Grace Cathedral

Grace Cathedral

What is TILT? It is a celebration of light and music on the Summer Solstice.  TILT honors our planet, as it leans towards the sun on the longest day of the year, and it also describes what we think you will experience with this concert – a different angle on music – especially music heard in sacred spaces.  

TILT launched in 2020, and because we could not gather in person, we partnered with cathedrals across the country to present an online offering of beautiful music in beautiful spaces. We are excited to open the cathedral doors for an in-person experience this year, and we so enjoyed our partnerships over the last two years, that we have continued that tradition this year. 

Meet our partner, the Reciprocity Project, whose film, Weckuwapok (The Approaching Dawn), documents a coming together of artists, scientists and the Wabanaki people in Acadia National Park in Maine just before the summer solstice in 2021, to explore how the intersection of nature and culture can help shape a better future.  

The roots of the word Wabanaki can be found in the Passamaquoddy word Ckuwaponahkiyik, or “people from the land where the sun rises.” The Wabanaki peoples have lived in the land we call Maine for millennia. As the people of the dawnland, they consider it their responsibility to welcome the sun for the rest of the continent.  

Acadia National Park is the crown jewel of the North Atlantic Coast and protects the natural beauty of the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic coastline of the United States, and a rich cultural heritage.  

Reciprocity Project’s Weckuwapok (The Approaching Dawn) is part of a short film series co-produced by Nia Tero & Upstander Project. Co-directed by Jacob Bearchum, Taylor Hensel, Adam Mazo, Chris Newell, Roger Paul, Kavita Pillay, Tracy Rector, and Lauren Stevens; the film features performances by Passamaquoddy (a nation of the Wabanaki Confederacy) citizens Christopher Newell, Roger Paul, and Lauren Stevens; Nipmuc citizen Hawk Henries; and multi-Grammy Award-winning cellist and Chinese American Yo-Yo Ma.  

Weckuwapok (The Approaching Dawn) – Trailer 
Yo Yo Ma gives a surprise concert at Acadia National Park 

Join us for TILT In-person on Monday, June 20, 8 to 9:30 p.m.  and online from June 21 through 26 at gracecathedral.org. 

About the producers of Weckuwapok (The Approaching Dawn) 

For TILT, we are sharing songs and stories of gratitude for the sun from the film Weckuwapok (The Approaching Dawn).  

Reciprocity Project lifts up the value of reciprocity in Indigenous ways of storytelling through film, podcasts, and other creative mediums. Their aim is to create a paradigm shift that reframes our relationships to the Earth, other living beings, and one another. 

Nia Tero works in solidarity with Indigenous peoples who sustain thriving territories and cultures to strengthen guardianship of Earth and all beings.  

The Upstander Project uses storytelling to amplify silenced narratives, develop upstander skills (the opposite of a bystander) to challenge systemic injustice, and nurture compassionate, courageous relationships that honor the interconnection of all beings and the Earth. 

What is TILT? It is a celebration of light and music on the Summer Solstice.  TILT honors our planet, as it leans towards the sun on the longest day of the year, and it also describes what we think you will experience with this concert – a different angle on music – especially music heard in sacred spaces.  

TILT launched in 2020, and because we could not gather in person, we partnered with cathedrals across the country to present an online offering of beautiful music in beautiful spaces. We are excited to open the cathedral doors for an in-person experience this year, and we so enjoyed our partnerships over the last two years, that we have continued that tradition this year. 

Meet our European partner, Northern Lights Cathedral in Alta, Norway, where the sun rises on the solstice nine hours earlier than we see it here. 

Alta is above the Arctic Circle, and its frequent clear skies make it an excellent location for studying the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. The “midnight sun” is above the horizon from May to July. Architectural firm Link, inspired by the night sky, designed a building shaped like a spiral that swings its way up the building to a clock tower. The cathedral, made of concrete with an outer layer of shimmering titanium sheets, was consecrated in 2013. 

For TILT, they are sharing music by their cantor Irina Girunyan on the organ together with her husband Nikolai Girunyan on the cello. The impressive organ has 29 stops and 1,800 pipes. 

Join us for TILT In-person on Monday, June 20, 8 to 9:30 p.m.  and online from June 21 through 26 at gracecathedral.org. 

What is TILT? It is a celebration of light and music on the Summer Solstice and a different angle on music – especially music heard in sacred spaces.  

TILT launched in 2020, and because we could not gather in person, we partnered with cathedrals across the country to present an online offering of beautiful music in beautiful spaces. We are excited to open the cathedral doors for an in-person experience this year, and we so enjoyed our partnerships over the last two years, that we have continued that tradition this year. 

Meet our East Coast partners, Paul Winter Consort and The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, where the sun rises on the solstice three hours earlier than we see it here. 

