TIDINGS Saint Paul’s has played a central part in our diocesan history as a strong parish should. This new history entitled, This Far By Faith, notes that during the Great Depression Saint Paul’s sponsored programs at St. Barnabas’ Church in the mill districts of Kensington. Prior to the depression Philadelphia had 3300 carpet looms producing 45 million cubic yards of carpet more than all other carpet firms in the United States combined. Saint Paul’s played a significant role in providing relief during the financial collapse of the Great Depression that was felt nowhere more severely than in Kensington. A few years later, one of our parishioners, Lewis Lukens, Jr. directed the United Charities Campaign that supported nine Episcopal institutions. In 1973 our Rector Tom Edwards ran for Bishop of Pennsylvania and threw his support behind Lyman Ogilby who then won the election. Parishioner John Harrison was Chancellor of the Diocese in 1988 when he proposed to the national church’s General Convention a resolution that would “affirm stable, loving and committed relationships… regardless of whether or not their relationship was heterosexual.” It took the national church nearly a quarter of a century to catch up with Harrison. Five years after Harrison’s resolution however James Robertson, a gay partnered man, was ordained a deacon by Bishop Bartlett. Jim served as Deacon at Saint Paul’s for many years. His partner Dean Ennis served a term as rector’s warden. Clearly Saint Paul’s was in the forefront of mission and equality. Continued page 3
A reception for all who included Saint Paul’s in their estate plans or who would like to learn more about doing so will be held on Sunday, September 30 at 4 p.m. in the Dixon House. Our Legacy Society was established by the Vestry in 1936 to urge members of our congregation to remember Saint Paul’s in their wills. The name of the society comes from the Vulgate translation of Psalm 138: “In the company of angels I will sing your praise.” Our guest speaker will be one of our young adults, the father of twins, Evan Gagné. Evan will talk about how we can use insurance and other instruments to benefit Saint Paul’s and ourselves at the same time. The “Angels” Legacy Reception always takes place on the Sunday nearest the celebration of Saint Michael and All Angels. Don’t miss the fellowship and information offered on Sunday, September 30. Following the reception there will be a choral evensong.
The Feast of All Angels will be celebrated by choral evensong at 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 30, following the “In the Company of Angels” Legacy Society meeting. Choral Evensong ushers participants into an experience of transcendence through music and prayer. You will hear the finest choral music of the English Cathedral tradition sung by candlelight . You may pray the texts while the choir sings. Music offered will include Herbert Howells’ famous Collegium Regale setting of the evening canticles written for Kings College, Cambridge. The choir will offer “Locus Iste” which they first sung for the 2012 Conference of the Association of Anglican Musicians. A reception will follow evensong in the Parish Hall. All are welcome.
Thomas F. Rzeznik, one of the 10 contributing historians to This Far by Faith: Tradition and Change in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, will be our guest preacher on Saint Paul’s Day, January 27, 2013. A native of Conshohocken, Rzeznik, 33, graduated from Kennedy-Kendrick High School in 1996. A history and political science major at Fordham University, he earned his B.A. summa cum laude, in cursu honorum, in 2000. Graduate study took him to Notre Dame where he received his M.A. in history in 2003 and his Ph.D. three years later. His doctoral thesis, entitled Church and Estate: Religion and Wealth in Industrial Era Philadelphia, will be published by Penn State Press in the spring of 2013. In the diocesan history, Rzeznik wrote about the period from 1910 to 1945. His chapter, “The Church in Prosperity, Depression, and War,” covers a period of growth and change at Saint Paul’s, the time when the current church was built and the congregation grew into one of the largest and most influential in the diocese. Rzeznik will preach at the 10:30 a.m. service and will also be available to answer questions at the festival coffee hour and forum following the service.
