Family Ministries

Dear Families,

Lenten greetings to you, as we draw close to Holy Week.

Last Sunday, we continued our journey with Jesus’ healing ministry, reflecting on the quiet and powerful ways love becomes visible in acts of care. Again and again, we are reminded that healing is not only something Jesus did, but something that continues to unfold through attentive presence, kindness, and compassion. As Fr. Dan reminded us, even amongst the pets in our life!

This Sunday at the 9:15 Mass, we arrive at Palm Sunday, walking with Jesus as he enters Jerusalem. The story shifts in tone here — from teaching and healing into the deep mystery of Holy Week. We will join the crowd with palms in hand, singing and moving together, even as we begin to sense that the road ahead will not be an easy one.

After the service, instead of our usual Fellowship in Faith and Dean’s Forum at Mercer, we will gather in the undercroft for a shared time of making palm crosses together. This is a simple and meaningful way to enter the story with our hands as well as our hearts, shaping the palms we will carry into the week ahead.

Announcements

A reminder for our youth and families that the Diocesan Youth Sleepover has been rescheduled to May 29–30. We look forward to gathering then, with more details to come soon.

As we look ahead, we are preparing for Family Communion Sunday on May 17.

In the weeks leading up to this day, we will offer a series of four Sunday gatherings during the Fellowship in Faith hour for children who are beginning to explore more deeply the meaning of Christ’s body and blood in their lives of faith. These gatherings will be led by Charlie Janoff and are intended as a gentle and prayerful preparation.

The first gathering is for parents, on April 19, as a time to reflect together on how we accompany children in this part of their spiritual journey.

If this feels like the right moment for your child, I invite you to email me by April 15 to express your interest.

Family Musings

I wonder:

• What it might have felt like to walk alongside Jesus as he entered Jerusalem.

• Have you ever been part of a crowd that felt joyful and excited? What was that like?

• What helps you stay close to love, even when a story becomes difficult or uncertain?

Thank you for the many ways you continue to walk this road together — accompanying one another with care, curiosity, and love.

With you as we turn toward Jerusalem,

Deacon Lisa

Lenten greetings to you.

Last Sunday we gathered as one congregation to celebrate Mothering Sunday, sharing in the joy of the Pancake Breakfast and the simple grace of being together across generations. We know that our tradition holds that there is something deeply holy about gathering at table: being nourished not only by food, but by gathering in community. I’m grateful for all of the volunteers who hosted this gathering.

This Sunday at the 9:15 Mass, we continue with our beloved Faces of Easter series. This week, we encounter Jesus as he begins his healing ministry, and Fr. Dan will offer us a beautiful way to imagine Christ’s healing work alive in the healing work of others. As always, the children will be invited to settle onto their prayer rugs and enter the story with wonder and imagination. We look forward to being with you!

During Fellowship in Faith, children will continue their Lenten journey in their classrooms, making space to listen, wonder, and grow in this sacred season. They will explore the theme of "The Greatest Commandment:" Jesus tells us to love God and to love our neighbor. Adults are warmly invited to the Dean’s Forum as we continue our shared Lenten reflections with the Gayle Boss book, Wild Hope. More copies are in the library. Please join us!

Announcements A quick update for all families: the Diocesan Youth Sleepover originally scheduled for March has been postponed to May 29–30. This will allow more time for planning and participation across the diocese, and we look forward to an even fuller gathering in the spring. Kids will have the opportunity to be in sacred space together under the Gaia installation of the Earth that is the centerpiece of our program, “This Fragile Earth, Our Island Home”. More details will be shared as we get closer, and in mid-April I will send out registration forms. Thank you for the many ways you nurture the life of this community and the young people among us, offering the kind of care Jesus described as a hen gathering her chicks under her wings.

With gratitude as we draw nearer to the promise of Easter,

Deacon Lisa

Family Musings

• I wonder what it might feel like to be healed — in body, heart, or spirit.

• When someone is hurting, what are some ways we can show care and kindness?

• Where do you notice small moments of healing or helping in your life this week?

Last Sunday we continued our Lenten journey together through the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin. These small but powerful stories remind us of God’s joyful determination to seek out what has been lost. Children often recognize the feeling immediately, and adults tend to recognize it again in quieter ways.

This Sunday the whole parish is invited to celebrate Mothering Sunday with a beautiful Pancake Brunch organized by Diana Campbell and her wonderfully inspired team. Please be sure to RSVP, if you haven’t already, here on Realm . Because of this shared parish celebration, Fellowship in Faith and the Dean’s Forum will take a brief pause while we gather around the table together. Confirmation class with Charlie Janoff and the Adult Formation class with Fr. Mark will carry their stacks of pancakes into their classes as their morning conversations continue.

Mothering Sunday has its origins in the medieval English practice of returning to one’s “mother church” during Lent: the church where one was baptized or first nurtured in faith. Over time it also became a day to give thanks for mothers and all those who offer care, nurture, and encouragement in our lives. If you keep your eyes open in the cathedral, you might even spot a pelican caring for her babies: a symbol Christians once used for nurturing love. In that same spirit, our youngest members continue to find their place beneath the wide wings of the church each week through Fellowship in Faith.

This coming Sunday at the 9:15 Mass, we will continue with Faces of Easter IV: Remembering Christ’s Desert Experience. As the children settle onto their prayer rugs and listen to Fr. Cam share the unfolding story of Jesus’ ministry with them, we will hear about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. As we move closer to Easter, this sacred moment of the story reminds us that even in times of difficulty and testing, Jesus remains grounded in God’s love and truth.

Announcements

All Cathedral youth in 6th grade and older are getting ready for our very cool Youth Sleepover, taking place Friday evening, March 27 through Saturday morning, March 28. More details are coming soon, but here’s a sneak peek. We’ll have some classic favorites — crafts, dinner together, and the Dean’s now-famous Cathedral tower tour — plus some new additions like Hip Hop Musica Divina and a relaxing Yin Yoga wind-down before lights out. There will be plenty to choose from, and you can jump into as much (or as little) as you like.

Thank you for the many ways you continue to show up for this community, with the kind of motherly care that Jesus described as a hen gathering her chicks under her wings. (Matthew 23:37)

With gratitude as we continue walking this Lenten road together,

Deacon Lisa

Family Musings

• I wonder what sounds Jesus might have heard out in the wilderness.

• When you have to choose between something easy and something right, what helps you decide?

• Where have you noticed God’s love in your life this week?