July 2023 Bulletin

CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL An Episcopal Community in the Heart of Houston, Texas

AFTER-HOURS EMERGENCY CARE LINE | 713-826-5332

Christ Church Cathedral names new dean

On June 9, Bishop Doyle blessed Christ Church Cathedral’s call to the Rev. Nathaniel Katz to be the next Dean of Christ Church Cathedral. Learn more about Rev. Katz at www.christchurchcathedral.org/deankatz

Dear Friends in Christ,

It is with great joy and anticipation that we announce that our Vestry, having accepted unanimously the recommendation from the Search Committee, has called the Rev. Canon Nathaniel Katz to be the Ninth Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, and he has enthusiastically accepted the call. Nat and his wife, Shelly, will be joining us from Paris, France, where he is serving as Canon at the American Cathedral in Paris. Prior to this assignment, he served as Associate Rector at All Saints, Beverly Hills in California. Nat studied at Harvard Divinity School and began his work in ministry at Harvard’s Memorial Church.

The Search Committee was also unanimous in their recommendation of Nat as our new Dean: he is inspiring and challenging as a teacher and preacher; he has a passion for urban ministry, and a heart for ministering to migrants and underserved communities; and he has shown a demonstrated ability to find creative ways to draw his parishioners into deeper spiritual formation and worship. As Nat got to know us, he was drawn to the Cathedral because our values and focus are so well aligned with his own. We are looking forward to welcoming Nat and Shelly to the Cathedral in late September as we begin our Fall 2023 programs.

We are immensely grateful to the congregation for your encouragement, prayers, and patience throughout the search process, as we are to The Very Rev. Gary Jones for his leadership.

Thanks be to God,

The Cathedral’s legacy of impact Establishing organizations that transform lives

For over a century, Christ Church Cathedral has been at the forefront of uplifting the lives of those in need. Through visionary leadership and the congregation’s compassion, the Cathedral has had a hand in a number of Houston organizations that continue to make a profound impact. While not owned or directly managed by the Cathedral today, these ministries would not exist without Cathedral members.

Jack Hurt, a 65-year Cathedral member who has served as junior warden three times and senior warden twice, emphasizes that these accomplishments are a byproduct of Cathedral teaching. He said the congregation is simply following the commandments to love God and love

thy neighbors.

“Most of the things that we have done have really been done by people who have been ministered to by the Cathedral and who stepped out and have done things in the name of Cathedral,” he said.

This work has been going on since 1892 when member Kezia Payne DePelchin started an orphanage which became DePelchin Children’s LEGACY, page 6

Cathedral Choir tour preview Evensong

EVENSONG

Sunday, July 16, 5 p.m.

Christ Church Cathedral invites you to a Choral Evensong presented by the Cathedral Choir featuring music they will sing on tour in Scotland and Ireland.

Featured works include compositions by Stanford, Paulus, Caracciolo and Rheinberger. Evensongs are the perfect opportunity to invite new friends or those curious about our Cathedral. This special service begins at 5 p.m. on July 16 and replaces The Well, the Cathedral’s regularly scheduled Sunday evening service.

Linnet Deily Guy Hagstette

Kezia Payne DePelchin

First Permanent DePelchin Faith Home, Chenevert St. at Pierce Ave. Built in 1898/1899.

We celebrate with

E with Rainey Knudson and Steve Satterwhite who were married in Golding Chapel on June 4.

E new member: George Lillard.

E newly baptised (May 28th), Jaisa Cleaver, Alexa Escobar, Diego Escobar, McAlpine Hawk, Christopher Kushner, Teddy Lehfeldt, Oliver LopezNegrete, Miles McKeown, Mavery Lopez-Suazo, Valery Lopez-Suazo.

The flowers on the Cathedral Altar

E on June 4 were given to the glory of God and in loving memory of John M. Watson by Diana and John Smith

E on June 11 were given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Jody Anderson and Zinkie and Fox Benton by Jane and Bill Curtis.

E on June 18 were given to the glory of God in thanksgiving for the faithful service of the Search Committee, Linnet Deily, chair and Guy Hagstette, Senior Warden.

E on July 2 are given to the glory of God in loving memory of Diane Tobola by Erin and Toby McMillin

E on July 2 are given to the glory of God in loving memory of Carter Boyd and in great thanksgiving of Donna Boyd in honor of their wedding anniversary by the Priest Crew.

