questions about what freedom actually meant for African Americans in Vermont well into the nineteenth century.
Special thanks to a grant from Vermont Humanities for making this event possible.
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Canon Auburn Watersong, who joined the diocesan staff as canon to the ordinary for transition ministry in January 2021, has decided to resign effective January 31. She has been on medical leave since August 1.
"I have decided to move on to developing my own business, Watersong Consulting," she wrote in an email to her diocesan staff colleagues. The new enterprise will specialize in "resilience development for organizations and leaders – trauma responsive, race-informed burnout prevention coaching and training for non-profits and agencies."
The Rev. Mary Sulerud continues as interim transition ministry consultant through January 31. For assistance with transitions issues after that date, please email Canon Walter Brownridge and watch upcoming issues of The Mountain for more news about transitions ministry staffing.
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JUMP Online Auction: Save the Date |
Save the Date! The Joint Urban Ministry Project (JUMP) is having an Online Auction fundraiser February 2 -11. The theme is "Show Love for JUMP."
We have great items for you to bid on and more are being added each day.
JUMP’s primary goal, amid the COVID pandemic, has been to remain open and ensure all economically disadvantaged families have dependable access to help meeting basic needs. The JUMP FLEX program delivers aid to purchase groceries, transportation help, utility assistance, personal hygiene and cleaning supplies. These vouchers assist not only in meeting basic needs but also help those “living on the edge” to preserve key funds for other essentials. Please visit www.jumpvt.org to learn more about the great work of JUMP The JUMP Online Auction will help pay for the services JUMP provides.
If you would like to donate an item, gift card or service to JUMP's Online Auction or become a sponsor, please email auction@jumpvt.org with the information.
Join us in this fundraising event and show your love for JUMP. You will be doing your part in responding to the needs of our community by supporting a local organization that assists Vermont households.
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Submission Deadline for St. Paul's eNews |
This weekly e-newsletter is circulated on Fridays. Please have your pieces submitted to Jennifer Sumner at admin@stpaulscathedralvt.org by noon on Wednesday. Thank you. |
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Contacts:
The Right Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown, Bishop of Vermont
The Very Rev. Greta Getlein, Dean and Rector
The Ven. J. Stannard Baker, Cathedral Deacon and Diocesan Archdeacon
Mark A. DeW. Howe, Canon Precentor and Director of Music
Jennifer C. Sumner, Office Administrator
Barbara F. Comeau, Financial Administrator
Katie Gonyaw, Children's Formation Coordinator
Grace Jack, A/V and Social Media Coordinator
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