Open Door August/September Proof

OPEN DOOR August/September 2015

Engaging in Essential Work Page 16

Saint Francis Apartments at Cathedral Square Page 18

STAFF & VESTRY CLERGY The Right Reverend Robert O’Neill Bishop of Colorado The Very Reverend Dr. Patrick Malloy Interim Dean

Highlights WORSHIP & SPIRITUAL GROWTH

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EXPLORATION SUNDAY

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The Reverend Canon Robert Hendrickson Sub-Dean The Reverend Canon Elizabeth Marie Melchionna The Reverend Canon Charles LaFond The Reverend Canon Jadon Hartsuff The Reverend Liz Costello, Curate For more information about our search for our next Dean, please visit sjcathedral.org/DeanSearch.

A LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

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SENIOR STAFF Kim McPherson Director of Religious Education Mike Orr Director of Communications

Engaging in essential work

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Stephen Tappe Organist and Director of Music Tara Williams Director of Finance and Administration

VESTRY

SAINT FRANCIS APARTMENTS AT CATHEDRAL SQUARE

Larry Kueter, Senior Warden Tim Dunbar, Junior Warden Andrew Britton, Treasurer David Abbott, Clerk Class of 2018 Ashley Bracken, Andrew Britton, Jane Schumaker, Ned Rule Class of 2017 David Abbott, Tamra d’Estrée, Jack Denman, Mike McCall Class of 2016 David Ball, Jen Courtney-Keyse, Suni Devitt, Anna Pendleton

Phone: 303.831.7115 Email: info@sjcathedral.org 1350 Washington Street Denver, CO 80203

Love. Care. Give.

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From the Interim Dean: TRANSITION AND CHANGE Dear Sisters and Brothers, When a friend of mine learned that Bishop O’Neill had called me to serve as Interim Dean at Saint John’s, he wondered aloud why, of all our cathedrals, the one in Denver attracts so much attention. Between May 31, when I was installed, and July 4, when I officially took up residence, I spent only half my time working at Saint John’s. The rest was occupied with wrapping up my life in New York City. Yet even in this brief time on the ground in Denver, I have begun to get a sense of what makes Saint John’s stand out.

Unlike many of our cathedrals, which house only tiny congregations, Saint John’s is home to a large and vibrant parish. On a very large scale and in exemplary ways, it does what every good parish does: provides for the formation of children and adults, reaches out in service to the wider community, nourishes supportive and challenging relationships, proclaims to those who will listen that Jesus is Lord, and, above all, ensures that God is worshipped in the beauty of holiness and the holiness of beauty.

At the same time, Saint John’s is more than a large parish. It is the Bishop’s church, the place of his cathedra, the chair from which he presides over the life of the Episcopal Church in Colorado. Saint John’s, then, is the home church for all Colorado Episcopalians. It is at Saint John’s where they come home to be with their Bishop.

In the Episcopal Church of Colorado, the relationship between the Bishop and the Bishop’s cathedral church is quite real, as I can attest after only a month as Interim Dean. This is not so for every Cathedral. Our bishop cares deeply for Saint John’s and for our future flourishing.

He is especially invested in supporting us as we move through this time of transition and change.

The transition already underway will last up to 18 months. Some members of the congregation have told me that this seems like an overlong process. I respond by explaining that the work of calling a dean is a more important, and more complex, task than the usual candidate search. Since you called Peter Eaton as your previous dean, at the beginning of the 21st century, Saint John’s, the Church itself, and the world have all changed in profound ways. More than this, change is now a rapid and continuous thing. Remember what Denver was like, and the world itself, in 2002, when

your last Dean arrived, and you will realize Saint John’s faces a new day, with all the possibilities that new days bring.

The Cathedral must therefore embrace what anyone or any institution undertakes when making a life-altering decision: the Cathedral must take a hard look at itself, in its current state and in its current context. It is as if the Cathedral is undertaking a long retreat. During this retreat, it is fervently hoped Saint John’s will see and hear what God is calling it to be and to become. Then it will be ready to call a new Dean.

A spiritual retreat is almost always a time when a person becomes aware of a paradox: that she is on the one hand deeply beloved of God but on the other is far from attaining the fullness of life to which God calls her.

Almost always, a proper retreat brings both comfort and something like remorse. I suspect we may therefore feel both thankful and tested over the next year or more.

We will discover how life at Saint John’s is full of God’s presence and power, how we have at times embraced and expressed God’s life, and how at times, we have been blind, indifferent, or even resistant to what God has offered us. A spiritual retreat possesses much the same dynamic as Lent, when we remember the grace God poured into us at Baptism, when we remember that we have at times not accepted or cherished the tremendous gift God constantly give us, and when we repent and commit to live a better way. Then Easter comes, and we begin again, aware of who God has made us to be and committed afresh to living the life God imagines for us.

As Interim Dean, my role is neither to maintain the status quo at Saint John’s nor to recreate the place in my image. My role is to facilitate the overall life of the community as all of us—in family groups, in friendship circles, in committees and working groups, and individually—do the work of a retreat or of a welllived Lent: to give thanks for graces given, to rejoice in graces used, to repent for graces squandered, and to set the stage for the next era in the life of the Cathedral, planning in concrete ways for the future. This transition will be a time to nurture hope and plan for important work: that the grace abounding at Saint John’s will find fertile ground and grow into a strong and fruitful plant that will bear a harvest for God in a world that we cannot yet imagine.

Yours fraternally,

WORSHIP & SPIRITUAL GROWTH We offer many educational and spiritual activities on Sunday and during the week; mornings, afternoons, and evenings.

