Throughout the 40 days of Lent, you are invited to practice something new, to give up something old. Use these days to strengthen and refresh your faith, dig deeper, reach higher. Click here to see our menu of offerings and find a way to engage and renew.
Refugee Sunday at St. John's Cathedral
By Michael Corrigan
Director of Christian Formation

So often we remember times spent with family, from going to Grandmother’s house for Easter Sunday lunch as a child to hosting family for Thanksgiving as an adult. We cherish the people we spend time with but also the places – the backyard for a family bar-b-que, the Southbank Riverwalk for good views of fireworks, an annual family pilgrimage to a favorite nature preserve or to a favorite restaurant, or our weekly refuge in the beauty and peace of the Cathedral nave. Our peaceful worship was slightly delayed a few Sundays ago when the implosion of the Berkman II building happened with a thundering rumble and reverberating explosives blasts. This delay was for all of a minute or two. We cannot even imagine living in a city where the explosions suddenly begin and are seemingly non-stop, where the buildings housing people and even a hospital are reduced to rubble, where power is cut off for days and weeks, and the food supply chain abruptly ends. We have been fortunate to not experience this in our city the way that countless Ukrainians have in Kyiv, Odessa, or Mariupol. We can find refuge in our own homes, our own place of worship, and our own city. We do not need to become traveling refugees.

Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their home country because of war, persecution, or violence. They must establish a well-founded fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social or ethnic group. While at the present time we are very aware of the people leaving Ukraine, this is not the only nation with many citizens seeking refuge in another country. Here in Jacksonville, a coordinated effort continues to house more than 50 families who have fled Afghanistan since this past summer. Other nations with many people leaving include Syria, Venezuela, South Sudan, and Myanmar. As of January of this year, one-quarter of the total population of Lebanon consists of Syrian refugees. Information Here. Proportionally, that is the equivalent of 110 million people entering the USA in a brief period of time seeking refuge.

In challenging times, we ask, “How can I help? What can I do” It seems like the efforts of one person living in the relatively safe environs of Jacksonville will have a negligible impact on the enormity of the problem. Yet, if one person can contribute, and then many other people make a similar small contribution, our combined efforts can help address the problem for some refugees. We look at those people that we spend time with and think that if these faces of our loved ones were the people suddenly displaced from their home, their livelihood, and in some cases their family, what would I hope that others might do to help them. Here are some thoughts:

Locally, The Providence Center on Duval Street two blocks from the Cathedral accepts donations Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. of household goods and furniture that will equip an apartment or rental home for refugees coming to Jacksonville. Even as Afghan refugees are still being housed, Ukrainian refugees are expected soon in Jacksonville. The entrance for donations is at the back door of the building on the Church Street side with ample parking near the door.

Globally, Episcopal Relief & Development is on the ground in Ukraine and can turn your monetary contributions into food, clothing, and shelter for people who were suddenly and even violently displaced. Donations may be made online here. If you prefer, you may make a donation through St. John’s either by check or online, noting that the contribution is for relief in Ukraine. All the money donated with this designation will go to Episcopal Relief & Development to directly assist people in Ukraine.

Personal prayer, such as offering this one distributed by Bishop Howard: Almighty God our Heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they might become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Communal prayer, join the worshippers of St. John’s on Sunday, April 3 for Refugee Sunday - A day to learn, pray and act to support refugees.

Learning, Outreach Council kicks off a new series called Outreach Sundays with a program titled Helping the Most Vulnerable of God’s Children following the 10 a.m. worship service on April 3 in Taliaferro Hall. Speakers include a representative from Lutheran Social Services and a representative from Community Services of Catholic Charities. Both organizations have long-established programs in refugee resettlement. Outreach Sundays will highlight outreach programs at St. John’s Cathedral on the first Sunday of each month.

What form your participation or contribution takes matters far less than deciding to contribute and following through. It becomes far easier to enjoy the time we spend with cherished family and friends in places that hold meaning for us if we are also helping those who have suddenly lost their access to the same experiences. Thank you for your care and concern for displaced people.
Special liturgy, guest speakers for Refugee Sunday
There are more than 65 million people forcibly displaced in the world today, and of this number, more than 21 million are refugees: children, women, and men forced to flee their home countries to escape persecution and violence. Each and every one of these 21 million is a person with a story, with a name, with hopes, and with dreams. Each is a beloved child of God.

Join us on Sunday, April 3, to celebrate Refugee Sunday.

We’ll learn, pray, and act to support refugees and Episcopal Migration Ministries, The Episcopal Church’s ministry of refugee resettlement and welcome.

At each morning service (8 and 10 a.m.) on Sunday, April 3, we will pray for refugees in the world, especially those fleeing Ukraine. After the 10 a.m. service, please join us in Taliaferro Hall as we kick off Outreach Sundays with a presentation from our Refugee Ministry. Speakers include representatives from Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities. Both organizations have long-established programs in refugee resettlement. Please see the program below for details. A lunch cooked by Eman will be served.
Sunday Worship Schedule
Masks are optional at all services.
Sunday, March 27, 2022
The Fourth Sunday in Lent

8 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Cathedral
Preacher: The Very Rev. Kate Moorehead

10 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Cathedral*
Preacher: The Very Rev. Kate Moorehead
Offertory Music: Nolo mortem peccatoris
by Thomas Morley
The Cathedral Choir
*This service is live-streamed on our website and
YouTube channel.

Children's Chapel will take place at 10 a.m.

1 p.m. Church Without Walls
Dean's Garden
Use our online form to donate Easter lilies
Use our online form to dedicate a lily in memory or in thanksgiving of someone this Easter. Once the form is submitted, follow the directions to make your donation online. Or, you may use the envelopes found in the pews each Sunday at the Cathedral.

