Celebrating Pauli Murray, the First Queer Saint in The Episcopal Church

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TAIZÉ PRAYER LITURGY: SUNDAY, JULY 2, 4:30 P.M., in the cathedral nave and livestreamed. (QuiC Meet & Greet to follow in the cathedral nave)

FORUM: WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 6 P.M., Bloedel Hall and via Zoom

The Saint Mark's Queer in Christ Ministry has planned two events in July honoring The Rev. Pauli Murray, the first Black person perceived as a woman in the U.S. to become an Episcopal priest, and the first queer person added to The Episcopal Church's "Calendar of Saints" (called Lesser Feasts & Fasts). Murray's feast day is July 1.


Taizé Prayer Liturgy in Honor of Pauli Murray, Priest, Activist, Scholar, and Poet

A special Taizé Prayer liturgy will be offered Sunday, July 2, including readings and prayers by Pauli Murray and specially chosen music. (This service is offered in the first-Sunday, 4:30 p.m. time usually taken by Choral Evensong, which will be on summer hiatus.) A Queer in Christ Meet & Greet will follow the liturgy in the southeast corner of the nave. Contact Michael Seewer to learn more: mseewer@saintmarks.org


UPDATE: Video of the liturgy is now available below. (Service leaflet)


Forum on Pauli Murray, Priest, Scholar, Activist, and Poet

On Wednesday, July 12, at 6 p.m., noted author (and creator of the Brave Sis Project) Rozella Kennedy will present an evening hybrid forum in Bloedel Hall and on Zoom, exploring who Pauli Murray was, their life as a priest, activist, scholar, and poet, and why their story is important to us today. Stay tuned for more details about this event. Register using this Zoom link.


UPDATE: A complete video of the forum is now available:

During the forum, the following video was presented. It was shared by Pauli Murray's niece, Rosita Stevens-Holsey:

During the forum, selected excerpts from the following video conversation with The Rev. Canon Carla Robinson were shown. The complete 11-minute conversation may be seen here:

Links to buy all of Rozella Kennedy's books, and information about her other projects, may be found on her website:

The Brave Sis Project

A signed version of the book Rozella Kennedy read from at the opening of the forum can be purchased  here:

Our Brave Foremothers

Rosita Steven's-Holsey book for young people about her aunt can be found here:

Pauli Murray: The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist

The biography from which Adam Conley read excerpts during the forum can be found here:

Jane Crow: The Life of Pauli Murray by Rosalind Rosenberg

Video of Pauli Murray's 1985 television appearance, referenced during the forum by Adam Conley, can be found here:

Pauli Murray from TV Series "On The Road", 1985

The essay by Pauli Murray in which she imagines the Church of the future, which Michael Seewer referenced during the forum, can be found here:

"What [The Episcopal Church] Could Be During the Next Century" by Dr. Pauli Murray

The forum concluded with a recording of Pauli Murray reading a stanza of her poem "Dark Testament." Audio of the complete reading can be found here:

"Dark Testament" spoken by Murray, August 1971

2 Responses

  1. Coco
    | Reply

    Thank you. It is wonderful that the church honors women of color and queer people. 💛

  2. Coco
    | Reply

    Thank you. It is wonderful that the church honors women of color and queer people.

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