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March 22, 2024

From the Dean & Rector

Beloved,

I am writing this a bit late, on Friday morning while the sun shines out my window, and we Vermonters are preparing for a late winter storm to arrive tonight and through tomorrow. The snow total is predicted to be impressive, yet we, living here in the "banana belt" of the Champlain Valley, know that predictions carry little meaning, so we never quite know what to expect in these situations.

I imagine the disciples felt a bit like that. Never knowing what to expect. They had no clear idea of what was going to happen in those final days of Jesus' earthly pilgrimage. Though the predictions made by Jesus were dire, their hope was that it would not come to pass. They were so determined to not believe that a storm was, indeed, coming, that they acted as if they'd never heard Jesus say the words each time he tried to tell them what was to come. And, clearly, they were completely unprepared when it actually unfolded before them.

Sometimes I feel like that, too, as I enter Holy Week. I don't want to walk through it. I just want to have Easter and skip over the rest of it. But to skip it is to miss out on the deep work of resurrection. We must be buried to rise again. We must die to this life to rise to the life in Jesus. We must walk into Jerusalem; into the crowds and the halls of power that condemn us for living lives of justice, equity, mercy, love, and peace; and up the hill to the final moments of Jesus' earthly life and his return to the Father/Mother. Only after that, and after we sit in the unknown of things to come, can we, with Mary, run to the open tomb and begin to believe the words that Jesus said so many times. "I will be with you, always."

The storm is coming. Let's walk through it together; for there is life on the other side.

Beloved, you are beautiful. I love you and God adores you.

Greta+

Cathedral Church of St. Paul News & Events

Thank You

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we donated $2,500 to Episcopal Relief and Development. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Thank you to Judith McManis and the Taizé committee members for holding a lovely service last Sunday.

Thank you to the Welcome Ministry for the festive St. Patrick's Day-themed decorations for coffee hour last Sunday.

Easter Flowers Donations Deadline is Today

Honor your loved ones this year by giving towards the flowers that will be used to beautify our church for this year's Easter celebration. You may give flowers in thanksgiving or in memory of the loved ones you designate. Forms will be available on the Narthex table for you to fill out.

Please return the form with your payment by Friday, March 22 to make sure the loved ones you are honoring are listed in the bulletin. Payment can be made by check, made out to St. Paul's Cathedral, or via the Easter Flowers line on the donations page of our website here.

This Sunday in the Adult Forum

Adult forum this week previews all of Holy Week: from Palms to Passion and beyond. Come unpack the liturgies we will use during this most holy of weeks.

Want to find out when Palm Sunday became Passion Sunday? Want to know what Tenebrae is? Want to know the theology of Holy Saturday? Come and find out this Sunday at 10:10 (or so). Discussion is encouraged. All ages of adults are welcome.

Calling all Chair Movers

We are seeking volunteers who have 15-30 minutes of time on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings during Holy Week to help us reset the Nave for the different services.

This is a job made much easier by a few extra pairs of hands! If you can stop by around 9 for a little while on 3/25, 3/28, 3/29, or 3/30 we'd appreciate it! Morning Prayer begins at 8:30 if you'd like to join us for that before moving chairs.

Holy Week Services: Tenebrae

The name Tenebrae (the Latin word for “darkness” or “shadows”) has for centuries been applied to the ancient monastic night and early morning services (Matins and Lauds) of the last three days of Holy Week, which in medieval times came to be celebrated on the preceding evenings. In more modern times the service has often taken place on the Wednesday of Holy Week so that the proper liturgies of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday may find their place as the principal services of those days. By drawing upon material from each of the former three offices of Tenebrae, this service provides an extended meditation upon, and a prelude to, the events in our Lord’s life between the Last Supper and the Resurrection. (The Book of Occasional Services, page 74)

Here at the Cathedral we are presenting the service in a slightly adapted form over the course of the first three days of Holy Week. Each night we will pray one full Nocturn which includes psalms, readings, and responsories, ending with Compline on Monday and Tuesday and with a shortened form of Lauds the final evening.

All are welcome to join us in this solemn, non-Eucharistic service on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy week at 7 p.m.

We are seeking one lector and one usher to attend each Tenebrae service. Lectors and ushers can sign up to participate via their Ministry Scheduler Pro account. If you are not a regular reader or usher but would like to participate in one or more of these services, just let us know!

Agape Meal March 28: Volunteers Needed!

The sign up sheet is out! Please sign up to HELP with donations of food and volunteer time for the Agape meal on Thursday, March 28.

There are spots for volunteers in the following areas:

Set up at 9 a.m. in Nave

Donate food, drop it off in the Parish Hall kitchen on the 28th BEFORE 5 p.m.

