February 2022 Bulletin

CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL An Episcopal Community in the Heart of Houston, Texas

FEBRUARY 2022 CHRISTCHURCHCATHEDRAL.ORG

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The Feast of St. Valentine February 14 is the Feast of St. Valentine, commonly known as Valentine’s Day. Though Valentine’s Day is thoroughly secularized, since it is named for a Christian martyr and dedicated to love, it is worth our consideration.

The hazy historical record actually mentions three separate Christian martyrs known as Valentine, each of whom lived during the reign of the Roman Emperor THE VERY REV. Claudius. Analogous to BARKLEY the legends of the hisTHOMPSON torical St. Nicholas that evolved into our modern Santa Claus, the little we know of Valentine (or the several Valentines) informs four modern Valentine’s Day practices.

At least one of the historical Valentines was a priest. When Emperor Claudius determined that single men made for more dedicated legionnaires and consequently outlawed marriage, Valentine continued to marry young lovers in secret, for which he was executed when found out.

Another of the Valentines was imprisoned after being caught helping others escape Roman capture. Valentine fell in love with his jailor’s daughter, and he wrote her letters from his cell signed, “From your Valentine,” thus coining a phrase that has survived to our own day.

In a world so often marked by disdain, apathy, and hate, it is good that there is a holiday—even a crassly commercialized holiday—dedicated to love. The question to ask is “To what kind of love is Valentine’s Day dedicated?” The answer, of course, is romantic love. But for Christian people that begs a second question: “Is romantic love—the love of mushy

ST. VALENTINE, page 2

‘Saving Susannah’ explores family and identity If writer Willa Cather was right when she said that art and religion are the same thing in the end — and are the only things that offer true happiness — then the formation of Christ Church Cathedral’s Religion and the Arts Council was a truly inspired decision.

Since 1984, the Council has been active in producing, sharing, and promoting artistic works. On February 12 and 13, Cathedral member Josephine John will present a solo performance of her play ‘Saving Susannah’ in

Sanders Hall. John is a former member of the Religion and the Arts Council.

“We were excited to learn about what Josephine was doing,” said Kate Pogue, a longtime Council member. “The play was something that we wanted to share with people.”

John had a career as a professional dancer and award-winning choreographer for twentyfive years before she turned her focus to acting and scriptwriting. She received an MA

SAVING SUSANNAH, page 6

Claire Soard accepts the call as new Minister for Pastoral Care Dean Barkley Thompson is pleased to announce that Claire Soard has accepted the call to become the Cathedral’s Minister for Pastoral Care. Claire succeeds Jody Gillit, who served from 2019 until last month.

Claire grew up in Arlington, Texas with her family. Being connected to a Christian community has always been a central part of her life. Claire attended Baylor University where she studied Social Work. (Sic ‘Em, Bears!) Licensed as a Social Worker since 2004, she brings years of experience working with faith and community-based organizations, including a residential group home, community center, and churches. During the last eight years, Claire has spent time particularly focused on issues around trauma and

PASTORAL CARE, page 8

CLAIRE SOARD

Our Cathedral Family We celebrate with

E Confirmed on December 12: Brett McClenaghan, Danielle Hsu, Katherine Ware, Nina Johnston, Miles Duffey, Brian Mouser, Brenda Hendlmyer.

E Received on December 12: Jonathan Rea, Matthew Fontenot, Dorothy David, Jack Hendlmyer.

E Reaffirmed on December 12: Sarah Jackson, Claire McGinty, Kathryn Crary.

E Baptized on January 9: Claire Margaret Bomer, Maxwell Hart Safier.

E Lucy Wagner received the Bishop’s Award for 20 years of service as the Diocesan Coordinator for Education for Ministry (EFM).

We extend heartfelt sympathy to

E the family of Patrick Dennis Miller who passed away on December 11, 2021.

Patrick is brother to member Susan Jackson.

E the family of Emma Tamez Kestenbaum who passed away December 13, 2021.

Emma is mother to David Kestenbaum.

E the family of Albert Earl Harrison who passed away December 14, 2021. Albert is brother to member Charles Harrison.

E the family of member Donald McDonald who passed away on January 2, 2022. Donald is father to member Bruce McDonald.

ST. VALENTINE, from cover

greeting cards, boxes of chocolate, and bouquets of roses—what Holy Scripture means by love?

