The Season of Creation 2023

The Season of Creation is celebrated each year from September 1 to October 4 by Christians all over the world. Its purpose is to renew, repair, and restore our relationship to God, all creation, and to each other. The Episcopal Church participates in this and urges action for climate justice, an end to environmental racism, and an end to destruction of the Earth.

This celebration began in 1989 when Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios of the Orhodox Church

proclaimed September 1 as a day of prayer for the Earth. Subsequently, the World Council of Churches extended the day to a season in its present format. In 2015 Pope Francis published his encyclical. Laudate Si, and made the season official in the Roman Catholic church.

During this season, communities of faith and all individuals are encouraged to participate in activities of prayer, sustainability, and advocacy for the Earth and all beings, including the plants, animals, and all those affected by climate disruption.

Each year the Ecumenical Steering Committee for the Season of Creation suggests a different theme. This year’s theme is Let Peace and Justice Flow. Its symbol is a mighty river, taken from the words of the Prophet Amos who cried “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24). This year’s Season of Creation calls us to work for ecological and climate justice for those most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity. ( seasonofcreation.org ). This call for justice includes not only humans but all beings.

St. Luke’s, Williston-Immanuel and St. Alban’s will be holding a number of activities during the Season of Creation. Watch the Bulletin and Epistle for these events. Some have been listed under Save the Date. We invite you to join in the many ways we can work and pray for creation.

Startup Sunday is This Week!

September 10th

Join us on Sunday, September 10th as we welcome the return of the Cathedral Choir, Sunday School, and as we welcome our new Interim Dean, The Rev. George Stevens!

Parish Breakfast to Be Held This Sunday!

Join us for a parish breakfast in the Lower Hall from 8:30-9:30AM this Sunday, September 10th, to celebrate startup-Sunday and to welcome The Rev. George Stevens to St. Luke’s.  

This parish gathering will be a wonderful opportunity for the cathedral community to come together in between the 7:30AM and 10:00AM services.

Name tags will be available to fill out. This will assist The Rev. Stevens as he meets community members.

Please note that gluten free options will be available. 

The menu for the breakfast is as follows:

Pancakes, blueberry and plain

Gluten free and vegan, too!

Maple syrup

Scrambled eggs

Blueberry muffins

Sausage links

Vegan sausage links

Luke's Garden to Meet This Sunday

Join members of St. Luke’s LGBTQIA+ group, Luke’s Garden, this Sunday in the Chapter Room at noon for our monthly meeting!

Orion Williams will be leading a discussion about the history and symbolism of pride flags. With any additional questions please contact Orion Williams.

St. Luke's New Hearing Assistance Devices

St. Luke’s has 10 new headsets for those who need hearing assistance and most people who use them find them very helpful. Each week, five will be out on benches in the nave near our two entrances. The headsets will already be turned on and the volume turned up to about 70%. The only adjustment that may be necessary is for volume which can be raised and lowered using two silver buttons on the front of the unit. After using the devices, please return them to one of the benches near the exits.

If you need assistance, please ask one of the ushers. For additional information, please ask Senior Warden Sam Allen.

Save the Date:

Season of Creation events



Save the date: Season of Creation events

The annual Season of Creation begins September 1. Please mark your calendars for the following events:



• Contemplative Fall Walk at Pleasant Hill Preserve Sunday, September 10th

1:30-3:30pm

Please join us in honoring the Season of Creation out of doors. Families with children age 8 and older are welcome to attend. Please dress for the weather as we will be outside for the entire time. Sunscreen and tick preventatives are recommended. Directions are available here.

Please note: The parking lot is small. Carpooling is recommended.

Contact Sarah Braik if you need a ride or can provide a ride to others. 

• Community Harvest Supper Thursday Sept. 21, 5-7PM

(N.B., this is a corrected date and time) (see announcement below)

• Presentation by Curtis Bohlen, Director, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership on the Casco Bay Watershed Sunday Sept. 24, 11:45AM 

• Book discussion group facilitated by St. Alban’s, Cape Elizabeth, September 11-October 30

To learn about additional resources for the Season of Creation visit here

The St. Luke's Public Policy and

Environmental Action Team Meeting

Tuesday September 12 from 6-7 PM. 

