Cathedral Chapter

The Chapter of The Cathedral Church of St. Paul 2022

The Cathedral Chapter, the oversight body for the Diocesan-Cathedral Center, was created in 1957 by Diocesan Convention. Chapter’s charge is “to enhance the mission and ministry of the Cathedral as the main church of the Diocese” especially in its role as “the center of diocesan unity and administration” and as “the center of diocesan mission and ministry.”

Often referred to simply as, The Chapter, it consists of eighteen people representing the Bishop, the Diocesan Convention, and the Cathedral Vestry. They have the responsibility to oversee those activities at the Diocesan-Cathedral Center which are not those of a parish church. This includes property matters, tenant relationships, activities not intended for parochial purposes, and supporting the activities of the Diocese. It is the agency which operates the common space of the Diocesan-Cathedral Center. The Cathedral Chapter employs a staff to support these functions, and creates a budget to pay for them.

Mission: The facilities and staff of the Cathedral Chapter exist to support the mission and ministry of the Bishop, the Cathedral, and all the people of the Diocese.

In concert with Bishop Perry and her staff, as well as the Cathedral congregation and our ministry partners (The Waller Health Center on Cathedral Green, Karmanos Cancer Center, Spanish for Toddlers Montessori, the Wayne State Medical School CHIPS program, and other organizations, we continue to support and create opportunities to share God’s grace and love in as many ways as possible in this continuing time of pandemic. We are supporting the Cathedral’s Hot Meals for Hungry People effort, a Saturday take away lunch serving 150 meals each Saturday. We continue to support Diocesan and Cathedral virtual offerings, and some in-person events are returning as well. We are working on ways, when and how appropriate, to fully restore programs and events such as Dlectricity (biannual), the Detroit area observance of National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, a New Year’s Day Feast (open to all comers), an annual Veteran’s Day Service, , and a myriad of other dinners, conferences and other gatherings including the Diocesan Ministry Fair, UBE meetings and events, ordinations, and a host of Diocesan liturgies, and community concert events.

Operations: The Diocesan Cathedral Center, built between 1959 and 1961, is of an age to require updating. The past year has seen facility challenges a plenty. There are areas where the Michigan freeze-thaw cycle has taken its toll. We are being continually challenged by infrastructure needs, most particularly environmental control (HVAC) issues. We are also 1.5 years out trying to identify a contractor willing to replace very large storm water drainage pumps.

Work to maintain the facilities in an appropriate, up-to-date condition always challenges the available resources.

Efforts to update systems and appearance are ongoing. Chapter staff and the Cathedral Chapter are very focused on continuing to manage expenses, and we are striving to exercise and implement good financial and operational stewardship in these unique times. We are especially grateful to the Diocese and the Cathedral parish for their steady and continued financial support during this time.

We are also pleased during this time of hybrid operations to have hosted outdoor opportunities like the Saturday meal, the CHIPs clinic, and the Bishop’s Summer Bash. Big thanks go out to not only to our mission partners for their cooperation, but to Bishop Perry, the Bishop’s staff, and the Cathedral and Chapter staffs for their creativity, patience, understanding, support, and cooperation.

If you have questions or perhaps an interest in serving on the Cathedral Chapter, please be in touch with Zack Cummins, our Facility Manager, or me.

Grace and peace,

The Very Reverend S. Scott Hunter

Dean & Provost