We are centered around prayer and worship. In addition to our central worship, classes, groups, and programs help us to grow together and respond in the world with love, compassion, and respect. We seek to live as a true “Community in Christ,” transformed and empowered through our individual formation and our work together.

WEEKDAY WORSHIP

WEDNESDAYS/CATHEDRAL NITE

Saint John’s Cathedral is committed to a daily life of prayer and worship. Pausing to pray at fixed hours of the day is an ancient spiritual practice, and Episcopalians have long been especially devoted to what are called the “Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer,” thus establishing a pattern of beginning and ending each day by turning to God in prayer.

Cathedral Nite offers a wide range of opportunities for worship, fellowship, and formation. Every Wednesday, beginning September 23, we gather for Evening Prayer (5:00 pm), Holy Eucharist (5:30 pm), Dinner (6:15 pm), Classes (7:00 pm), and Compline and Benediction (8:30 pm). Join us every week or every once in a while for whichever opportunities fit you. This fall, we will feature classes led by the Interim Dean and each of our Canons. Learn more at sjcathedral/CathedralNite.

In addition to Morning and Evening Prayer, join us any weekday at 5:30 pm in Saint Martin’s Chapel for Holy Eucharist. There is also a Eucharist on Wednesdays at 7:00 am. This is an intimate time of prayer, reflection, and focus on the Eucharist, using the Book of Common Prayer. Consider attending these weekday services as part of your regular prayer life and a way to become more familiar with how the Book of Common Prayer is used in our prayer life and common worship.

Saint Martin’s Chapel, Monday through Friday Morning Prayer - 8:30 am, Weekdays Evening Prayer - 5:00 pm, Weekdays Holy Eucharist - 5:30 pm, Weekdays Holy Eucharist - 7:00 am, Wednesdays

WEDNESDAY MORNINGS

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The Catechumenate is an intensive program on Wednesday nights for adults who are considering Baptism or Confirmation and/or those who wish to reexamine their Baptismal vows and learn more about Christian faith in general and the Episcopal tradition and way of thinking. The Catechumenate meets during Cathedral Nite, and more information is available at sjcathedral.org/Catechumenate. More information on the following page.

SUNDAY MORNINGS The Dean’s Forum begins again on Sunday, September 27, at 10:15 am in Dagwell Hall. One of the Episcopal Church’s foremost experts on liturgy, our Interim Dean, Father Patrick Malloy, will offer a series of forums exploring the historical and spiritual riches of the Book of Common Prayer and the ways Episcopalians worship and share in the sacraments.

Holy Eucharist - 7:00 am Bible Study - 7:45 am Morning Prayer - 8:30 am

SUNDAY EVENINGS

On Wednesday mornings between Holy Eucharist and Morning Prayer, a small group open to all gathers in the Library with one of the Cathedral clergy for conversation about Bible study. No commitment or registration is necessary, just join in!

Dialogue After Dark begins September 20, at 7:15 pm in Dagwell Hall, following our Sunday evening service of worship, The Wilderness. For many, sermons are monologues. At The Wilderness, we ruminate on scripture together, bringing our thoughts and questions about the evening’s scripture readings into dialogue with others around a simple meal.

by Father Jadon Hartsuff

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or many years at Saint John’s, newer members of the Cathedral community, along with others who want to look at their lives of faith anew, have set aside their Wednesday evenings for one program year to gather into a community of learning, conversation, and fellowship called the Catechumenate (kat-eh-QUE-men-et).

This kind of gathering is as old as Christianity itself and was, at first, the primary way the Church grew and individuals came to know Christ. Today the Cathedral’s program fulfills a wide variety of needs and desires: of adults preparing for Baptism or exploring the particulars of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican tradition; of those preparing for Confirmation; of those already Confirmed who would like to renew their commitments through Reception or Reaffirmation; and of those embarking upon a season of inquiry not knowing for sure where an intentional period of reflection and learning will take them. All who are seeking a closer connection with God and who want to explore the tradition of the Church in community are welcome.

The word catechumenate comes from the Greek words “kata” and “ekhos,” meaning, respectively, “down” and “sound.”

Catechumens (those participating in the Catechumenate) are in a decidedly receptive mode—being formed by a community of believers; hearing the traditions of the church from those who received them before. Participating in the Catechumenate is not only one individual’s act of exploration but it is also, as in a marathon, an act of the community’s continuation—of participating in the great echo of Christian faith and tradition begun millennia ago.

Whether you are already certain about an intention to be baptized, confirmed, or received into the Episcopal Church, or you are simply interested in discerning how God is calling you to be in relationship with the Church at large or the Cathedral in particular—please do consider taking part in this special journey.

The Catechumenate begins on Wednesday, September 23. If you are unsure, come and try it out for a few weeks. Regular attendance is desired, though commitments to complete the program will not be expected until late November.

Register now online at sjcathedral.org/ Catechumenate.

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by Mother Elizabeth Marie Melchionna

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Choose your own adventure on Sunday, August 30!

t Exploration Sunday on August 30, we’ll have the opportunity to, you guessed it, explore ministry and ministry engagement at Saint John’s. How and why we do serve and worship God as we do? We will address these and other questions, and members of our staff and clergy will be on hand to describe various ministries at the Cathedral and their relation to our lives as Christians.

Following Exploration Sunday, we encourage you to pray about what you learned and encountered, to ask questions, and to join us at the Invitation to Participation held on Wednesday, September 16. The Invitation to Participation continues the conversation with ministry leaders who can offer a detailed path toward engaging in ministry or serving as a Ministry Partner.

