News from the Congregation June 18, 2022
‘‘ ‘Rev. Canon Patrick Malloy’s Vision’ ; ‘Volunteers Needed for Coffee Hour’ ” |Schola Cantorum Seeks New Choristors, Aid for Ukraine, Columbarium Access | Sunday Programs: 10:30am Worship Service - In-Person and Online, 7:00pm Compline | Weekday Programs: M-S Morning and Evening Prayer (Zoom)
Canon Lee
I hope you can join us for worship this Sunday, as Dean Malloy will be both celebrant and preacher. He will describe to the larger Cathedral community his vision for this new season of our common life.
In his first week in this role, the Dean has been meeting with members of the Cathedral staff, both individually and collectively, to reorient our focus to the work of transition: to identify and rectify problems. He held two meetings with the lay liturgical ministers, some of whom are members of the Congregation and some of whom are from the larger Cathedral community. As I mentioned last week, he will be meeting with the Vestry of the Congregation next Tuesday.
At Dean Malloy's invitation, I will be joining the Senior Leadership Team, a group of leaders at the Cathedral that meets regularly to provide advice and counsel to the Dean.
I invite your prayers for Dean Malloy, and all the Cathedral staff, as we embark on this important and necessary work to prepare the Cathedral for the calling of its next leader.
A Message from the Wardens
Have you stopped by the coffee hour at the end of the service these past several weeks? Have you had a chance to talk to people who may be visiting from other regions of the country or the world? We had two weeks of various levels of farewell to Dean Dan followed by families and friends of two children who were baptized. This last Sunday we had the additional fun of talking with some of the graduating choristers as well as a few of the young kids who were inducted as new choristers.
During the Easter season the Congregation of Saint Saviour began to offer this relaxed coffee hour following the Sunday Eucharist. After sharing the Lord’s Supper together with great joy and solemnity, we now gather as a community and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and snacks. Two things happen when we take this hour to visit and eat: while solidifying our relationship to one another as the Body of Christ, we are also offering hospitality to many visitors and new comers. This revived and redesigned coffee hour began as a pilot project that was supposed to end after the last Sunday in Easter. However it has been so successful that we plan to continue being the congregation that offers this particular form of hospitality well into the future.
As you know the Bible gives us many examples of the importance of hospitality. It begins in Genesis 18 where Abraham offers effusive hospitality to three men--strangers--who he understands to be God. It was from these three messengers that he learns that he will be the father of many nations. Another moving example occurs near the beginning of the first book of Kings, where during a famine, Elijah asks for hospitality from the poverty-stricken Widow of Zarephath. She feeds him what she believes is the very last of her food supply. In the Gospels, Jesus turns water into wine, feeds 5,000 people with just a few loaves of bread, and accepts the hospitality of Martha and Mary of Bethany as well as of Zacchaeus the tax collector. He then offers the greatest table gift of history at the Last Supper—His very Self.
So our coffee hour can be seen as a ministry in the context of our faith tradition and not just a typical party or reception. There are no caterers or party planners. And we are having an impact: Before he left, I had a chance to talk to Dean Dan at a meeting shortly after his last Sunday with us. He told me that he was recently approached by a visitor who was a priest from England. The priest told him that there were two things that struck him about the Cathedral: the liturgy and the warm hospitality we offer. So you see, the Congregation can be the welcoming face of the Cathedral to visitors, just as our mission statement says it should be.
Each week a different person or group of people brings the goodies. So every Sunday the spread is a little different and expresses to a great extent the personality of the people offering the snacks. Some people enjoy showing off their baking skills. Others use neighborhood resources like Hungarian Pastry Shop, or Westside Market. Some go heavy on the cookies. Others have started to bring fruit and other finger food.
To continue this delightful but important ministry requires help from as many members of the community as are interested in joining in. We need two or three people each week to set up the tables, prepare the coffee, hot water, cold beverages. When we move to cold beverages in late June or early July, someone will have to bring in a bag of ice. We need someone each week to provide the snacks—if you like to bake, this is your chance to show off. Store bought snacks are also welcome. Richard Moore went over the top last week with cookies, muffins and fruits. Then we need a few people each week to clean up: take the carafes back to a chapel and wash them out, dump any left-over liquids, pack up cups, coffee maker and everything else and put it all back into our “Fibber McGee” storage closet. We also need as many of you as possible it to put on a name tag and wander among the crowd, engaging anyone who might be standing alone.
If you feel called to this ministry, please email Marsha Ra. I will then ask you for dates when you can be available and what you are interested in doing. And finally I will send out a schedule (or rota) so you know when we can expect you to help out.
NEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL - Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (stjohndivine.org)
Schola Cantorum - Open Children’s Choir
Schola members perform with the Cathedral Choirs and Orchestra for our Christmas and Spring concerts, and participate in regularly scheduled services, including Christmas Eve and Easter. St. Francis Day, a landmark New York City event, is a highlight for our Schola singers! This enthusiastic group of young singers ranges in age from middle school through high school. Rehearsals are on Thursdays from 4:15-5:30 pm at the Cathedral. Contact Samuel Kuffuor-Afriye at skuffskuffuor@stjohndivine.org further information and to reserve a place for the upcoming 2022-2023 season!
Columbarium Visits - Please Schedule in Advance
Due to cleaning and ongoing construction at the Cathedral, some areas may occasionally be inaccessible. Anyone wishing to visit a loved one in the Columbarium is strongly encouraged to schedule their visit in advance via this Columbarium Visit Registration form.
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FOR UKRAINE
Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance) as it provides critical assistance to support people affected by violence in Ukraine. Working through ACT member Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) and other local organizations, ACT Alliance is providing emergency assistance such as food, shelter, water and basic supplies to refugees and people displaced within Ukraine. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Crisis Response Fund will help the organization and its partners continue to provide assistance to people displaced by the crisis in Ukraine.
NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE Home - Episcopal Diocese of New York (dioceseny.org)
NEWS FROM THE COMMUNITY
NEWS FROM THE VESTRY
GIVE/SERVE
Questions about Realm, the Congregation’s Online Hub for Giving, Volunteering, and Reaching Out to One Another
The Admin team would love to hear from you. Whether you need help making the shift to online donations, setting up your account, or just want to know what Realm can do for you, please contact Laura and Bob at this email address: info@saintsaviour.org
THIS SUNDAY
In-Person Worship at the Cathedral
10:00 am - Doors to Cathedral open.
10:30 am - Eucharist Service (apprx. 1 hour)
11:30 am - All are Welcome Coffee Hour
7:00 pm - Choral Compline
The Cathedral requires those entering its buildings to show proof of vaccination and to wear a mask.
You can also watch a Livestream of the Cathedral Worship Service
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/StJohnDivineNYC
On the Cathedral website: http://www.stjohndivine.org
WEEKLY CATHEDRAL CONGREGATION PROGRAMS
Monday-Saturday | 8:30 AM Morning Prayer | 5:30 PM Evening Prayer
Wednesday 7:30 pm Bible Study | Paul’s Letter to the Romans | Congregation Zoom Link (On summer break, returns in September)
Sunday 8:30 am Bible Study | Genesis| Congregation Zoom Link (On summer break, returns in September)