Dear Cathedral,

Do you wonder why we light candles? Why the colors in worship change? Why we pour a little water into the cup of wine at the altar? Do you wonder how the Episcopal Church came to believe women could be priests? How we see disagreement as an opportunity to grow?

Join me for some time together on Saturday morning May 6. Let us learn together just who we are and why we do what we do. And if, after learning all this, you want the bishop to pray for you to reaffirm your commitment to Christ or confirm you as a member of the Episcopal Church, Bishop Jay Lambert will be with us on Pentecost Sunday, May 28 at the 10 a.m. service. You may be confirmed as a new Episcopalian! ~Kate+

Using Kathryn Mannix’s book, With the End in Mind we will discuss dying, death and wisdom in an age of denial. This wonderful book gives us the opportunity to eavesdrop on truthful conversations Dr. Mannix is a palliative care physician and professional counselor. You may purchase this book at the Cathedral bookstore but it is not necessary to do so or to have read the book before the retreat. Please click the "register here" button below to sign up before May 1.

All parents are invited to the home of Chris Collinsworth & Jay Henderlite for a fun evening of fellowship. Please click the button below

to rsvp.

I have come to think of the Cummings Chapel as Sacred Circle Space. Our focus will give us an opportunity to rest in Indigenous wisdom about the four elements in the Medicine Wheel—earth, wind, water, and fire. Our Eucharist will include the Prayers to the Four Directions. Creation spirituality honors the earth and opens us to its teachings. All are welcome. ~The Rev. Dr. Linda Privitera

The Quiet Garden Morning is free, but registration is requested.

Join us for an evening full of beautiful music and visual art! Come hear the sounds of the First Coast Wind Symphony then head over to the beautiful artist reception in Taliaferro Hall and enjoy the wondrous photography of Laird. His exhibition Nature Transformed will be open through May 27. His work is framed and ready to hang. It is for sale through the St. John's Cathedral Bookstore & Gift Shop.

Sunday, May 14 | 5 p.m.

RSVP to be a part of the Interfaith Center of Northeast Florida's Annual Interfaith Community Awards and Dinner on May 18. By supporting the center's work you can help make Northeast Florida a beacon of interfaith cooperation. You can expect a fabulous three-course meal, an inspirational keynote speaker and engaging table conversations. For details on the speaker and awardees and to purchase tickets, please see the event on Eventbrite here.

To listen to the panel conversation with Dr. Parvez Ahmed, Professor, Coggin College of Business, University of North Florida, Rabbi Jonathan Lubliner, Jack F. Shorstein Senior Rabbinic Chair, Jacksonville Jewish Center, and Dean Kate on Easter Monday, visit the Interfaith website. There are instructions to find the panel discussion in the video and also a link to an article in the Florida Times-Union by Mark Woods.

Remember in High School we had exchange students? We want to try Exchange Parishioners on Sunday, May 21, with our neighbor St. Philip’s Episcopal Church. It would work like this: those interested in getting to know our neighbors would attend the 10 a.m. service at St. Philip’s, and those from St. Philip’s who would like to get to know us better would attend the 10 a.m. service here at St. John’s Cathedral, also on Sunday, May 21. Please reply to Barbara Fiser, barbarafiser@hotmail.com if you are interested.

Episcopal Parish Network is honored to share the second of five videos featuring the keynote conversations from the 2023 Annual Conference in Jacksonville. This video features the Most Rev. Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town and Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa with the Rev. Phillip A. Jackson, Rector, Trinity Church Wall Street. Together they explore the concept of Indaba - a meeting to discuss serious topics - and the significance of "walks of witness." The archbishop shares his experiences from walks of witness in Ukraine, Haiti, and Africa. And finally, he shares his hopeful insights regarding the future of our beloved Anglican Communion. Enjoy Thabo and Phil's conversation and share it with friends, family.

and colleagues.

Please note all classes will be on Zoom for the next three weeks. We will rejoin in hybrid on May 21. 

Being With is a brilliant follow-up to our Lenten study of Sacred Relationships because this course is based on a belief in Significant Relationships. Developed by the Rev. Sam Wells, Vicar at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, Being With involves sharing our stories. In doing so, we can discover a way to be attentive to God and discover that God is present to us. The book is available in the Cathedral bookstore but having read it is not necessary to participate in the class.

All are encourage to attend this special choral event! Our neighbor church, First United Methodist Church, is hosting a Hymn Singing on Saturday, April 29. The Celebration Choir will be one of several downtown churches participating by each singing a couple of hymns and there will be some sung by the

Nancy Purcell or Liesl Gavronsky-Howsare if you are interested.

St. Mary’s is looking for a Pantry Manager. If you know anyone who may be interested in this rewarding position please reach out Lmagevney@stmarysjax,org.