“Engaging the Contemplative Life” is a new column that will be appearing in The Eagle as an offering of The Center for Prayer and Spirituality. It is appropriate that the first edition appears in the Season of the Spirit – Pentecost!

“Engaging the Contemplative Life” is also the new tag line for the Center. It identifies the focus of the Center and will give renewed direction to this ministry that has been so integral to the life of the Cathedral.

As I live into the role of director of the Center, please know that my primary job is to listen. Listen to the Spirit, listen to the People of God of the Cathedral, listen to the world in which God has placed us. So please, please feel free to call, text or email me if you have a need to speak or write about things contemplative, prayer, the Center.

I share with you where we are and where we are going with The Center for Prayer and Spirituality.

We will maintain the current contemplative practices of the Center including the monthly Saturday morning Quiet Garden, weekly Yoga and Sound, Centering Prayer Circles, and E-Word. Those practices and events are scheduled through December although some are taking a summer sabbatical.

Descriptions, dates, and times will be communicated in The Eagle and on the Cathedral’s website. The Center’s mission statement, offerings and additional information can be found under the LEARN tab on the front page of the website.

A new board for the Center is being formed and we will guide and support the Center’s mission as we

The members of the board can be found on the Center’s page on the website.

I invite you join me on Saturday, August 13 to a mini-retreat I am “Slowing Down in a Hurry-Up World.” We will gather on the grounds of the Cathedral to explore the meaning and purpose of time as we live in an ever-expanding world that is calling us to an ever-increasing pace of life.

I invite you to all things “Contemplative.”

I invite you to pray for the Center as we share in Christ’s ministry.

Peace in Him who is Peace,

Eric+

Dear People of God,

 

The Episcopal Church is unique in the Anglican Communion in that we have married democracy with church structure. Many of the same people who wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution also wrote the Canons and Bylaws which shape our denomination. We hold elections from the parish level all the way to the national level.

 

Just a few weeks ago, the Diocese of Florida held an election for a new bishop who would eventually replace The Rt. Rev. John Howard. The Rev. Charlie Holt was elected that day, but many questioned some inconsistencies and procedural issues with the election itself. A petition was filed with the national church contesting the election. You can view the petition here. This petition will be reviewed for thirty days and then we will see what transpires. To follow this issue and related diocesan news, you may wish to subscribe to the Connect e-newsletter.

 

I find myself wanting to say that I am sorry that all this is happening and sorry for the LGBTQ+ community who feel alienated in their church. Sorry for everyone as the church is supposed to model peace and kindness. All I can say is that we are human beings trying to follow Jesus in a changing world. Please pray for this Diocese and give thanks for this community at the Cathedral, which is gloriously keeping our eyes on Christ as best we can.

 

In Christ’s love,

Kate+

Summertime is Summer Breakfast time! Your Parish Life Council is kicking off this tradition with a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon... did someone say "bacon"?! Bring your appetite, food will be served in Taliaferro Hall at 9 a.m.

We still need volunteers to help with Summer Breakfast- please contact Liesl Gavronsky for information.

During the summer, there is no Christian Formation at 9 a.m. Adult classes will resume on Sunday, September 11. For those who cannot make it to the Cathedral in person, there are several opportunities to read and pray online throughout the week. Please see the Weekly Calendar.

Contact Deacon Linda Rosengren for more information.

Our city only gets one Bicentennial, and we're celebrating it this weekend. St. John's Cathedral will be set up in James Weldon Johnson Park just off Laura Street to share our history with festival-goers. Stop by and say "hello!"

See the schedule of events below and find more Jax@200 events here.

Click the button above to see what we'll be sharing about St. John's Cathedral at the Bicentennial Celebration on Saturday, June 11.

The First Coast Wind Symphony, Jacksonville’s premier community music organization, presents a concert of festive music to celebrate 200 years of Jacksonville arts and culture. The program includes music of former resident and British composer Frederick Delius, James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” as well as new music by Jacksonville composers, and much more!

This concert will launch the First Coast Wind Symphony’s 2022 European tour that begins June 15. The group is proud to serve as musical ambassadors for the City of Jacksonville! The June 12 concert is free, and parking is available.

We will be meeting in Ingram Lounge for refreshments and conversation on Wednesday, June 15, from 5:45-7 p.m.. All are invited.

The Mass of St. Cyprian was written and composed by Kenneth W. Louis. It first appeared in 1969. The entire composition has eight titles or tracks. Each section averages about two minutes in length. Louis named his composition in honor of St. Cyprian. Since this is an African-American setting, it is appropriate for Kenneth Louis to name it after one of Africa’s most famous liturgists.

On Sunday, June 19, at 11 a.m. (just after 10 a.m. service), all are invited to a panel discussion in Taliaferro Hall on the impacts of redlining in Jacksonville communities of color. Moderator Jack Meeks, Jack Meeks & Associates CPAs, LLC, and a resident of Historic Springfield, will explore the topic with panelists Suzanne Pickett, President/CEO, Historic Eastside CDC; Alan Bliss, Executive Director of the Jacksonville Historical Society and Apostle Robert Stanford, Life Through the Word Ministry.

With the goal of building community, the discussion will seek to understand how neighborhoods of color have evolved to where they are today and how past policies have impacted this evolution. We will create the space for a path to move forward. Perhaps we can discover ways to acknowledge and reverse decades of damaging public policy.

Canon Douglas Dupree will lead a pilgrimage tour to Italy, ‘In the Footsteps of St Francis of Assisi: Rome and Assisi’ October 9-17^th, 2022, for the Bishop’s Institute and open to all members of our Diocese and their friends. Dr Charles Howard, art historian and faculty member at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville will be our expert guide to the art and architecture aspects of this tour. Cost: $4,390. Single Supplement +$500. Prices based on double occupancy. Final Payment due: July 9, 2022. For further information and registration, see here.

St. John’s Cathedral welcomed Graham Tuggle into the Family of God with Sunday’s baptism following the 10 a.m. service. Graham’s parents, Maggie and Max Tuggle, were joined by a host of family members for the happy occasion.

Click the image above for the CBS 47 Action News Jax article about how St. John's Cathedral volunteers worked with Hunger Fight to pack over 10,000 meals for local children in need.

This summer St. John's Cathedral is hosting the Cathedral Arts Project's string orchestra summer intensive, where intermediate and advanced string students, ages 11-18, will develop their knowledge of string instruments, technique, literature and other music-making skills while collaborating with other young musicians. The program is led by Joshua Stone, who leads the CAP string orchestra and wants to offer all children equal opportunities to play string instruments, no matter their background or location.