|
The Weekly Connector
December 8, 2025
|
|
|
UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 6:00-8:00 pm,
Advent Evenings: For Such a Time as This (see below)
Sunday, Dec. 14, 8:30 - 10:30 am,
Season of Hope Brunch (see below)
Sunday, Dec. 14, 4:00 pm, Second Sunday
Supper, Plymouth Congregational Church. More information.
Sunday, Dec. 14, 8:00 pm, Compline for
Advent, Nave.
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 6:00-8:00 pm,
Advent Evenings: For Such a Time as This (see below)
Friday, Dec. 19, 2:00 pm, Longest
Night service, Nave (see below)
Saturday, Dec. 20, 7:30 pm, A Great
British Christmas concert. More information.
Sunday, Dec. 21, 8:00 pm, Compline for
Advent with Mirandola Ensemble, Nave.
|
|
|
DECEMBER MONTHLY CONNECTOR:
Complete information on worship, events, and more can
be found in the new Saint Mark's Monthly Connector, available in the
Welcome Center, many places around the Cathedral, or on our website
by clicking here.
|
|
|
Season of Hope Brunch
Sunday, December 14
Plan now to attend and prepare your hearts as we
nourish each other with food and fellowship at the Season of Hope
Brunch.
WHAT: All-church Advent brunch
WHO: Saint Mark's Community
WHERE: Community Room
WHEN: Sunday December 14th 8:30 am -10:30 am
HOW: It takes a village to feed a church family. As
you are able, please use the link below to contribute food or
volunteer to help with serving. Sharing food and volunteering are
welcomed but not required to attend this free event. The link below
will provide further information.
Further questions? Contact Inez Bergquist
651-260-6312 or Lois Satterberg 612-310-5825.
Sign up is here:
Saint Mark's Episcopal
Cathedral: Season of Hope Brunch
|
|
|
For Such a Time as This
Wednesdays in Advent: December 3, 10, and 17, 6
pm to 8 pm
Let’s join together in the
Community Room on Wednesday evenings in Advent for fellowship, food,
and creativity. This intergenerational gathering will
include sharing stories and conversations based on the new book For
Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional.
These evenings are for the entire family, no matter
the number in your family,
and for all ages. Similar to
a worship service, we will:
· Gather for an intergenerational
evening
· Communion together in a shared
meal
· Listen to a reading or
presentation
· Send the gifts of food warmth
that we have created to those in need
December 10 will be a soup dinner
Looking for donations of 1-2 kettles of soup, 1-2 bread,
and 3-4 cookie plates. Need for total of about 50 attendees. Soups -
both meat and vegan needed.
Also looking for kitchen/event volunteers for all
three evenings.
Any questions, contact Joyce Hoelzer. 763-762-6998
home, jrhh5comm@proton.me
Please come and join in as we prepare ourselves this
Advent, with renewed inspiration and hope, for the approaching birth
of Jesus Christ into our world!
|
|
|
|
Gathered in Love:
An Interfaith Service
of Trans
Solidarity
Tuesday, December
9, 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Creekside UCC,
106 E. Diamond Lake Road
Join us for the
Trans Solidarity Service, a multifaith gathering affirming the
sacredness of trans and nonbinary lives. On Tuesday, December 9,
people of faith and allies from across Minnesota will come together
at Creekside United Church of Christ to proclaim a message of love,
courage, and belonging. This service will include music, poetry, and
reflections from trans and BIPOC faith leaders, clergy, and community
members across traditions. Together, we’ll teach, organize, and be
visible in our commitment to trans dignity and inclusion! The service
will be free and open to all, with a livestream option for those
joining from outside the Twin Cities. Masks will be required for this
event and will be available on site. The livestream can be accessed
at https://www.youtube.com/@CreeksideUCCWorship/streams
|
|
|
Longest Night Service
Friday, December 19, 2025 - 2:00 pm
Cathedral Nave
Some Advents and Christmases are difficult, painful,
and confusing. Something or someone may be missing. Life may be
upended. It can be hard to grieve for what is missing in the midst of bright lights and Christmas cheer.
It is fitting that on the longest night of the year, when our
hemisphere is in its darkest phase, we make space for the dark places
in our souls.
We invite you to the Longest Night Service in the Nave
where you may bring your
losses, grief, confusion, and sadness to a place where
they may be held gently and
sacredly. During this service, we honor our sufferings
and enfold them in the promise of
the Incarnation. This is a quiet service of scripture,
poems, prayers, and music.
We will have a candle-lighting ritual in recognition
of the losses and griefs on our
hearts. You may share yours during a candle-lighting
ceremony. All are welcome.
We invite you to send us, confidentially, the losses
you would like acknowledged during
the candle lighting. These may include names of
people, circumstances, griefs, or other
kinds of losses. Email Dr. Helen Hansen at helenh@ourcathedral.org.
|
|
In Support of Immigrant Communities
Minneapolis is facing an increase in federal immigration
enforcement this month. During this time of increased anxiety and
fear, our Saint Mark's siblings at the Spanish-speaking service on
Saturdays would appreciate greeters at the front doors before and
during the 5:30 Eucharist. You do not need to speak Spanish, and it's
a great way to be present and supportive of some of our immigrant
communities. You can sign up here.