At first glance, it may seem so. After all, starry-eyed couples almost always choose St. Paul’s great love hymn in 1 Corinthians 13 to be read at their weddings, which we assume is a romantic love poem. There, Paul says that, among lovers, “Love is patient.

Love is kind. Love is not arrogant, boastful, or rude.” But when we really think about it, romantic love is not patient. It exists with passionate urgency. It is not kind. It will push everything out of its way to attain its end. It does not, as the passage goes on to say, rejoice in truth. Instead, it will believe anything but the truth in order to keep a romantic fantasy going.

Paul must, therefore, be talking about something other than romantic love. And indeed he is. You see, Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth because the Corinthians bicker and fight about everything.

The more superficial bonds that drew them together in community have broken. Their relationships have become one-sided, and each focuses on what is best for him, or how the others ought to fawn all over her.

To this crowd Paul writes about a different kind of love. Paul speaks of a love that is tenacious, that endures amidst strain and pain, that perseveres in the face of challenge.

It is a love that is a daily decision, an act of dogged will. It is a love that gives meaning to all other gifts, because when we have it, we use those gifts always for the building up of someone else and not for our own pride or prestige. It is a love stronger than granite or iron, because it is forged in the very heart of God and then flows to and through God’s children.

About this love Paul writes, “If I have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it rejoices not in wrong-doing but in the truth.”

This year on the Feast of St. Valentine, let’s celebrate this love. Sure, it can be conveyed in a card or a gift, but it is best shared through acts of attention, kindness, and care. It is the love expressed by the historical Valentine (or Valentines!), when he took great risk to marry the faithful and free the innocent. It is the love that is God, and which, through God’s grace, we are blessed to share.

The flowers on the Cathedral Altar

E on January 16 were given to the glory of God in honor of Dean and Barbara Barnes’ 50th wedding anniversary by their family.

E on January 16 were given to the glory of God in loving memory of Donald McDonald by his family.

E on January 30 were given to the glory of God in honor of her godmother Nancy Thomas by Dallas McNamara.

E on February 6 are given to the glory of God in loving memory of Scott Cawley by his family E on February 13 are given to the glory of God in loving memory of her parents, Nancy Peel McClurkan and Burney Boyd McClurkan.

E on February 20 are given to the glory of God in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the marriage of Jim and Joyce Nielsen by Tim and Carol Nielsen.

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Ash Wednesday observance and worship services The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the church. Thereby, the ASH WEDNESDAY whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and March 2 absolution set forth in the Gospel of our savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.

We invite you, therefore, in the name of the church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.

Ash Wednesday services will be offered March 2, at 7 a.m., 12:05 p.m., and 6 p.m. A service will be offered in Spanish at 7:30 p.m.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Lenten Evensong Christ Church Cathedral invites you to a choral evensong on March 6 at 5 p.m., featuring the Cathedral Choir and marking the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. Children are welcomed and encouraged to attend either the service or our professionally-staffed childcare.

Out of respect for those fasting for Lent, there will not be a reception following the service.

EVENSONG Evensongs are the perfect opportunity to invite new friends or Sunday, March 6, 5 p.m. those curious about our Cathedral. This evensong is one of six choral evensongs throughout the year celebrating the major liturgical feast days.

Please join us at this or a future evensong on one of the following Sundays: April 10 (Palm Sunday Evensong) and June 5 (Whitsuntide Concert with Orchestra).

Given how little we talk about Shrove Tuesday’s origins, you’d be forgiven for assuming that Shrove Tuesday is simply the result of a global plot by the pancake-lobby to increase evening pancake consumption.

The roots of this day go far beyond the Bisquick Headquarters to one of the great figures in Western Christianity: Gregory the Great.

Gregory led the Western church through the end of the of the sixth and into the early seventh century. Noticing that beginning Lent on a Sunday only gave the season 36 days, he established the Wednesday before the first Sunday in Lent — now known as Ash Wednesday — as the SHROVE TUESDAY official beginning of the Lenten season.

PANCAKE SUPPER With this new starting date, the Tuesday before became the last day on which the faithful could confess March 1, 6-8 p.m. and receive absolution, or, in the English of the day, be shriven, forgiven of their sins. This last Tuesday became Shrove Tuesday, a day in which Christians were invited to repent and confess in order to enter the season with a clean-spiritual-slate.

