Have you ever noticed the wood carvings located just as you enter Bloedel Hall from the west doors of the building? For the small prayer card included in this year's stewardship mailing, the stewardship committee selected a detail from this work, depicting Jesus telling his disciples to cast their nets on the other side of their boat, as recounted in the Gospel of John, chapter 21. (Click the photo to enlarge.) The entire work, titled Christ the Good Shepherd, is the work of sculptor Everett DuPen (1912–2005).
DuPen taught for many years at the University of Washington, and his work can be be seen in public installations throughout the Seattle area, notably the Fountain of Creation, located at Seattle Center between the Arena and the Northwest Rooms (now the KEXP studios), the carved walnut screens at the entrance of Seattle Municipal Tower, and the fountain at the Pritchard Building at the state capital in Olympia.
Join the 2021-2022 cohort of Seattle Service Corps in Bloedel for a Q&A and an opportunity to get to know them better. Now that they're almost two months into their program year, learn about their impressions of Seattle, service, and life in intentional community.
Hi there! My name is Lindsay Bell and I’m so excited for my year in Seattle Service Corps! A little bit about me...
I was born in England, but spent pretty much my whole life in Northern Virginia, just outside DC. I am from a family of 5; I’m the middle child with one older sister and one younger brother.
I went to school in San Diego at UCSD and studied public health (after changing majors 4 times— I’d have 5 majors if I could!). I enjoy playing volleyball, reading, eating good food, hiking, and hanging out with my dog Goose.
Some random things I love: moss, mountains, English breakfast tea, goats, the smell of fall, and a good used bookstore. I’ve been on a bit of an adventure for the past five months, working on organic farms in Ireland and Maine, and visiting as many national parks as possible on a road trip across the country. It’s been a lot of fun, but I’m excited to get back to work and start learning and building fellowship here in Seattle!
Hi y’all, my name is Talley. I’ve lived all over the southeast and Midwest but consider myself an Appalachian woman and call western NC home.
I’m a cradle Episcopalian and a priest’s kid, having been an acolyte, choir member, helped in the nursery, been to happening, and many other youth events and camps.
In 2017, I graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Global Studies, concentration in Peace, Conflict, and Human Rights Studies, and minors in Chinese (Mandarin) and German.
Pre-COVID, I was participating in the Episcopal Church’s international young adult service corps program (YASC) stationed in the Northern Philippines. I was evacuated in March 2020 and have been working as a parish administrator along with 3 other jobs during COVID. I’m excited to get to Seattle and experience city life again- i.e. food options!
Hello, I'm Emily! I was born and raised in the southwest as a third generation Arizonan. I recently graduated from Northern Arizona University with a B.A. in English and Comparative Religion and with a minor in Museum Studies.
My time in college was spent developing a passion for cultural heritage work through jobs at my university’s library and archives, as well as an internship at its art museum. I was also an active member at LCM | Canterbury, NAU’s Episcopal and Lutheran Campus Ministry, where I was received into the church just this past May, and discovered the Episcopal Service Corps for the first time.
In my free time, I can always be found with a book in hand or perusing local thrift shops looking for yet another new jacket. I'm looking forward to developing community with my fellow corps members and adjusting to the Seattle weather!
Say hello to Julia! Julia is spending her year working with Mission to Seafarers:
Hello! My name is Julia, and I grew up mostly in Providence, Rhode Island, although I spent a couple years in Vancouver, BC as a kid.
I attended Tufts University and studied English and Computer Science, and for the last few years I have been working at a software company in the Boston area. After discerning a career change, I am excited to move back to the beautiful northwest and spend the year with the Seattle Service Corps!
In my free time, you can often find me outdoors, or in the kitchen; I am looking forward this year to exploring Seattle via bike and finding some good hiking spots, and also sharing the results of my various cooking and baking experiments with new housemates. I also love making music, and I hope to find an outlet to play music with other people in Seattle, whether a worship band or a bluegrass jam group.
I look forward to connecting with the Saint Mark's community soon and getting involved in the life of the church!
Hi all! My name is Sophia Greenberg and I use she/her pronouns. I’m coming to Seattle by way of unceded Munsee Lenape land in Rockland County, NY.
I just finished my bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Psychology from Wellesley College in Massachusetts and I hope to end up in law school after my year with SSC with the ultimate goal of a career in public interest law.
