News from the Congregation June 14, 2020
Jennifer Allen-Wisdom Year Seminarian, Pentecost Thanks, Pride Evensong, Backpack Drive
From Fr. Steven
This past Sunday, I was in San Francisco to celebrate the ordination of Peggy Lo at Grace Cathedral. Peggy did a wonderful job for us as a seminarian this past year, and her ordination marks the end of one chapter in the life of our Cathedral Congregation, and the beginning of another.
I am pleased to announce our Wisdom Year seminarian for the 2019-2020 program year will be Jennifer Allen. As a Wisdom Year seminarian, Jennifer will be working with us for two full days per week, in addition to Sundays.
Jennifer is a senior at General Theological Seminary, studying for a Master of Divinity in preparation for ordination to the priesthood. She is from the Diocese of Kansas, where she and her husband Dave have made their home in Overland Park. Her husband is a homebuilder, an entrepreneur and the Junior Warden at Jennifer's sending parish, St. Michael and All Angels in Mission, KS. Their son, Matthew, and his wife Rylie live with 3 cats, 2 rabbits, and 1 dog in Raytown, Missouri. Matthew works with his father. Their daughter Olivia teaches first grade in Fort Worth, Texas for Urban Teachers.
Before entering the ordination process, Jennifer worked as a nurse for Express Scripts, designing medication adherence programs. She has traveled to Kenya with the Diocese of Kansas' mission team Kansas to Kenya (http://www.kansas2kenya.com/) six times, and is there now doing her Clinical Pastoral Education unit at Agatha Amani House, a domestic violence shelter outside of Nairobi. She has also served as a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women twice for the Episcopal Church and once for the Anglican Union (this past March). She is an advocate for gender equity, speaking out against gender based violence in all its forms both here and abroad.
Jennifer was a seminarian at St. Bart's here in Manhattan this past year, and she comes to us with the highest recommendation of their rector, the Rt. Rev. Dean Wolfe. I am pleased that the Cathedral will have another very strong seminarian this year, and I know that you will do everything you can to make her feel welcome. Her first day will be Monday, September 9.
The Rev. Steven Lee
Vicar
From Marsha and Tim
Last Sunday was Pentecost, the birthday of the church. It was a full and joyful day. At the 9 a.m. service three children were baptized: Sidney Hall, and Clotilde andTanaquil Sweet. The 11 a.m. service included the baptisms of Galen and Asher Towers. There was a blended reading of Ezekiel and Acts including a “babble” (as in Babel) of the Acts reading in a dozen languages, reminding us of how the word went forth and everyone heard and understood it in their own tongue. Then we sent four graduating head choristers on their way with prayers and good wishes: Dayln Booker, Zoe Brown, Lila di Florio, and Caroline Peyser. All of this was topped off with Second Sunday lunch in Cathedral House. Five young people who had been confirmed on Saturday were honored with their mentors. Confirmed were Brooke Omulepu, Alice Elliott, Harlan Yarin, Lucas Tamminga, and Shaquan Clarke. Mentors who walked the year with the young people were Sidney Briggs, Paula MacKenzie, Tim Dwyer, Bob Deming, Lanice France, and Lorraine Simmons. Congratulations everyone and thank you to the Donna Devlin who taught the confirmation classes and provided tremendous support.
Back Pack Project, 2019
Beginning this Sunday we will be collecting donations (cash, check, or on-line) for the back pack project. Last year we collected enough to buy supplies for 48 back packs for children in grades K-4 which were blessed and then given out by Cathedral Community Cares (CCC) in late August. This year, after consulting with Thomas Perry, Director of CCC, the Vestry agreed to expand the project to include children from K through 12thgrade; we are hoping to fill at least 75 backpacks, so we need everyone to step up. The supply costs are roughly $50 per back pack. The supply lists used are the official Board of Education lists that go out to parents at the start of the school year. We plan to fill the packs in late July and bless them at the 11:00 a.m. service on August 4. So dear friends, stop by the Welcome Table at coffee hour before and after the 9 and 11 services to make your donations. Let’s pray for success for this very concrete way of supporting needy children.
June 23rd Special Evensong and Pride celebration
Join the choir, congregation members and guests from throughout the Diocese for a special evensong. As the evensong service ends, the Names Project quilts will be unfolded followed by a festive party with food, dancing and entertainment. The quilts will remain on display in the nave through the Pride march which takes place the following Sunday, and then displayed in the bays until the end of the year. For information on events throughout the diocese check the Diocesan Website and on the march itself check https://www.dioceseny.org/ednyevent/2019-nyc-worldpride-stonewall-50-march/ Details in next week’s letter on how to join a group from Saint Saviour for the march on Pride Day.
All the best,
Tim and Marsha
JUNE 14, 2019