In a more distant way, Pope Gregory is also responsible for the pancakes which so many enjoy on Shrove Tuesday. Writing to St. Augustine of Canterbury, Gregory notes that Christians are banned from “eating of the things that come from flesh” during Lent.

This is meat, but also eggs, milk, and butter. So Shrove Tuesday became not only a day on which to confess your sins and prepare for Lent, but a day to clear the cupboards of all those things which Christians fasted from over the course of 40 days.

Centuries of observance led to the realization that pancakes are a wonderful way to use up extra eggs and milk, giving birth to the tradition of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Today few observe the strict Lenten fast enjoined by Gregory the Great, but many continue to enjoy the tradition of eating pancakes before Lent begins. This year, we hope you’ll enjoy this tradition with us, feasting before the fast, on March 1 in Reynolds Hall from 6-8 p.m.

Helpful general information on Alzheimer and dementia support SUSAN SANCHEZ, PASTORAL CARE COUNCIL

If your world has not been touched by Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the cause of 60-70% of cases of dementia, it most likely will be at some point in the future. In 2020, an estimated 5.8 million Americans aged 65 years or older had AD. This number is projected to nearly triple to 14 million people by 2060. There are about 15.7 million adult family caregivers caring for someone who has AD or other dementia.

Facing stigma is often a primary concern of people living with Alzheimer’s and their care partners. Stigma negatively impacts AD research and prevents people from living the best quality of life possible while they are able to do so. Learn more about the disease and how you can help fight the stigma at www.alz. org. We can all help by educating ourselves and

joining the conversation.

Some things people living with early-stage Alzheimer’s would like you to know: • “I’m still the same person I was before my diagnosis.”

• “My independence is important to me; ask me what I’m still comfortable doing and what I may need help with.”

• “It’s important that I stay engaged. Invite me to do activities we both enjoy.”

• “Don’t make assumptions because of my diagnosis. Alzheimer’s affects each person differently.”

• “Ask me how I’m doing. I’m living with a disease, just like cancer or heart disease.”

• “I can still engage in meaningful conversation. Talk directly to me if you want to know

how I am.”

“Don’t pull away. It’s OK if you don’t know what to do or say. Your friendship and support are important to me.” (American Alzheimer’s Association) If you want to learn more about an AD-related ministry, speak to a member of our Clergy or Pastoral Care Council for ways to give or receive help.

If you are looking for a support group that understands what you may be going through join us via Zoom the second Thursday of the month for an Alzheimer’s Association confidential meeting. For more info visit: https://www.christchurchcathedral.org/ alzheimer-dementia-support/ You are not alone. You are a part of the Cathedral family. “Thy kingdom come.” Amen.

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Robert C. Stuart

Lenten Seri 10–11 a.m., Reynolds Hall

A five-part Lenten series, “Splendor of the Whole Creation.” Through personal accounts events, renowned scholars and local advocates, we’ll explore the beauty and joy of the wo

Scott Bader-Saye March 6

Drew Lanham March 13

Jerusalem Greer March 20

Jim Blackburn March 27

Virtue ethicist and moral theologian Dr. Scott BaderSaye kicks off our lecture series with a conversation about how we can think about our relationship with creation in ways that live into right relationship despite a complicated and fragmented world. He is also the author of several books, including Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear: Choosing Trust and Safety in an Anxious Age. Dr. Bader-Saye is the Academic Dean and Helen and Everett H. Jones Professor of Christian Ethics and Moral Theology at Seminary of the Southwest in Austin.

Dr. Drew Lanham is a renowned birder, naturalist, hunter-conservationist, poet, essayist and professor. He is author of The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature (2017) and the poetry collection Sparrow Envy: Field Guide to Birds and Lesser Beasts (2021), Dr. Lanham has been featured on Krista Tippett’s On Being and awarded the Southern Book Prize. He is the Alumni Distinguished Professor of of Wildlife Ecology and Master Teacher at Clemson University.

Author, preacher, teacher and a member of the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church’s staff, Jerusalem Greer comes to speak to us about her spiritual explorations of contemplative practices, her life on her hobby farm, and Good News Gardens. Her book, A Year in this LIfe: Finding Peace at the Crossroads of Unraveled Dreams and Beautiful Surprises is a memoir of raw honesty that reassures others that they are not alone in their struggles of faith.

