Greetings from the Dean
September 2011
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
We look forward to seeing you at our annual homecoming this Sunday, September 18th, as together we launch the new program ministry year. There is much ahead for us in this season and there are exciting plans to report for the future of the Cathedral campus as we fulfill our mission of being the seat of the Bishop, a home for the Diocese, and an open door for all.
First, I am delighted that Tom Lloyd no longer carries “Acting” in his title and that he is now our Director of Music. He is assisted in this magnificent ministry by our organist John Andrew Bailey and the full complement of Cathedral Singers, including the Cathedral Scholars. This Sunday will mark the return of the full music program and their glorious repertoire. We also continue a full schedule of concerts and evensongs throughout the year. The first, a performance by Piffaro, a renowned Renaissance instrumental ensemble entitled “East Meets West: Spanish Pipers in the New World”, will take place on Friday, September 30 at 8 p.m. A simple dinner in Cathedral House will be provided to members of the congregation who would like to attend the concert.
We will commemorate the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi and celebrate the beauty of all God’s creatures with our annual service for the Blessing of Animals on Sunday, October 2. We invite you to bring your pets to the Cathedral for the special 10 a.m. liturgy and blessing.
On Sunday, October 23, Dr. Carl MaultBy, composer, organist and conductor and one of the leading church musicians in the country, will lead the music at the 10 a.m. Sunday Eucharist. Later that afternoon at 4 p.m., the 100-voice Bucks County Choral Arts Society, directed by Tom Lloyd, will present a program of newly commissioned works of sacred jazz entitled “New Directions in Sacred Jazz” with vocal soloists DeVonne Gardner, Leslie Johnson, Lourin Plant and the Jay Fluellen Quintet. A service of Choral Evensong on Sunday, November 14 at 4 p.m. will be a highlight of the month. Service music will include works of James MacMillan, Walter Lambe, Gabriel Jackson and Thomas Tallis.
At last, the Cathedral will have an ongoing formation program for children! Meredith Wiggins and the parents of our little ones have transformed the first floor of Gateson House into the Godly Play Center. The Center will not only serve our community, but will also be the regional training center for this wonderful Montessori based program that was created by Episcopal priest Jerome Berryman. Come to learn more about the program and see this bright and engaging space and the children’s chapel when Meredith hosts tours this Sunday following the service.
Adults, also, will have opportunities for spiritual formation and fellowship! Beginning Tuesday, September 20th, at 6pm in Cathedral House, please join me for a five session study entitled, “Embracing an Adult Faith: Marcus Borg on What It Means to Be a Christian.” We will share provocative and stimulating conversation, as well as a simple supper provided by the staff. Come for a time set apart to reflect upon what it means to be a follower of Jesus within the complex context of your own life. In addition to the Tuesday evening group, we will be sponsoring regular opportunities to share cultural events within the city and environs.
Our mission of honoring and sharing the inspiration of God’s revelation to us through the visual arts continues throughout the season. Currently, Jeanette Flamm’s photographs from our permanent collection recall holy images from September 11, 2001 in the reprise of an exhibit entitled “Prayers at the Gate.” Our thanks to the Rev. Bob Tate, Anne Minich, and the Arts Committee who continue to identify the extraordinary art that enriches our spirits and our lives. Look for “Jacob’s Story” by artist Joe Brenman (Oct. 2 -23). This exhibition will include twelve outstanding sculpted pieces that depict this story from the Bible. From Sunday, October 25 through Monday, November 21, the works of six Hispanic artists from Taller Puertorriqueno will be on display. This will be followed by an Advent exhibition, “Out of darkness into light”, by artist Kathleen Holder. An Artist’s Talk ” by Dr. Melinda Parsons will follow coffee hour on Sunday, December 11. as she discusses and reflects upon Advent images in the history of art.
Last year, the Cathedral congregation recovered a ministry which truly opens our doors to those in need in the community around us. Many parishioners have worked with Stacey Middleton to launch the community feeding program. Each month, we have welcomed those who are without food or shelter to a meal in our sacred space. We invite you, also, to get involved in this holy enterprise. For more information, please talk with Stacey Middleton.
For the past ten years, the Cathedral Chapter, the governing body of the Cathedral which includes three congregation representatives, has wrestled prayerfully with how best to steward the resources of the Cathedral campus. I am excited to report to you that last month the Chapter was able to purchase the adjacent apartment building, 3719 Chestnut Street. To accomplish this, the Chapter received the necessary permissions from the Diocese to borrow against a small percentage of our endowment. We expect that the apartment building will operate profitably for the next year or two and will cover the costs associated with this loan until it is torn down to make way for the new Cathedral Center.
In addition, upon the recommendation of the Cathedral Development Task Force which includes congregation members Geoff Middleton and Gie Liem, the Chapter selected Radnor Property Group as its partner in moving forward to develop this project. The Cathedral will contribute the land which we currently own and the attendant air rights. We expect to erect a building that will meet our program ministry and administrative needs and that will generate ongoing income through some mix of commercial and residential use. The Chapter also understands well its responsibility to assure that this land contiguous to our Cathedral remains ours in perpetuity.
Just as the Cathedral community beautifully reordered our worship space to the glory of God and for the generations to come, we now do the same for the rest of our campus. A new building will bring light, life, and excitement for us, as well as the Diocese and the community around us as we undertake the ministries of the 21st century. You will be receiving regular reports of our progress and I will also be sharing this good news at other parishes within the Diocese on one Sunday each month.
My continued thanks to our wardens, Geoff Middleton and Marie McCullough, and the entire Cathedral staff for their passion and commitment. I also thank each one of you for your love, prayers, and support for me and my family as we navigated through the final days of Gil’s illness and his death this summer. He was greatly comforted to know that the girls and I would continue to have the loving Cathedral community around us.
See you on Sunday! Faithfully, Judy+
21 Sep, 2011 — Daniel Tomko