In my free time I enjoy playing lots and lots of board games, making playlists for my loved ones on Spotify, listening to all kinds of podcasts, and walking/hiking/meandering. I also love spending time with young people, which keeps me up to date with the latest news in important subjects like Cocomelon, Fortnite, and Tiktok trends.
One of the best things I’ve done recently is teaching a Lego-based Sunday School class! I’m most looking forward to being so close to the mountains and the coast at the same time, enjoying the PNW weather, drinking lots of coffee, becoming a Kraken and Sounders fan, and sharing in worship and fellowship with everyone at Saint Mark's.
Say hello to Laura! She is spending her year working at Real Change News:
I am excited to go from the shores of Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River to the Pacific Northwest.
I am joining Seattle Service Corps after graduating from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. I grew up in the land of Lincoln and lived in Rockford, Illinois and Edwardsville, Illinois (near St. Louis).
As a person who majored in history and minored in sociology and communication, I am looking forward to having my time in Seattle be a part of my personal context. When not being surrounded by cornfields, I enjoy hiking, photography, and coffee shops.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021, 4:30 P.M., on the outdoor labyrinth and front lawn
On Saturday, October 2, Saint Mark's will once again offer its beloved Saint Francis Day tradition. A few years ago this offering was moved from Sunday morning to Saturday afternoon, and the outdoor celebration has a truly festive community atmosphere. Dogs, cats, bird, bunnies, ponies, chickens, and all creatures great and small are welcome!
The event will again feature contributions from acclaimed Seattle musician James Falzone, and this year, music will also be offered by the young choristers of Choir School. The service will include prayers for healing humanity’s relationship with the earth, and for all the creatures who share the earth with us. Following the service, animals can receive an individual blessing from a priest if desired.
All are invited to attend, with or without their animal companions. Stuffed animals are also welcome to be blessed, as are photographs of pets who would not find attending the event a blessed experience.
Animals should remain leashed or kenneled. Following current recommendations regarding outdoor events with crowds, all attendees must remain masked at all times, and are requested to maintain social distance as much as possible. You are welcome to bring your own chair to use on the lawn, although chairs will also be provided.
The recent IPCC report shows that heating from humans has caused irreparable damage to Earth that could worsen in the years to come. Come learn about causes, potential impacts and response options while reflecting how we may find hope in our collective efforts for change.
Saint Mark's parishioner and American Geophysical Union president-elect Lisa Graumlich will lead us in making sense of these findings and explore how we may move forward with this information.
PLEASE NOTE: Like all cathedral gatherings, both in person and online, this event began with a Land Acknowledgment. However, it was inadvertently not recorded, and so does not appear in the video above. Saint Mark’s Cathedral acknowledges that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People, who are still here, and we honor with gratitude the land itself and the life of the Duwamish Tribe.
It is my great delight to announce that Wendy Claire Barrie has accepted the call to serve as Canon for Intergenerational Ministries at Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle. She will begin her work November 1, 2021. Her visionary leadership and vast experience in lifelong spiritual formation and her passion for intergenerational ministry will complement the many gifts our formation team already brings into these areas, and as a lay person herself, she has a keen commitment to the ministry of all the baptized.
Wendy has served more than 25 years in parish-based formation ministry in California, New York and Connecticut, and she has a wealth of experience with many curricula, including Godly Play and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Since March 2020, she has served as Acquisitions Editor and Christian Formation Specialist for Church Publishing, and recently guided the revision of the highly-regarded Journey to Adulthood curriculum. Wendy is a nationally-renowned speaker and teacher in the field of lifelong spiritual formation, and her latest book, The Church Post-Sunday School: How to be Intergenerational and Why It Matters,is due out next summer. She is no stranger to Saint Mark’s, having spoken here in 2017 about home-based faith practices, drawing on her earlier book, Faith at Home: A Handbook for Cautiously Christian Parents. The topic is as timely as ever as we lean into new ways of being Church in the post-pandemic world. She and her husband Phil will move from Brooklyn, New York, to Seattle in the coming weeks while their son Peter continues his education at Bard College.