Jim Blackburn joins the Cathedral for a presentation that incorporates the raw beauty of our local environment, spirituality, and conservation conversation. Reflecting on his recent book, Earth Church, and recent hopeful developments in Houston’s journey towards climate adaptation, especially in our bayous and the Gulf Coast. Environmental lawyer, sustainability planner and ecological researcher, poet and Houstonian Dr. Jim Blackburn is a faculty scholar at the Baker Institute, co-director of the Severe Storm Prevention, Education and Evacuation from Disaster (SSPEED) Center. Among many other nonprofit initiatives, he is founder of the Texas Coastal Exchange, a non-profit dedicated to supporting the long-term resilience of the Texas Coast.

Our 2022 Robert C. Stuart Lenten series is going to be unlike any other year (in a good way, not in a 2020 kind of way).

Come revel in wonder and open your heart and eyes anew.

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Related events:

ies

Quiet Day at Houston Botanic Garden March 5, 9 a.m.to 3 p.m.

Join the Cathedral in a uniquely wonderful opportunity for spiritual rest and rejuvenation. We will be hosting our Lenten Quiet Day at the Houston Botanic Garden. Come reflect on how your own inner garden is growing by hearing short reflections, taking time to write, pray or sketch, and sharing a meal together in the beauty of creation Registration required. $20 per individual, $30 for two if you bring a non-Cathedral friend. Scholarships available.

Loving the World God Made Sunday Evenings, March 6–April 3, 6:15-7:30 p.m., Sanders Hall

s, hands-on interactive orld God made.

Join The Rev. Kathy Pfister, The Rev. Betty Adam and Parishioner Alan Jackson as we discuss that morning’s Dean’s Hour presentation and present material from both Science and the Christian Tradition that invite a relationship of wonder and compassion toward the whole creation. Dean’s Hours presentations are available on Vimeo, via the website for viewing if one should miss the morning session. As our guiding text, the class will read, Developing Ecological Consciousness

by Christopher Uhl.

Enjoying the (Vegetables) of the Earth March 10, 6:30 p.m., Zoom

Birds, Birds, Birds: Owls and Falcons with the Audubon, April 3

Worms, Worms, Worms.

Response Session, April 3, 3 p.m.

Be inspired by a close-up look at some of God’s most captivating creatures with the Houston Audubon Society as they bring feathered friends and talk about their habits and habitat.

Houston Audubon is a regional nonprofit conservation, education and advocacy organization that focuses on protecting the natural environment for birds and people. The birds are from the Audubon’s Raptor and Education Center at Sims Bayou.

Don’t tell the Dean, but Canon Zartman has been keeping thousands of worms in the Olympia Rectory. Zoom into this how-to and theological reflection about composting for free, or pick up a kit for $20 to start composting at home! Vermiculture is great for the environment, your garden, only smells like gorgeous loam. It takes five minutes a week, and an hour of maintenance every six months. If you can find a place to put a 5-gallon bucket, you can have a farm of your very own.

Register online. Event is free, worm kits $20/each.

Pick up at Reynolds Hall Sunday morning, April 3, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Meatless does not mean flavorless. Learn to cook vegetarian dishes with the famously delicious Houston restaurant, Pondicheri.

In a private Zoom cooking class with your fellow parishioners, explore new flavors and techniques in your own kitchen. $35/class; $55/class & ingredient bag

Beekeeping and Beecaring in Houston March 17, 6:30–7:30 p.m., Bishop’s Courtyard Do you know what are you supposed to do if you see a swarm of bees in a tree? Have you always been interested in beekeeping, but felt like it was too intimidating to get started? Do you want to support your local pollinators in improving the Houston ecosystem? Bee2Bee Honey Collective visits the Cathedral for a fun, intergenerational and interactive learning experience. Come ask questions and make a “bee watering station” to keep our pollinator friends hydrated this summer.

The Homeplace Field Trip March 26, Meet at the Cathedral at 8:30 a.m. to carpool Join the youth of the Cathedral on a morning excursion to the Randall Farm. We will tour the organic gardens, learn about where our food comes from, and pitch in to harvest vegetables to bring to the Beacon. Free. Registration required.