E on July 9 are given to the glory of God in celebration of Jay Norcross’ birthday as well as the celebration of Jay Norcross and Zaina Van Loan’s 10 year wedding anniversary by their children, Lucy and Ford

E on July 30 are given to the glory of God in loving memory of the Rev. John A. Logan Jr. with thanksgiving for his years of ministry at Christ Church Cathedral.

The flowers in the floor vases

E on May 28 were given to the glory of God in loving memory of Winifred Bain Wheeler by her granddaughters, Rev. Dr. Olive Elaine Hinnant, Anne Hinnant Haller, and grandsons, Frank Hinnant and Robert Hinnant. Winifred was a native Houstonian and life-long member of Christ Church Cathedral. September 10, 1898 - May 28, 1985.

The flowers in Golding Chapel

E on June 4 were given to the glory of God in celebration of the marriage of Rainey Knudson and Steve Satterwhite.

Cathedral Cathedral

THE MYSTERIOUS POWER OF LOVE

Summer Sunday Altar Flowers

Fresh altar flower arrangements for Sunday services may be donated to honor a friend or family member, a loved one, to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. There are three vacancies in July and August for Sunday Altar flower donors. Please contact Lisa Viktorin at lviktorin@christchurchcathedral. org for more information.

Cathedral Reads 2023:

The Mysterious Power of Love

Featuring The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Join Cathedral readers this summer to dive into the novel that established Isabel Allende as a legendary writer and discover the power of magical realism, a way of sharing stories that accesses deeper truths and allows us to see the love that is central to our lives, even in the darkest moments.

The House of the Spirits recounts three generations of the Trueba family and the violence and love at war in both the family and their country. Esteban, the patriarch, pursues political power no matter the human cost, while his beloved wife Clara lives a mystical life deeply connected to the spirit world. The impact of their choices plays out dramatically in their daughter Blanca’s life, until ultimately their strong-willed granddaughter Alba harnesses her grandmother’s understanding of the power of telling our stories and emerges to lead her family and their country into the future.

CATHEDRAL READS, page 8

Hopes and expectations

“If you seek God with prior expectations, you might find what you seek, but you will know nothing of God.”

— Meister Eckhart (14th century)

When each of our three children was born, Cherry and I had great hopes for them. In each case, however, things did not work out as we had hoped. And as each child grew and veered this way and that from our hopes, we from time to time applied some loving pressure, hoping to get things back on track. All to no avail – things just didn’t work out as we planned.

Finally, and I don’t think it was a conscious thing on our part, Cherry and I sort of let go. And what we realized about our children was that, in each case, they turned out far better than we hoped. In fact, I did not know we could ask God for such miraculous children.

Parker Palmer, one of the most insightful spiritual writers of our time, once put it this way: “At some point, I had to stop trying to make something of my life and ask myself instead, ‘What is my life trying to make of me?’”

Very often, our hopes for our children are based on social or cultural norms of success, or on our own notions of what “a good life” looks like. We want what is best for them, but the truth is that our hopes for our children might have little or nothing to do with their souls and God’s unique calling for them.

Yet, our children love us so much that they will sometimes strain to live up to our hopes for them, while God is much more quietly and subtly calling them to a truly astounding life that is far more than anything we could have asked or imagined.

One of our boys is getting married this month. Cherry and I are over the moon about his fiancé and her family, and it is a dream come true to see how happy our son is. So, I’m trying to figure out the right time to tell them, “I know you have some great hopes and expectations for your marriage. But I hate to tell you, it’s not going to work out that way. It never does.”

The truth is, this is good news. The hopes and plans we have for marriage are frequently naïve and paltry, compared to what God wants to give us. And when our plans go awry, we often hurt each other, trying to get things back on track, in alignment with our separate expectations about how our marriage is supposed to unfold. The secret, of course, is to let go of our own plans, however painful that might be, so that God’s more miraculous plans might be born.

So, I want to say to our son and his fiancé, “I don’t think your marriage is going to work out the way you hope. I believe it is going to be far better than you hope. It’ll be painful at times, and I hate that for you. But often such pains are birth pains. And I believe that your marriage will become much more than you could have asked or imagined.”

And in this same vein, I want to say to the wonderful people of Christ Church Cathedral, “I know you have a lot of hopes and expectations for your new dean. He’s an amazing person who already loves you and believes in you, even though he hasn’t met most of you. Still, it’s not going to work out according to your hopes. It’s going to be far better. Let go, and stay open. God has in mind for you something greater than you can imagine.”

