Request for Items to Furnish Interim Dean’s Apartment:

Interim Dean George Stevens will continue to live with his family in Essex, Massachusetts during his time at St. Luke’s,  however he will be staying overnight in Portland regularly on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights, and sleeping in the third-floor apartment at Loring House.

We are seeking donations or loans of a few items of furniture to outfit the apartment, specifically: A bed, mattress, and box spring; a dresser; a desk and office chair; a small table and chairs for meals; a bookshelf; and a comfortable chair. 

If you can provide any of these items, please contact Senior Warden Sam Allen. Thank you for your help!  

Save the Date: Parish Breakfast to Be Held on September 10th!

Join us for a parish breakfast in the Lower Hall from 8:30-9:30AM on 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. 

Volunteers are needed to help in several areas:

1) set-up and prep work 

2)cooking

3)cleaning

If you are able to help in any of the following areas please email Sarah Dowling

or contact the parish office.

Startup Sunday September 10th

Join us on Sunday, September 10th as we welcome the return of the Cathedral Choir and Sunday School!

Donate to the Dean's Discretionary Fund

With the upcoming 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!

The Finance Committee Update

The church finances for 2023 continue to look good (A copy of our July balance sheet and treasurer's report is on the bulletin board in the hallway). 

A few positive highlights for 2023 include:  1) Successful software conversion from Church Windows to Realm, 2) We paid off the loan we had with our bank, 3) We are getting over 4% interest from our excess cash in our checking accounts, 4) Rental revenue has improved significantly post Covid and 5) We estimate we will end 2023 with excess cash on hand.  Our building expenses for this year have been higher than the last few years but overall we have kept up with repairs and maintenance. 

However, 2024 will be a different story.  Although we haven’t roughed out the 2024 budget yet, we do expect that it will be a more difficult year financially than 2023 for a variety of reasons which means that our 2024 Stewardship Campaign will be particularly important.   At this point, we anticipate we will not have a balanced budget in 2024 but our excess cash should allow us to end 2024 in a positive cash flow position.  If you have any questions please contact Tim Wilkins.

July 2023 Balance Sheet

July 2023 Treasurers Report

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

“A celebration of trees in fall, this walk balances naturalist knowledge with gratitude and reflection. Learn about the Elm tree that lives next to the Pleasant Hill Preserve parking lot, listen to the whispers of the wisdom of the forest, and practice pausing to appreciate fall wonders. This walk will be led by Nicole Diroff, a Maine Master Naturalist, United Church of Christ minister, and Program Director at The BTS Center, focused on spiritual leadership in a climate-changed world."

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, dates TBD

PPEAT Community Supper

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 use this form: https://tinyurl.com/mr2f7pw2 to RSVP by Sept. 7 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. 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!

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.

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. 

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 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.

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.

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

We have changed our meeting time to Tuesday afternoons at 2:30PM in the Upper Hall. This change will allow us to serve our members with more in-person support and consistent instruction. All are welcome, as beginners or experienced.

In September we have plans to reach out to more Diocesan parishes who want to participate.

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.

A Note about our Liturgy Team and Pastoral Presence



 During this time of transition to a new Dean we want to explain to the congregation the ways that St. Luke’s Cathedral is providing a clergy presence. We have assembled a team of clergy who will be responsible for organizing and celebrating worship services. This team consists of the Reverends Suzanne Roberts, Anne Fowler, and Christopher Worthley. They will be assisted from time to time by guest preachers and celebrants. Rev. Fowler and Rev. Roberts are available to any congregants who have need of pastoral care. You may reach Rev. Fowler at (617)548-4783 and Rev. Roberts at (207)749-4166.

The Rev. Christopher Worthley is not available for on-call pastoral care due to full-time employment outside of his ministry,  however he is active in care for our neighbors at 75 State Street.

Clynk Bags Available in the Nave and around the Cathedral

Contact: Shana Rose

 St. Luke’s participation in the Clynk Initiative Program helps to support our young adults ministry, The Young and the Restless.

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!

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