Volunteers needed to plate food - 3:30 on Thursday in the downstairs kitchen

Agape Meal at 6 p.m. - help to clear tables of food and dinnerware

Dishes done directly after the service (downstairs)

Friday, March 29 at 9 a.m. need 5-6 sturdy volunteers to move the tables out and set up chairs for worship.

Many Hands Make Light Work!

Like last year, Agape attendees are urged to bring candles and candle holders from home, any color, if they would last burning for an hour or more. Your candles could be picked up in the Chapel after Easter services.

Contact Penny Pillsbury 802 734-9349 ppills949@gmail.com or Shannon Williamson could also answer questions.315-382-4524

Good Friday Schedule Change and Service Options

Please make a note of the fact that St. Paul's will hold one Good Friday service this year, at 7:00 p.m. Worship will be held in person and live streamed via the Cathedral's website.

If you'd like to attend an in-person daytime Good Friday service, we found a few other options:

All Saints Episcopal Church, Good Friday service, 12:00 noon. 1250 Spear St., South Burlington.
First Baptist Church Good Friday service, 12:00 noon. A quiet service of prayer and reflection as we honor Jesus’ final hours on the cross. 81 St. Paul St., Burlington.
St. Mark's Catholic Church, 3:00 p.m. 1251 North Ave., Burlington.

Good Friday Offering

For 102 years, donations to the Good Friday Offering have directly supported ministries of the Anglican Communion Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.

Through conflict, pandemic, and humanitarian disasters, the Good Friday Offering has remembered these siblings in Christ who cannot worship God freely. As we mark our Lord's passion and death on Good Friday, we remember those whom he loves facing injustice and oppression today, and remember the urgency of true, sacrificial love.

If you would like to contribute to life-giving ministries in the province, including St. George's, Baghdad, the eye clinic in Ras Morbat, Yemen, the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza; and numerous other institutions identified by their dioceses, please donative via the Good Friday Offering line on the Cathedral Webpage.

Cathedral Office to Close Easter Week

The Cathedral office will be closed April 1 through April 5.

Downtown Road Closures April 8

Burlington is in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on Monday afternoon, April 8, and city planners are expecting a significant amount of visitors. Many roads around town will be closed to accommodate crowds, including College St., Route 127, St. Paul Street, and portions of Battery Street, among others.

Additionally, Battery Park is the site of the post-eclipse celebration, so expect heavy traffic and crowds! For more information, check out the Obscura Burlington website, and please plan your downtown trips accordingly.

Cathedral Square Portraits Exhibition

An exhibit of portrait photographs by Paul Van De Graaf and Gerry Davis will be on display in the Nave of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Burlington, during the months of April and May 2024. Cathedral Square was created in 1977 as a mission of the church and an independent nonprofit corporation to develop Cathedral Square Senior Living, the nine-story, solar-panel-topped building just east of the Cathedral, with 108 apartments for older adults. The project to photograph residents at Cathedral Square Senior Living was undertaken as a service to these subjects and to honor the missions of Cathedral Square and the Cathedral.

Twenty-one residents, including one couple and one staff member, volunteered to participate. Each subject was photographed in color with a modern Sony digital mirrorless camera and in black and white using a Zone VI 4”x5” large format film camera. Each subject received a set of color and B&W prints to share with family and friends in time for the holidays.

An opening reception will be held on April 14 during coffee hour after the 11:00 o’clock service. This project was helped greatly by the support of Kim Aldous at Cathedral Square, Dean Greta Getlein, and the Cathedral Arts Committee. These photographers have teamed together previously on several projects, are good friends, and enjoy their photography and their work together.

Cathedral Arts Presents: Vermont High School Touring Choirs

Choirs from Mount Mansfield Union High School, Rice Memorial High School, and Colchester High School present a collaborative performance led by Choral Directors Caleb Pillsbury, MMUHS Choral Director, and Kevin Ginter, Rice HS Choral Director, featuring selections from Mass in Blue by Will Todd, and a folksong arrangement of Amazing Grace, among others. The performance goes on tour at Worcester Cathedral in Worcester, England, on April 23rd and 27th, 2024.

Tuesday, April 16 at noon. This is a free concert. Donations to Cathedral Arts are always gratefully accepted.

Justice Speaks: Helping Farmers and Pollinators

It’s encouraging that action on behalf of pollinators is in the news! Vermont Public’s Vermont This Week did a piece on Friday 2/16 on the subject, the first time I’ve heard them discuss a bill on pesticide issues!

The House Committee on Agriculture has heard lots of testimony on H.706, a bill to ban treated seeds that are toxic to pollinators. The Senate Agriculture Committee Chair is trying to find a way to protect farmers and pollinators.

Farmers use seeds treated with neonicotinoid insecticides (or neonics) to keep soil-dwelling pests from eating corn and soy seedlings. But the insecticides make the flowers, nectar, and pollen toxic to bees, butterflies, moths, bats and birds. And there are questions as to how helpful the treated seeds really are.

