COMMUNITY LIFE

Discerning Leadership Opportunities at Saint Mark’s I consider serving on Vestry as a ministry, a privilege and a joy. It’s a commitment of time and energy, but it is also incredibly rewarding. In the process of making decisions that affect every aspect of Saint Mark’s, we form bonds, learn, grow and make lasting connections. Our shared love for this place informs all that we do. —Julia Logan (2018–21 & 2024–27) former Senior Warden and current Junior Warden Serving on Vestry … Read More

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 3 P.M., at Oxbow Loop Trailhead Enjoy an easy, scenic 2-mile out-and-back on a well-surfaced, mostly level trail (<60 ft gain) with access to the Snoqualmie River—perfect for young children and anyone who prefers an unhurried pace. Dogs on leash are welcome. Rain or shine! Trail info: WTA’s Oxbow Loop page. Optional early supper in North Bend afterward at a casual restaurant. Want more challenge? Hike the nearby Pratt Balcony trail earlier in the afternoon and meet … Read More

Reclaiming the Book of Revelation in the Face of Current Events: A Critique of Empire and Christian Nationalism Run Amok A three-week series by Dean Thomason THREE SUNDAYS, SEPTEMBER 14, 21, & 28, 10:10–10:50 A.M., Bloedel Hall The Book of Revelation is perhaps the most misunderstood and misappropriated book of the entire Bible. “Rapture Theology” is a thoroughly modern phenomenon that is not actually supported by the Book of Revelation, and yet it has served as the backdrop to current events in … Read More

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2025 Rick Samyn is the Pastoral Assistant for Social Justice at St. Leo Church in Tacoma. A former Capuchin Franciscan Brother, he has been beekeeping for 24 years. In this forum, Rick will invite us to expand our view of what it means to live incarnationally. We’ll learn and talk about how to renew our bond with creation, taking St. Francis of Assisi as our guide and honeybees as our model. Watch a recording of this forum:

The leaders of the Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral Stewardship Ministry will present a five-week series of reflections, prayers, mediations, and short stories to prepare the way for our 2025 Stewardship Campaign. We welcome your thoughts and reflections in response, either using the comment box at the bottom of this page, or via email: stewardship@saintmarks.org. If you have any questions or reactions, please write Junior Warden for Stewardship Pete Snyder at: petersnyder58@gmail.com WEEK 5 by Peter Snyder Through advertisements and social … Read More

The Wisdom School at Saint Mark’s 2025-26 season opening plenary. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2025, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom In the practice of medicine, the liminal point marks the bounds of perception—below it, one does not experience a discernible physiological or psychological response. In mythology, the crossing of a threshold marks the protagonist’s journey from routine (unaware) to sacred (new awareness). The ancient tradition of religious pilgrimage takes similar shape. The “in-between” space is often marked … Read More

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom Does joy just seem too difficult to come by these days? Does it seem irresponsible or naïve? Maybe you don’t feel like you can be joyful, don’t know how to, or don’t deserve to? Local author Shemaiah Gonzalez shares stories from her new book Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight. In her collection of short essays on defiant joy, Shemaiah reflects on how she gradually learned to … Read More

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 12:30 P.M. (following the 11 a.m. service), on the labyrinth, patio, and front lawn; registration requested On Sunday, September 7, everyone is invited to the annual Parish Picnic following the 11 a.m. service on the cathedral lawn. Backpacks and briefcases will be blessed, a bluegrass band will play, hamburgers and hotdogs (and veggie alternatives) will be grilled, and a very good time will be had by all! This event for the entire cathedral community is a wonderful … Read More

Our neighbors at Lowell Elementary School, where a disproportionate number of the students face challenges such as unstable housing situation, families who have recently immigrated to the U.S., and mild to significant disabilities, have once again shared a back-to-school Wish List. The school’s social workers and teachers have identified the items most needed by the students and the teachers. These donations are greatly appreciated by the staff and students as the beginning of the new school year in September approaches. … Read More

At its meeting on July 22, 2025, the Vestry of Saint Mark’s Cathedral Parish set apart a portion of the cathedral’s south churchyard to become the Cathedral Memorial Garden. This long-awaited development now provides a way for ashes to be placed directly into the ground and for that ground to be consecrated for this purpose in perpetuity. The Memorial Garden is centered on the beautiful Deodara Cedar near the picnic table and All Saints’ Pedestrian Pathway. That cedar tree was … Read More

From January 26 through February 23, 2025, almost one hundred members of the Saint Mark’s community responded to a Social Media Survey conducted by the Saint Mark’s Communications Committee to learn more about current social media usage in the cathedral parish. Using a combination of online Survey Monkey and paper surveys, ninety-eight adults provided information about their general social media usage and specific information about how they use social media in their day-to-day lives about events and news related to … Read More

SACRED SPACES Summer at Saint Mark’s Come experience and encounter the sacred spaces of Saint Mark’s Cathedral through art, music, journey, and story. RECENT EVENTS Blessing of the Animals and St. Francis Day Celebration SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2025, 4:30 P.M., on the front patio and outdoor labyrinth  On Saturday, October 4, Saint Mark’s will once again offer its beloved Saint Francis Day tradition. This Saturday afternoon outdoor offering has a truly festive community atmosphere. The cathedral extends a special invitation … Read More

TWO (NON-CONSECUTIVE) SUNDAYS: JUNE 29 AND AUGUST 24, 2025, 9:30 P.M., in the cathedral nave, broadcast, and livestreamed Following their debut in the summer of 2019, the Women’s Compline Choir, led by Saint Mark’s Associate Musician Rebekah Gilmore, has become an annual tradition at Saint Mark’s, chanting the Office of Compline in place of the all-male Compline Choir and presenting special repertoire for women’s voices, including world-premiere compositions and arrangements. In the summer of 2019, the men of the Compline … Read More

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall or online via Zoom. Free, no registration required. Optional Community Dinner at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family) For the final Cathedral Commons of the program year, we’ll explore the theme of honoring the Sabbath through the first set of videos and discussion questions from Bishop Phil LaBelle’s new Zimzum Discipleship series. This is a great bookend to Bishop LaBelle’s first forum with us in September 2024, and a great way to … Read More

TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2025, 7 P.M., in the cathedral nave and livestreamed Introductory forum: Sunday, June 1, 10:10 a.m. in Bloedel Hall In June 2025, a special Interfaith Prayer Liturgy in the style of Taizé was offered, created as a collaboration between by Saint Mark’s Taizé Ministry and our neighbors Clear Mountain Monastery Buddhist Community (which meets on the cathedral campus every Saturday morning). This was the second iteration of this liturgy, after first being offered in May of 2024—see a … Read More

Like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. —1 PETER 2:5 For many of us, the last few months have been full of uncertainty, apprehension, and even fear. In times such as these we may feel the instinct to “circle the wagons” and keep things close. It may seem like a time when generosity is a luxury we can’t afford. But generosity … Read More