Hello St. Paul’s,
This weekend we will hold an important event at the Cathedral. Our Annual Parish Meeting is a time for looking back and celebrating the year that has been, along with honoring those who have been leaders among us, selecting the next group of lay leaders, and building community with lunch. As I write we are receiving the last few ballots in the mail, and I look forward to learning who our new Chapter members will be. All of our nominees have much to offer and I am excited about the year ahead.
Our annual parish meeting is always held on the Sunday closest to the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, our patron. We celebrate Cathedral Day in the morning liturgies, and at noon we move to the Great Hall for a luncheon prepared by our hospitality staff. This year our meeting coincides with the Chinese New Year, so our lunch will have a Chinese flavor.
As lunch ends, I will call the meeting to order, and after approving the minutes of last year’s meeting (reviewed and corrected by Chapter last February) we will hear briefly from a number of key leaders about our finances, campus redevelopment, stewardship, and other dimensions of our corporate life. I will invite you to show your appreciation for those Chapter members who are completing their terms. I’ll have a few things to say about the year ahead before we complete the election of four new Chapter members. Due to continuing caution about COVID, we expect a number of parishioners to stay home and participate online, so we are still depending on the mailed in ballots and there will not be an opportunity for nominations from the floor.
The final part of the meeting is perhaps the most fun, as I name this year’s dean’s warden and the recipients of the Robinson Cross, awarded annually to one or more parishioners who have contributed in significant ways over the course of many years to the life of the parish. This year there will be an additional surprise – don’t miss it! We will end the meeting by singing a hymn together, before Deacon Brooks sends us out into the world to love and serve the Lord.
The agenda and 2022 annual report packet will be available online later this week. Look for the Annual Meeting tab on our web site.
I hope you will participate, in person if possible, in this annual celebration.
See you on Sunday!
Your sister in Christ,
Penny