We encourage you to learn more, too, about the theology of Christian ministry by asking you to focus on two of the following five themes:

We have shifted our language about service at Saint John’s—moving away from the word “volunteers” and adopting instead the term “ministry partners,” a shift that emphasizes the reality of how God’s mission on Earth is lived in community. Ministry is not something carried out exclusively by paid lay and ordained Cathedral staff. We all have important and life-changing ministries. It begins with baptism and is refined with discernment. A parishioner discerns how they partner with this community and God, in this particular moment, to serve and support the missio dei. We are all partners in this beautiful and mysterious work of ministry!

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Formation for All Ages Connecting & Belonging Worship & Prayer Faith in Action Being God’s Stewards

You will also be asked to discern which of these areas resonates with you most deeply and how you might more purposely take up service at and in partnership with Saint John’s Cathedral.

We look forward to seeing you on August 30!

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WARTBURG COLLEGE WEST Wartburg College entered its third year in partnership with Saint John’s Cathedral in May. The past two years of students coming and going, residing in the Kimberly, taking classes in Roberts Hall, and engaging in internships throughout the metro area has gone very smoothly.

This summer, 20 students participated in the program and there will be another 20 students participating in the Fall Term. Dr. Jennifer McBride will return to Denver from the Waverly, Iowa, campus for a second Fall Term. Her course, “Prisons and Punishment” has only become more relevant since she was last here.

Titled faculty who live in Denver and administrate this Urban Education Program, The Reverend Nelson Bock and The Reverend Bonita Bock, will continue to teach their courses on urban sustainability, faith, and politics.

As program directors, Nelson and Bonita work with students to determine appropriate internship placements, then seek to secure those placements.

Current students are majoring in Journalism and Communication, History, Business Administration, Biology, Neuroscience, Religion, Spanish, Accounting, Music, Graphic Design, Marketing, Public Relations, Education, and Social Work. If you’d like to see a complete list of current internship placements, visit wartburg.edu/west/participants.aspx. Other majors are represented at other times.

If you or a person you know would be interested in hosting a Wartburg West intern in 2016 or knowing more about Wartburg College, please contact The Reverend Bonita Bock at bonita.bock@wartburg.edu.

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A Legacy for Future Generations

by Tara Williams

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multi-acre historic Cathedral campus provides us with daily repair and maintenance challenges, some small and some large, some planned and some unexpected. We have roof leaks that seem to spring out from all corners of the building after heavy rains and that defy easy repair; contractors and engineers to consult in preparation for the installation of the Antiphonal organ this fall; and the ongoing work of simply keeping the Cathedral clean and ready for our many visitors. Our facilities staff, led by Colin Ammerman, Facilities Manager, is more than able to take on the job.

But the staff could not do it all without the many members of the Cathedral who routinely and generously offer their time and knowhow to help enhance and preserve our more than 100-year-old Cathedral, the surrounding buildings, and the grounds.

The work of the major groups focused on facility management in its many forms is coordinated through the Building & Grounds Standing Commission, chaired by Suni Devitt.

On the commission are heads of Arts & Architecture, Landscape & Gardens, Safety & Security, the Green Team, and a newly formed Artisans Committee. With a goal to find synergy and efficiencies in their work, Building & Grounds members meet monthly to discuss facility-related projects. Having all these voices at the table means they can look holistically at their effort to determine if we are addressing all the facility needs of the Cathedral. For example, when evaluating landscaping upgrades, are we considering plants that enhance security? When we move to more energy-efficient LED lighting, will the new lights preserve the quality and character of our current lighting? As we address drainage problems in the Children’s Garth, what improvements can we identify to make the space more inviting? These are the types of questions the committee asks as they move from big-picture planning to nut-and-bolts implementation.

Over the past year we’ve completed a great deal of good work that will have lasting benefits for the Cathedral community. Not one to rest on its laurels, Building & Grounds has ambitious plans for the next few years.

The Arts & Architecture Commission is working on an inventory of the fine art of the Cathedral, a valuable resource for both

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insurance purposes and educating future generations about the many treasures contained in the walls of the Cathedral. Arts & Architecture also oversaw the renovation of the Welcome Center reception area and the southern Cathedral entry, which now has an accessible door for persons with disabilities, a project completed in honor of Patricia Kniss. Upcoming projects include sprucing up the Roberts Building entry hallway and to refurbish the Dean’s office both to welcome our Interim Dean and to prepare for our future Dean.

The Landscape & Gardens group annually plants beautiful flowers throughout the campus for welcome Easter and summer color. They also water, weed, and harvest the food garden in the nursery play area.

This group is busy helping to make reality a “learning garden” along Thirteenth Avenue that will provide raised beds for guest gardeners from Metro Caring to grow their own food as part of Metro Caring’s Seeds for Success self-sustaining and vocational curriculum.

The Safety & Security committee is responsible for organizing off-duty police patrols that began in the spring. These patrols are helping us establish community standards for how we respect Cathedral property. The Safety & Security committee will also be leading the much-needed work of developing emergency and criticalevent protocols. Leadership from the Green Team reaffirms our commitment to being good stewards of the environment through a waste-disposal system that includes recycling and composting and by supporting energy-efficient upgrades in the Cathedral complex, such as LED lighting retrofit planned for this summer. Together, the Buildings & Grounds Commission is also working hard to analyze, prioritize, and bring to fruition needed structural and drainage repairs identified in the 2010 Historic Preservation plan.

One recent accomplishment I am delighted to highlight is the formation of the Artisans Committee, led by Judy Allison. Judy recently painted and replaced toilets in the women’s bathroom next to Dagwell Hall, a much-needed upgrade. She is also spearheading the return of a Saint John’s

tradition—regular Cathedral Work Days.