Ms. Barrie’s call is the culmination of a robust search process in which an extraordinary committee of gifted leaders of Saint Mark’s diligently worked with an excellent pool of applicants, prayerfully discerning unanimous support for Wendy’s call. I am very grateful to committee members Carmen Brady, Maria Coldwell, Cadence Cole, Sonjia Gavin, Emily Meeks, and Peter Snyder. Please join me in thanking them for their good work, and please join me in welcoming Wendy and Phil to the Saint Mark’s community. I am,
Gratefully,
The Very Rev. Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector
A Message from Wendy Claire Barrie
When I read the position description for this new role, I took immediate notice because, truly, it sounds like my dream job! I was formed by growing up in an intergenerational church—St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Laguna Beach, California—and I’ve brought that experience into my Christian formation work wherever I’ve gone. My family and I are eager for this new adventure. One thing I have missed about parish ministry is holding other people’s babies during Sunday sermons, and one thing Phil and I are hopeful about finding in Seattle is a larger kitchen than we’ve had in Brooklyn. (I have been doing a lot of anxiety baking the last 18 months!) I’m so happy to be coming to Saint Mark’s. I can’t wait to see what we will dream and build here together, as followers of Jesus from all ages and stages of faith.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 7:30 P.M., at Epiphany Parish in Madrona
Join an evening of Art & Jazz with other young adults from around the Diocese (7:30–9 p.m.). View art from local artists affiliated with Vibrant Palette Art Center and listen to jazz piano from Jeremy Bacon in the Chapel at Epiphany Parish, Seattle. Artwork will be available for purchase to support Vibrant Palette's mission to empower artists with disabilities and build a more inclusive arts community in Seattle. Light refreshments provided. Questions? Email Emily Meeks (emcmeeks@gmail.com).
(PREVIOUS WALKS OCCURRED ON JULY 11, AUGUST 8 & SEPTEMBER 26, 2021)
Did you know that Seattle has 650 publicly accessible stairways? In the early 1900s, property developers in hilly Seattle would construct public stairways for convenience and to improve access to trolly lines. Now, these scenic passageways provide opportunities to discover off-the-path views through Seattle neighborhoods.
Join with other young adults from around the Diocese of Olympia to explore and learn about different neighborhoods and Episcopal parishes within Seattle. Routes will draw inspiration from Seattle Stairway Walks and range between 2.5–4 miles at an easy pace. The walks start and end at the parish, with an opportunity to connect with clergy and other participants. We’ll also have an opportunity to learn more about the parish, meet clergy and enjoy refreshments after the walk.
OCTOBER 17: St. Paul's and "Southwest Queen Anne"
Cobblestone lanes, historic landmark homes, and expansive views mark this 4.1 mile walk starting from St. Paul’s. Join other young adults from around the Diocese of Olympia to explore and learn more about Southwest Queen Anne with stops at the Wilcox Wall, Parsons Garden and Kerry Park. We’ll also get a brief background and tour of St. Paul’s from Rev. Nat Johnson. Light refreshments provided. Participants have the option of attending a 5 pm service. Learn more and register here. The route is based on this walk.
Cathedral Director of Operations Jim Pannell has resigned to take a new role in San Francisco which he describes in some detail below. We are sad to see him leave, but we wish him well in his new ventures. He came to Seattle from San Francisco just two years ago, and the pandemic intervened just months after he arrived, but he pressed through with grace and good will, and we are grateful for his work among us. His leadership has been key to ensuring our pandemic-related precautions are safely implemented and maintained. His last day on the job will be Friday October 8, 2021. Please join me in thanking him for his service, and sending him with our best wishes as he begins this new role.
While such transitions are always challenging, we are fortunate to have in Canon Marda Steedman Sanborn in her interim role with us this fall. Marda served six years as Canon to the Ordinary for the Diocese of Olympia, and in that role had many of the responsibilities that are part of the Director of Operations portfolio. Marda has graciously offered to assume many of the key operational responsibilities in the interim as we conduct a search for a new Director. I will assume some as well, which is to say, we have a plan to ensure key support services are not interrupted.
I also want to specifically acknowledge the skillful work that David Wagner, Chris Brown, Stephen Eddy, Adam Conley, and Erik Donner bring to their operational roles. They are competent, hard-working, and self-motivated, and I have great confidence in them. Indeed, I am very grateful for them for all the ways they support this community behind the scenes, ensuring that the cathedral mission and ministries can flourish.
