February 2008Cathedral Record

The Newsletter ofThe Episcopal Cathedral of Saint John

February , 2008

Our Worship Life Sundays Holy Eucharist 8:30 Am, Rite 1 10:30 AM, Rite 2 (Church School Classes meet) Wednesday 12:10 PM, Holy Eucharist

Epiphany/Lent

A word from our Dean....

Dear Cathedral Family, Lent is about to begin on 6 February and this is the earliest it’s started since 1913! Contrary to what many think, it can be a wonderful season.

Not surprisingly, it is what we make of it! Some of us use it as a time of solemn reflection, whilst others take on something new in the life of Faith.

Lent has after all a double character. It is both negative and positive. While there are demands in Lent: pray, fast, reflect; there are also rewards: answers to the challenges which face you, new insights into your life, satisfaction in finding comfort in the Spirit. In all, however, it is a time when, if we really open up ourselves, we will know how gracious and merciful God is.

Yet, the most important aspect of Lent is that it is supposed to be a time of growth. “Lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for Spring.

Spiritually and physically this should give us something to which to look forward.

You will read elsewhere in the Record of a number of things which we will offer for you this Lent and I pray that you will make every effort to participate in these opportunities. But if you cannot, please do not pass up

What’s Happening at the Cathedral of Saint John The Dean, Deacon, Mark Warter and Underground Railroad Quilt

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Announcements, Musical Notes, Deadlines for Record submission

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Adult Classes, Episcopal Church Women and UTO, God and Family Notes from the Jr. Warden, Calendar

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the regular offerings of worship, education and fellowship which are always available.

There is one more thing I want to share with you before I close. As you know at the recent Annual Meeting our long time and devoted Wardens, Adrienne Southgate and Gailia Rutan-Annaldo, retired and we elected Leah Nastasi and Andy Costa to succeed them. We never want to lose the wisdom and skills of our former wardens, so I have appointed Adrienne as the Chancellor of the Cathedral. Thus Adrienne can continue to share her legal expertise and insight with us. Gailia and I are still reflecting on what she might like to take up now that she has more leisure!

So, as we turn more closely to God in this Lent let us reflect not long faces, but joy because our hearts are finding and being found by Christ, our truest treasure.

God bless and activate each of you!

Faithfully, Harry Krauss

From The Deacon’s Bench

In February, we remember many things. We think about Valentine’s Day and our sweethearts, and we think about the cold, raw winter days ahead, as we continue to look at the thrmometer plummet into single numbers. We remember that February is a time that we set aside to think about Black History in our country. We remember all that was unjustly done to an entire race of people, based solely on their color.

We also remember the sacrifices made by those who spoke out against such inhumanity and work tirelessly to end our most shameful part in the trafficing in human slavery, and the countless lives lost in the struggle for justice.

This year, as we remember that it was 200 years ago that the importation of slaves was prohibited by law for the first time in our country, a group of members of the Cathedral are making a quilt, remembering the Underground Railroad and those who helped to light the way to freedom for escaping slaves.

As a quilter, I can tell you that every time this subject comes up, there are as many opinions about it as their are quilt squares in our repertoire. Some say that the story is a myth and that there is no history to back up such claims about quilts being used as a secret code. Others say that Africans had many codes imbedded in the cloth they worked with, even in Africa, so to them, this was nothing new. Still other say that the story and its veracity doesn’t matter, so long as we have a lesson that can come out of it.

My opinion is that I have learned, not only in my college education as a Cultural Anthropologist, and in my Diaconal work among people who are oppressed for many “historical” reasons, that history— the kind that people bind into books and teach from the lecturn— is most often written by the victor, not the vanquished. No one would have cared about a secret code to help escaped slaves find freedom if what they really wanted to do was to keep the slaves in bondage. They would not have wanted to write about the plight of escaping slaves, or what helped them achieve success. So it is entirely possible that these stories, which are only in this century beginning to see the light of day, may, indeed have some truth to them. I hope that our imaginations can be broad enough to consider that history is never completely finished, nor completely unbiased. It is, indeed, one of our biggest justice issues.

You will find pictures of a very serious group of people who come together to work on this project, in this issue of the Record, and I hope you will ask them what they think about the project and what it means to them.

Your sister in Christ,

Deacon Barbara

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The Underground Railroad Quilt Pictures Worth a Thousand Words.......

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News from our Deacon Student

By Mark Warter

LENT: DON’T GIVE UP SOMETHING, TAKE SOMETHING ON! As this is my very first contribution to this newsletter, allow me first to say a brief but sincere thank you for not only accepting, but truly welcoming my wife Edie and me into your faith community. I don’t mean to embarrass my (as The Dean calls her) “good woman” but I have to tell you that The Holy Spirit was so palpable on our first Sunday that Edie actually cried in the pew, she was so moved. Don’t be surprised that, when I am reassigned next year, you hear kicking and screaming coming from the Warter household!

