Reimagining St. Martin’s Chapel
May 2023
The project to reimagine St. Martin's Chapel is well on its way to completion. See below for an update and answers to your frequently asked questions. Contact the Rev. Jessie Gutgsell Dodson for more information: jdodson@stpauls-church.org
Process and Timeline
November 2022 • Clergy and staff discuss renovations to the space
January 2023
• Group meetings of 7:45 a.m. congregation representatives, house committee members, parish architects, clergy, and staff to receive input and feedback on the project
• Presentation to Vestry — Proposal unanimously approved
• Presentation to Annual Meeting
March 2023 • Conversation with the congregation (open to all)
January-July 2023 • Fundraise for an estimated $50,000 in fees via the Capital Campaign
Summer 2023 • Order chairs
August-September 2023 • Remove pews, repair floors, and “install” new chairs; Bless the space
FAQ
What are the reasons for removing the pews?
Removing and replacing the pews with highquality, sturdy, stackable, wooden chairs will enhance our worship offerings in this beautiful sacred space. The chairs will have kneelers and space on the back for books. The changes to this space will allow for increased flexibility of use,
including, but not limited to:
• Preservation of our traditional worship setup for our Sunday 7:45 a.m. and Wednesday 6 p.m. services
• Worshipping in the round for contemplative worship services, such as Taizé prayer services or Sung Compline
• Potential incorporation of our canvas labyrinth in the space
• Allowing space for musicians at special 9 and 11:15 a.m. services — e.g., Mozart’s Coronation Mass from November 2022
Will the 7:45 a.m. service remain a regular worship offering?
Yes, there are no plans to alter or cancel the 7:45 service. It remains a cherished weekly worship offering with a steady attendance of approximately 30 people per Sunday
Will the altar remain as it is?
Yes, the historic altar will remain untouched. The only change to the space will be the removal of the pews
What will we do with the pews once removed?
• At least two pews will remain, directly in front of the columbarium, to provide additional seating
• Pews will be made available to parishioners and members of the diocese who may desire to have one in their home
• Some pews may be donated to other churches if a need exists.
• Several pews can be used to create keepsake art, such as custom-made pens and Christmas ornaments, which would be made available to all
4 Parish Notes | May 2023 UPDATE TO THE CONGREGATION
Will cushioned chairs diminish the acoustics of the space?
Our Director of Music, Kevin Jones, believes the cushions will not significantly change the acoustics of the space.
Where will chairs be stored when not in use?
We anticipate the chairs will remain in a traditional seating arrangement most of the time. For instances when we need to move some of the chairs, we’ll store them:
• At the ends of pews in the Nave
• In the nursery/infant space
April 2023 | Parish Notes 5
The photos above show Sauder Worship Seating chairs similar to what we will purchase. Our chairs will be stained to match our current pews. The seat cushions will be made of green fabric, complementary to the tile flooring of the space. The chairs we purchase will not have cushions on the back.
The photos above depict St. Martin’s Chapel in its original state, without pews.
The Forum
All forums are livestreamed to our website: www. stpauls-church.org/live. To find a previous forum, visit our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/ stpaulscle.
The Altar of Intersections
A Forum with the Very Rev. Tracey Lind
May 7, 10:15 a.m.
What is an altar? It is a place where we experience the sacred and the holy, often in community but sometimes in solitude. Altars are places of ritual, sacrifice, and even violence. While traditionally found in houses of worship, they can also be discovered in the middle of cities and towns, on the beach, in the woods, along a lonely path, or on a well-traveled highway. Often we don’t even notice them. Join The Very Rev. Tracey Lind, Retired Dean of Trinity Cathedral, on May 7 at 10:15 a.m. in the Dining Room for a Forum conversation that will explore the significance of altars and altar art in religious, civic and individual life, and how we might create altars as part of our spiritual practice. She will also discuss her new interactive multimedia altar installation, now on exhibit in the Nicholson B. White Gallery.
A Forum With
Our New Bishop Coadjutor
Sunday, May 21, 10:15 a.m.
Join our newly ordained Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Anne Jolly, for a conversation at the Forum on May 21 at 10:15 a.m. in Tucker Hall. Please bring your questions and come to get to know our Bishop Coadjutor as she shares more of her hopes and vision for our diocese.
Christian Formation
Episcopal
101
Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Haven’t been confirmed or baptized yet? Or perhaps you find yourself wondering what, exactly, it means to be an Episcopalian. Join us for Episcopal 101, a three-session inquirer’s course designed to help adults discern and prepare for Baptism and Confirmation, the rites of initiation in The Episcopal Church. Classes are on April 26, May 3, and May 10, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Additionally, participants are invited to meet with our new Bishop Coadjutor, the Rt. Rev. Anne Jolly, on May 15 at 7 p.m. Contact Rev. Brandon to sign up and learn more: bashcraft@stpauls-church.org.