The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine is the mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and the Seat of its Bishop. The largest cathedral in the world, St. John the Divine is also known as “the green cathedral.” In the 1980s and 1990s, it became the center of a vital community of thinkers and seekers working on issues of ecology and environment, and world peace. It represented a global forum, where you could listen to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Mayor of Jerusalem, the Dalai Lama, Cesar Chavez, Jesse Jackson, Vaclav Havel, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as the Paul Winter Consort.  

Since 1980, Paul Winter and his Consort have been artists-in-residence at the cathedral, where they have presented over 200 unique events, including their ecological mass (Missa Gaia/Earth Mass) and their famed annual Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice Celebrations. 

Paul’s musical odyssey has long embraced the traditions of the world’s cultures, as well as the wildlife voices of what he refers to as “the greater symphony of the Earth.” From the early days of his college jazz sextet, which toured 23 countries of Latin America for the State Department and performed the first-ever jazz concert at the White House for the Kennedys in 1962, to his later ensemble, the Paul Winter Consort, his concert tours and recording expeditions have taken him to 52 countries and to wilderness areas on six continents. He has recorded over 50 albums, of which seven have been honored with Grammy® Awards. 

His latest album, “Concert in the Barn,” with music from his Summer Solstice Celebration of 2021, is being released on June 17. And on June 18 and 19 he will offer his 27th Annual Summer Solstice Celebration in a livestream concert from the cathedralesque loft of his barn in the hills of northwest Connecticut. 

For TILT, we will be sharing filmed performances from Paul’s Solstice Saga, featuring his stunning soprano saxophone and gorgeous vocals by Theresa Thomason. Theresa’s enormous vocal talent began to emerge at the age of thirteen when she won national acclaim for her performances in jazz, gospel, and rhythm and blues. Theresa has had a succession of sold-out concerts in more than 150 European cities as well as in the USA.  

Join us for TILT In-person on Monday, June 20, 8 to 9:30 p.m.  and online from June 21 through 26 at gracecathedral.org. 

Dear Grace Cathedral Family,

The recent mass killing at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas today has shocked our nation. 19 precious children — all between the ages of 7 and 10 — and a teacher died in the violence, along with the alleged gunman. Others are injured.

Our hearts grieve for the victims and their families and friends. Our prayers for healing go out to those who are injured.

This massacre that happened at a school that is 90 percent Latinx and 87 percent economically disadvantaged is deeply troubling. Sadly, instances of mass violence often affect our most vulnerable, marginalized communities.

Our hearts still ache with the memory of the tragedy of May 14, in Buffalo, New York, driven by racist hate.

We encourage you to speak with your children about the need for compassion, and the sober reality of the pernicious sin of gun violence.

We ask you to work within families and communities against all violence, and for a deeper peace.

We also ask you to join us in this prayer, from a Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting (www.bishopsagainstgunviolence.org):

God of peace, we remember all those who have died in incidents of mass gun violence in this nation’s public and private spaces.

Give to the departed eternal rest.

Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Grant survivors of gun violence comfort and healing.

Give peace to those who have lost loved ones to gun violence.

Protect and strengthen first responders who care for victims of gun violence.

Amen.

What is TILT? It is a celebration of light and music on the Summer Solstice.  TILT honors our planet, as it leans towards the sun on the longest day of the year, and it also describes what we think you will experience with this concert – a different angle on music – especially music heard in sacred spaces.  

TILT launched in 2020, and because we could not gather in person, we partnered with cathedrals across the country to present an online offering of beautiful music in beautiful spaces. We are excited to open the cathedral doors for an in-person experience this year, and we so enjoyed our partnerships over the last two years, that we have continued that tradition this year. 

Meet our easternmost partner, St Paul’s Cathedral in Dunedin, New Zealand, where the sun rises on the solstice 19 hours earlier than we see it here. 

St Paul’s Cathedral is the Cathedral for the Anglican Diocese of Dunedin, which stretches across the whole of Otago and Southland, all the way from Taiaroa Head to Doubtful Sound and from Wanaka to Rakiura. They are part of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia – or in Maori: Te Hahi Mihinare ki Aotearoa ki Niu Tireni, ki Nga Moutere o Te Moana Nui a Kiwa.  

Take a virtual tour of St. Paul’s. 

For TILT, they are sharing music from their Midwinter Carnival (our summer is their winter) sung by their Cathedral Choir under the leadership of Director of Music Michael Grant. 

Join us for TILT In-person on Monday, June 20, 8 to 9:30 p.m.  and online from June 21 through 26 at gracecathedral.org. 

Take steps for peace on World Labyrinth Day, Saturday, May 7 from noon-2 pm at our Labyrinth. Enjoy live music from Destiny Muhammad on the outdoor labyrinth and color your own paper labyrinth for finger walking. Mini-sessions by the Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, Maia Scott and Lars Howlett will provide insight into the history, design and uses of labyrinths. Join thousands of others walking around the globe for peace at this free event. 