Free food, good seats, great people

Episcopal Night at the Ballpark returns on July 28. Join Cathedral friends and or new Episcopalian friends from around the Diocese to see the Astros play the Tampa Bay Rays at Minute Maid Park. Wear your Astros gear and get ready for a great night. We’ll start the evening at 5 p.m. with a cookout in the Bishop’s Courtyard complete with hot dogs, sodas, cracker jacks - all free of charge!!

EPISCOPAL NIGHT

Friday, July 28

After the cookout, enjoy a short walk to Minute Maid Park for the opening pitch at 7:10 p.m. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the mission and ministry of Episcopal Relief and Development. Children under age two are free, all other ticket prices are the same. For questions or assistance please contact Elizabeth Cuevas ecuevas@christchurchcathedral.org or 713-590-3300.

All tickets purchased through Christ Church Cathedral will be seated in Field Box V, section 105 & 106.

Information and tickets at: www.christchurchcathedral.org/astros

Welcome Youth intern Abigail Jeyaraj

Abigail Jeyaraj, also known by AJ, is an upcoming senior at the University of Houston, studying Public Health. She’s the new president of Houston Canterbury, an Episcopal ministry serving her campus. She currently serves as a connect group leader at Sugar Creek Baptist Church’s student ministry, and loves connecting with youth (as the name would suggest) and inspiring them to grow into their own.

AJ is a frequent city explorer, and always has a restaurant or coffee shop recommendation. She also loves playing the piano and will take song requests to play. She’s super excited to be working with the Treehouse as the Youth Summer Intern and can’t wait to meet everyone!

THE VERY

REV. GARY JONES

Summer Place, Costa Rica Misssioners, Foyers Group, and more

IN PICTURES

Right: Marcia Quintanilla leads Cathedral youth on a mission to Costa Rica June 18-26. Follow their journey at: www.christchurchcathedral.org/costaricablog

Below: The final Foyers group event of the season hosted by Sara Jackson at Smither Park.

Below: Education for Ministry Graduates are honored during the 11 a.m. service on June 4.

Above: Friends wish Canon

Canon Zartman farewell during a neighborhood gathering.

Right: Elizabeth Cuevas and Lisa Viktorin prepare to host Summer Place for Community Life on June 11.

Center. Today, the center has extended its reach to Austin, Lubbock, and San Antonio, providing crucial support and services to vulnerable children and families.

“The women of the church more or less financed her to get started,” said Junior Warden Flo Ray. “There were no public charities at that time.”

An example of the power of Cathedral members working together was the 1993 founding of New Hope Housing which provides lifestabilizing, affordable, housing to previously homeless individuals, coupled with essential services.

A dollar-for-dollar fundraising campaign resulted in $1.25 million and enabled the purchase of land and the construction of Houston’s first 40 units of single-room occupancy apartments. New Hope Housing has now impacted more than 13,000 Houstonians in need.

“I have such vivid memories of Walter Taylor saying the way this is going to work is every dollar we spend on ourselves we’re going to put one dollar into outreach,” Ray said. “I don’t think anybody in Houston had ever heard of single-room occupancy housing.”

Another ministry that a number of Cathedral members are still very involved in, The Beacon, is just across the street. Formerly known as Cathedral Health and Outreach Ministries, The Beacon merged with COMPASS, another initiative focused on helping the homeless in 2019. The Cathedral’s commitment to supporting the disadvantaged has gotten nationwide press, and more importantly, it is making a difference. People get access to healthcare, transportation, and identification assistance, plus they are provided with meals and clean laundry.

“COMPASS was spearheaded by Dean Pittman McGehee and Canon John Logan,” Ray said. “The first office was a large closet on the ground floor of what is now the Latham

building. They gave away a lot of bus tokens in those days and sent people for haircuts.”

“We had the lot across the street and built a little building for COMPASS to handle the ministry,” Hurt noted. “Later we were able to buy the whole block and do The Beacon.”

The list goes on. In response to the HIV/ AIDS crisis of the 1980s, Christ Church Cathedral embraced a pioneering effort by Eleanor Munger, a retired schoolteacher, to create a safe and caring environment for individuals living through the final stages of the disease. Omega House was Texas’ first residential hospice. Ray remembers hearing the story of its founding.

“The women of the church knew there were people that they needed to stay in contact with,” Ray said. “It was reaching out and taking food to people, and it evolved into a United Way-supported entity.”