Upcoming Work Days are on October 24, 2015 and March 19, 2016. She envisioned these work days as an indispensable way to address critical maintenance needs throughout our campus and therefore took the lead in helping to coordinate this initiative. The way she sees it, “Work days can play an influential role not only in integrating newcomers into the Saint John’s community more quickly and more meaningfully but also in allowing us to express hands-on appreciation for the role of Saint John’s in our lives and in the life of the community. The idea of expectation, in which a bar (in this case, participation) is set by one group and then met or exceeded by the other, helps us all to define, together, what it means to belong.”

Judy makes this appeal: “For the reasons expressed above—and also because it’s fun—we ask for your active participation and vocal support on each of our work days.”

The planned projects include refurbishing the Cathedral wood doors; improving the Nursery, Children’s Garth, and Saint Francis Chapel; and a deep-cleaning of the Cathedral Nave, Memorial Hall, the Narthex, and kitchen. We invite each of you to join in and to encourage others to sign on throughout the year. More details and advance registration are available on the website: http://www.sjcathedral.org/ CathedralWorkDay. As Perry Beaton, chair of the Landscape & Gardens Committee, so aptly reminds us: “Every day can be a work day. This is our Cathedral, and even the simple task of taking a moment to pick up a bit of litter helps.” His perspective is emblematic of the dedication of our facilities ministry partners. With our combined efforts, we are able to ensure a Cathedral that is truly welcoming to all and leave our lovely campus as a legacy for future generations.

On behalf of the clergy, staff, and members of the Cathedral, I would like to express deep gratitude and respect for the energy, enthusiasm, and bright ideas of all of the ministry partners engaged in the day-today work of maintaining our structures and bringing beauty to our Cathedral.

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Monday, August 4 6:00 pm in the Library (Parish House, 2nd Floor)

WELCOME

If you are new to Saint John’s or simply want to reacquaint yourself with the wonderful ministry going on all around, plan to join us for a light wine and cheese reception.

Connect to Saint John’s at this welcoming event with clergy, staff, and other newcomers.

Childcare provided.

GATHERINGS

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Saint John’s hosts 20 homeless women weekly in Dagwell Hall.

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Over 150 participants have gone through the Catechumenate program in the past 3 years.

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Saint John’s hosts 4 addiction groups weekly with over 100 participants.

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49 campers, 11 gappers, 10 counselors, 2 interns, and 4 adults attended Cathedral Camp, June 21-27.

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Saint John’s contributed 3,633 pounds of nutritious food to Metro Caring last year.

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Saint John’s has celebrated over 85 baptisms in the past 2 years.

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Over 3,050 people receive the weekly eNewsletter, The Voice.

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Volunteers give over 1,325 hours of service to the music program each month.

Are you on our eNewsletter list?

Receiving weekly e-newsletters is a great way to find out what is going on in your Cathedral Parish. Email your contact information to communications@sjcathedral.org or register easily online at sjcathedral.org/eNewsletters!

Questions/Comments?

Contact us at info@sjcathedral.org with any question you may have. We’d love to help!

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Each week the people of Saint John’s send individuals out from the Eucharist to share communion with parishioners who are not able to attend. This Lay Eucharistic Visitor (LEV) ministry is comprised of lay volunteers, trained and licensed by the diocese, who partner with the Cathedral clergy to care for parishioners who are restricted for a variety of reasons – at home, in the hospital, or in a care facility. For more information, or to talk about serving as a LEV, please contact Mother Elizabeth Marie Melchionna at ElizabethMarie@sjcathedral.org.

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GETTING REA DY FOR MUSIC

MUSIC

CAMP

August 17-21, 2015

9:00 to 11:30 am daily

Children thrive when making music. A mini music camp this summer at Saint John’s Cathedral makes that possible.

Targeted to children ages 5-11, “Getting Ready for Music” Music Camp aims to teach music fundamentals. The curriculum will include lessons on violin and piano, a daily show-and-tell of musical instruments, and active listening to music.

Theory lessons, games, and stories will teach notes on the staff, rhythm, solfège, and basic sight-singing. Children will be taught a repertory of sacred songs, spirituals, and folk songs, which will be reprised for parents on the last day of camp. Working with Music Director Stephen Tappe, Assistant Organist Lyn Loewi, and childsafety certified volunteers, the focus will be on basic, healthy singing skills and choral group building. Wholesome food and active games will fuel bodies and minds through the morning. Cost for the weeklong camp is $95.

Register online at sjcathedral.org/MusicCamp

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CATHEDRAL CHOIRS Are you interested in singing again in a choir?

The Cathedral’s Choirs perform repertoire across several centuries on a weekly basis. Fall rehearsals start August 20. Enjoy the camaraderie, fine-tune those vocal cords, and join the choir.

ADULT CHOIRS Saint John’s Parish Choir and Saint John’s Cathedral Choir are semi-professional ensembles for adults and advanced youth. These are both auditioned choirs. The Parish Choir provides music for the 9:00 am Sunday Eucharist and occasional Diocesan services; the Cathedral Choir provides music for the 11:15 am Eucharist, Evensong, and other special occasions throughout the year.

The Choir is some 35 voices strong. If you have experience singing in choirs, can read music well, and are willing to commit to the choir schedule, please consider joining one of these groups. All volunteers start out in the Parish Choir and begin singing all the hymns and service music; based on individual ability, newcomers are gradually “folded in” to the choir, singing more complex material as familiarity with the repertoire and sight reading skills allow.

CHILDREN & YOUTH CHOIRS The Saint Cecilia Girl Choir and Saint Nicolas Boy Choir are choirs for choristers fourth grade and up. The Saint David Choir is for children ages 5 through first grade. These choirs sing weekly at the 9:00 am Sunday service during the school year (Saint David Choir sings once a month).