New York State has passed a bill (S.1856A) to limit and phase out neonics in the next three years, providing time to find supplies of untreated seeds and resolve farm insurance issues. The Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition supports a similar bill in Vermont.

If you're so moved, write to the legislators and committee assistants below. Let them know we support a similar bill. Let’s help them and help the pollinators recover in Vermont!

Senator Robert Starr: rstarr@leg.state.vt.us and Committee Assistant lleehman@leg.state.vt.us

Rep. David Durfee: ddurfee@leg.state.vt.us and Committee Assistant slary@leg.state.vt.us

Thank you!

--Sylvia Knight

Coming up at St. Paul's

Saturday, March 23: Choir Rehearsal,10 a.m. - Noon.

Sunday, March 24: Palm Sunday, Holy Eucharist 9 & 11 a.m.

abcdeChurch School and Adult Forum, 10 a.m.

abcdeSilent Vigil & Witness Against Racism, 1 p.m.

Monday, March 25: Tenebrae, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 26: Tenebrae, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 27: Tenebrae, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 28: Maundy Thursday, Set up for Agape Meal, 9 a.m.,

abcdeAgape Meal, Washing of Feet, Holy Eucharist, Stripping of Altar, 6 p.m.

Friday, March 29: Reset Nave for Good Friday worship, 9 a.m.

abcdeGood Friday, Liturgy of the Day, 7 p.m.

abcdeCollection for the Good Friday Offering

Saturday, March 30: Holy Saturday Liturgy of the Day, 8:30 a.m.

abcdeDecorating of Nave, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

abcdeGreat Vigil of Easter, 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 31: Easter Day, Festive Holy Eucharist 9 & 11 a.m.

abcdeNo Church School

abcdeSilent Vigil & Witness Against Racism, 1 p.m.

Monday, April 1 - Friday, April 5: Cathedral Office Closed

Monday, April 8: Total Solar Eclipse, Burlington streets closed

Sunday, April 14: Third Sunday of Easter, Holy Eucharist 9 & 11 a.m.

abcdeCathedral Square Portrait Exhibition Opening during 11 o'clock coffee hour

Tuesday, April 16: Cathedral Arts Presents Vermont High School Touring Choirs

Children's Corner

All children ages four to 11 are welcome to join our Church School class, which takes place at 10 a.m. between the two worship services downstairs in the Undercroft.

To view or download the Sunday Paper for this Sunday, click here.

If you have questions, please contact Katie Gonyaw at kgonyaw@stpaulscathedralvt.org.

From Out of Vermont Kitchens: Recipe of the Week

Asparagus is beginning to show up in the grocery store, a sure sign of early Spring. In general, I avoid microwave cooking, as it ruins the texture of a lot of food, and often results in uneven cooking. But I do love asparagus, tossed with lemon and olive oil.

Fresh Asparagus Microwave/Cauliflower and Peas

Excerpted from the introduction of the 1990 edition of Out of Vermont Kitchens:

St. Paul's Cathedral published our first cookbook, Out of Vermont Kitchens, in 1939. The world and the small corner of it that is Vermont were very much different then, and yet some things stay the same. The values that first book represents - fresh ingredients cooked with pleasure and creativity for family and friends - are with us still today.

Vermont itself is a blend of old and new, a study in contrasts. It is still a rural state with many small family dairy farms and sugarbushes, but in recent years an influx of new residents from "down country" has brought us new life and richness with their interest organic gardening, sheep raising, and the production of a variety of cheeses and homecooked products now sold far beyond our borders. While treasuring our wonderful maple syrup and dairy products, we also welcome the addition of a broadened range of produce, herbs and spices to our shelves.

Vermont is a place of distinct seasons and sometimes harsh climate, but always of outstanding beauty. Much of our life continues to involve church suppers, town fairs, country auctions, and rigorous outdoor activity, along with a penchant for self-reliance and the homegrown. Our more recent neighbors have often settled here because they too love these simper pastimes and values. Those of us fortunate enough to live here wouldn't be any other place.

So come into our kitchens. Sit down and browse awhile through our recipe files and well-thumbed favorites. Then join us around the table to share a dish that, in the universal spirit of kitchen creativity, you have made your own.

Join Us For Worship

Join us for our Worship, in person or via our Live Stream on YouTube.

Sunday, March 24: Holy Eucharist, 9 a.m. in person and 11 a.m. in person and online.

You can view or download the order of worship on our website.

Other Regular Services

All are welcome to join us for our weekday services:

Morning Prayer, Monday - Friday at 8:30 a.m. on Zoom.

Tuesday - Friday at 8:30 a.m. in person

Compline, Sundays and Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. on Zoom.

For Our Prayers This Week

We pray for blessings and joy for those who celebrate birthdays this week: Anne Clark.