Contemplative Prayer
Join fellow seekers and spiritual pilgrims at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Chapel of the Cross for a holy hour of Contemplative Prayer (also called Christian Meditation) and reflection. The virtual group will continue to meet on Friday mornings at 10 a.m. on Zoom. To express interest or learn more, contact Dave Rodney (rodney.dave@gmail.com) or Laurie Rodney (lauriewsr@gmail.com).
Bible Study
Thursdays, 9 a.m.
Join the preacher-on-deck at 9 a.m. on Thursdays in the Sanders Room for a deep dive into the scriptures for the upcoming Sunday. Drop in anytime; no RSVP is needed.
8 Parish Notes | May 2023
Children and Youth
TotalChaos! Ice Cream Party
Saturday, May 13, 2 p.m.
Let’s end the year as we began with an ice cream party! 4th, 5th, and 6th graders to come to the Coventry House at 2 p.m. for ice cream and games (outside if the weather is nice). RSVP by Wednesday, May 10, on our website: www.stpauls-church.org/IceCream513.
Outreach
Guns to Gardens
Saturday, June 10, 11 a.m.
Church of the Epiphany in Euclid is holding its second annual “Guns to Garden” event on June 10. Guns to Gardens is a movement among faithbased organizations to intervene in gun violence by providing safe-surrender gun buyback events that dismantle surrendered firearms and inspire alternatives to violence through the transformation of those guns into garden tools and similar, lifegiving items. As part of our commitment to gun violence prevention, St. Paul’s is inviting volunteers to support the success of Epiphany’s event. Some advanced training may be required. Please RSVP by Sunday, May 7. To RSVP or learn more, contact Rev. Brandon at bashcraft@stpauls-church.org
Volunteers Needed
Day Reading Camp
Come enjoy reading with children this summer at our St. Paul’s Mini Reading Camp during the weeks of July 10 and 17 at Monticello Middle School in Cleveland Heights. We bring a shortened literacy program to Open Doors Academy Summer Camp Monday to Thursday mornings for rising fourth graders. Volunteers encourage readers one on one in pleasure reading. For more information or to volunteer, contact Julie Micheletti at michelettijulie@gmail.com.
Used Medical Item Donations
Spring cleaning? Do you have gently used medical equipment or devices that are no longer needed? Central American Medical Outreach (CAMO) will gratefully accept donations of walkers, wheelchairs, knee scooters, crutches, canes, orthopedic braces/boots, CPAP machines, elevated toilet seats, adult-sized disposable underwear (open bags are okay), medical tubing, Chux disposable bed pads, hospital gowns, hospital socks, bandages, and other medical/home health care items. Please place small items in the CAMO donation drawers under the information center in the foyer. To arrange pickup or delivery of large items, call or text Sally Bosley at (216) 832-1817.
Cleveland Pride and Pride Eucharist
June 3 and June 25
Join your fellow St. Paul’s parishioners and parishes across the diocese to celebrate our LGBTQ+ siblings at the Pride in the CLE March. The Young Adult Group will host fellowship time in the Coventry House at 10 a.m. before heading downtown. The march begins at noon should you like to meet us downtown or watch. Friends and neighbors are absolutely welcome! If you’d like a t-shirt for the event, or just to have, you may order one and/or register to march by going to our website: www.stpauls-church.org/PRIDE23. We’ll continue our Pride celebration on Sunday, June 25, at the 9 a.m. service with a Pride Eucharist. This service will celebrate the full inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in the life of our parish, with readings and prayers especially chosen to highlight the diversity and goodness of all God’s creation.
April 2023 | Parish Notes 9
Loaves and Fishes
Second Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m., and Fourth Mondays, 5:30 p.m.
The Loaves and Fishes ministry serves two meals a month at local homeless shelters. All interested in preparing food or serving our guests may email Jeff and Carol Spero: cjmspero@gmail.com.
Fellowship
Senior Saints Luncheon
Sunday, May 7, 12:15 p.m.
All St. Paul’s parishioners 75 and over are invited to join the clergy in Tucker Hall for the annual Senior Saints lunch on Sunday, May 7, at 12:15 p.m., hosted by the Vestry and Parish Fellowship Committee. A hot plated lunch will be served, followed by musical entertainment. Please RSVP to the Parish Office and let us know if you can attend and if you have any dietary restrictions: (216) 932-5815 or email Lysa at lkenney@stpauls-church.org.