We will post a new Director of Operations position this week with every hope to have a new person in the role before the end of the year. In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. And again, we are grateful for Jim’s work and his time with us. I am,
Gratefully,
The Very Rev. Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector
A Message from Jim Pannell
I’m a big believer in serendipity. Some call it luck. To me, it is an openness to the unexpected. I recently experienced one of those serendipitous events when three weeks ago I was contacted by an independent high school - The Bay School of San Francisco. This was an unexpected, out of the blue, email asking if I would talk to them about an opportunity at the school.
I have been very happy in my two years at Saint Mark’s, with no expectation to leave, look for another position, or disrupt the happy state our family has been in since coming to Seattle. However, I always think it is often a good idea to at least listen. And, fifteen days later, following three Zoom calls, and a quick 24 hour visit to San Francisco, I received an offer from The Bay School to serve as their Chief Financial & Operations Officer. On Sunday afternoon I accepted that position and let Dean Thomason know of my intention to depart in a few weeks.
This was an extraordinarily difficult decision. But, after a lot of conversation and consideration with my family, we decided together that this was also an opportunity from which I should not walk away. With the excitement of a new position comes the sadness of departing a place and people I love. One that pursues a mission that is close to my heart. I am going to miss all of you.
I am grateful for the opportunity to come to St. Mark’s and have learned so much under the leadership of Dean Thomason. Serving with you would have been so much harder if not for my direct reports – Adam Conley, Stephen Eddy, and David Wagner. It has been an honor to serve with all of you, the entire staff, and the beloved parishioners at Saint Mark’s.
As a final note, if I had not come to St. Mark’s and spent the past two years focused on non-profit management, I do not think that The Bay School of San Francisco would have called me to this role. I have learned so much from each of you and your wisdom, intelligence, generosity, kindness, and love have all contributed to this new chapter in our life as a family.
Wendy first came to Saint Mark's in 1996, and has been involved in Cathedral Yoga since its very beginning in 2013. For those who think that yoga teachers are all super-flexible contortionists, it may be interesting to know that Wendy has both scoliosis and spinal stenosis. In 2020, after experiencing terrible pain, she went through serious back surgery— a laminectomy in the lumbar region. After a lot of healing she is now pain-free and practicing yoga as she has been for over 50 years!
How did you first get involved in yoga?
I loved the first yoga class I attended in 1964 in Boston. I then always went to yoga classes wherever I was—in Manila and Sydney and then here in Seattle. Through the years I experienced many different types of yoga and studied with a lot of yoga "stars". Finally I did my teacher training with Ana Forrest and Shari Friederickson.
What are your goals for a Cathedral Yoga class?
My goals for Cathedral Yoga are to have people receive a visceral sense of the sacred, to leave feeling better than when they came, relaxed and stretched out.
If someone was on the fence about attending Cathedral Yoga for the first time, what would you say to them?
Individuals have told me over the years how much they enjoy yoga on the altar platform. No other yoga setting can compete!
The idea of attending a yoga class can be intimidating to someone who has never done it before, but it's worth the adventure. Cathedral Yoga is always taught in a way that will be rewarding for people of all levels, including absolute beginners. Some have found that practicing in the huge space of the cathedral nave actually make them less self-conscious than they feel in the smaller space of a typical yoga studio!
Cathedral Yoga is offered every Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the cathedral nave. Please contact Gregory Bloch at gbloch@saintmarks.org with any questions.
Where is God When Bad Things Happen? We’ll discuss this previously discussed question in the lens of a pandemic year in a special edition of Questioning Together.
Join us for a BYO dinner and conversation at 7:30 p.m. (bring your own, drinks provided) followed by an hour of Questioning Together starting at 8 p.m. For those interested, a group will go to Compline together at 9:30 p.m.
Join the Seattle Service Corps on the front porch of Leffler after the 11 a.m. service for conversation and refreshments hosted by the newly-arrived 2021–2022 cohort! All are invited to bring a "Pantry Pounding" gift to help provision the service corps for the coming year. The wish list items may be seen and signed up for here. Gifts that you can sign up for include kitchen staples like flour, sugar, and oil, but also a bicycle, sleeping bags, or a guitar! Questions? E-mail Adam Conley at aconley@saintmarks.org.