All are welcome.

Join us via Zoom 

For more information email Sarah Braik

First Community Supper of the Year

The Public Policy and Environmental Action Team is hosting the first Community Supper of the year on Thursday Sept. 21 from 5-7 PM on the theme of sustainable eating.

Please call Sarah Braik at 207-415-6556 or use this form: https://tinyurl.com/mr2f7pw2 to RSVP by Sept. 17 so we know how much food to prepare.

Please also indicate dietary preferences and if you can volunteer to help with cooking, set up/clean up and or bring side dishes/dessert (apple crisp).

We will have vegan and gluten free lasagna and apple crisp.

During dessert we will show a brief video about Good News Gardens and have a conversation about it. As there is no budget for Community Suppers, you will be asked for $5 at the door to cover our costs,  We look forward to seeing you!

St Elizabeth’s Essentials Drive in September

St E’s serves 280+ neighbors Tuesday mornings from 8:30 to 11 am. Essential items include toilet paper, bars of soap, feminine products, etc. Diapers, tooth paste, blankets, towels and sheets, and pots, pans and cookware are provided monthly.  

We are having an Essentials Drive throughout September to help with rising costs and an increasing number of neighbors being served. You can participate by contributing bars of soap, rolls of toilet paper, packages of diapers, donating cash or by writing a check payable to "St. Elizabeth's Jubilee Center".

All essential items will be blessed during the service on September 24th and then delivered to St Elizabeth’s. Any contribution that you can make is very much appreciated.

St. Luke's Food Pantry in Need of Contributions

The Food Pantry welcomes your contributions of oil, flour, and dried beans!

These continue to be the most wanted items and and the most difficult for us to keep in stock.

Donations can be dropped off at any service or at the Cathedral's rear entrance.  Thank you! Both neighbors and volunteers are grateful for your support!

Donate to the Dean's Discretionary Fund

With the arrival of The Rev. George Stevens, our St. Luke's financial team invites you to make a donation to the Dean's discretionary fund if you are able.

This will ensure that the Rev. Stevens has access to a sufficient amount of funds for neighbors needing assistance.

Donations are able to be made online on Realm and by selecting (The Dean's Discretionary Fund) on the drop-down menu or by mail to P.O. Box 4141, Portland, ME 04101.

Thank you!

St. Luke's Zoom Book Group

Saint Luke’s Monday Zoom Book Group will resume on Monday, September 18 by reading Why Religion Matters by Huston Smith, the author of the classic bestseller The World’s Religions.

In it he delivers a passionate, timely message: the human spirit is being suffocated by the dominant materialistic worldview of our times. Smith champions a society in which religion is once again treasured and authentically practiced as the vital source of human wisdom. The group meets first and third Mondays from 6-7. You can attend by following this link.

For the first meeting we’ll read the the introduction, preface and Chapter 1. For more information, contact Linda Carleton.

Volunteers Needed for This Year's Holiday Fair

Although it is only August, the preparation for the St. Luke’s Holiday Fair has begun! We are pleased to announce that the date of this year’s holiday fair will be Saturday, November 11th in the Cathedral Nave.



If you are interested in volunteering for this year’s fair please contact the parish office.

Choral Library in Need of Shelving

We are reorganizing the Cathedral Choral library, and are looking for a few sturdy bookcases, preferably 5-6 shelves high, 30-36” wide.

If you could, please send Christian (Canon for Liturgy & Music) dimensions and/or a photo via email. Thank you!

Seeking Air Conditioner Donation for Dean's Office

The cathedral is seeking a window air conditioning unit for the Interim Dean's office. If you are able to help please contact the parish office via email. Thank you!

“The September 24 discussion with Linda Carleton about her book ALL GOD, IF GOD THERE BE has been cancelled due to a schedule conflict.”

Access Your Realm Profile

The Cathedral’s new online database, Realm, is a useful tool for parishioners to manage their contact and pledging information.

Realm helps our community by improving our record keeping in a more streamlined fashion. 

When joining Realm you can sign-up to be a part of the online directory in the database.

