Dean Letter: Porta Potty

Dear St. Paul’s family, If you’ve ever been involved in a home improvement project of any size, you know that nothing goes according to plan. Our current Cathedral Campus Redevelopment Project is no exception. As you must have noticed, there is significant work being done in the Great Hall building: our development partner Greystar is … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Flower Gifts

Dear St. Paul’s family, As you know, almost every Sunday of the year (except during Advent and Lent) we enjoy a beautiful flower arrangement in front of the pulpit. These arrangements are far from free, and we welcome donations from parishioners to mark special occasions such as anniversaries or other special intentions. Penelope Smith creates … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Formation by David

Dear St. Paul’s family, Our former staff member David Tremaine recently published a version of this letter on the diocesan network. It’s a helpful reflection on our lifelong work of formation. Enjoy! Your sister in Christ, Penny What is Formation?  The first question to ask when defining what we are doing in “Formation” is “Who … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Cathedral Choirs

Dear St. Paul’s family, I recently asked our Canon for Music, Martin Green, to write something about our choirs. Here’s what he wrote; I found it very moving, and I think you will too. If you’ve been around the cathedral for a while you are probably aware that our music program is a special attraction … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Pronouns

Dear St. Paul’s family, As we seek to be sensitive to the needs of all our members and visitors, we are always alert for new ways to signal that St. Paul’s is a safe place for everyone, living out our “Welcome All” mission statement. When we installed gender-neutral bathrooms a few years ago, we sent … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Latino Traditions and Festivals

Dear St. Paul’s family, As you know, we are a multicultural congregation, with a Spanish-language ministry. This fall, there are several holidays and occasions of special significance for our Latino parishioners, and all are welcome and invited to attend. On Saturday, September 14, the diocesan Latino/Hispanic Heritage Celebration will take place at St. Philip’s, Lemon … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Mutual Ministry Review

Dear St. Paul’s family, In one of my letters last summer I mentioned that we use a Mutual Ministry Agreement (MMA) as one of the tools to provide myself and Chapter with goals each year. We are currently in the process of conducting a Mutual Ministry Review, looking at the goals set in the last … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Exchanging the Peace

Dear St. Paul’s family, One of the highest-energy moments in our Sunday service is often the exchange of the Peace, when friends greet one another with a handshake or kiss. The 1979 Book of Common Prayer restored the Peace to this midpoint of the service after it had been lost to our Anglican tradition for … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Gift Acceptance Policy

Dear St. Paul’s family, Where would the church be without the generous gifts of faithful people? We depend entirely on what you, in your generosity, choose to give as part of your spiritual practice. There is no revenue from “church central”; in fact, we give 10.5% of our unrestricted income to the diocese, and a … READ MORE…