During one of my discussions with the Dean before coming to the Cathedral, I mentioned that I had been the Lay Liturgist at Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston for three years before coming to Rhode Island.

Basically what that means is that I served as a “stage manager” for each service, making sure that the readers had practiced their readings; that acolytes knew their roles; that the Verger was robed and in place; that the choir knew what entrance was going to be used; that the elements were all in their places with backups at the ready; and so forth. It was an important role because in any given service we could have nearly 100 people in organized roles and over 1,100 worshippers in the pews!

What I came to appreciate from my Trinity experience was how much enjoyment people felt worshipping and additionally, having an active role in the liturgy.

The Dean, along with Deacon Barbara, Joyce, and I have discussed how we might invite more of you to serve at the altar, to become acolytes, sub-deacons or vergers.

We will begin by trying to identify parishioners who want to take an active, visible, role in the liturgy, who are willing and able to learn and perform those roles, and who be willing to perform them when assigned.

This Lent, I will be training acolytes. I am looking for volunteers with desire and commitment. I have developed a training manual and will be offering training in the first two weeks of Lent between the 8:30 AM and the 10:30 AM services. If need be, I can also schedule some training in the evening. The program is designed to be informative; you will be learning what to do and why we do things during the liturgy, and we will make it a fun and enjoyable time for everyone. What could be better?

Garrison Keillor once said, “Sitting in a pew in a church no more makes you a Christian than sitting in the garage makes you a car.” So come on; let’s make this Lent a time not only of reflection, but one of action.

Let’s join together to build a liturgy that is a thing of beauty that will touch our souls and reinvigorate our worship. Parents: talk to your kids! Kids: talk with your parents! Then, either call the church office at 331-4622, or ask any of us after the Eucharist and let us know that you want to play a role in continuing to make our liturgy at the Cathedral, a meaningful expression of our faith community.

Blessings, Mark

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Parish Announcements As usual, our Healing Service will be held on the first Thursday of the month – put it on your calendar for February 7 and March 6 at 7:00 PM. Taize Prayer Service will take place on January 13 at 4:00 PM. All are welcome.

The Gospel Choir will meet for rehearsal on Sundays at 11:45AM upstairs in the front of the Cathedral.

The Children’s Choir-Parents who are interested in having their children participate in the Children’s Choir please speak with Brink today before or after both services.

The Children’s Choir will meet on Tuesday evenings at 5:30PM in the choir room.

The Cathedral Choir will rehearse on Tuesday eveings at 7:00PM For those who are interested in becoming a member of our choir, please speak with Brink Bush our organist Sunday after both services or call him at 651-6469.

Diversity Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 29 at 7:00 PM in the Crooker Room. The Committee is looking for pictures of the Church of Our Saviour. If you have any pictures or articles and would be willing to share, please see or call Arline Walker at 434-3430.

Dennis Bucco’s Ordination will take place on February 2, 2008 at 10:00 AM at St. Luke’s, East Greenwich. Please attend if you can.

Blessing Mberu, was granted his Ph.D. from Brown University in January. Congratulations, Dr. Mberu!

Memorial Service for the Rev. Michael Lemons will take place on Sunday, February 3, at 2:00 PM at the Cathedral. The Bishop will celebrate the Eucharist. A reception will follow in Synod Hall. Bakers, please feel free to contribute baked items such as cookies, cake, etc.

Shrove Tuesday is February 5, and we’ve been invited by S. Stephen’s Church, 114 George Street, to join them at 5:30 PM for their annual pancake supper. Donation is $4.00.

Cathedral Lenten Series will begin on Wednesday, February 13 at 6:00 PM in Synod Hall. The first gathering will start with a simply supper prepared by the Dean, followed by the movie, “Chocolat”. In the following weeks, the series will continue with simple suppers and discussions based on a book called Chocolate for Lent.

Diocesan Convocation will take place at the Providence Marriott on Friday, February 29-Saturday, March 1. More information and registration forms are found on the entrance table at Synod Hall.

The Cathedral Food Pantry reopened its doors in late September! Please contribute $2.00 per week towards restocking the pantry, and/or bring canned goods and non-perishable items to church with you each Sunday. If you’d like to volunteer as a shopper, or to pass out food packets, please contact Meg LoPresti at 353-5473.

Girl Scout Cookies are being sold by Tatyana Johnson (Troop 63) and Valexja Johnson (Troop 178). A sign up sheet is on the bulletin board.

The Underground Railroad Quilt is coming along nicely! Quilters or novices may join the efforts on Tuesdays, any time from 1:00-8:00 PM. The quilt will be completed and dedicated on Sunday, February 17.

