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Cathedral Connections
JANUARY 2021
PREACHING SCHEDULE Isaiah writes, I will give you as a light to
the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
In January, we’ll respond to the prophet’s words by giving thanks
for the light and then turning towards the world, the nations. We
will then welcome preachers and advocates for peace and justice,
whose message carries a tangible message of hope into the
world.
This movement from the manger to the world is what the Epiphany
season is all about. If Advent is the season where we anticipate
the gift of peace, and Christmas the moment where we receive it,
Epiphany is the season where we share it.
Indeed, everything we do can reflect God’s love for us, and
share the Spirit with the world. This is the very heart of the
feast day of the Epiphany, an ancient celebration dating back to
the earliest days of the Christian church (predating even the
celebration of Christmas itself).
The Epiphany (Wednesday, January 6 at 5:30 p.m.,
trinitycleveland.com) is one of the principal feasts of the
Christian year, and is
properly celebrated with a service of Holy Eucharist. We will
mark this day with an online celebration of Holy Eucharist with our
companions at the Church of the Epiphany, Euclid. I’ll join with
Epiphany’s rector, the Rev. Rosalind Hughes, in leading a service
that begins a season of miracle and wonder by marking the presence
of light amid the darkest time of the year.
We will continue, throughout the season of Epiphany, to
celebrate the light of Christ as we carry it into the world. One
way we’ll do that is by welcoming guests to the Trinity Forum whose
work and ministry have helped to make Christ manifest in a broken
world. Our preacher for Martin Luther King Sunday, the Rev. Dr.
Marvin McMickle, will join me in early January for a Trinity Forum
to discuss how we can overcome a renewed sense of tribalism in our
public life. Later
in the month I’ll speak with Dr. Emily Welty, a scholar of
religion and member of the Nobel-laureate International Committee
to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, about the 50-nation disarmament treaty
that goes into effect in late January.
Beloveds, we have been given as a light to the nations. Let’s
celebrate that in worship together, and then carry that into a
world that is so much in need of light. I hope you’ll join us in
the holy work of carrying this message of peace to the nation, and
I invite you to begin it all in shared celebration on January
6th.
Blessings,
- The Very Rev. Bernard J. Owens
FROM THE DEANJanuary 10- The Very Rev. Bernard J. Owens
January 17- The Rev. Dr. Marvin McMickle
January 24- The Very Rev. Bernard J. Owens
January 31- The Very Rev. Bernard J. Owens
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A MESSAGE FROM THE VESTRYWith COVID-19 cases rising throughout
the area, the diocese is currently not permitting in-person worship
services. In addition, Cuyahoga County’s stay at home advisory has
been extended until January 15, 2021.
Vestry has discussed allowing memorial services with 10 or fewer
attendees, as long as there is strict adherence to our required
safety protocols.
Treasurer Paul Herrgesell shared the 2021 budget overview and
the draft budget. Due to the generosity of the congregation and our
donors, the reduction of
expenses and the award of a coronavirus relief bill PPP grant,
we were able to offset substantial income losses from the Commons.
Expenses were reduced wherever possible, allowing us to reduce our
2020 endowment operations draw from the planned 6.7% to 5.5%.
Vestry minutes are available at
trinitycleveland.org/about/governance/vestry-minutes. Our next
meeting is January 19, 2021 at 5:30 pm. At the time of this
writing, we are planning to conduct this meeting via Zoom.
As always, if you have any concerns, you may send them to the
Wardens at: [email protected] or contact any member
of vestry on the right.
VESTRY MEMBERSGary Benjamin Elizabeth BillingsKim
DeNero-AckroydMartin HermesPaul Herrgesell, TreasurerDiane
HexterJanet Lechleitner, Junior Warden Linda LeeDave MianoCynthia
RiesPatricia Roberts, Senior Warden
Special Guests – Trinity Forums Trinity will welcome two very
special guests in January. Dean Owens will interview both as part
of the Trinity Forum.
Our first guest is the Rev. Dr. Marvin McMickle, President and
Director of Ministry Programs and Professor of African American
Religious Studies at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in
Rochester, New York. McMickle also currently serves as Interim
Pastor at Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland. He holds numerous
degrees including a Master of Divinity from Union Theological
Seminary, a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary
and a Doctor of Philosophy from Case Western Reserve University. He
wrote a dissertation on “The Film Portrayal
of the Black Preacher Since 1925.”
The Rev. Dr. McMickle will be our preacher for Martin Luther
King Sunday, January 17, at both the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
services. On the celebration of Martin Luther King Day
on Monday, January 18, Dean Owens and the Rev. Dr. McMickle will
talk about Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and how we build the
beloved community in America today despite a renewed tribalism in
our culture.
