CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL An Episcopal Community in the Heart of Houston, Texas
JUNE 2021 CHRISTCHURCHCATHEDRAL.ORG
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The Good News, times three!
Donuts and Devos, a new Children's Ministry practice, will meet Saturdays, June 5, 12, 26 and Sundays, June 6, 13, 20, 27. The program will also continue next month, Saturday, July 10, 31 and Sunday, July 11, 18, 25.
Children and Youth Ministries gather for summer programs
Minister for Children & Families KariAnn Lessner said that she feels like she has missed “a million lost teeth, a gazillion hugs, [and] so much growth” during the past year when children’s programming was largely online. “I can’t wait for the opportunity to see them again,” Lessner said. Minister for Youth Marcia Quintanilla said she really misses the personalities of the youth she serves. Recently she got to see a small group of teens at an in-person rehearsal
for confirmation. “I loved their teen sass, their commentary, and their jokes,” Quintanilla said. “You don’t get all that through Zoom. “I’m really looking forward to summer. It’s going to be so much fun.” Because of an increase in vaccinations and the relaxing of CDC guidelines, Christ Church Cathedral is offering children and youth more opportunities to gather this summer.
CHILDREN AND YOUTH GATHER, page 6
The Cathedral Archives: looking backward in order to look forward BY WILL HAMILTON
At the January 2019 Vestry Retreat, I told Dean Thompson that I was “available” if there was anything he thought I could help with. Dean Thompson subsequently asked if I would begin working with Patty Hurt in the Cathedral Archives so I could take over when Patty chose to retire. The idea appealed to me, and I told Barbara, who promptly said she wanted to do it with me. Unfortunately, shadowing Patty came to an abrupt halt when Patty died in June. THus, Barbara and I became the Cathedral Archivists in June 2019. In one of our first meetings with Dean Thompson, he cast the goals of the archives as 1) looking backward to create a community of memory and 2) looking forward to create a community of expectation of
CATHEDRAL ARCHIVES, page 2
On May 23, I returned to work after recuperating from prostate cancer surgery. While I’d have preferred not to have cancer, God has walked with me on this journey, redeeming it in numerous ways. First and foremost, I was awestruck by, and deeply grateful for, the THE VERY REV. dozens and dozens of BARKLEY THOMPSON letters and cards I received from Cathedral parishioners. You reminded me that at Christ Church Cathedral no one walks alone. You were pastors to me, and in the challenging days leading up to and immediately following surgery, your ministry to me was an incredible, hopeful gift. I felt your prayers! Additionally, I trust that cancer has made me a better priest. I have now encountered personally the fear, anxiety, and confusion that come with the news of a cancer diagnosis, and my empathy for others who have cancer — or any other life-threatening illness — is now palpable and real. Five weeks after surgery, I am feeling good, and I am glad to be back at the Cathedral. It is a blessing to serve among you. __________ On May 16, the Centers for Disease Control issued updated guidance for those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The CDC guidance includes that “Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing,” both indoors and outdoors. On May 18, Bishop Doyle provided further guidance, including permission for Episcopal worship in the Diocese of Texas to return to many of its pre-pandemic norms. This
GOOD NEWS, page 8