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Musical Notes Dear Cathedral Friends, Our music program is progressing right along. We gained 2 more volunteers to the adult choir and have begun rehearsal on new unison anthems. The Cathedral Chapter has allotted a new budget to allow me to acquire professional singers to enhance our choir. I am very excited about this prospect and look forward to presenting more complex and glorious choral anthems in the near future. At the moment I am focusing on Holy Week and Easter Our Gospel Choir is meeting after the 10:30 Service and soon the piano in Synod Hall will be repaired and we will commence rehearsing there. We will be singing at the 10:30 service at Offertory on Sunday February 24 for Black History Month.

I would like to invite everyone to hear me perform at Arnold Mills United Methodist Church, Sunday February 8th. at 7:30 PM. This is the dedication concert for their new organ built by Daniel Lemieux & Associates.

Brink Bush Organist & Director of Music

February 14th is Valentine’s Day. Remember those you love with a Valentine to support the work of the Cathedral Food Pantry. The full $5 donation goes to support this work. Cards are available after each Eucharist and in the church office.

DEADLINES FOR The RECORD The Record, our parish newsletter, is published monthly and is available by email, hard copy and on the Cathedral website. If you would like to receive the Record electronically, please give your email address to our Parish Administrator, Miss Tinker or call the church office at (401) 331-4622. Please send articles to Deacon Barbara at BMaysStock@cox.net. The deadlines for submission to The Record are as follows:

February 20 for the March edition March 20 for the April edition April 23 for the May edition May 23 for the June Edition 6

Christian Formation for the Cathedral Family On Sundays at 9:45 AM, there is a forum for adult Christian Formation in Synod Hall, from September through the beginning of June. Her are the courses for the 2007-2008 seasons: Your Mind Matters January 20, 27 February 3 Are we meant to be mindless or merely emotional? Do Christians turn off their brains when they turn toward God? This course will look at the place of the mind in our life in Christ.

The King and His Cross February 10, 17, 24 March 2, 9 Most of the deep realities of life can only be expressed in warm, imaginative, poetic language. For this reason, the Church has used metaphorical language in giving shape to our profoundest convictions about God. As we prepare for the great Easter feast, we will look at some of these metaphors which reveal what Christ endures on his way to the cross.

A Once-And-Coming Spirit at Pentecost March 30, April 6, 13, 20, 27 May 4 As we move from Easter to pentecost, it is helpful to look at the two great books; John and Acts, from which many of the liturgical readings come. They show us how to be branches of Jesus’ vine and how to apply the biblical message to the challenges which face us each day.

The Bible as Prayer May 11, 18, 25 June 1 The Bible can be an excellent aid in prayer. Since the 3rd century, Christians have meditated on short phrases from the Scriptures. Anyone in any place can indulge in this form of meditation. It’s easy and might even be life-changing!

A Message from the Episcopal Church Women of the Cathedral of St. John Please join us in the ministry of the United Thank Offering (UTO). This is a method by which all of us may give thanks for daily blessings from God. Please take a blue box on the shelf in the Narthex and, as you consider your blessings from God, place a coin or two in the box, as an acknowledgement of your daily blessings from God. Monies collected will be used to award grants for various projects in the Diocese of Rhode Island.

The Ingathering will take place in May, 2008.

“Gracious God, source of all creation, all love, all true joy; accept, we pray, these outward signs of our profound and continuing thankfulness for all of life. Keep each of us ever thankful for all the blessings of joy and challenges that come our way. Bless those who will benefit from these gifts through the outreach of the United Thank Offering. This we ask, through Him who is the greatest gift and blessing all, Jesus Christ, AMEN.” —The United Thank Offering Prayer

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Tatjana Johnson and Katherine Bell receive Religious Scouting Award Tatjana Johnson (Troop 63) and Katherine Bell (Troop 37), Junior Girl Scouts, received their “God and Family” Award on Sunday, January 20, 2008 at The Episcopal Cathedral of Saint John, in Providence, RI. Both girls have worked for several months toward completion of the requirements of the program under the supervision of Rev. Barbara Mays-Stock, deacon assigned to the Cathedral and diocesan representative on the RI Scouting Religious Awards Committee for the RI State Council of Churches.

Katherine is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Mark Bell of Providence and a member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, East Providence and Tatjana Johnson is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Johnson of Providence and a member of The Cathedral of St. John, Providence.

In the course of their study, they looked at both Old and New Testament lessons and applied them to their everyday lives and relationships, with their families, the church and the wider community. They learned how to recognize how relationships are held together by God’s love and presence in their lives, and why it is important to try to keep all those bonds strong. They also studied the Ten Commandments and applied them to their lives.