The following Sunday, January 24, the Trinity Forum will feature
Dr. Emily
Welty, an academic, ecumenist and artist living and working in
New York City. She is the Director of Peace and Justice Studies at
Pace University where she teaches classes focusing on nonviolence,
humanitarianism, reconciliation and transitional justice.
Emily is part of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning
International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) where she works on
faith-based engagement in nuclear disarmament. ICAN also promotes
adherence to the UN nuclear weapons ban treaty, which goes into
effect in January 2021.
Be sure to tune in to both of these thought-
provoking Trinity Forum guests at trinitycleveland.org and
facebook.com/trinitycleve.
The Rev. Dr. Marvin McMickle
Dr. Emily Welty
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Cathedral Connections
Youth and Children’s Ministries
Trinity’s youth and children had a busy holiday season. Many
families welcomed a six foot tall plush Jesus to their homes. Those
families have told of their adventures with Jesus on his visits and
have shared them during our Zoom Sunday school and youth group
classes.
We also told the Christmas pageant story in a different way this
year. The story was played out on video as part of our ‘Dough Holy
Night’ project. Families were invited to bake cookies alongside our
youth and children’s ministers Shannon Smoot and Delaney Ryan.
While the cookies were in the oven, children from the west side
of Cleveland acted out the first half of the Christmas
From left to right: Godwin, Nelson and Olivia work on their
Advent wreath accompanied by plush Jesus.
Angel Tree Ministry
Thanks to everyone who contributed to our Angel Tree Ministry,
sponsored by Prison Fellowship, this holiday season. Each of the
children with a parent in prison received a WalMart gift card, a
card from their imprisoned parent and a certificate for their very
own Bible. We were able to provide these gifts to 102 children in
2020!
story on video while east siders told the second half. The Dough
Holy Night video is available on our YouTube channel in case you
missed it: bit.ly/DoughHolyNite.
We look forward to exciting projects in the new year including
making scarves and hats out of fleece to share with our guests from
A Place at the Table.
Trinity’s Wall of Love
Trinity’s Wall of Love and A Place at the Table ministries were
beneficiaries of a holiday donation of 250 pairs of Bombas socks.
At this point, it is unknown where the socks came from, so a big
thank you goes out to our “secret Santa.” Some of these socks were
placed on the Wall of Love. At A Place at a
Table on December 20 and 27, guests were given a bag with a bar
of soap, washcloth, toothbrush/toothpaste, dis-posable masks and
the Bombas socks in addition to their lunch-to-go. The socks will
continue to be given out until they are all gone.
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New Chancel Organ is on the Way!Trinity Cathedral’s “new”
renovated and restored 1949 Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ is close to
becoming a reality. The preparatory work for the organ is being
completed as of this writing (mid-December) with only the final
inspections remaining. This has involved work on the main organ
chamber that opens into the east side of the chancel, as well as
the smaller west organ chamber, located between the chancel and
chapel.
The accompanying photos show the most visually noticeable
aspects of this work: the substantial new wall which now separates
the main organ chamber from the choir rehearsal room, and the
beautiful stone arches
and wooden grilles on the east side of the chancel, now opened
for the first time in over 20 years. Other aspects of this work
have involved reconfiguring HVAC, installing new electrical and
fire-suppression equipment, and extensive painting and sealing of
walls.
The organ itself will be installed beginning in mid-January,
with completion sometime in April. Look for photos of this
fascinating process in upcoming issues of Cathedral Connections,
along with videos on the Trinity website!
CongratulationsJudith Eckelmeyer
Cathedral Choir member Judith Eckelmeyer had her original
composition, the Trinity
“Hodie” Service for solo mezzo-soprano, choir and organ,
broadcast Wednesday, December 16. It was part of the musical Advent
calendar from Amplify Female Composers, a group encouraging the
performance of sacred music by female composers and arrangers. You
can hear her composition at bit.ly/HodieService.
Hats off to Judith for her wonderful composition, her dedication
to Trinity and the Cathedral Choir!
Zoom Evensong Sunday, January 10 at
4:00 p.m.
After two successful Zoom evensong services in late 2020, we’re
looking forward to the next one on January 10. You are encouraged
to be part of the congregation by “attending.” Please check
trinitycleveland.org where a link will be posted by no later than
3:30 p.m. on January 10 to participate.
These archways in Trinity’s choir rehearsal room have been
closed off from the sound reflective chamber behind them, which
will contain most of the restored 1949 Aeolian-Skinner pipe
organ.
The arches in the east chancel (left side of the chancel when
facing the altar) have been opened for the first time in more than
two decades in preparation for pipe installation for the
Aeolian-Skinner organ project.