Eco-Art Kayaking Adventure with Artist Boat April 2, 10 a.m - 2 p.m., Galveston Island Open your eyes to the natural beauty of the coastline of Texas in a way you’ve never seen before with Artist Boat.

Our guided kayak expedition includes four hours of exploration and fun on the marsh, including a stop for a watercolor demonstration and painting. Ages 7+. Register online. $75/ person, seats limited, scholarships available.

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SAVING SUSANNAH, from cover

in Screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA from the University of Houston School of Theatre. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

For ‘Saving Susannah’, which is her first evening-length solo performance work, John mined her experience as an Australian immigrant. Her parents left the country when she was three years old.

“We went to Canada first because it was a member of the British Commonwealth, but we eventually came to New York,” John said.

“My father met doctors there with the Medical Center here in Houston. We had nine homes in 11 years before we settled here.”

While John enjoyed Houston — she was baptized and confirmed at the Cathedral at 12 years old — she wanted to know more about her family in Australia but found that her parents were unwilling to share much information.

That’s where the seeds of ‘Saving Susannah’ were sown.

“My script is a memoir in the sense that I talk about what propelled me into my family history,” she said. “But it is also historical fiction in that I create characters and conversations.”

John started out with hand-drawn family trees but found much more information with the advent of the Internet.

“When digitizing primary source materials became standard practice, it was just so incredibly exciting,” she said. “It opened Pandora’s Box, [and] you could find the original documents going really far back, and I kept with it.”

Along with this research, John was trying to understand her own family dynamics and why her relationships with her siblings in Texas had not been close.

“I just couldn’t figure out how this would happen,” she said.

What she found led her into an interest in Family Systems Theory and Epigenetics, or the idea that we absorb the emotional life of the people who raise us, and that is passed down.

“They’re studying the DNA and found that for people who experience severe trauma, whether it’s war, or the Holocaust, or starvation, it changes them on a molecular level, and those molecules attach to the DNA which is passed down to the next generations,” she said.

John thinks that the science helps explain why subsequent generations can sometimes experience significant fear and anxiety with no evident immediate cause.

“It doesn’t make sense what’s going on but as they uncover what actually happened, it THE BULLETIN

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Touch-a-Truck family fun All are welcome at this FREE fellowship event for kids and car enthusiasts where you can ask questions, take pictures, and check out all the coolness up close and personal Saturday, March 5 at the Trinity Episcopal Church parking lot 3512 Main TOUCH-A-TRUCH St., near Holman.

Touch-A-Truck is a joint effort by Christ Church Cathedral, Hous- Saturday, March 5 ton, Trinity Episcopal Church, Houston, and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church to provide families with a no-cost, hands-on event. You can look forward to seeing dump trucks, emergency vehicles, and vintage & sports cars.

The event takes place rain or shine! has a healing and transformative effect for the current generation,” John said. “That has been my experience.”

She now has a friendly relationship with both her siblings. John’s discoveries also freed her to give voice to her ancestors in ‘Saving Susannah.’

This shift in perspective has been a part of John’s faith journey at the Cathedral too.

“I think your faith changes over time as your life experience changes and the challenges that you’re facing change,” she says.

“The liturgy itself does not change, which is one of the beauties of it, but your hearing of it and your understanding of it does. I just find that fascinating.”

John said that over the past five years, she’s come to learn forgiveness.

“It was very freeing,” she said. “Being able to accept even the really rotten things that happen to you.”

Although John did a 2019 staged reading of her play at Midtown Arts & Theater Center, she said she is proud to be able to debut the work at the Cathedral.

“The Cathedral has been a very important anchor in my life all these years,” she said.

Pogue said that the Council’s current programming is a continuation of what they’ve

been doing since they were an Education Council subcommittee. Sometimes, the Council produced its own work and sometimes brought in work from the community.

Among the most popular offerings over the years was a performance of Truman Capote’s ‘A Christmas Memory’ by two Alley Theatre actors.

“We brought it for two or three years,” Pogue said.

She also remembered former Chair Margaret Skidmore’s Cool Food, Hot Jazz event, as well as Chair Alison Young’s chamber music events.

More recent excursions to the Live Oak Friends Meeting House, featuring James Turrell’s Skyspace, as well as a new art installation at the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, have been popular with attendees. As part of the cistern exhibition, Canon Becky Zartman helped contextualize things from a religious perspective.