Fall is upon us with leaves changing, crisper nights, and fruits for foraging. Drawing from a selection of autumnal poems, parishioner and English professor Doug Thorpe will guide us in a time of reading and reflection to discover creation themes and connections.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, 4:30 P.M., in person and livestreamed
Continuing the celebration of Creation launched with the Blessing of Animals on October 2, Saint Mark's Cathedral commemorates the lives of Saints Clare and Francis of Assisi in Choral Evensong on the Eve of the Feast of Saint Francis. The intergenerational Evensong Choir will offer H. Walford Davies' magical setting of Psalm 121, I lift up my eyes to the hills, John Rutter's beloved setting of For the beauty of the earth, and Stanford's stately settings of the Songs of Mary and Simeon in the key of C.
If you are new to Choral Evensong, learn more about the liturgy and choir here. You can get a taste of the sound of the Evensong Choir in the video below, from 2019.
It is my great delight to share the exciting news that The Reverend Eliacín Rosario-Cruz has accepted the call to serve as Canon and Priest Associate at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Eliacín (pronounced “ay-lee-uh-SEEN”) is no stranger to Saint Mark’s, having served as Adult Faith Formation Associate here 2005–2008, and he was ordained a priest in the cathedral in 2015. Since ordination he has served St. Luke’s~San Lucas Episcopal Church in Vancouver, WA, and, more recently, as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Snohomish since September, 2017.
He is a graduate of Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry, and is also a trainer with the College for Congregational Development. His interests include intercultural competency in congregational systems, intersectional justice, and liberation theology. He is a native of Puerto Rico, and his bilingual gifts figure prominently in his ministry.
As Cathedral Canon he will join fellow clergy in our collaborative design of parish ministry, taking his place as preacher, pastor, and teacher, while also serving as a member of the senior leadership team exercising administrative leadership as well. Eliacín’s passion for restorative justice and systemic change lends well to his playing a key and timely role in our community’s efforts in that expression of ministry, and I look forward to his witness and voice in our midst as we plot the course forward together. His first day at Saint Mark’s will be October 26, 2021.
Please join me in welcoming Eliacín, his wife Ricci Kilmer, and their three teenagers, Catherine (Catie) Rosario-Kilmer, Eliacín Gabriel Rosario-Kilmer, Elías Oscar Rosario-Kilmer.
The Very Rev. Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector
A Message from The Reverend Eliacín Rosario-Cruz
Dear friends,
It is with great joy that I have accepted the call to join you in ministry and service at Saint Mark’s. I am looking forward to being in community with you. I accepted this call because of your intentional desire to be agents of justice and love in the community with integrity and creativity. I am thrilled to join you in the many ways you show God’s love to your neighbors. See you soon!
Que el Señor omnipotente y misericordioso: Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo, los bendiga y los guarde. Amén.
The phone number for the Pastoral Care Emergency line has changed.
Saint Mark's parishioners in need of urgent spiritual care can call the cathedral main phone number (206.323.0300), and then request extension 100. A member of the clergy will answer, or call back as soon as possible. Outside of normal office hours, this information will be included in the outgoing voicemail message. Examples of a pastoral care emergency might include: a loved one in the hospital, an unexpected bereavement, or any time you need to speak to a priest urgently.
This fall, the theme for Radix 6, Encounters with God in Times of Transition, draws inspiration from selected scripture stories and accompanying artwork to invite reflection on current events and how we live and move and have our being in this time. All are welcome to the opening Plenary Presentation, whether or not you plan to participate in the small groups.
Register to receive the Zoom link for the Plenary using this link. (This is different than the link to sign up for a small group.)
UPDATE: Check out the Creation-themed liturgy shared at the event here, and some photos below:
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2021, 2 –5:30 P.M.
Let’s hike together! All ages are welcome on this 3 mile roundtrip hike to Twin Falls as we take time to connect, move and pray in nature after church. We’ll meet at the trailhead at 2 p.m. and finish by 5:30 p.m. Bring your water, snacks and appropriate gear - we recommend good hiking shoes, layers, sunscreen and a hat.