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Did you miss the Diocese of Ohio’s Christmas Eve and Christmas
Day services, hosted by Trinity Cathedral? How about the annual
service of lessons and carols on the first Sunday after Christmas?
You can find them all on Trinity’s YouTube channel:
youtube.com/trinityclevelandl.
All of Trinity’s Advent services are there along
with a four week series of Advent meditations from Trinity
congregants. You’ll also find a special holiday Trinity Forum with
Dean Owens and historic preservationist Polly Bloom.
The content isn’t just limited to the holidays. You’ll find lots
of interesting, thought-provoking videos from 2020 and beyond.
The national chapter of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship is
seeking to extend its hands to all God’s children and to give
access to the opportunities to live into their dreams and
capabilities. EPF will be heavily focused on this call for
reparations for a period of six months, beginning in Lent.
EPF’s plans and curriculum are still in progress, and if you
wish to be a part of our leadership on this project, we welcome
your interest, energy and vision. Email Melanie Atha, EPF Executive
Director at [email protected] to volunteer or receive
updates.
EPF 2021 Focus
On February 27th, 2020, more than 50 individuals from Trinity
Cathedral attended a Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC) action
with 1,000 other people of faith at Olivet Institutional Baptist
Church. We called on the county executive, county council, the
prosecutor and the courts to implement a 24/7 mental health crisis
center. The problem we were trying to solve is what to do with
people who are picked up by the police with mental health concerns
and end up in the Cuyahoga County jail rather than where they need
to be – in treatment.
Our mission as Christians is sometimes fulfilled with
community
action for the common good through organizations like GCC. Many
at Trinity, along with
others from member congregations,
identified a
need three years ago for the mental health crisis center for
police to access before they make arrests with people showing signs
of being in a mental health crisis. Now, after years of behind the
scenes effort, the center is to be opened – hopefully in the Spring
of 2021.
Over those years, GCC had several
actions to advocate for funds to open that clinic. The county
executive, Armond Budish, announced a $9.2 million dollar deal to
operate a center with the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health
Services Board (ADAMHS Board) and Oriana House. It is called a
“diversion” center because people brought there will be
diverted from going to jail and having a record when what they
really need is a helping hand. The funding came,
appropriately, from the opioid case settlement. This will spare
those with mental illness from un-therapeutic jail time, lessen the
number of inmates in the jail and allow the jail to operate more
safely. A recent article in The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com
gives more details: bit.ly/GCCArticle.
Relive the Holidays on YouTube
GCC Wins Battle for Mental Health Center
by Gary Benjamin
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PAIDCleveland, OHPermit #4418
Email: [email protected]: trinitycleveland.org
Facebook: @trinitycleve Instagram: @trinitycleveTwitter:
@trinitycleveYouTube: youtube.com/trinitycleveland
Pastoral Emergencies: 216-644-8423 Prayer Requests: Doreen
Hughes, 216-774-0415 or [email protected]:
trinitycleveland.org/supportSpace Rentals:
trinitycleveland.org/about/space-rental-inquiryCathedral
Connections: Submit your news items by sending to
[email protected]
Trinity Cathedral2230 Euclid AvenueCleveland, Ohio
44115Telephone 216-771-3630The Very Rev. Bernard Owens, Dean
Cathedral Connections
CONTACT US
January SundaySchedule9:00 A.M.A SERVICE OF WORD &
PRAYER
This new 9:00 a.m. intimate and interactive Service of Word and
Prayer is organized by the Rev. Adrienne Koch and designed by
Trinity and Diocesan young adults. All are welcome and you don’t
need to be a young adult to join in by Zoom:zoom.us/j/91964122120,
passcode 138020
10:00 A.M.EDUCATION HOUR
Virtual Coffee Hour – bit.ly/CoffeeHourTrinity – Passcode 2SRkqj
Bible Study – The Book of Isaiah (Jan. 10, 17, 31) To register:
bit.ly/TrinityIsaiahStudyTrinity Forum – Jan. 18 (Monday) the Rev.
Dr. Marvin McMickletrinitycleveland.org and
facebook.com/trinitycleveJan. 24 – Dr. Emily West
trinitycleveland.org and facebook.com/trinitycleve
11:00 A.M.HOLY EUCHARIST
trinitycleveland.org and facebook.com/trinitycleve
Epiphany Service with Church of the Epiphany, Euclid
Wednesday, January 6 at 5:30 p.m.The Rev. Rosalind Hughes,
preachingThe Very Rev. BJ Owens, celebratingtrinitycleveland.org
and facebook.com/trinitycleve