“Becky gave an excellent talk,” Pogue said.

The Council will have some new members in January and Pogue said they will help plan more events in 2022.

“It’s exciting to see where we go,” Pogue said.

“We’re always absorbing new ideas.”

Purchase tickets at www.christchurchcathedral.org/savingsusannah.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Visit christchurchcathedral.org/events or call 713-222-2593 to learn more about these and other events at the Cathedral.

Registration recommended

Registration required

FEBRUARY FEB. 2 The Dean’s Book Club 6:30–8 p.m., McGehee Conference Room. The March of Folly, by Barbara Tuchman.

FEB. 4 Bridge Night 6:30 p.m. McGehee Conference Room.

20s & 30s First Friday Fellowship 7:30-9 p.m., Location TBA. Contact Rev. Bradley Varnell for details.

FEB. 7 Community of Hope — Circle of Care 6–8 p.m.. Second Monday of the month.

FEB. 8 Neighborhood Gathering Hosts Kristin & Logan Johnson, RSVP Required.

FEB. 10 Alzheimer & Dementia Support Group 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Second Thursday of the month.

Chiquis Rivera - UNSTOPPABLE 7 p.m., Cathedral. Latin Grammy Award– winning singer-songwriter and author of the New York Times bestseller Forgiveness returns with a new memoir that shares the triumphs, hardships, and lessons of life after her mother’s, Jenni Rivera, death. Tickets at www.brazosbookstore.com/chiquis-riveraunstoppable. This event will be in Spanish.

FEB. 12 Threads of Comfort and Joy 10–11 a.m. A gathering for those who love to knit and crochet. Second Saturday of the month.

Registration closed

• Feb. 13, 3 p.m., Sanders Hall $20/ticket. Register at www. christchurchcathedral.org/ savingsusannah

Bring a friend!

FEB. 13

SUNDAYS CONT.

WEDNESDAYS CONT.

Walking the Mourner’s Path, Zoom 6-9 p.m. Meet in person.

Cathedral Tours Following the 11 a.m. service every Sunday and after the 9 a.m. service on the third Sunday of the Month (Feb. 20) .

Women’s Morning Bible Study 9:30–11 a.m., Zoom. Gather for sincere and truthful conversation on the scripture reading for the following Sunday.

FEB. 17 Amazing Women of Faith 6:30 p.m., third Thursday of the month. A monthly, in-person gathering of women, where the stories and lives of Amazing Women are shared and discussed. Contact Canon Becky Zartman to attend.

FEB. 21 Walking the Mourner’s Path, 6-9 p.m. Zoom.

Latino Youth Sunday School 1:30–2:30 p.m., The Treehouse.

Latino Ministry Sunday School 1:30-2:30pm., Jones-201, Jones-208.

Tea and Toast 5:45–6:30 p.m. in the Bookstore and Latham Lobby.

FEB. 20 Bravehearted Parenting 10 a.m., McGehee Conference Room. Join Seminarian, parent, and former educator Katy Campbell and fellow parents as we wrestle with contemporary parenting issues and how we can seek and ultimately find God in the business of our lives.

Costa Rica Information Meeting 12:15 p.m., The Treehouse. Come learn all about our annual mission trip to Costa Rica.

Theology Roundtable 6:15 p.m., McGehee Conference Room.

We continue our study of ecological theology with an emphasis on interconnection and compassion.

WEEKLY SUNDAYS

SUNDAYS How to Bible 6 p.m., Sanders Hall. Have you ever started to read the Bible but quit somewhere in Numbers? Ever wonder what’s going on in the Sunday readings? This six-week course is an introduction to Scripture. Absolutely no prior knowledge required, and there is nothing that you “should” know. Just come, learn and have fun. Led by The Rev. Canon Becky Zartman. Feb. 6, 13, & 20.

TUESDAYS

Youth Sunday School 10–11 a.m., The Treehouse.

Tuesday Early Morning Men & Women’s

• Feb. 13 Epiphany Series: The Atonement • Feb. 20 The Canon & the Camino • Feb. 27 An Introduction to the Robert C. Stuart Lenten Series: For the Splendor of the Whole Creation

• Feb. 9 — For Everything There is a Season: Ending and Leaving Relationships • Feb. 16, 23 — We’re Here: The History & Theology of Queer Inclusion.