Through a structured program affiliated with the Royal School of Church Music in America, the choir program provides instruction in the basics of music theory, performance and history.

Please contact Stephen Tappe at 303.577.7727 or Stephen@sjcathedral.org for more information or visit sjcathedral.org/Music.

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MUSIC AT SAINT JOHN’S Bach, Beethoven, Shostakovich. The 201516 concert season focuses on the repertoire of these titan composers.

From the unaccompanied cello suites, violin partitas, to the towering St. John’s Passion, the works of J.S. Bach stand above all. Beethoven composed his ten violin sonatas between 1798 and 1812, one of the most important body of work for violin and piano in the literature. These selected sonatas are explored in depth by Jeri Jorgensen and pianist Cullen Bryant over three concerts throughout the season. Dimitri Shostakovich wrote fifteen string quartets that document his creative life over a period of more than three and a half decades, from his early thirties to his final year of existence.

In the spring of 2016, the Colorado Chamber Players tackle quartet nos. 3, 7, and 11.

FRIDAY CONCERTS St. Martin’s Chamber Choir Friday, October 9, 7:30 pm

MUSIC AT NOON Trio Cordilleras Tuesday, October 13

Brian Hanly, Violin, &William David, Piano Tuesday, November 10

EVENSONG These free Pre-Evensong programs run 2:30 to 2:55 pm on the third Sunday of the month, from September to May. These concerts are a prelude to Evensong, a 45-minute service in the English Cathedral tradition, rich in choral music, sung by the Cathedral Choir.

Ann Marie Morgan, Baroque Cello Bach Cello Suite No. 4 Sunday, September 20

Dorothy Papadakos, Organ Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Silent Film

Tamara Goldstein, Piano

Jeri Jorgensen, Violin & Cullen Bryant, Piano

Evans Choir, University of Denver

Friday, October 30, 7:30 pm

Beethoven Sonatas

Sunday, October 18

Sunday, November 15

Friday, November 13, 7:30 pm

Yi Chen Feng, Piano

Virginia Waring International Piano Competition Winner Friday, May 8, 7:30 pm

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Additional concert information can be found online at sjcathedral.org/Concerts

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Saturday, September 12 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Join us and help build a house for a family. No construction experience is required, and all tools and safety gear will be provided. Registration is limited to people who are at least sixteen years old and teams are capped at ten people.

Meet at 4201 N Fraser Way, Sable Ridge Building #8, Denver. Sign up now at sjcathedral.org/DayofService.

NETWORK CAFE Saturday, October 24, 8:45 to 12:00 pm Come and practice the ministry of presence and being with at the Network Café. The Network Café, “is not a soup kitchen, a food bank or social services, or a crash pad.” Rather they are about “building long-term redemptive relationships…Christians being friendly” with people who are experiencing homelessness. Registration is limited to people who are at least eighteen years old and to six people. Meet at the Network Café at: 1402 Pearl Street, Denver.

Sign up now at sjcathedral.org/DayofService.

PROJECT ANGEL HEART Saturday, November 7, 10:45 am to 3:00 pm Come and learn more about this community partner that makes meals for people with life-threatening illnesses. At this day of service, we will tour Project Angel Heart, decorate meal bags, and deliver meals. This inter-generational service opportunity is perfect for families as well as individuals. Meet at 4950 Washington Street, Denver. Sign up now at sjcathedral.org/DayofService.

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Engaging in Essential Work

by Father Robert Hendrickson

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his August Ed Watson and his new wife, Rose, will arrive at Saint John’s as Ed begins work as our new Missioner-in-Residence. Ed’s position, and his work, will be critical as we continue to imagine new ways for the Cathedral to grow in witness in Denver.

Jesus chose to spend his time and about whom he spoke so passionately to the wealthy, privileged, and powerful.

Given the immensity of this task, we have concluded that the best way to do this is to employ a Missioner-inResidence to organize and support us in this essential work. The Missioner-in-Residence will report to the Sub-Dean and be responsible for cataloging our existing mission work, preparing a multiyear plan for mission—which will include metrics for evaluating Recently Father Charles wrote, “What we know is the success of the plan—and then working with the that what has focus gets accomplished. We have clergy, staff, and members of the congregation to accomplished great music, great liturgy, beautiful implement the plan. There is energy around potential Cathedral land and facilities, great pastoral care, and ministries and missions which might include one great philanthropy in our city through the Cathedral’s or more intentional communities, housing and ministries. This great work is happening because key programmatic support for homeless women and people are leading the charge in each of these target children, an urban farm to grow food for community areas. A target area we would like to lift up and fund is partner Metro Caring or a similar relief agency, a school, that of poverty engagement.” and a house of hospitality for released nonviolent “...we will seek not only to ease recently Through the work of the offenders. The Missioner-inMissioner-in-Residence, we the suffering of the poor but Residence will work with our will seek not only to ease the existing partners in mission suffering of the poor but also also to deepen our own faith (e.g., the Saint Francis Center) to deepen our own faith and and establish the integrity and to develop new partnerships establish the integrity and for mission with other broaden the engagement of broaden the engagement of diocesan institutions and our congregation. We do this our congregation.” nonprofits in the area. because Jesus commands that we meet, and care for, the poor and marginalized Ed Watson will be a unique addition to our staff, for in doing so, we meet Jesus himself. The Cathedral and he brings a wealth of gifts. Having graduated is therefore poised to engage the people with whom from Oxford University with a First in philosophy, Ed

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then spent three years committed to a life of prayer, service, and living in intentional community in New Haven. He has a brilliant mind, courageous heart, and faith-filled vision for the witness of the Church. He is the best kind of theologian—one whose life is a living witness to the transforming power of the Gospel. He came to the Church after a long bout as an avowed nonbeliever who nevertheless encountered Christ.

