Grace Cathedral

Dear Friends,

Many of us have fond memories of the Rev. Mark Stanger, who served with such passion and thoughtfulness at Grace Cathedral over two decades. Some of us have been blessed to join one of his pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Over the years, as Mark traveled to Israel, he formed special relationships with many people, including several families in Gaza.

This week Mark reached out to ask us to help one of these families to get out of Gaza in order to be resettled near relatives they have in Europe. Those of us who are close to Mark have heard him speak fondly of his friends Marwan Abdul Hamed and Razan M. Qudiah and their two very young daughters.

Razan owned a small pharmacy and dermatological clinic while Marwan did software and app development from their home office. Nearly everything they own has been destroyed through the war, and they need to act quickly to save their family.

I will be making a donation on our behalf from the Dean’s Discretionary fund, but I would like to invite you to give also.

Please be sure to join us this Sunday at the 11 am service as we celebrate the ministry of the Rev. Dr. Canon Greg Kimura. Greg has been at Grace Cathedral as Vice Dean for nearly two years and will be leaving to serve as Rector of St. James’ Episcopal Church in South Pasadena. We are very proud of Greg’s new appointment and looking forward to learning more about his ministry there.

Finally, in Bible Study this week, we talked a little about our journey through Lent and the way that we experience God’s presence especially as we are worshiping together during Holy Week. Wherever you are on this pilgrimage, I am praying for you as you travel. Every day I give thanks for the ministry we all do together through God’s grace.

Love,
Malcolm