The intention of World Labyrinth Day is to bring people from all over the planet together in celebration of labyrinths as a symbol, tool, passion, or practice. World Labyrinth Day is an annual event on the first Saturday in May founded by The Labyrinth Society (TLS) in 2009. This event is now a partnership between TLS, the Australian Labyrinth Network, the Legacy Labyrinth Project and Veriditas which is a non-profit founded by Lauren Artress at Grace Cathedral. See www.WorldLabyrinthDay.org for more information, webinars and resources including information about the Big Connection (2.0) research project. 

Here is what you would expect for the event:

Noon – Welcome with Lauren Artress / Lars Howlett (on the permanent outdoor labyrinth)
12:30 pm – Handheld Labyrinths with Maia Scott (in the Chapter Room, adjacent to the fountain)
1 pm – Orientation to Walking Labyrinths with Lauren Artress (in the Chapter Room)
1:30 pm – History and Design of Labyrinths with Lars Howlett (in the Chapter Room)2 pm – Closing

We hope to see you there!

In every Episcopal church, you will find an “Easter Candle” (aka Paschal Candle) in the front of the church near the altar. There is a new candle each Easter, and it is lit through the entire Easter season.

Here is a Pachal candle DIY reflection from our congregate David Boysel:

Last Saturday I poured the Paschal Candle at Grace Cathedral. I’ve done this for several years now, it will be lighted at the Great Vigil.

I melt down the stubs from altar candles from the year and a piece of a previous Pascal Candle and put them into a PVC pipe mold. I like the continuity of this process, something that seems to be entirely missing from our lives today.

The candle will be burned on and off all year for baptisms, some weddings, funerals and other services.

Next year, as it’s shorter, it will be used in the Chapel of Grace. In two years it will be used in the columbarium. At the end of that time, it’s usually ready to melt down for renewal.

The candles will be painted and decorated next week, and they will be different each year. Much of this process has been a matter of trial and error, often lots of trials. Making it is about a six-hour process in stages to allow for shrinking as the beeswax cools. It’s more patience than skill. Try it at home!

Visibility as a transgender or nonbinary person can be a tricky thing. In our society, being visible often means being vulnerable to discrimination. Yet we must be visible to be seen and fully respected for who we are. The goal of Transgender Day of Visibility is to raise awareness of the trials and triumphs of the transgender and nonbinary community. I can’t do that justice here, but I can muse on what it has meant to me to see and be seen as a trans person.

The times I have felt most seen and comprehended was not under the gaze of another, but deep in a book where I could see myself reflected clearly in the words and experiences of another. I’m forever grateful to my friend Sy, who by their lived example and their generous gifts of books opened my eyes to new possibilities. Stone Butch Blues and Nina Here Nor There gave me words to understand parts of myself that had gone unnamed. They shed light on a path I could follow — still dangerous, but made clearer by all who had gone before. When I finally accepted that my survival depended on walking this path, it was 2014 and I still had two years left in the Marine Corps.

The path to transitioning is inescapably visible, like walking along a narrow ridge and being silhouetted against the sky. I felt constantly aware of my visibility and the vulnerability therein. Can I use this bathroom safely? Will they accept my ID? Will the TSA search me? Will I be discharged from the military? I hoped to keep a low profile and not find out. Along the way, I met other trans Marines at the LGBTQ center outside Camp Pendleton and became connected with the larger albeit secretive community of transgender service members. Some had begun to medically and legally transition despite the ban. They shed more light on the path, always just enough to see a few steps ahead. 

In 2015, a handful of service members began coming out publicly to protest the trans ban. Only the Marine Corps continued pretending it didn’t have this “problem”. That summer a friend asked if I would carry the Trans Pride flag for the military contingent in the San Diego Pride Parade. I had wanted to lay low on the ridge but instead, I was being asked to send up a flare. Sometimes the Holy Spirit feels like a tightness in my core and a trembling through my whole body, and this was one of those times. I said yes. Despite feeling horribly exposed, my command did not kick me out and that flare was a beacon of hope for isolated transgender Marines who reached out to me for help. It was my turn to shed some light on the path.

Visibility can be vulnerable but it is necessary for seeing and being seen. In seeing, the possibilities are illuminated; in being seen, we receive validation and allow our light to shine forth for others. Where we can both see and be seen is where we can find community.

As a queer and trans person, Evan Deocariza loves to attend The Vine on Wednesdays at 6 pm at Grace Cathedral. The diversity of attendees and intimate style of worship create a nourishing community where all may see and be seen. Learn more about The Vine.