To activate your Realm profile please contact our financial administrator Nina Andersen.

Nina will assist you with the few steps necessary to access your profile.

We look forward to sharing this exciting new technology with you!

Tuesday 12:10 Service to

Resume Next Tuesday, September 12th

Join us in Emmanuel Chapel on Tuesday, September 12th as the 12:10 service resumes from its summer break.

Availability of the St. Luke’s Community Kitchen

We are completing a 2023-2024 school year calendar (Sept. - June) for the Community Kitchen and Lower Hall. These two calendars when completed will be posted downstairs on the door to the Lower Hall, and the door to the Community Kitchen.

Any St. Luke's parishioner or ministry interested in scheduling time in the Community Kitchen, or the Community Kitchen and Lower Hall should contact Dawn Brennan-Daly.

Dawn will contact you to schedule a brief meeting and training, and place your event, date and time (recurring or one-time) on the Community Kitchen and Lower Hall Google Calendars (part of the cathedral Google calendar.) Scheduling is based on availability.

St. Luke's Welcomes the Southern Maine New Horizons Band 

The Southern Maine New Horizons Band is a Portland based concert band founded by our Finance Administrator, Nina Andersen, in 2017. They welcome musicians at all levels that are interested in playing music together in an educational and supportive setting.  

Their mission is to provide an entry point to instrumental music making for adults with no musical experience at all or who have been inactive for a long period and want a fun and supportive place to start over again. Our motto is - "It's Never Too Late!" and "Your Best is Good Enough!"

The band has been rehearsing at St Ansgar's Lutheran Church for the past 5 years until this spring when that congregation closed its doors. They are very happy to be able to use the Lower Hall at St Luke's for its weekly rehearsals and thank everyone involved for making this possible.

Members of St Luke's are invited to join the group if they are interested. A discount on the membership fee is available to St Luke members.  

You can visit their website to find out more about them Southern Maine New Horizons Band Website

Email Nina Andersen or call 207-415-0880 if you want more information.

The band meets every Wednesday afternoon starting September 6th. Beginner group is 3:15 to 4 pm and the Full Concert Band is 4:15 to 5:45 pm.

New members can join at any time.

Join the Young and The Restless

We are St. Luke’s 20s-30s-year-old ministry. We are an active group at the cathedral which also gets together outside of the church.

 Join us as we go hiking, ice skating, play trivia, or just enjoy each other’s company! If you are new to us, welcome! We meet the second Tuesday of each month at Rising Tide, 6-8 PM in Portland. Other events happen sporadically throughout the month, however second Tuesdays at Rising Tide is a great place to meet us if you’re joining us for the first time. Contact Shana Rose to stay up to date with group activities and information.

Clynk Bags Available in the Nave and around the Cathedral

Contact: Tim Wilkins

 St. Luke’s participation in the Clynk Initiative Program helps to support our Flower Guild.



Additional bags have been made available at both entrances of Nave with barcodes that correspond to the Cathedral’s account.

Anyone is welcome to take a bag and are encouraged to bring it to a local redemption center or grocery store that accepts Clynk. Thank you for your support!

Join Luke's Garden

LGBTQIA+ Group

Luke's Garden is the cathedral's LGBTQIA+ group which meets every 2nd Sunday of the month following coffee hour.

All are welcome!

For additional information contact Orion Williams

The Kneeler Guild and

Prayer Shawl Knitters

Tuesday

2:30PM

The Upper Hall.

For additional information contact Jeri Edgar 207-303-8447 or Nancy MaWhinney 207-775-7500

Everyone is welcome, whether you are curious or want to begin. Kneeler kits cost $75, which include directions, yarn, needles & canvas. Novices are welcome; we will teach you as needed. Prayer Shawls: 20” x 60”; select your yarn & needles. Coffee & Tea available.

Weekly Ministries

• St. Elizabeth's Jubilee Center is offered every Tuesday from 8:30 am to 11 am.

• The Food Pantry is open from 8 am to 11 am every Thursday.

• Noon prayer is offered every Wednesday via Zoom.

• Compline is offered weekly on Friday from 8-8:30pm on Zoom. For additional details contact Ray Murdoch Curry