Lord of the Streets, which is a ministry of Trinity Episcopal Church, also gets Cathedral support. Volunteers gather at Trinity early in the morning to scramble eggs, cook pounds of bacon and sausage, and stir large pots of grits, for the homeless to find community and eat.

Hurt also thinks any history of Cathedral initiatives should include Camp Allen, a place close to his heart.

“The Allen family — no relation to Houston’s founders — owned a ranch in Pasadena and left the land to Christ Church Cathedral to start a camp,” Hurt said. “That land was sold to purchase the land where Camp Allen is now. The Camp was transferred to the Diocese of Texas, and is now owned and operated by the Diocese, and many other Episcopal Churches are involved in their work.”

Hurt thinks it is significant that the Cathedral has remained downtown while other churches have moved to the neighborhoods.

The Cathedral welcomes Jerusalem Peacebuilders

“Eleanor went to see McGehee because she wanted something to do,” Ray said. “He told her that she should work on whatever she was most afraid of. When she said she was afraid of dying he told her to spend some time facing that fear. This was the 80’s when everybody was so scared but Eleanor went right in and nursed people.”

Today, Omega House, managed by Sandy Stacy, RN, remains a testament to the enduring legacy of Munger and the Cathedral, providing adult daycare, dentistry services, and end-of-life care.

Sheltering Arms, which offers dementia care and adult day care centers, began as a ministry to the elderly.

“We are a ministry to downtown Houston,” Hurt continued. “We are known for our music and teaching and have drawn people downtown to worship. We have Treebeards whose profits help our ministries. But it’s also a place where people who work downtown can relax and enjoy a reasonable lunch, pray if they want to, and go back to work.”

Ray said she had never really considered how the Cathedral does outreach, but the word entrepreneurial has come up to describe it in the search for a new Dean.

“Other churches don’t invent the projects,” she said. “They find a project and they support it with their money, and sometimes volunteers. The way we do it is a lot more fun. You get to be involved and plan things.”

Join us in welcoming the Jerusalem Peacebuilders to the Cathedral on Sunday, August 6. They will offer the lessons in Hebrew and Arabic at the 9 a.m. service and present at the Dean’s Hour at 10 a.m.

Jerusalem Peacebuilders (JPB) is an interfaith, non-profit organization with a mission to create a better future for humanity across religions, cultures, and nationalities. Integral to that mission is the belief that the future of Jerusalem is the future of the world. To that end, JPB promotes transformational, person-to-person encounters among the peoples of Jerusalem, Israel, Palestine, and the United States.

JPB’s interfaith programs focus on uniting Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans and providing them with the opportunities, relationships, and skills they need to become future leaders for peace.

Mission Outreach Council Blood Drive

MOC BLOOD DRIVE

Sunday, July 30

The Mission Outreach Council (MOC) of Christ Church Cathedral is hosting a blood drive on July 30. Sign up for a time to donate in advance: www.christchurchcathedral.org/ giveblood

The Beacon Client Day Center

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Visit christchurchcathedral.org/events or call 713-222-2593 to learn more about these and other events at the Cathedral.

Registration recommended

JULY

Registration required

JULY 4 TUES

Independence Day

Cathedral offices closed.

JULY 7 FRI

Bridge Night

6 :30 p.m., McGehee Conference Room.

JULY 12 TUE

Parks and Reconnection

6-7:30 p.m. Fall Creek Sports Complex77396. Join us for summer 2023’s best way to reconnect with your Cathedral family in a proven equation: Great Folks + Cool Park = FUN! Bring the kids and your lawn chairs. Various locations. More information at: www.christchurchcathedral.org/parksrec

JULY 13 THU

Alzheimer & Dementia Suppor t Group

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Zoom. Second Thursday of the month.

JULY 16

Cathedral Choir Farewell Evensong

5 p.m., Cathedral.

JULY 18, 25

Cathedral Reads

6 p.m., Zoom. Learn more about magical realism and Allende’s world through the work of the Spanish/ Mexican painter Remedios Varo who paints mystical women who align with Allende’s characters; the narrative technique; and the historical/ political background of the novel.

JULY 22

Latino Ministry Noche de Película/ Movie Night 2023

5-7:30 p.m., location TBA

JULY 24-27

Escuela Biblica de Verano

The Latino congregation hosts Summer Bible School for kids from Sunday School and their friends.

JULY 25 THU

Parks and Reconnection

6-7:30 p.m., SPJST Lodge 88 - 77008.

Registration closed   Childcare available (3 mo. to 12 yrs.)