Philanthropist, socialite, chief of protocol for the State of California, chief of protocol for the City and County of San Francisco and a former member of our board of trustees died on December 3, 2021. She was our beloved friend. We are grateful for how she gathered the communities of San Francisco and beyond with a joyful spirit and her wonderful instinct for celebration. Grace Cathedral and this city are better for the decades Charlotte spent dedicated to making this a welcoming and inclusive place. May God continue to bless her today and always.


Prayer for Charlotte Mailliard Shultz (9/26/1933 – 12/3/2021)

O, God of grace and glory, we remember before you this day, our sister, Charlotte.

We thank you for giving her to us, her family and friends, to know that to love on our earthly pilgrimage.

Give us faith to see in death the gate of eternal life, so that in quiet confidence we may continue our course on earth until by your call, we are reunited with those who have gone before, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.


Photo by Peter Prato

Dear Friends, 

As the omicron variant takes hold across the world, the San Francisco Bay Area is also seeing an increase in infection, even among highly vaccinated populations. These circumstances cause us to reflect on the responsibility of Grace Cathedral during this difficult time.  

We encourage those most vulnerable to consider celebrating with us online as an option. We have imposed an in-person capacity limit of 600 for Christmas Day and we will maintain our Christmas Eve capacity of 1200. Registration is now at capacity and these limits will be strictly observed at the Cathedral. 

While we are disappointed to not be able to welcome everyone who wants to come in person, this pandemic has taught us how to connect with each other through the love of Jesus Christ in our online community.  As you may already be aware, we have always offered our services online as an option to our in-person services.  Celebrate with us this Christmas Season watch livestreaming of the following services:  

Christmas Lessons and Carols at 4 pm Sung by the Choir of Men and Boys 

Christmas Eve Choral Eucharist at 7:30 pm Sung by a Mixed-voice Quartet 

Christmas Eve “Midnight Mass” Choral Eucharist at 11 pm and 10:30 pm Carol Prelude Sung by the Choir of Men and Boys with Orchestra 

Christmas Day Choral Eucharist at 11 am Sung by the Men of the Choir 

Thank you for your faithfulness during this Christmas season. Together, we truly are doing the holy work of caring for our neighbors and the most vulnerable among us.  

With gratitude,  
Marc Handley Andrus and Malcolm Clemens Young

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Marc Handley Andrus
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California

The Very Rev. Malcolm Clemens Young, ThD
Dean of Grace Cathedral

A joint message from Bishop Marc and Dean Malcolm following the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict.

Today in Kenosha, Wisconsin the teenager Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty after he killed two men and shot another with a military-style weapon in the midst of a protest in August of 2020.

This trial is an important reminder that the presence of guns do not make us safer but rather more frequently lead to an escalation of violence. Guns make most situations far more dangerous than they otherwise would be. This is especially true when the guns are in the hands of civilians.

We decry both the systemic racism that still grips our country so tightly, and our unholy fascination with guns and a culture of violence. More particularly, our hearts go out to the families of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber who were slain by Kyle Rittenhouse and to Gaige Grosskreuz who was seriously injured by him. We also pray for Jacob Blake whose shooting at the hands of a police officer precipitated the protests that night.

We have to decide whether we are going to be a country that condones vigilante violence or whether we are a people who value equal justice for all, order and reasonable laws that limit the destructiveness of guns.


Dear God,

In moments like this we hardly know what to ask for or say.

Thank you for our precious lives and for the communities that sustain us and give us opportunities to love and care for others. Today we are a divided people and struggle to act wisely for the sake of the common good.

We pray for all those whose lives have been permanently damaged by the violent events that transpired in Kenosha, Wisconsin. We pray for a peaceful response to today’s verdict. We pray for wise legislation and civic action that will lead to prudent limits on the access to weapons in this land. We pray for an end to the racism that continues to damage countless lives in our time.

May your grace give us power to speak faithfully for the poor and oppressed. And may we find refuge in the love your son Jesus Christ has revealed to the world. Amen.

“God will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away”

Rev. 21

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Marc Handley Andrus
The Very Rev. Malcolm Clemens Young, ThD

God of every nation:
We remember that September day so vividly,
the terror, confusion and disbelief,
the thousands dead and wounded,
the heroism of first responders
and very ordinary people.

Help us also to remember
the demonization of Muslims, Sikhs
and all who might bear resemblance to the perpetrators;
the suspicion cast on our neighbors;
and the hasty and ill-formed calls
to avenge violence with even greater violence.

Help us also to remember
that you are a God of peace,
a lover of all,
even those who hate you.

Help us also to remember
that you died to redeem
the violence of our basest instincts.

Bring the wholeness of your life
to the holes of our collective memory;
Bring the peace of your life
to the violence that infects our hearts;
Bring the love of your life
to the hate that grips us;
that by your life
we might be freed and transformed
for the love, peace and wholeness
of all life. Amen.