Bellwether Together
August 18-20
Be sure to save the date for our annual all-parish fellowship retreat, Bellwether Together! Relax with your family and church friends. Participate in an epic cooking competition, ride the tractor wagon for a farm tour, hike along the Vermillion River, and swim in the pond! Get creative and take an art workshop or make a family-friendly craft inspired by the natural beauty of the grounds. Spend quality time around the campfire with s’mores and enjoy a camp-style sing-along. You will love the farm-fresh meals and cozy accommodations, which range from hotel-style single and double retreat rooms to cabins with comfortable bunk beds that can house up to ten people. Our Diocesan camp and retreat center, Bellwether Farm, is fully accessible, and program options are designed for all ages and stages of life. Mark your calendars now and look for more information soon in Saint Paul's Weekly, Sunday Notes, and on our website: www.stpaulschurch.org/Retreat23.
Pastoral Care
The Pastoral Care Team is available for all parish pastoral needs. If you or someone you love needs pastoral care, call us at (216) 238-4001.
Opportunities to Care for Each Other
Being part of a church community means we’re given a chance to offer care to one another in times of need. Here are two great ways to both seek and offer care:
Transportation Ministry: Help parishioners by providing rides to church events, doctor visits, and other appointments.
Meal Ministry: Prepare and deliver a home-cooked meal to a church member experiencing a short-term transition or difficulty.
Contact Rev. Jessie to sign-up and learn more: jdodson@stpauls-church.org.
Knitting Circle First and Third Tuesdays
The Knitting Circle will meet in the Coventry House on Tuesday, May 2, from 1 to 3 p.m., and on Thursday, May 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. They will then be on summer break. All abilities are welcome — including new knitters. There’s always someone available to teach and help with knitting ideas and projects. If you have any questions, please contact Terrilee Petrey at (216) 721-9615 or terrileemp@ gmail.com, or Janet Reuter at (216) 308-9717 or jfreuter@att.net
10 Parish Notes | May 2023
Music and Art
Heights Chamber Orchestra
Sunday, May 7, 3:30 p.m.
The Heights Chamber Orchestra will offer a concert at St. Paul’s on Sunday, May 7, at 3:30 p.m. Frank Wiley, guest conductor, will lead the orchestra as they play Rossini’s Barber of Seville Overture, Ravel’s Pavane for a Dead Princess, Holst’s A Fugal Concerto (parishioner Susan Blackwell, oboe), and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 1 in C Minor.
A Return to Bach’s Coffeehouse
Friday, May 12, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 13, 8 p.m.
A famous coffeehouse in 18th-c.
Leipzig was the scene of lively orchestra concerts led by J.S. Bach. This year’s version features Vivaldi’s mysterious concerto La Notte (“Night”), and musical fencing matches, including Telemann’s Concerto for Flute & Recorder and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no.
6. To learn more or purchase tickets, visit our website: www.stpauls-church. org/BachsCoffee.
Gallery Spring Show
Now until Sunday, June 4
The N. B. White Gallery committee invites you to view their Spring Show! Observe and ponder prints and drawings by Alyssa Lizzini, watercolor pencil compositions by Marianne Wilham, and blown glass vessels and decorative works by Shayna Roth Pentecost. Photography and a mixed media installation, “The Altar of Intersections,” created by Tracey Lind, debuted in the gallery. The show runs until June 4.
In the Diocese
Diocesan ECW Retreat
May 19-20
Come to a women’s retreat to rediscover and reconnect to yourself, each other, and nature at beautiful Bellwether Farm. Connie Schultz will be the keynote speaker. Originally from Ashtabula, Ohio, Connie is a writer and journalist who wrote for Cleveland’s daily newspaper, The Plain Dealer, for over 15 years, winning the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, and author of the New York Times bestselling novel, The Daughters of Erietown. Schultz is married to Sherrod Brown, a Democratic U.S. Senator from Ohio. Overnight stays include Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, and lunch. Saturday attendees will receive lunch. Can only join us on Saturday? Reception re-opens on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Join us for fellowship, introspection, and delicious meals provided in the beautiful surroundings of Bellwether Farm. For more information and links to registration, visit our website: www. stpauls-church.org/ECW Retreat23.
Celebration of Bishop Mark, Assisting Bishops, and Staff Saturday, June 17, 2 p.m.
Please mark your calendars for a diocesan-wide celebration of Bishop Mark Hollingsworth, our Assisting Bishops during these past twenty years and our bishops’ staff. The party, hosted by the Bishop Transition Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, will be held at Hathaway Brown on Saturday, June 17, from 2 to 6 p.m. Contact Rev. Jessie with any questions and if you would like to help: jdodson@stpauls-church.org
April 2023 | Parish Notes 11
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