Throughout the fall, Saint Paul’s and the entire diocese will celebrate the publication of This Far by Faith: Tradition and Change in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, the Diocese of Pennsylvania’s first complete history. The book, its authors, and our history will be honored the weekend of October 6 and at Saint Paul’s beginning the following week. Saint Paul’s will offer a five-session reading group led by the rector that starts Tues. Oct. 9, continues Oct. 16, 23, and 30, skips Nov. 6 (Election Day) and concludes Nov. 13. We will gather in Dixon House from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and cover two chapters at each session. 2
This Far by Faith puts our diocesan history into the wider context of the young United States, the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Quaker colony in which it began, and its relationship to other denominations. The weekend celebration begins Sunday, October 7, with the first of two identical forums led by The Rt. Rev. R. William Franklin, the bishop of Western New York and an eminent church historian, and including the book’s 10 authors. It will take place from 3 to 4:40 p.m. in the Dell Auditorium in the National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 S. Independence Mall (the corner of 5th and Market). Following at 5 p.m. the diocese will gather at historic Christ Church (2nd St. above Market) for an evensong using the rite from 1789. Bishop Franklin will be the preacher. On Monday, October 8, the second of the two forums (this one preceded by a continental breakfast at 9 a.m.) will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m., again in the Dell Auditorium. Anyone wanting to attend any of these diocesan events should register before October 5 at https:// diopa.wufoo.com/forms/this-far-by-faith/ For those who want to be part of the Saint Paul’s reading group or otherwise want to learn about our church’s history, the book is available directly from Penn State Press for $31.95 plus tax and shipping (order forms are available in Dixon House and in the back of the church), or from online booksellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Cliff Cutler will give anyone signing up for the reading group $10 to help pay for the book. For more information about the Saint Paul’s reading group please contact the rector, Deacon Rob, or Charlotte Kleis.
Deacon Rob and a group of knowledge hungry parishioners left for the Franklin Institute on Sunday, October 23 to see the display of artifacts and writings. We were properly prepared for the trip by the Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney, Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at the Lutheran Theological seminary. The group will meet again on September 30 at 12:30 p.m.to further the conversations with Rev. Gafney. Please call Rob if you have a suggestion for a topic of interest to visit or study.
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The influence of Saint Paul’s goes far beyond what was evident enough for mention in the history book. In the section on “Saints of the Episcopal Church,” one also thinks of William Hobart Hare, our second rector and later Bishop to the Great Sioux Nation (who is included in the book Holy Women Holy Men documenting our saints). Bishop Hare arrived at Wounded Knee shortly after the massacre. In a section on Architecture, John Carver, an architect for the noted Gothic Revival St. James the Less, was also the architect for our original church (now the parish house), the design of which was modeled after St. James the Less. Saint Paul’s outgrew this original church and built a second larger church on the site of our current sanctuary. This second church was consecrated in 1865 and peace was in the air. The General Convention was held in Philadelphia with bishops from Arkansas and North Carolina attending. Former confederate and union clergy, enemies only months earlier, gathered at Saint Paul’s for our church’s consecration. Their presence was a great omen of peace, said our third rector Andrews Harris. The current church built in 1928 included craftsmen in stained glass Nicola D’Ascenzo and in metalwork Samuel Yellin mentioned in Thomas Rzeznik’s chapter of the history (Rzeznik will be our preacher on Saint Paul’s Day in January). An architect for our new church, Milton Medary Jr., was also the architect for Washington Memorial Chapel and the Philadelphia Divinity School also highlighted in Rzeznik’s chapter. Rzeznik further mentions chaplaincy commissions in World War I one of which was given to John Henry Chapman, our 4th Rector. The Reverend Jesse Anderson was Vice President of the civil rights Fellowship Commission of Philadelphia in the 60s. In the 40s the Commission’s President was our sixth rector George Trowbridge who brought Eleanor Roosevelt to Saint Paul’s in 1949 in order to be honored by the Commission on February 1. At this time Oliver Hart served as Bishop of Pennsylvania. During his twenty-year tenure the diocese “remade” itself. He died in 1963 and is buried in the Saint Paul’s columbarium.
The topic for Faith Forum on Sundays at 9:45 a.m. will be the spiritual classic, The Confessions of St. Augustine. Each session will take a different chapter of the book. Five sessions beginning on October 7 will explore the first five chapters. Saint Augustine begins his Confessions by asserting that all people have a need or even an instinct to praise God. “You (God) stir (each one) to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” The translation used will be that of Henry Chadwick.