He has since sought to live in the life-changing ways the Gospel commands of us all: devoting himself to serve those most in need.

The mission of Saint John’s is the simple but endlessly challenging call to “know Christ and make Christ known.” This call has been at the heart of Ed’s work in New Haven. He worked for three years with Saint Martin DePorres Academy, a school known for its life-changing work among students from unstable, dangerous, and underserved neighborhoods. While working there, he lived in a community of young adults dedicated to a life of prayer and shared sacrifice.

The overarching purpose of the work of the Missionerin-Residence will be to explore how Saint John’s can further the mission of the Church by supporting Christians in their efforts to proclaim the Gospel in both word and deed. We will explore ways in which churches can support the practical work of Christian service through our common life of contemplation, prayer, and relationship. The success of the Missionerin-Residence’s project will be judged according to our success in developing ways to further the modernday mission of the whole Church.

I would be remiss if I did not note two ways in which sacrificial commitment has made this position possible. First, Ed comes to us agreeing to a stipend substantially lower than we would offer for a new full-time position. He has done this because he believes deeply in the work and in this community.

The cost of Ed’s position is being initially funded by increased giving from key parishioners who believe strongly in this work and who have been impressed

by Ed and Rose’s commitment to it. These gifts and this incredible, faithful generosity will have an impact that will change lives at Saint John’s and in the city of Denver.

We will hear much from Ed in the coming months, and you will not be able to mistake his Scots accent—he comes with my heartfelt thanks for his acceptance of this call and my prayers for him as he begins to work among us.

Sunday, October 4, 3:00 pm In the spirit of Saint Francis, bring your feathered, furry, multi-legged, scaly, and other best friends and companions for a celebration and blessing. Pets are welcome to sit with you in the pews.

Donations of pet food for less fortunate pets will be welcomed!

There will be a reception on the West Lawn following the service with treats for all.

Something crucial and life-changing is happening here at Saint John’s.

Something glorious is happening in the heart of the city.

SAINT FRANCIS APARTMENTS AT CATHEDRAL SQUARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THE CLARKSON COMMUNITY

by Mandy M. Rigg and Sally Brown

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“

But you see, when they have a home, they won’t be homeless any longer.” That’s the standard response from Tom Luehrs, Executive Director of the Saint Francis Center, when people object to building housing for homeless people in their neighborhood.

fundraising luncheon on May 14, he is confident the target will be met.

Saint John’s has donated the land for the project, which will be built by BlueLine Development once funding has been secured on the Cathedral/Argonaut parking lot on Cathedral Square North. The Cathedral “Saint John’s Cathedral and “As Saint John’s embarks on this the Saint Francis Center is most grateful to the are committed to being partnership, we are announcing Robinson family, Argonaut’s good neighbors,” says The to the congregation, the city, owners, for their willingness to redesign the parking lot Reverend Sally Brown, who volunteers with both and the diocese that we place to accommodate the new organizations. “Saint Francis our ministry with those most in building. The Robinson’s impressed with their Apartments at Cathedral need at the very heart of our were tour of Cornerstone, the Square will provide a Saint Francis Center’s first supportive environment congregation’s life and witness.” where residents might also supportive housing project on Park Avenue. Luehrs explains that, like Cornerstone, be our good neighbors and friends.”

Saint Francis Apartments at Cathedral Square will Saint John’s Cathedral and Saint Francis Center have an on-site manager and provide permanent homes for its new residents. He understands that are anxiously awaiting an announcement from the neighbors have concerns, but wants to reassure them Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and that “we’re really tight in our management, probably the Colorado Division of Housing that their joint more so than most apartment buildings.” plan to build permanent supportive housing for 50 formerly homeless people has been approved Contingent upon securing full funding, for funding. Luehrs still has to secure more than groundbreaking is tentatively planned for January $1 million in private donations, but based on the 2016. Saint Francis Apartments at Cathedral Square outpouring of support at the Saint Francis Center

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will soon be the most visible element of the intergenerational community that has been emerging since 2009, when the Clarkson Community Task Force was charged by the Vestry to create a long-term plan to realize the Cathedral’s vision of service to our neediest neighbors.

Joe Poli, of Humphries Poli Architects, has been working with the task force since 2012 on a master plan that places the lovely Dominick Park, the task force’s first project, as the gateway to the community.

Early partners in the long-term plan were the Wartburg West college program and the Sewall Child Development Center. Poli encouraged the task force to build on the Cathedral’s existing strengths, and in the summer of 2013 students from Wartburg West moved into the Kimberly apartment building, now renamed Wartburg Center at Saint John’s Cathedral.

A few months later, Sewall set up a “satellite” center in the Cathedral.

An apartment building for 50 homeless people was not in the master plan, but as the Vestry fast-tracked the request from the Saint Francis Center, Poli and the task force went to work re-envisioning the design to welcome the poorest of our neighbors. There was no doubt that this project was what the Cathedral was called to do. As Father Robert Hendrickson explained, “As Saint John’s embarks on this partnership, we are announcing to the congregation, the city, and the diocese that we place our ministry with those most in

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need at the very heart of our congregation’s life and witness.”

“The Saint Francis Center has a historic connection to the Cathedral,” notes The Reverend Sally Brown. “The Women’s Homeless Initiative is a thriving ministry at Saint John’s, members of the congregation volunteer at Saint Francis Center, and we provide financial and in-kind support.”