Let us name before God those for whom we offer our prayers: Debby Galbraith; Stan Walker; Katie and baby; Aimee Viens; Steve Savage; Delores and Vaughn Altemus; Sandy Nicholson; Tom Ely; Alice Van Buren; Sasha; Jasper Davies; Jim and Linda Larson; Joseph and Abby Gonyaw; Gina Hilo; Nancy Bloomer; Ben; Alex Versaw; Steve Burns; Barbara; Genevieve; Terrence; Jaya and Abby Kelly; Fran Carlson, Devin Starlanyl; Karin Davis; Laura Macke; Jay Slobodzian; Thomas McGrade; Ashton Christy; James Booze; Jennifer Jenkins; Michael Fay; Henry Maciejewski; P.J.; John; Lindsey Fay; The Anthony Family in Moscow, Russia; Marie Cole; Kim Martin; Helene; Cole; Nancy Johnson; Ella Baskett; Mary Magot; Jean Erno; Jackie; Lillian Robinson; Peter Adams; Elizabeth Webster; Pat Barra; Debbie Altemus; Vaughn Altemus; Naomi Hodgett; Helen McGrath; and Mary Carter. For Ukraine and those fleeing its borders and for the people of Russia, and the ongoing wars in Sudan, Myanmar and Ethiopia. For peace in Jerusalem and between Israel and Palestine. For all victims of gun violence. For all who grieve.

We pray for those who are in the discernment process, Henry Kellogg; and for Trinity Fellow, the Revd Nitano Muller.

Quote of the Week

"Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone

but in every leaf of springtime."

-- Martin Luther

Lessons for March 24: The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday

The Liturgy of the Palms

The Liturgy of the Word

Community News & Events

2023 Cathedral Square Annual Report is Here!

From Cathedral Square Chief Executive Officer Kim Fitzgerald...

Our 2023 Annual Report is here and I'm so excited to share the digital release with you! If you enjoy flipping through the pages, you can check out the flip book version here. Either way, I hope you'll take a moment to read our stories and join us in celebrating an award winning year.

Successful completion of our $1 million capital campaign for Memory Care at Allen Brook
The groundbreaking of Kelley's Field II in Hinesburg and plans for a new affordable housing community for older adults in St. Albans
A significant Medicaid rate increase for assisted living, plus investments in affordable housing and SASH® (Support and Services at Home) innovations
Impacts and data from year one of our SASH for All pilot in the Brattleboro area
Funding awarded from Senator Sanders to continue and expand our SASH Embedded Mental Health program across the state
Updates on our Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives
And many more heartwarming stories of our staff, donors, and volunteers going above and beyond to make all of this possible!

We're now well into 2024, with more ambitious goals ahead of us. Your support makes our success possible -- thank you for believing in us and ensuring vulnerable Vermonters have access to compassionate services and a place to call home. We couldn't do what we do without you!

Bram Kranichfeld Appointed Permanent Franklin County State's Attorney

Gov. Phil Scott has made Bram Kranichfeld’s appointment as Franklin County State’s Attorney permanent, the governor’s office announced on Tuesday morning.

Kranichfeld, a Democrat, had been appointed interim county state’s attorney in September following the resignation of John Lavoie. Lavoie stepped down amid an impeachment inquiry into allegations that he repeatedly harassed and discriminated against his employees.

Just before he was appointed interim state’s attorney, Kranichfeld served as an Episcopal priest for two churches in northwestern Vermont. Prior to his work in the clergy, though, he spent more than a decade working as a county and state prosecutor.

Kranichfeld’s permanent appointment went into effect last week, according to Scott’s office, and it’s set to last through January 2027.

Arts for Asylum Seekers

Would you like to receive a poem in your in-box every day in April? Or a sketch or photo weekly? Enliven your April and help new neighbors as they navigate the legal process of seeking asylum by being an Arts for Asylum Seekers sponsor.

How Arts for Asylum Seekers Works

Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network (CASAN) has recruited a talented group of Creatives who will be producing original work such as poetry, photography, crafts, videos and more throughout the month of April. You can sponsor their participation in Arts for Asylum Seekers by making a donation to CASAN. You will then receive their creative work daily or weekly through e-mail or another online method.

To see the full list of participating Creatives and to sign up to sponsor, visit Information for Sponsors on CASAN’s website. Any questions? Write to artsforasylumseekers@gmail.com.

Your donation will be used to help asylum seekers with housing, utilities, basic living expenses, transportation, and other necessary support.

CASAN is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible.

Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network (CASAN)

www.casanvermont.org

Submission Deadline for St. Paul's eNews

This weekly e-newsletter is circulated on Fridays. Please send your submissions to Jennifer Sumner at admin@stpaulscathedralvt.org by noon on Wednesday. Thank you.