The next Friday Night Bible will meet on October 19 at 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Each month the group chooses a topic to explore. Refreshments include beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages as well as assorted baked goods that are brought. There is child care for those who wish. This Bible study gets down to basics. No experience in is assumed. All questions are in play. Come and join in.
You can find out more about the Diocese and the surprising role our parish played by joining our This Far By Faith book group beginning Tuesday, October 9 at 7 p.m. in the Dixon House.— Cliff
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Our annual blessing of the animals will take place on Sunday, October 7 at 12:30 p.m. on the Saint Paul’s campus lawn. We choose this day for its commemoration of St. Francis (1182-1226) who said, “Let creatures all give thanks to thee, and serve in great humility.” Bring your pet cat or dog, hermit crab or turtle, even your stuffed animals – we’ll bless them all!
A newcomers reception will be held at the rectory 18 E. Chestnut Hill Avenue on Sunday, October 28 at 4 p.m. Ministry chairpersons and Vestry members will be present to welcome those who are new to Saint Paul’s. There will be refreshments and plenty of good fellowship. All are welcome.
Sarah Punderson will introduce herself to the parish on Sunday, October 28 at the fellowship time following the 10:30 a.m. worship. Social networking has transformed the way we connect and share information. Sarah will address this important subject for our community here at Saint Paul’s. She brings to us seven years experience working in the communication field for colleges and universities. Her degree in communications is from La Salle University where she played Division I softball. Most recently she was Interim Assistant Sports Information Director at Haverford College. Come and meet Sarah on the 28th!
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The Fafara—Davis family invites you to their home for the first Saint Paul’s Parent’s Exchange Family Pot-Luck Dinner on October 13th at 4:30 p.m. Join in this wonderful fellowship opportunity, sharing favorite recipes and fun family time together. Please RSVP to Cathy Davis, Kaloskid@aol.com or 215.687.1022 if you can join the group. The Family Pot-Luck will be a quarterly event, the next dinner will be held in February. This is wonderful opportunity for all of us to get together and enjoy one another’s good food and company. If you are interested in hosting or seek further information, contact Manny @ 215-242-2055
This growing ministry of young professionals in our parish meets monthly for a relaxed social gathering or outreach service event. It is a casual group that likes to have fun and enjoys making new relationships and sharing in group activities. Our next planned activity is dinner on Friday September 28, 2012 at 7 p.m. at Earth, Bread and Brewery on Germantown Ave. We had a wonderful time this past spring and are looking forward being together again.. The next planned activity will be an outreach event at Face-To-Face on October 13th at 11:45 a.m. As part of Saint Paul’s mission to strengthen our relationship with the Face-To–Face organization, we will visit and serve lunch to the homeless and hungry clients. Face-to-Face is located on 109 Price St. Philadelphia. You don’t really have to be young to join us: everyone is welcome to join us at any of our events. For more information, contact Manny @ 215 -242-2055.
This year, Saint Paul's is offering Evensong on a slightly more regular basis. So, after you attend Evensong this Sunday, September 30, at 5 p.m., you can rest easy knowing that only three short weeks will pass before you can yet again experience rest and stillness before you start your week. On Sunday, October 21, the Saint Paul's choir will offer another service of Evensong featuring the music of German romantic composers Brahms and Rheinberger. A reception will follow in the parish hall. Choral Evensong is a great way to introduce someone new to Saint Paul's and share this experience with a friend. Because the service is unique and very meditative, it offers a first time attendee the opportunity to make the service into what they want - they can participate fully, silently pray the texts, or just sit and listen while the choir sings the same evening prayers that have been offered for generations.