Online Liturgical Ministers Training, September 18
On Saturday, September 18 from 9-noon is a recommended Liturgical Ministers Training on Zoom for everyone, including those who are interested in getting involved in liturgy for the first time. Every liturgical minister is asked to attend this training once every three years. (We offer this training twice a year: in Eastertide, and after Labor Day). If you are able to attend and you haven't yet registered, please sign up here, and you will be emailed a link to attend the Zoom meeting. And please note the time(s) of the sessions you are interested in so you know when to attend. The training will be divided into three sessions:
9–10 a.m. SESSION 1: For acolytes, lectors, ushers, and greeters.
10–11 a.m. SESSION 2: Plenary for everyone, facilitated by Dean Thomason.
11 a.m.–12 p.m. SESSION 3: For Eucharistic ministers, Eucharistic visitors, Altar Guild, and vergers.
Please click here to register, and please note that correct time that you should plan on joining as noted above!
In-person Liturgy Walk-through, September 11
On Saturday, September 11 at 1 p.m. is an OPTIONAL liturgy walk through in the cathedral nave. This training is intended only for currently-serving liturgical ministers. We will meet at 1 p.m. in the nave and walk through a nave liturgy together. This is helpful for anyone who'd like to go through the steps of a service and have the opportunity to ask questions as we move along. If you'd like to attend and haven't yet signed up, pleasesign up here. If you are not able to attend, no need to let me know! This is optional.
UPDATE: Community Forum on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 6:30–8 p.m., via Zoom
Community Conversation on the Formation Consultant’s Report
In May and early June of this year, we held several Listening Groups with our Formation Consultant, Jamie Martin Currie, who captured a great deal of information and insights from these groups and the parish survey (which had more than 200 providing input). Thanks to all who participated. The report delivered in late June has a great deal of information and several recommendations which we have embraced, and all in the Saint Mark’s community are invited to participate in a follow-up conversation about the report. Join using this Zoom link.
We all know that the last year and a half has been hard for everyone, but especially for kids. Now, as the new school year looms, many challenges remain. To mark this milestone, all are welcome to a back-to-school gathering on Friday evening, September 3—to reconnect in person, to have some fun together, and to lift up and honor the amazing kids of our community. Bring a blanket and your own picnic dinner. The cathedral will provide dessert for everyone and a variety of fun activities. Bring your backpacks to receive a blessing! Contact Rebekah Gilmore with questions.
Hybrid gathering: in Bloedel Hall and via Zoom (registrationrequested for either option so we can plan accordingly)
Earlier this year the Vestry unanimously adopted the Statement of Lament and Commitment to Action as a guide for our important work as individuals and community as we strive for justice and peace and respect for every human being. It is a substantial document with a broad range of statements leading to actionable ways we are called to live and act in the world. In the special parish forum, to which all are invited and encouraged to attend, we will reflect together, unpack the document, and break into groups which will focus on specific areas of work including
Addressing Homeless and Hunger in Seattle,
Cathedral innovations for Reparations,
Racial Justice and Healing,
Global Justice ministries,
Immigration Ministries, and
Networking with Affiliate Partners in Ministry.
Please register in advance using the form below, whether to plan to attend in person or online via Zoom. If you choose the online option, a Zoom link will be emailed to you directly in the days before the event.
on the 20th year commemoration of the 9/11 attacks
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 3 P.M., in the cathedral nave, and livestreamed
co-sponsored by
The Church Council of Greater Seattle
Temple De Hirsch Sinai
St. James Cathedral
Saint Mark’s Cathedral
As we prepare to observe the 20th commemoration of the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath, we reflect on what our traditions regard as the passing of a generation. The young of that moment have come of age in the shadow of those fallen towers, as the adults of that time have witnessed a world profoundly transformed by that fateful day.
But particularly as we move from this last pandemic year into hope and healing ahead, it is important to honor those first responders—healthcare workers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and others—who ran toward the abyss as most sought refuge—who gave the last full measure of their devotion as sacrifice for our safety—who put service to others above concerns for self.
Now, two decades later, when our own first responders have faced so much over the past year, we come together to honor them, as well, with gratitude for their dedication.
Please join us on Saturday, September 11, at 3 p.m. at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, for an opportunity to share grief and gratitude, to offer hope and healing, to forge the scars of conflict and loss into the sacredness of wholeness and peace.
