Cathedral Day

Cathedral Days falls on the same day as Earth Day in 2023, and the theme of the event is Living Water.

The Cathedral liturgy of Holy Eucharist with the rites of Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation for candidates from parishes near and far will begin at 10:30 a.m., opening with a grand, colorful procession of parish banners. Following the service, all are invited to enjoy lunch from food trucks and participate in activities for all ages, including food demonstration, garden tour, and more, along with Cathedral Day staples like organ demonstration, collaborative art project, paper airplane launch from the loft, and the bounce house!

New this year: All congregations attending Cathedral Day are invited to bring your banners to carry in procession and to bring a small container of water from your part of the world. The water you bring will be poured in the baptismal font during the liturgy and will be part of the water we will use when we asperge the people as they remember their baptisms.

What is Cathedral Day?

Cathedral Day is a celebration of the community of the Diocese of Olympia—a "family reunion" for Episcopalians from across western Washington. Cathedral Day is a time for connecting across communities, experiencing your cathedral in a new light... and it's a lot of fun. There’s something for everyone—no matter your age! This year's Cathedral Day coincides with Earth Day. The theme of "Living Water" will be reflected in the liturgy and in the day's activities, which emphasize creation care.

A liturgy of Holy Eucharist with the rites of confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation for candidates from parishes near and far will begin at 10:30 a.m., opening with a grand, colorful procession of parish banners. Following the service, all are invited to enjoy lunch from food trucks and participate in activities for all ages.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

9:00 a.m. - Confirmands, Sponsors, Clergy, Church Representatives arrive for rehearsal, meet with Bishop Melissa Skelton
10:10 a.m. - Procession forms: candidates, sponsors, clergy and banner holders line up. All parishes in the diocese are encouraged to send a representative with their parish banner for the procession, whether or not there are confirmation candidates from your parish.
10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. - Confirmation liturgy
12:00 p.m. - Food trucks ready for lunch service
Activities - 12:30–2:00 p.m.

Activities in the afternoon include:

smoothie station & healthy food demonstration, courtesy of Nurturing Roots Farm
Leffler garden tour, Greenbelt tour, and Cathedral Watershed Walk
Rogation Day resources
carbon tracker sign-ups for households and churches
demonstration of the mighty Flentrop organ
recycled paper airplane-making and launch from the organ loft
a collaborative art project
planting in the garden
a bounce house, sponsored by Camp Huston
opportunities to learn more about Creation Care, Circles of Color, Holy Hikes, and Pride Day

Everyone is welcome to attend the liturgy at 10:30 a.m., and if you are unable to attend, you are still most welcome to participate in the afternoon activates and enjoy some delicious food.

Please register all attendees in order to receive your food truck vouchers.

Register using this link. For more information, contact Tonja May at tmay@ecww.org or Canon Wendy Claire Barrie wbarrie@saintmarks.org.