Thank You for Your Donations to Furnish the

Interim Dean's Apartment

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.

The menu for the breakfast is as follows:

Pancakes, blueberry and plain

Gluten free and vegan, too!

Maple syrup

Scrambled eggs

Blueberry muffins

Sausage links

Vegan sausage links

Startup Sunday September 10th

Join us on Sunday, September 10th as we welcome the return of the Cathedral Choir, Sunday School, and as we welcome our new Interim Dean, The Rev. George Stevens!

Announcement About Applause after Sermons.

Dear Cathedral family, our Senior Warden recently received a letter from Bishop Brown concerning applause after sermons. It says, in part: “Over the past 18 months or so, and especially in the last three months, many in the congregation at the Cathedral have taken to applauding after the sermon… Certainly there are times in the life of a congregation or in the life of our nation or world when a particular sermon resonates powerfully with a congregation, and the result is spontaneous applause, even standing ovations. Moments like that are wonderful and powerful, and not frequent. However, applause as a common custom following the sermon is not appropriate.” Bishop Brown went on to point out that applause after sermons also has the potential to be not welcoming to people who might disagree with what the preacher has said, it is not a normative action during worship, and it might make the preacher uncomfortable.

The best way to express approval or disapproval of a sermon is to communicate directly with the preacher. All of us welcome your feedback, be it positive or negative, and all of us want to maintain an atmosphere of respectful discourse at the Cathedral.

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!

Linda Carleton Book Discussion



In response to several requests, Linda Carleton is hosting a discussion of the issues (both personal and theological) raised by her recent memoir, ALL GOD, IF GOD THERE BE on Sunday, September 24 at 11:45 in the Chapter Room. If you’d like to read it, Linda has placed two copies in the Cathedral’s library (or you may buy it from Amazon or Linda directly.

To learn more about resources related to Linda's book please contact her via email.

St. Luke's Zoom Book Group

Saint Luke’s Monday Zoom Book Group will resume on Monday, September 18 by reading Why Religion Matters by Huston Smith, the author of the classic bestseller The World’s Religions.

In it he delivers a passionate, timely message: the human spirit is being suffocated by the dominant materialistic worldview of our times. Smith champions a society in which religion is once again treasured and authentically practiced as the vital source of human wisdom. The group meets first and third Mondays from 6-7. You can attend by following this link.

For the first meeting we’ll read the the introduction, preface and Chapter 1. For more information, contact Linda Carleton.

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

The St. Luke's Public Policy and

Environmental Action Team Meeting

Tuesday September 12 from 6-7 PM. 

All are welcome.

Join us via Zoom 

For more information email Sarah Braik

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

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

To learn about additional resources for the Season of Creation visit here

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.

Experiencing God's Love

in Moments When We Least Expect It

A Reflection by Avery Schott, Parish Administrator

As what has been a busy summer has progressed further along, I find myself continually returning to one specific moment that invited me to experience the presence of God's love when I least expected it. 

It was the morning of the rehearsal dinner for the wedding of my wife Bethany and I. Over the course of the previous three days we had been welcoming and hosting  friends and family from all over the country as they arrived in Maine. We were also in the midst of preparing the last few details for our wedding. To say that we were exhausted and stressed would have been an understatement.

Read more here

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