Join the community of Saint Mark’s in blessing and welcoming several new members of the Body of Christ when they are baptized on Sunday morning, August 8. This year, we will observe the Feast of the Transfiguration and have a special baptismal feast day to accommodate those whose baptisms were delayed by COVID. This is in addition to the four baptismal feast days designated by the Book of Common Prayer: Easter Vigil, Pentecost, All Saint’s Day, and the Baptism of Our Lord.
Please note that incense will be used at the 11 a.m. service. The 9 a.m. service will be incense-free.
SUNDAYS, STARTING AUGUST 1, 7–9 P.M., on the outdoor labyrinth in front of the cathedral
The outdoor labyrinth has been a treasured resource for many in the cathedral community and the broader neighborhood, more than ever during the closure of the cathedral building. Now, while the evenings are long and warm, the organizers of Saint Mark's Labyrinth Ministry invite everyone to an informal community labyrinth gathering on Sunday nights. Drop by any time between 7 and 9 p.m. Ministry members will be on hand to talk about the history, meaning, and spiritual significance of the Labyrinth.
On August 1, 8, and 15, you are welcome to stay until 9:30 p.m. and listen to the radio broadcast of the Office of Compline together. Beginning August 22, you are welcome to stay and attend Compline in person! Please contact Walter Stuteville with questions, or if you'd like to help out: wstuteville@comcast.net
Earlier this year the committee, with vestry approval, engaged a developer to submit a proposal for redevelopment of the St. Nicholas property. (Read more about that process here.) Following a four-month period of due diligence and building study, the proposal was received in June for redevelopment of St. Nicholas into market rate condominiums. The committee was disappointed with the valuation of the property in the proposal and was concerned with the lack of alignment between market rate housing and the cathedral’s mission.
The committee recommended to the vestry that we not proceed with this proposal at this time, but instead explore more deeply two alternative uses: 1) affordable housing and 2) preserving the building for eventual expanded parish use. The vestry unanimously concurred with that plan.
We will take the next 6–12 months to study feasibility of affordable housing potential on the property while also projecting more accurate costs to address deferred maintenance, seismic upgrades, and roof replacement and how we might finance those costs through rental income, bank loan, and/or capital fundraising. Either of these alternative uses would take several years to unfold, and there is no sense of urgency to come to a decision in the short-term.
The committee remains committed to seeking the highest and best use for the property that furthers the cathedral’s mission, either on the property or with proceeds from the property to be used in ministry elsewhere. We will continue to provide updates to the parish at key points in the process. If you have questions in the meantime, please address those to Dean Thomason or to Committee Chair John Hoerster at: stnicholas@saintmarks.org
Have you ever noticed the wood carvings located just as you enter Bloedel Hall from the west doors of the building? For the small prayer card included in this year's stewardship mailing, the stewardship committee selected a detail from this work, depicting Jesus telling his disciples to cast their nets on the other side of their boat, as recounted in the Gospel of John, chapter 21. (Click the photo to enlarge.) The entire work, titled Christ the Good Shepherd, is the work of sculptor Everett DuPen (1912–2005).
Hi there! My name is Lindsay Bell and I’m so excited for my year in Seattle Service Corps! A little bit about me...
Hi y’all, my name is Talley. I’ve lived all over the southeast and Midwest but consider myself an Appalachian woman and call western NC home.
Hello, I'm Emily! I was born and raised in the southwest as a third generation Arizonan. I recently graduated from Northern Arizona University with a B.A. in English and Comparative Religion and with a minor in Museum Studies.
Hello! My name is Julia, and I grew up mostly in Providence, Rhode Island, although I spent a couple years in Vancouver, BC as a kid.
Hi all! My name is Sophia Greenberg and I use she/her pronouns. I’m coming to Seattle by way of unceded Munsee Lenape land in Rockland County, NY.
I am excited to go from the shores of Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River to the Pacific Northwest.
It is my great delight to share the exciting news that The Reverend Eliacín Rosario-Cruz has accepted the call to serve as Canon and Priest Associate at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Eliacín (pronounced “ay-lee-uh-SEEN”) is no stranger to Saint Mark’s, having served as Adult Faith Formation Associate here 2005–2008, and he was ordained a priest in the cathedral in 2015. Since ordination he has served St. Luke’s~San Lucas Episcopal Church in Vancouver, WA, and, more recently, as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Snohomish since September, 2017.