The Cherub Choir will begin its season with rehearsal on Thursday, October 4 at 5-5:45 p.m. in the Children’s Library in the Sunday School wing. This group, now in its second year, is a program for children in Kindergarten through second grade (approximately ages 5-7) and is a feeder into the Chorister program. The participants pray and play together. They learn both about service music and learn anthems and even though some cannot read, familiarity with the hymnal is instilled as well as knowledge of musical concepts. Children with older siblings are welcome to stay after rehearsal with leader Karen Richter, joining their older siblings for dinner provided by Chorister parents. The Cherub Choir sings exclusively at the 9 a.m. service. They will not sing on a day when the older group is scheduled at the 10:30 a.m. service. For more information, contact Karen at the church office: krichter@stpaulschestnuthill.org or Zach Hemenway, Director of Music at zhemenway@stpaulschestnuthill.org.
Founded in 2011, Five Fridays is a series of five small chamber concerts intended to connect Music at Saint Paul's with outreach to our local community. By seeking outside sponsorship form area businesses, proceeds from the concerts are then given to area charities that address hunger and homelessness (two areas of interest for our outreach committee) in our own area.
Five Friday’s is proud to present pianist and astral artist Alexandre Moutouzkine in the opening concert of it’s 2012-2013 season on October 26 at 7:30 p.m. Taking place by candle light in Saint Paul’s stunning neo-gothic nave, every Five Fridays concert includes a wine reception and a chance to greet the artist. All proceeds benefit Face –to– Face Germantown and the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Northwest Philadelphia. Hailed as one of the next great artists of our time, Moutouzkine will surely present us with a program that will do justice our much loved Steinway! Works by Beethoven, Scriabin and Liszt will be performed. For more information and tickets, visit www.fivefridays.org
OCTOBER 26 Alexandre Moutouzkine, Piano NOVEMBER 16 The Dali Quartet FEBRUARY 1 Kristen Lee, Violin Lionel Cottett, Cello MARCH 15 Born Lau, Viola APRIL 5 Trio Galilei
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Sunday October 7, 2012 For the past 28 years, Chestnut Hill has celebrated the Fall Festival of the Arts: Crafts, Food, Music and Family fun! This year’s Festival is on October 7 from 11 a.m.– 5 p.m.. Saint Paul’s will be represented by Deacon Rob and Rev. Manny who will share information about Saint Paul’s programs and our Outreach projects throughout the community. Please contact Rob or Manny if you are interested in joining them at the Saint Paul’s table at the Festival. 215.242.2055. 6
The old Borders Bookstore building has been transformed into multiple class rooms and a basement play area to accommodate the corporate day care and education business of COA. They take children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age and provide meals, activities, and safe haven weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Remember this precious population and their teachers in your prayers.
At its September 17th meeting the Saint Paul’s Vestry voted to renew the back of the church. After removing pews for a fund raiser two years ago and ongoing musical events and worship at the church’s west end, it is clear that the old cork flooring needed replacement. Three open meetings were held and the Property Committee created a subcommittee to make a recommendation to the vestry. Their recommendation was a stone floor that matched the green and white stone of the chancel floor. Inlaid in the stone will be a labyrinth that the committee designed. A labyrinth is an ancient method of meditative walking that leads one to the center and back out again. The most famous labyrinth is at Chartres Cathedral in France. One will approach the labyrinth through the narthex door over which is written: “Enter ye in by the narrow gate/ for narrow is the gate that leadeth unto life.” The symbolism is that the narrow path of the labyrinth leads to the center where there is life.
The Property Committee has replaced the stone pavement by the columbarium as the first phase of a restoration project. The next step will be to clean the columbarium stone, take up the brass plaques for cleaning and replace them so that they are evenly aligned. The Committee does not want to alarm anyone when the plaques are taken off the stone. It is only for cleaning. They will be replaced properly with everything looking clean and respectful. There are some plaques waiting to be placed on the stone. As the cleaning is to happen shortly, it seems advisable to fix the plaques on the stone when all is cleaned and aligned. The property Committee has taken up the crushed stone in the prayer garden and replaced it with sod. They have also created a stone path from the prayer garden to the rear door of the Parish House.
