eConnections - April 5, 2024
Happy Easter!
April 5, 2024
Notes & News from the Cathedral of Saint James, South Bend
The Dean's List
Happy Easter!
Pop culture, which is often driven by sales and marketing, has enough trouble with Christmas, which is treated as a vague holiday season that culminates on December 25 - Christmas Day - after which it is over. So every year, without fail, I feel obliged to remind whoever may listen that Christmas is a twelve day season that begins on December 25 and continues until the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.
Likewise Easter. Pop culture seems to understand even less and care even less about Easter - to wit: community sponsored Easter egg hunts held any old time throughout Lent - most egregiously on Good Friday and Holy Saturday - but seldom, if ever, during the FIFTY DAY EASTER SEASON that BEGINS on Easter Sunday. The forty days leading up to Easter are supposed to be, clearly and distinctly, NOT Easter. When the church bothers to object to premature Easter celebrations, we're basically told, "Whatever, Church. It's for the kids," which is presumed to be unassailable reasoning, as if a Lenten Festival of Self-Discipline & Civic Duty wouldn't bring families out to the park in droves.
All of which is to say, Church, Happy Easter! Happy Easter through these Great Fifty Days - a season of celebration purposefully longer than Lent, lasting all the way to Pentecost [which means, literally, fiftieth (day)]. Happy Easter as the days lengthen and temperatures warm (theoretically) and new life emerges all around us. Happy Easter as we continue to hear stories of the resurrected Jesus in worship and contemplate all the ways resurrection impacts and influences our lives. Happy Easter even when, and especially when, pop culture has moved on to the next thing to sell and market with only a vague notion of where true joy and happiness may be found. Happy Easter on Day 6 of 50. Keep it going, Church.
Pastoral Notes
Tim Haywood underwent extensive surgery on Wednesday for ongoing treatment of cancer. The surgeons were satisfied with the outcome of the 8+ hour procedure, which hopefully removed all of the cancerous cells from Tim's body. He is now convalescing at the hospital in Chicago, where he will remain for at least a week before returning home. Please keep Tim and Janice in your prayers.
Gina Bizzaro Dudeck underwent hip replacement surgery several weeks ago and then, after developing a significant infection, underwent a second surgery to clear out the infection and replace the hip again. Gina did well through the second surgery, and is now convalescing in a rehabilitation facility. Please keep Gina and her partner, Dale, in your prayers.
Shela Raman-McCabe successfully defended her dissertation and is now Dr. Shela Raman-McCabe! Woo-hoo! Please offer your congratulations, prayers, and best wishes to Shela for this hard-earned and well-deserved accomplishment.
My parents - Gene and Jan Grantz - are in town this weekend to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary (April 4) with the Indiana Grantz family, who are all descending upon the Grantzhaus today. Please say hello to my folks on Sunday and join us for a (slightly) enhanced hospitality hour celebration!
Big Provincial Gathering Volunteers
The Province V BPG rolls into town on Wednesday, April 24 and Thursday April 25 with some pre-event meetings and then hits full stride on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 with events scheduled at the Cathedral, St. Margaret's House, and First Presbyterian Church. We are in need of volunteers to serve as hospitality coordinators on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (talk to Betsy VanderBurg), and parking stewards on Friday and Saturday (talk to me).
We are also in need of great, tremendous, desperate, urgent, etc. need of childcare, which is a paid position. Childcare workers need to be 18+ years old and Safe Church trained. We need teams of two from 11 am to 4 pm on Friday, 4 pm - 9 pm on Friday, and 9 am - 1 pm on Saturday. If you are interested, or know someone who may be interested, please let me know asap. We can arrange Safe Church training, if necessary.