This Sunday at the Cathedral
Health & Wellness series in Taliaferro Hall
Explore how lifestyle medicine can contribute to your well-being with facilitator Paige Hakimian.

Sundays

9 a.m.

Taliaferro Hall
Refreshing Your Faith class in Ingram Lounge
Join Dean Moorehead in Ingram Lounge, or Michael Corrigan on Zoom, to take part in this course which serves as a great introduction to the Episcopal faith for newcomers and a timely refresher no matter how long you've been an Episcopalian.
Sundays, beginning at 9 a.m.
Ingram Lounge and Zoom
Meeting ID: 846 6872 2655
At the Cathedral Bookstore
Arabic Foods by Eman Ziyadat: This week's offerings: baklava, hummus, papa ganoush, owzi (rice with vegetables and beef), spinach bread, meat pastries, and cheese pastries.
Sacred Ground community gathering March 26
WHEN: Saturday, March 26, 10 a.m. to Noon

WHERE: St. John’s Cathedral, Jacksonville and via Zoom

WHO: All who have participated in a Sacred Ground group or who desire to participate in Beloved Community at this time in our Diocese of Florida.

WHAT: A gathering in which we will become reacquainted with those from your own groups, and meet others who have been in other Sacred Ground groups!
We can tell our stories of how we are changing, and how we are discovering "what's next" for us, as a result of learning through Sacred Ground.
We can talk about some possible actions we might take as a community and diocese
worship together as a beloved community!

Meeting ID: 826 0380 6355
Art & Scripture via Zoom takes place March 30
God is the creator of heaven and earth . . . everything we see around us. Our Lord is the greatest artist.

God also created people in His image and likeness, and He has given people the inspiration to create wonderful works of art. God is the source of creativity, and we can look to the Bible to gain a better interpretation of it.

Attend the Art@Noon Salon via Zoom on Wednesday, March 30 at 12 p.m. and explore paintings, sculpture and other visual media that correlate with Bible verses. Join the discussion

See how Scripture and Art complement each other. RSVP HERE
Upcoming
Join us to celebrate Palm Sunday with special liturgy, procession and Jerusalem Marketplace
Palm Sunday, April 10
8 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Cathedral
9 a.m. Procession of the Palms and Jerusalem Marketplace

We recall Christ’s entry to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. The Procession begins at the corner of Market and Duval Streets, down Duval to James Weldon Johnson Park, then up Church Street to Cathedral Park where you will find a Jerusalem Marketplace with lots of fun activities for the children. Come join the procession, wave a palm and shout Hosanna!

10 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Cathedral

The Palm Sunday liturgy includes a reading of the Passion of Christ with parts taken by the priest, lectors, and congregation.

11 a.m. Music and More at the Cathedral Bookstore
ECW/DOK spring retreat is April 22 to 24
Episcopal Church Women and Daughters of the King spring retreat will take place April 22-24 at Episcopal Camp & Conference Center (Camp Weed) in Live Oak.

Guest speaker is The Rev. Deacon Rachel Hill and the theme is “Is it well with your soul? Are you prepared for God’s growth?” Hill, who is British, has served for more than 30 years as a cross-cultural missionary in Latin America, and now the U.S. Recently, she and her husband, Fr. Allen Hill, spent 16 years in Peru training indigenous lay and ordained leaders for that diocese.

Workshops include: Make a Joyful Noise (all voices encouraged to join the happy throng), and Nature Walk.

Strides for Pride JASMYN fundraiser April 23
Cathedral Family,

We are teaming up with Church of the Good Shepherd and Christ Church Ponte Vedra to support Strides for Pride, a 5K fundraiser for JASMYN. This is a family-friendly event, and there is even a Pooches for Pride contest if you’d like to register your fur baby. We invite you to join us in this wonderful opportunity to show Love at the Core as a Cathedral family!

JASMYN is a nationally recognized, Riverside-based, non-profit providing emergency housing, meals, showers, mental health counseling, peer support, HIV testing, and case management to LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-29.


Participants had fun on Saturday, March 19 making tie-dyed t-shirts in Cathedral Park ahead of next month’s Strides for Pride 5K fundraiser.

The colorful shirts will be worn by our Episcopalians for JASMYN team taking part in the family-friendly event on April 23.


 Birthday Blessings

Sunday, March 27
Bobby Walker, Bobbie O'Connor,
Robin Hyde, Dick Wilkerson

Monday, March 28
Kirk Altman, Stuart Meyer,
Will Higbe




Wednesday, March 30
Regina Deters, Amy Bandalos,
Jennifer Gordon

Thursday, March 31
Mary Jane Williamson, Marissa Norton

Friday, April 1
Janice Lee

Seniors on a Mission provides tech help at SJC
Seniors on a Mission's mobile unit visited SJC on Tuesday, March 22 to assist seniors with tech issues involving cell phones and tablets.

“We’re finding it’s mostly help with phones,” said Deborah Dickson, a Seniors on a Mission administrative assistant. “They want to know how to connect with family through texting and other means. Some have said that younger family members will often help them complete a task with their phones, but not actually teach how to do it themselves.”

About a dozen individuals took advantage of the free tech help Tuesday, which included one-on-one sessions to master the basics of their hand-held devices. Many said they would refer friends the next time the 30-foot recreational vehicle, which has been modified to serve as office space and a tech help center, returns to SJC.

“Word of mouth is great advertising for what we’re doing,” said Don Zeiser, a retired telephone company executive who drives the mobile unit and also assists with technical help. “It’s rewarding work because we’re helping people with their devices, with their communication. Especially during the pandemic, and even now, we understand how important it is for seniors to stay in communication with their family members and friends.”
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