Buscando la Luz/Seeking the Light 7 p.m., Mellinger. A program offered by the Latino Ministry to our Spanish speaking language congregation. Feb. 2, 9, 16.

THURSDAYS Thursday Lunchtime Men & Women’s Bible Study Noon to 1 p.m., Zoom. Led by Canon Bradley Varnell.

Bible Study

UPCOMING

7–8 a.m., Jeffers/ Zoom. Led by Canon

MARCH 1

Vicar Kathy Pfister, Hybrid.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper 6-8 p.m. Reynolds Hall.

WEBS: Women’s Evening Bible Study

• Feb. 6 Epiphany Series: The Atonement

WEDNESDAYS 20s and 30s Wednesday Nights 6:30–7:30 p.m., Zoom. We will gather on Wednesday nights in person to hangout, pray, and talk about faith and life. No previous registration or participation required. Just show up!

• Feb. 2 — Is it Real? Relationships in the Digital Age

Children’s Sunday School 10–11 a.m., Jones 201–208.

SUNDAYS Dean’s Hour 10 a.m. in Reynolds Hall

FEB. 12 AND 13 Saving Susannah: A Tale of Blood Ties and Homesick Hearts • Feb 12, 7 p.m., Sanders Hall

Childcare available (3 mo. to 12 yrs.)

6:30–7:30 p.m., Zoom. Led by Canon

MARCH 2

Becky Zartman.

Ash Wednesday Services at 7 a.m., noon, 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Spanish .

Seed Group 6:30–8 p.m., alternating Tuesdays, WEDNESDAYS

MARCH 4

Men’s Morning Bible Study

Young Adults Rodeo night 7:30 - 9 p.m.

7–8 a.m., Zoom. Hosted by Dean Bar-

MARCH 5

kley Thompson, the Men’s Bible Study gathers weekly to explore the scriptures.

Touch-a-Truck 10 a.m. to noon, Trinity Episcopal Church.

No prior Bible study is required for par-

MARCH 6

ticipants. The spring semester topic is the

AIDS Walk Sam Houston Park, Arrive by noon.

Gospel of John.

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1117 Texas Avenue Houston, Texas 77002-3183

PERMIT No. 6404

Did you know you can read The Bulletin on our website? If you’d like to go “online-only,” contact Ramona Sikes at rsikes@christchurchcathedral.org or call her at 713-217-1347.

PASTORAL CARE, from cover

Spring Neighborhood Gatherings Every fall and spring, it has become customary to socialize with parishioners, clergy, and staff of the Cathedral either at the homes of fellow parishioners or in other venues around Houston. We hope you’ll join us at one of the dates that works best for you.

Spring 2022 Neighborhood Gatherings • Tuesday, February 8, Tanglewood • Wednesday, March 9, The Heights • Tuesday, February 15, Southwest / • Tuesday, March 29, The Heights Meyerland Please RSVP to Lisa Cantu indicating the date of the party at least two days before your preferred date (lcantu@christchurchcathedral.org / 713-222-2593).

Capacity is limited at each venue and a reservation is required. We look forward to seeing you!

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suffering, as well as the foster care and adoption systems. She has served in volunteer and staff ministry positions in three Episcopal Churches in the Diocese of Texas. Claire has also been a collaborator with the Episcopal Health Foundation’s Congregational Engagement team since 2017.

Claire is married to The Rev. John Soard, and shares four beautiful, energetic children ages 9 to 13 with him, along with their dog who lives for the few cold days in Houston and a hamster who begs for sunflower seeds daily. Claire loves to run, read fantasy and science fiction, and drink iced coffee.

About her new position, Claire shared, “I am excited to join the ministry of the Cathedral as the Minister of Pastoral Care. I have enjoyed hearing about the good work already happening through this ministry and look forward to finding new ways to offer help and support. Life has hard seasons, sometimes many hard seasons, and I believe Jesus is with us. I look forward to getting to know the people of the Cathedral and finding the comfort of Jesus together.”

Dean Thompson added, “The Cathedral will be blessed by Claire’s ministry among us. Jody Gillit did such a fine job shepherding pastoral care at Christ Church, and Claire will both further that legacy and add her own particular gifts and graces to the good work of caring for God’s people.”

Claire Soard began work on January 4.