Once the Saint Francis Center Apartments at Cathedral Square are underway, the task force will revisit and revise the initial master plan, which in addition to calling for space for Wartburg and Sewall students also specified housing and services for low-income families and the elderly and highlighted the need to provide a community-gathering space. The Cathedral is undergoing many changes, and the master plan for the Clarkson Community may change several times, but it will always be guided by the needs of those at the heart of its ministry.

Tom Stoever, former Senior Warden and a member of the task force, expressed it this way: “The Saint Francis Apartments at Cathedral Square and the vision of the entire Clarkson Community is about more than just ministry to those in need. It is about living life with them. It is not about hand-outs or charity but about offering a home where hope can be restored.”

Love.Care.Give.

by Father Charles LaFond

T

hese three words comprise the theme for our 2016 pledge campaign unfolding this fall.

Made in God’s image, we love; love in turn leads to caring for others; and caring causes us to give from our abundance. It is that simple: Love.

Care. Give.

We open our hands and give part of ourselves. This is what God did in Jesus Christ. It is what Jesus did when he walked among us. It is what we do every day in and through our Cathedral. We do it with our money as an act of gratitude. We do it with our time as an act of co-creativity. And we do it with our love as an act of selfoffering.

We are told in Luke’s gospel that where our treasure is, there too is our heart. Our heart and our treasure are the incarnation of Jesus as our mission in Denver.

“Made in God’s image, we love; love in turn leads to caring for others; and caring causes us to give from our abundance.”

Over the course of the fall, you will receive a series of simple postcards and short mailers informing you about the campaign to raise more than $1.3 million for the mission-funding of our church. This money you pledge will bring clergy to bedsides, bring Eucharist to thousands, and bring scripture to a world hungering for God—it will fund our mission. Please pray about your pledge. Discuss it as a family and with close friends.

Decide what you will pledge and, then, pledge. We hope to receive all pledges in August or September, but we will personally call all members in October of whom we’ve not received their pledge.

Mark your calendars now for the Pledge Campaign Celebration Dinner in the Cathedral Nave on Wednesday, November 18, at 6:00 pm. This celebration will be a night of dinner and dancing you will not want to miss!

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Dream Together ConferenceS

Wonder-Making

by Father Charles LaFond

T

ogether, on October 17, we will wonder. Our wondering will encourage and enflame each other’s wondering as the Holy Spirit winds and moves among us in Dagwell Hall and the Cathedral Nave that day.

at the Cathedral. This astonishment will then naturally lead to our being curious: what questions shimmer for us now as we search for a new Dean? And, finally, this astonishment and curiosity will lead to our making something wonderful, together, as we do the good work of expressing and harvesting the longings we share and imagine for our future.

We do so much at church. We learn. We worship. We meet. We pray. We gather. And most of what we do is targeted, proactive, task-oriented, getting-somethingThe entire time, through the astonishment, through accomplished work. But rarely do we simply set the curiosity, and through the making-wonderful; the aside the time to wonder, and to discuss what we Holy Spirit will be weaving over, beneath, beside, and are wondering, together. Rarely have the times for throughout us like the flames of a kiln weaving through wondering—and wondering it out loud together— the pots as they are transformed into the shimmering, been more essential for the beautiful, and useful vessels Church. So this is what we of the potter’s hopes.

“Wonder, rather than doubt, will do: Wonder about our life together, about our future there was a season in is the root of all knowledge.” Iftheever together, and about our time life of our congregation of transition as we wonder in which meaningful —Abraham Joshua Heschel together about our needs conversations could render a for a new Dean; and October bountiful harvest, it is in this 17 will be that day. Register online today before you potent time of wonder. forget! Then it’s done, in your calendar, set aside—a gift of time to wonder with God and to wonder with each The Dream Together Conference in October 2014 other at Saint John’s. surpassed all our hopes. The content was rich, the attendance exceeded expectations, the commitment of Wonder is such an open word. The word is old. And it is attendees was unwavering, and the colorfully rendered strange in that it means three very different things all results (which we pass each day when we walk Saint at the same time – the way love can come in so many John’s Way, the hallway connecting the Nave to Dagwell different flavors. The Old English word is wundrain and Hall) express our many longings. We had no idea, when it means: we began this work, that learning how to have, host, and harvest our hopes from meaningful conversations 1. to be astonished would be so powerfully impactful. God has always 2. to be curious worked in this way. And we see this throughout our 3. to make something wonderful. scriptures, God presenting what we need before we even know we need it. Then God shows up to Wonder-making. Isn’t that interesting? The same word celebrate our curiosity and wondering during Advent, has such different meanings and different actions our astonishment in the Epiphany, and our makingenfolded within it. wonderful as we live out the Christian Way together as a church community. Please join us on October 17 for As we wonder together on October 17, we will the wonder-making. experience astonishment (which is akin to wonder) at what God has done, is doing, and might yet do among us Register at sjcathedral.org/DreamTogether

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2015

DREAM TOGETHER

CONFERENCE

“When my grandchild’s grandchild hunts eggs on the Cathedral lawn 50 years from now, what will Saint John’s look like?”

The Saint John’s Dream Together Conferences.

Leaving our legacy one conversation at a time.

October 17, 2015.

Welcome to Family Ministries at Saint John’s Children come to us full of wonder and joy, and already knowing something about God. Our task is to nourish the seeds of God’s love that have already been sown, and to give children the language that will help them talk about their relationship with God. We do this through the stories of the Bible and our Church, by encouraging their wonder and helping them discover their deep joy, by welcoming them fully into the Saint John’s community and by involving them in all that we do. Our children are full members of Saint John’s Cathedral, and we cherish their presence here.