We also have started retrieving extra food from Casa Maria at Saint Nicholas,
Richfield, to share with our families at Saint Mark's Saturday
service. If you are occasionally available to help pick up this food
at 3:30 in Richfield and drop it off at Saint Mark's, please get in
touch with Rev. Clara at claras@ourcathedral.org.
|
|
Altar Guild Christmas Poinsettia Memorials
The Altar Guild would like to invite you to purchase a
poinsettia as a memorial to, or in honor of, a special loved one this
Christmas.
To make a Christmas Flower contribution, fill out a
Memorial Flowers card found at either entrance to the Nave. Ask an
usher for an envelope if you need one, and
include your $40 payment for each honor/memorial. Make check payable
to Saint Mark's Epioscopal Cathedral. Place
the envelope and payment in the collection plate or mail it back to
Saint Mark’s. Thank you for covering the cost of postage.
The names of those to be honored/remembered will be
included in our Christmas worship bulletins if they are received by
the church office by December 17. If you have any questions,
call Deacon Terry at 612-870-7800.
|
|
Advent Prayers, Blessing of the Blankets along with
Cocoa and Carols
December 21, 6:30 pm
Join us in between evensong and compline on Sunday,
Dec. 21, at 6:30 pm on the front steps, weather permitting. We will
burn the Advent prayers collected on the outdoor wreath throughout
the season, bless the crafts we will be making for our ministry partners
on Advent Wednesday evenings, and enjoy carols and cocoa around the
fire. It will be a lovely and festive time!
|
|
|
Cathedral Ushers Needed!
Saint Mark's Usher Ministry extends hospitality at
worship services and special events, provides information and
service, assists with emergencies during services, and are a part of
the worship service.
We have a need for additional cathedral ushers for the Sunday 8 am, 10:30 am and 5 pm Evensong
services. Ushers fit into two categories: regular scheduled ushers
who are assigned to a certain service to work certain weeks, and
alternate ushers who can be requested to fill in when regularly
scheduled ushers cannot attend. We have a need for both.
If you can be available, even on a short-term basis,
to be a regular or alternate usher, please contact David Albrecht here.
Thank you,
David Albrecht
Cathedral Co-Head Usher
|
|
Path to Palm Sunday
Begins
on Saturday December 13
In response
to rapidly consolidating authoritarian power in our country and the
dominating politics of hate, fear, greed, and division that are
violating our values and tearing our country and democracy apart, a
broad coalition of clergy, congregations, denominational leaders, and
faith based organizations are coming together launching a path to
mass actions for Christians both in Minnesota and across the country.
Step 1:
Palm Sunday afternoon, March 29, 2026 - Our goal is tens of thousands
of Christians marching in St. Paul, other regional centers, and
hundreds of thousands more at State Capitols and cities across the
country.
Step 2:
Sustained Action on Medicaid Cuts, SNAP Benefit Cuts, and Immigration
Our goal
is local actions on thousands of county boards at once to fight for
our healthcare, the food on our tables, our rights, and fair and free
elections.
Step 3:
July 4th Action These actions will lead to a mass action in
Washington D.C on July 4th, the 250th anniversary of the signing of
the Declaration of Independence from a king.
Bishop
Loya is fully behind this mass organizing movement and hopes to get
many teams mobilized from ECMN churches.
Our next step is turning out as many people of faith
as possible to the statewide launch event on
Saturday, December 13. "A Light in the Storm" will
be a gathering of 5000 people from across Minnesota and delegations
from other states from 1pm - 6pm at the Minneapolis Convention
Center. We will launch an agenda and plan a path for protecting our
states, families, and neighbors in the face of rising
authoritarianism. Clergy and teams of lay leaders will be trained in
moving the Palm Sunday Path to the next phase. Please contact Rev.
Clara at claras@ourcathedral.org if you
want to be part of the Path to Palm Sunday team from Saint Mark's. We
want to get at least 10 people to the Dec. 13 launch: Register
here: bit.ly/ISAIAH2025
|
|
|
WELLS FOUNDATION GRANT SPOTLIGHT
180 Degrees
The Wells Foundation is an
independent non-profit charitable foundation managed by Saint
Markans, granting funds to organizations serving the needs of our
communities.
Here is one of the organizations supported:
180 Degrees protects youth at risk of
sex-trafficking, offers services in emergency housing, and maintains
activities at four Minnesota youth centers. Founded in 1971 by a man
who spent 20 years cycling through the criminal justice system, it
began as a haven for men exiting incarceration. At present, it offers
two reentry programs prioritizing safe housing and case management
for ex-offenders.
At Great River Landing in Minneapolis, a 72-unit
apartment complex for recently incarcerated men, 180 Degrees provides
meals, social opportunities, employment readiness and placement
support, life-skills coaching, and mental health care.
180 Degrees' goal is to break down systemic barriers
leading to unsafe living conditions, abusive relationships, and
cycles of incarceration. In the past year, it served 2,533 Minnesota
youth and adults.
|
|
|
Dean Search Update
The Search Committee provided an update on the progress
of the search for the Cathedral's next Dean during the November 2nd
Formation. The slides from that update are available on the Dean
Search update page (https://ourcathedral.org/dean-search/). We
have sent the search materials to the Bishop
for his review and approval; once we receive any comments back and
make any edits, we'll post the role, which we expect to do December
8th. When that happens, we'll provide the link to the webpage on
the Dean Search Update page, and send out a
notice in the Monday Connector. Watch this space,
and thank you for your support!
|
|
|
Meditation
Truly, it is in darkness that one finds the light,
so when we are in sorrow, then this light is nearest of all to us.
Meister Eckhart
|
|
|
|
|
|