In addition to their study, they learned to reach out to others who may have less than they, or who may be in a difficult situation. For their service project, the girls chose to raise donations from their parishes to support Blue Denim Ministries. Archdeacon Robin Higbie is the founder of Blue Denim and she accepted the donations at the ceremony. “What you have done is just wonderful, and I thank you so much for all your hard work,”said Archdeacon Higbie. Blue Denim helps at-risk young mothers with new infants leaving Kent Hospital, where the Archdeacon is Chaplain.

“This award has helped me to understand more about how my family is important in learning about God, “said Miss Bell. “The pizza idea was a great way to show how everything comes together.”

“The pizza crust was the foundation,” said Ms. Johnson. “Then we add the sauce and the toppings and that shows how all these people and things in our life are important to bring us close to God and our families.”

The “God and Family” Award is for scouts in grades 4 and 5. It is part of a wider religious award called the God and Country Series. Other components include “God and Me” (grades 1 to 3), “God and Church” (grades 6 to 8) and “God and Life” (grades 9 through 12). Various religious organizations and denominations develop their programs for these awards and scouting programs recognize and allow awards to be worn as part of their official uniform.

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Greetings from the keyboard of your new Junior Warden!

Thanks to all for your good wishes and votes of confidence. Gailia handed off the keys to me this morning and I began to have glimpses of what my new responsibilities entail. She seemed quite pleased to hand them over which made me wonder if taking this on would be more than I’ve bargained for. None-the-less, I’m anxious to take up the challenge with God’s help.

At this point I have only one project in mind and it is one that Dan O’Gara and I started last year, the re-glazing of our massive double-hung windows. Completion of this work will not only allow more light in (boarded up areas) but will also prevent heat from escaping and is a potential money saver. I have put in a call to Dan to find out how he is doing with the top half of the window that we boarded up last year and hope that he will have good news for us regarding its repair. Once we have that window I will be looking for volunteers to help me set up the staging and put the windows back in place. At that point we can start on the next set of windows. The process involves taking the window out of the sash, removing the loose glazing and repainting once we’ve had the window professionally re-glazed. Volunteers will need to be in good shape and unafraid of heights as the windows are quite heavy and working on staging is an acquired taste.

Additionally, Winston has been creating a list of repairs needed around the building which I want to submit to our new “Chapter” for review and prioritization. While some of the repairs are obvious, there may be others that we’ve not happened upon. Please let us know of any items you’ve come across that need attention so we can add them to “Our List”. Although this List is certainly a long one, I know that if we “plan our work and work our plan” we can gradually get our Cathedral on the road to recovery in the coming months.

We have a wonderful congregation in a beautiful church with a magnificent history! Let’s work together and prepare this hallowed hall to welcome new members and provide vital ministries in the upcoming third century of its mission in Providence.

May God bless and inspire you!

Andy Costa

January 27, 2008

Diversity Committee The Diversity Committee is organizing events to celebrate Black History Month in February. Once again, we hope to present an exhibit of African-American collectables and Black historical documents and photographs. The Committee has invited local collectors and historians to share their expertise and artifacts with the Cathedral. The Committee is especially interested in local history, including materials or information about the Church of The Savior. Members of the Cathedral family are also asked to contact Contact Frank Walker or Al Martin for further information or to loan materials for exhibition purposes.

The Underground Railroad Quilt will be on display as well, made by several of our parishioners to remind us of the path to freedom taken by many who escaped slavery and found freedom in Canada in the days before the Civil War. Plans are as yet incomplete, however, the Committee is exploring other activities to commemorate the month .

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The Newsletter of

The Episcopal Cathedral of Saint John 271 North Main Street Providence, RI 02903 The Very Rev. Canon Harry E. Krauss, Dean The Rev. Barbara Mays-Stock, Deacon Mr. Brink Bush, Music Director/Organist Leah Nastasi, Senior Warden Andy Costa, Junior Warden

Mailing Address Goes Here

Church Office Hours 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM Monday through Friday Office closed on Saturday Office Phone: (401) 331-4622 Email: hkrauss@cathedralofstjohn.org deaconbarbara@cathedralofstjohn.org

The Record

Lenten Reminders Ash Wednesday Services: Eucharist with the imposition of ashes 12:00 PM & 6:00 PM Lenten Study Beginning Wednesday, February 13 at 6:00 PM with a simple supper and we will kick off our Lenten series, “Chocolate for Lent” with the film “Chocolat.” The following Wednesdays will be simple suppers with discussions based on the book, “Chocolate for Lent.”

Remember the United Thank Offering Prayerfully consider if you are called to serve at the altar as an acolyte, sub-deacon or verger, and speak to Mark Warter about the training during Lent for incoming servers.

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