The Property Committee also proposed the cleaning and lighting of the narthex in order to make the church entrance brighter and more welcoming. The same is planned for our historic baptistery which we are able to use once again. The room will be cleaned and well lighted. The Vestry has approved this work made possible by a very generous gift. This is an example of the passion and commitment, the overflowing generosity that we are living into as a church. The work will begin soon after the first of the year so as not to interfere with upcoming holidays. It is all very exciting.
In our last newsletter we told you about the devastating fire that destroyed Saint James Church in Cannon Ball, ND, part of the Standing Rock Reservation where our young people go each summer. Attached to this newsletter you will find a booklet describing the Ikpanazin Rebuilding Fund. Ikpanazin (ichpa’nazee) is a Dakota word that describes someone picking themselves up from the ground. The people of Saint James are rebuilding so that they will have the ability to welcome the Cannon Ball community to their church, and to be able to “bring all our members home, no matter the occasion.” In addition to the church, a Cannon Ball Community Recreation Facility is part of these plans. With nearly half the population of the town under the age of 20, the congregation does a considerable amount of youth ministry for middle school through senior high. The Rev. John Floberg says, “The process of rebuilding is renewing St. James' congregation and our ministry in Cannon Ball.” 7
Dear Friends, The Stewardship Committee has taken their theme from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Paul describes the churches in Macedonia as having “overflowed in a wealth of generosity” (2Corinthians 8: 1-7). The committee has added six new members this year! They include Bruce Redpath, Daniel Clifford, David Leach, Dick Kolb, Lyn Montgomery and Tranda Fischelis. Ongoing members are Stephen Heimann (Chairman), Allison Romig, Arthur Stokes, James Pope, John Rollins, Paul Sehnert, and Sandy Dillon. Why does Paul use the term “overflowing generosity?” I think, because we are followers of God who overflows in generosity. God is like the sower who scatters seed everywhere! Jesus feeds 4000 with seven loaves of bread and after everyone has eaten their fill, there are seven baskets of bread left over! That is overflowing generosity. I hope you have experienced that generous presence and love of God. I know you have… pay it forward. Share generously. The miracle is that God has given our church community everything we need. All we have to do is overflow in generosity. Those early churches Paul talked about gave “voluntarily according to their means, and even beyond their means!” They overflowed in generosity. They followed God who is over flowingly generous. They actually begged for the privilege of sharing in the ministry of Spirited service and Spiritual nourishment that we are all about here at Saint Paul’s. They were passionate about their faith. Stewardship is taking care of God’s business. It is loving work of ultimate significance. It takes passion, overflowing generosity, giving according to one’s means and even beyond! Take it from Paul – that is what stewardship means.—Cliff
CLERGY The Very Rev. E. Clifford Cutler, Rector The Rev. Emmanuel Mercer, Assistant Rector The Rev. Robert M. Davidson, Deacon
215.242.2055 ext. 28, ccutler@stpaulschestnuthill.org ext. 24, emercer@stpaulschestnuthill.org 215.480.4732, Rob@4suns.com
STAFF Zachary D. Hemenway, Director of Music and Organist Virginia A. Emlen, Administrative Assistant Sarah Punderson, Communications Coordinator Caroline J. Robinson, Organ Scholar Karen Richter, Music and Office Assistant Kalil Swinson, Parish Bookkeeper Sonam Dhawo, Sexton
ext. 35, zhemenway@stpaulschestnuthill.org ext. 25, vemlen@stpaulschestnuthill.org spunderson@stpaulschestnuthill.org crobinson@stpaulschestnuthill.org krichter@stpaulschestnuthill.org ext. 27, accountant@stpaulschestnuthill.org Dolma Dhawo, Custodian
VESTRY Dale Lower, Rector’s Warden, Rod Gagné, Parishioners’ Warden Pam Prior, Accounting Warden, Linda Boggs, Secretary Stephen Camp-Landis, Mark Duckett, Betsy Evans, Joe Fafara, John Faggotti, Steve Heimann, Tom O’Rourke, Allison Romig, Paul Sehnert, Becky Southwell, Arthur Stokes, Jill Wemple
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