The goal of our youth program is to help our young people experience the trust and care of this community and to grow into the very best ways of living. Here at Saint John’s, they learn to be the hands of Christ in the world, to make time to nurture their relationship with God and others, and to create a community that is one of love and trust.

Family Life eNewsletter

Please check the weekly Family Life eNewsletter for information about upcoming events and information about our programs for children, youth, and parents. Register to receive this weekly eNewsletter at sjcathedral.org/eNewsletters.

Serving in Worship

Our children & youth are part of worship, too! Contacts to get involved: Acolytes (4th-12th Grade): David Barr, DavidLBarr@msn.com Youth Ushers: Deanna White, Deanna_white1500@hotmail.com Youth Readers: Billy Baker, BillyB@sjcathedral.org Youth Chapel Greeters: Kim McPherson, Kim@sjcathedral.org

17-21: Music Camp. 9:30 to 11:30 am daily.

Children trhive when making music!

More information at sjcathedral.org/ MusicCamp.

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Baptism Sunday

30:

Exploration Sunday. Come and find out why we do all that we do in Christian Formation.

13:

Saint John’s Day is a great big party this year! There will be fun for the children and delicious food for everyone. Bring your friends!

16:

Invitation to Participation Night

20:

Sunday Christian Formation classes begin

26:

Godly Play Intro Workshop. 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. One-day intro training for teachers and anyone who would like to know about Godly Play. Contact Kim@sjcathedral.org to register.

4:

Kids Pledge, Too! Kickoff. 10:15 am, Saint Francis Chapel. Come to find out how your children can begin to make a promise to help fund all that they love about Saint John’s Cathedral.

Nursery Care Our nursery is a cheerful, safe and welcoming environment for our very youngest members, staffed by professional caregivers as well as volunteers. All are trained to ensure your child’s stay is safe in every way. Please check the website for more information or contact Kim McPherson at Kim@sjcathedral.org.

Sundays

9:30 am - 12:00 pm, summer hours through September 13 8:30 am - 12:45, ages 0-3, beginning September 20 5:30 - 7:30 pm for The Wilderness, any age

Wednesdays

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4:00 - 9:00 pm, all ages, beginning September 16

23-25: Quest: Fall Middle School and High School Youth Retreat

Wednesday Christian Formation for Children 4:15 – 5:10 pm, Room 103, for Ages 4 - 9, Wednesdays, beginning September 23. If you missed Sunday’s class, or if your child is a chorister and would like to come on Wednesdays, this time slot is perfect for you! Our Director of Religious Education, Kim McPherson, shares stories, wonders with the children, and invites them to respond to the stories of our tradition through play, art, and other experiences.

Sunday Christian Formation for Children Sundays at 9:00 am, Ages 3 & up, Saint Francis Chapel, 2nd Floor, beginning September 20 Children are engaged during the first part of the service (the Liturgy of the Word) in very child-friendly fashion, including lesson, prayers, confession and music. Parents may drop off children or remain in Chapel with them. Chapel-goers join their families in the Cathedral in time for Communion, and enter the front of the Cathedral on the East side. Children and parents are invited to come forward at Communion to sit on the carpet.

Sundays at 10:15 am, Ages 3 - 3rd Grade, beginning September 20 In Godly Play, we create a safe and beautiful space where children are deeply respected as they see, hear, and wonder about stories from the Bible or another part of our Episcopal tradition. Using hands-on materials and wondering questions to reflect on the story together, children then choose from a variety of materials—story materials, art supplies, building materials, books, silence materials—to make their own creative responses, and to help make the stories truly their own. Prayers and a feast (snack) round out the session.

• • •

3-4 year olds: Preschool Godly Play, Room 101 K-1st Grades: Godly Play Class, Room 103 2nd-3rd Grades: Godly Play for Older Kids, Room 202

Sundays at 10:15 am, 4th - 5th Grade, Room 204, 2nd Floor, beginning September 20 SOWhAT stands for: Stories, Outreach, Wonder, Arts, & Theology. At this age, children are ready for more…more insight, more activities, and more sophisticated art projects. Now that the Bible stories learned in Godly Play are part of their experience, they can delve more deeply. This year, SOWhAT will work with the creation story, delving into the mystery and meaning contained in each of the “days” from our Episcopal perspective, a complementary approach that honors both science and theology. This class will deeply engage in wondering, finding meaning, and reaching out to people in need.

Sunday Formation for Youth

M ID DS C HLO OEL

igh SCHOOL

Sundays at 10:15 am, beginning September 20 Our mission is to help our youth build a community of love and trust. This is a place where teens can engage their faith in relevant ways, find ways to be the hands of Christ in the world, and have fun doing it together! After the 9:00 am service, Middle School Youth (grades 6-8) gather in Room 300 for refreshments, conversation, and activities all built around the theme of creating a ‘rule of life’ for themselves — ways to live the very best life possible. We encourage questions and conversation in a trusting atmosphere, and we offer other extended-time faith-building opportunities too: retreats, mission trips, and Cathedral Camp.

Sundays at 10:15 am, beginning September 20 Senior Youth (9-12th grades) gather for weekly teaching with Father Jadon and other adult leaders in Room 200. This year, our focus will be the history of the Christian church, as told through the lives of a diverse group of saints. The atmosphere is conversational, fun, and encourages teens to confirm both what they believe and what they struggle with as they encounter the challenges of living lives of faith. These weekly meetings complement a number of seasonal “away days” that allow for even greater depth of community and spiritual growth. For more information, please contact Jadon@sjcathedral.org.

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1350 Washington Street Denver, Colorado 80203 sjcathedral.org

info@sjcathedral.org 303.831.7115