Saint Mark’s offers a variety of social and formation opportunities on Wednesday night. These offerings are known as the Cathedral Commons, since they provide a space in which the cathedral parish community can come together to share, learn, and grow.
Many of these offerings are presented as "hybrid" events, with a full experience available both to those gathered in person in Bloedel Hall, and to those joining from home online. Others are offered online via Zoom only, and certain events (such as the Rogation Day procession and Twelfth Night gathering) are offered only in person.
Special events, presentations, and forums sometimes occur on other weeknights—these events are also posted on this page.
Wednesday Schedule
5:30 p.m. | Evening Prayer in McCaw Chapel (behind the altar platform in the cathedral nave).
6–6:30 p.m. | A community dinner, prepared by Chef Marc Aubertin and his team, is served in Bloedel Hall. (Due to food safety requirements, food service must end at 6:30 p.m. sharp.) Cost: $6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family.
6:45–8:15 p.m. | A forum follows, often offered on Zoom for those who can't join in person.
Cathedral Commons is offered during the program year, September through May. Occasionally, we will not have a forum offering on Wednesdays.
UPCOMING OFFERINGS
Please note: Schedule and descriptions subject to change.
Wisdom School Plenary: A Spirituality of Suffering and Solidarity
How are we to respond to human suffering in our time? What does solidarity with those who are suffering look like? What does compassion, meaning ‘to suffer with,’ really mean in a world that has erected all sorts of diversions—the economies of war, wealth disparities, and constant entertainment? If we are created in God’s image, and if there is so much suffering in the world, then God, too, must be suffering.
Update from the Living Stones II Design Committee
In this Cathedral Commons forum, the Living Stones II Design Committee will share the progress of their hard work as we plan for the campaign's main construction project to unfold in mid-2027. We hope you join us for this exciting and important parish update. Learn more about the Living Stones II project here.
Solidarity in Suffering: The Martyrs of Memphis, Frances Perkins, Jonathan Daniels, and Pauli Murray
We’ll examine the lives and ministries of faithful Episcopalians whose lives embodied solidarity in suffering. While they responded to their times, circumstances, and the deep needs of others in unique and profound ways, we can draw inspiration and practical wisdom in their remarkable stories and find resonances in the present day.
When is Suffering Redemptive, and Who Decides?
Much has been written about redemptive suffering; that is, the possibility of suffering for the sake of justice or love leading to a greater good. Others counter that the concept is unjust and contributes to further victimization. We’ll question whether redemption is in the eye of the beholder and consider what roles grace and resurrection play in how we make meaning of our suffering.
God and the Alcoholic Experience: Suffering and Solidarity with the Addicted
1 in 6 Americans struggle with addiction at any given moment. Recovery and healing are found through solidarity with fellow addicts, forming community, and service to others.
RECENT WEEKDAY OFFERINGS
Cathedral Commons—The Art & Craft of God’s Praise: the Hidden Life of Pipe Organs
This two-part forum offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the pipe organs. In part one on May 13, participants took apart and reassembled a miniature pipe organ. This Wednesday, equipped with insight gained through that experience, you'll be introduced to the art, science, and history of organ building on a cathedral-sized scale. Why do pipe organs sound the way they do? Why do they look the way they do? Why, for centuries, have human beings found them useful … Read More
Cathedral Commons—The Art & Craft of God’s Praise: Hidden Life of Pipe Organs
This two-part forum on May 13 and 20 will be like that dissection lab in high school in which you got an unforgettable glimpse into a small creature's inner workings and learned how they are manifest on a larger scale in your own body. Here, guided by Canon Kleinschmidt, you will get to participate in taking apart and reassembling a miniature pipe organ! Equipped with insights gained through that unusual experience, you will then be introduced to the art, science, … Read More
Cathedral Commons—Prophet of Justice, Prophet of Life
Join our curate, the Rev. Adam Conley for an introduction to the life, writings, and prophetic witness of William Stringfellow. Stringfellow was a civil rights lawyer and lay Episcopalian who called the church to action in the 1960s and 1970s in the face of historic injustices. This 20th century Christian prophet has piercing words of moral clarity to speak directly to our present day. Come gain insights into Stringfellow's insistence that the church’s commitment to social justice must always remain … Read More