THURSDAYS

Summer Shade

6:30 p.m., Locations Vary. Detail at www. christchurchcathedral.org/summershade

UPCOMING

JULY 28 FRI

Episcopal Night at the Ballpark

Enjoy a pre-game cookout in the Bishop’s Courtyard before cheering on the Astros at Episcopal Night at the Ballpark! Food, drinks, and parking are free (while supplies last), so mark your calendar and come on down!

JULY 30

MOC Blood Drive

9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Reserve a time to do nate in advance at: www.christchurchca thedral.org/giveblood

WEEKLY

SUNDAYS

Summer Place

10 a.m. Reynolds Hall. Whether you are new to the Cathedral or you have been a member for decades, come meet new folks and old friends at Summer Place. Cathedral councils will take turns hosting this special coffee hour. All are welcome! See the full schedule at: www.christ churchcathedral.org/summerplace

Art Space

During the summer months we break out the arts and crafts supplies each Sunday for a time of creativity for Cathedral Kids! We will also have access to the Huffington Playground for those who need to run off a little energy. Bring your kiddos to Reynolds Hall at 10 a.m. (during Summer Place).

Cathedral Tours

Tours are held every Sunday following the 11 a.m. service. They will also be held the third Sunday of each month following services at 9 a.m. and The Well.

MONDAYS

Centering Prayer

11:15 a.m., Mellinger Room.

WEDNESDAYS

Contemplative Chapel

Join Interim Dean, Gary Jones Wednesday evenings, 4–5 p.m. on Zoom. Contact Louise Langford to participate: llangford@christchurchcathedral.org

AUG 6 SUN

Parks and Reconnection

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. “Splash into the NEW YEAR!” - 77055.

AUG. 6, 13, AND 20 SUN

Skills for Showing up in Hard Places

ONE HITWonders Bible

Did you know you can read The Bulletin on our website? If you’d like to go “online-only,” contact Ramona Sikes at rsikes@christchurchcathedral.org or call her at 713-217-1347.

Cathedral tours offered Wednesdays this summer

Have guests from out of town? Come to Christ Church Cathedral on Wednesdays this summer. Tour guides are here to welcome you at the bell tower from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. You and your friends can cool off while getting a tour and eat lunch at Treebeards.

Interested in learning to be a tour guide?

Contact Valerie Meisel to learn more at: vhmtexas@gmail.com

CATHEDRAL READS, from page 2

Isabel Allende has said, “There is something magic in the storytelling. You tap into another world. The story becomes whole when you tap into the collective story, when other people’s stories become part of the writing, and you know that it’s not your story only.” Allende’s life has been marked by violence, but also by love. Just before she wrote House of the Spirits, her home country of Chile experienced The Caravan of Death, the event which marked the beginning of dictator Augusto Pinochet’s regime. “There is sorrow, pain, and death,” she says, “but there’s another parallel dimension, and that is love.” In The House of the Spirits, Allende shows us how the magic of storytelling provides a portal into that realm of unconditional love.

In addition to joining a small reading group to explore the novel, there are several ways to experience Cathedral Reads: The Mysterious Power of Love: Cathedral Reads Kickoff

If you missed the Kickoff Event on June 11, recordings are available in English and Spanish. Learn how to approach the story and get some background on the historical circumstances of the Pinochet coup on September 11, 1973, which provides the setting of the novel.

Cathedral

July Lectures

Join us on Tuesday, July 18 and/or Tuesday, July 25 at 6 p.m. central time on Zoom to learn more about magical realism and Allende’s world through the work of the Spanish/Mexican painter Remedios Varo who paints mystical women who align with Allende’s characters; the narrative technique; and the historical/political background of the novel. Sign up in advance to attend and participate in English or Spanish.

Our guide to the nuances of the novel will be Lois Parkinson Zamora, professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Houston, where she holds a Moores Distinguished Professorship. Dr. Zamora is renowned for her work about the visual arts and their relationship to literature and is a leader in the comparative study of literature of the Americas.

Cathedral Reads All-Parish Discussion

On Sunday, August 13, at 10 a.m. in Reynolds Hall, we celebrate our summer of reading with a wrap up, round table discussions, good coffee, and fun food.

We’re looking forward to reading this powerful novel together, and we hope you join us, in English or Spanish, for some or all of our activities this summer!

The House of the Spirits and La casa de los espiritus are available in the Cathedral Bookstore.

Learn more, see previous recordings, and sign up for lectures and small groups at: www.christchurchcathedral.org/cathedralreads