Grace Cathedral

I’m excited to tell you about the success of our first Stop Hunger Now campaign with the Cathedral School for Boys. With the boys’ help, Grace Cathedral packed a little over 10,000 meals to help feed the world’s hungry! The Upper School did an excellent job packing the meals and the entire CSB family did an exceptional job in collecting funds to help pay for the meals we packed.

The Stop Hunger Now on-site coordinator, Noelle, was particularly impressed with the boys, their attention to detail and their intelligent and well-informed answers to her questions about world population and hunger related issues. They also asked very thoughtful questions of Noelle about how the food would be prepared and where the food was being shipped.

In addition to collecting coins to pay for the meals, the boys were asked to include any thoughts or prayers they might want to share. One particularly touching note from one of our kindergarteners read, “Hope you are happy. Love Willie.” I’m with Willie. I hope and pray that those who are fed by the meals packed at Grace Cathedral today are happy…and know that Willie and the rest of the Grace Cathedral family loves them.

I also want to express a special “thank you” to Mr. Jim Schmidt and the Rev. Mehrdad Abidari for their exceptional assistance in coordinating this project with CSB. It could not have been done without their assistance and enthusiastic support.

It was a grace-filled time and I am overjoyed to have been a part of what happened here today. In the future, when I have the privilege of dismissing the people at the end of the liturgy I will hold in my heart the images of some of the youngest of the Cathedral community serving the world’s poor and hungry.

Fourteen seniors and the cathedral’s entire compliment of deacons travelled to Bishop’s Ranch for two days of reflection, rest and fun. Deacon Margaret, continuing on the theme of a “life map” from the fall retreat, encouraged attendees to stretch themselves in examining what they look forward to in the next five years of their lives. Through much introspection and laughter, everyone shared what they are looking forward to in the years to come. All agreed that aging is a gift and, to fully appreciate the gift, one has to live fully. Deacon Doe organized the liturgy for the retreat that included morning prayer, evening prayer, Holy Eucharist and compline. Deacon Nina provided the group with her stellar leadership and mediated disputes during a heated game of Hearts the first evening. Deacon Ken, the youngest of the group, was exhausted just keeping up with the fast paced seniors. All came away with wonderful memories and are looking forward to the next time they gather.