Sunday Adult Forum: Wholehearted Faith
Rachel Held Evans with Jeff Chu
Rachel Held Evans was a bright light who challenged and inspired many in our walk with Christ. After two Sundays off for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, we will continue to listen to audio excerpts from her posthumously released book, Wholehearted Faith, and discuss what we have heard. Here is the proposed schedule through April:
April 7: Chapter 1
April 14: Chapter 2
April 21: Earth Day Breakfast in the Butterfly Garden
April 28: Chapter 3
Blessings,
Brian
This Week at the Cathedral
Saturday, April 6
Saturday in Easter Week
No Events Scheduled
Sunday, April 7
The Second Sunday of Easter
8:00 am Holy Eucharist: Rite One
9:15 am Adult Forum
10:30 am Holy Eucharist: Rite Two
11:45 am Hospitality Hour
Monday, April 8
The Feast of the Annunciation observed
Cathedral Offices: Closed
3:09 pm 96.6% Solar Eclipse
6:30 pm Education for Ministry
Tuesday, April 9
Cathedral Offices: 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
8:00 am Morning Prayer
5:30 pm Finance Committee Meeting
6:30 pm Gather & Grow Campaign Meeting
Wednesday, April 10
Cathedral Offices: 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
9:30 am Raising Cane Bible Study
Call 1-425-436-6335; Enter Meeting Code 782266
5:00 pm Evening Prayer
7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, April 11
Cathedral Offices: 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
7:00 pm Vespers
Friday, April 12
Cathedral Offices: 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
Fr. Brian Grantz Out of the Office
12:05 pm Holy Eucharist
Canon Tina Velthuizen, Celebrant
12:45 pm Community Lunch
at Simeri's Old Town Tap
Saturday, April 13
No Events Scheduled
Sunday, April 14
The Third Sunday of Easter
Canon Henry Randolph, Celebrant & Preacher
8:00 am Holy Eucharist: Rite One
9:15 am Christian Formation
- Growing in Our Worship
- Story Makers
- Adult Forum
10:30 am Holy Eucharist: Rite Two
11:45 am Hospitality Hour
12:00 pm Youth Group
12:30 pm Ecumenical Bible Study
Sunday Ministries
April 7, 2024
8:00 am
Lector Patty Hans
Eucharistic Minister Volunteer Needed
9:15 am
Spring Break No Children's Formation
Adult Forum Brian Grantz
10:30 am
Lectors Liz Burman & Tom Burman
Acolyte Volunteer Needed
Eucharistic Ministers Stephen Drendall & Bunmi Okanlami
Ushers Deborah Drendall & Nicole Pinter
Hospitality Host Rhonda Culbertson
Wednesday, April 10
Counters Sue Lowe & Betsy VenderBurg
Friday, April 12
Folder Dr. Shela Raman-McCabe
Cathedral Community Prayer List
Gina Bizzaro-Dudeck.
Tim Haywood.
Joni Carlson.
Charlie
Dale
Nancy
Kate Mast
Wade & Sue Sheets
New Happenings Ministries, especially Camp New Happenings
Cobie
Joni
Dave Miller
Paula Durren, who continues her recuperation following ankle surgery
Chris Huffman
Donna
Cherryl Andries
Paula Fowler
Wendy
Canon Tina Velthuizen's grand-nephew, Jordan, who is struggling
Allison & Shane, who are expecting a child in a higher-risk pregnancy
Connor Gibbons
Olivia, who has leukemia, and her family
Sheila & family
Vince
Amber
Sandy
John G
Dede
John Monroe, brother of Sue Fain
Caitlin H
Steve B
The LaFiero family
Sharron McGowan
Bernard
Rhonda
Tammy, daughter of Tony Molnar
Alan Thompson
Peju, Bunmi, and the Okanlami family
Gussie Wietstock, mother of Steve Wietstock
Mike Jaworski, and Lisa
Tony Molnar
Dan & Gail Mandell
Ron Gunn
Alissa Broussara
Nan Noecker as she continues her diaconal formation
Becky Ballentine; Marge Johnson; Jo Dorsch; Sharron McGowan; Joyce Marchant; Dave & Alice Miller; Fr. Paul Tracy; Richard Bitner
Al Caparell; Tony Lemna; Mike; Denise & Demetrius
For those awaiting the birth or adoption of a child: Christopher & Andrew Hillak.
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