Dean’s Letter: Episcopal Governance

Hello St. Paul’s, Last weekend we held our annual Chapter retreat, where we oriented new members and started to create a functioning community of leaders for the year ahead. A question raised during the day reminded me that there are plenty of people at St. Paul’s who may not be fluent in our Episcopal jargon, … READ MORE…

Dean’s Letter: Chancel Remodel

Hello St. Paul’s, I want to give you an update on the chancel remodeling project, as it’s been in the works for a long time, and I’m sure you are wondering what has happened to it. The chancel, for those who aren’t familiar with Episcopal jargon, is the portion of the church that acts like … READ MORE…

Dean’s Letter: Event Booking Software

The Dean recently sat down with our Communications Coordinator, Wayne Riehm, to hear about the new calendar system we are launching for the cathedral community. This is a transcript of their conversation. Penny:             Hello St. Paul’s. Today I’m talking with our communications coordinator, Wayne Riehm. Wayne:            Hi there. Good to see you. Penny:             Wayne has … READ MORE…

Dean’s Letter: Spanish Services

Hello St. Paul’s, Happy New Year and Happy Epiphany! We are now in the season after Epiphany, when we celebrate the recognition of the Saviour by the Gentiles, the broadening of God’s promise to include all of humanity in the plan of salvation. Nearly 20 years ago, when John Chane served as Dean, St. Paul’s … READ MORE…

Dean’s Letter: Epiphany Proclamation

Hello St. Paul’s, An ancient tradition of the Church is for clergy to make the Epiphany Proclamation from the pulpit each year. In the days before standardized calendars or Google, this was how the faithful learned the dates of Ash Wednesday, Easter and Pentecost. So here is the Epiphany Proclamation for 2022. Dear friends in … READ MORE…

Dean’s Letter: Vestment Guide

Hello St. Paul’s, Last Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent, the first season of the church year, as we once again begin the cycle that takes us through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus, through Pentecost, with the second half of the year focusing on the teachings of Jesus. You’ve probably noticed … READ MORE…

Dean’s Letter: Thanksgiving

Hello St. Paul’s, Maybe you are seeing this on Thanksgiving Day, in which case Happy Thanksgiving! At a recent Morning Prayer Zoom, we somehow got onto the topic of holiday shopping – I think it came from a discussion of what the verse in the first letter of Peter meant: “Do not be conformed to … READ MORE…

Dean’s Letter: Veterans Day

Hello St. Paul’s, Today is Veterans’ Day, when we give thanks for those who have served in the armed forces and are still with us (as distinct from Memorial Day, when we remember the fallen). Tonight’s courtyard service will focus on those who have served, and we will pray a new litany for veterans and … READ MORE…

Dean’s Letter: The Triduum of the Dead

Hello St. Paul’s, This week we observed what some call the Triduum of the Dead, or All Hallowtide. Triduum is a term meaning three days, which is traditionally used for the three days connecting Lent to Easter, beginning with worship on Maundy Thursday and ending at sunset on Easter Day. You may recall that liturgical … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Concerning the Lectionary

Hello St Paul’s, Have you ever noticed how much Scripture dominates our worship services? To start with, a huge proportion of the Book of Common Prayer is Scriptural, whether in prayers, sentences, canticles, or blessings. All of our rituals are steeped in Scriptural language, and we even have an entire book of the Bible in … READ MORE…