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The Weekly Connector
December 1, 2025
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UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS
Wednesday, Dec. 3, 6:00-8:00 pm,
Advent Evenings: For Such a Time as This (see below)
Sunday, Dec. 7, 8:00 pm, Compline for
Advent, Nave.
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.
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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.
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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 3 will be a Pot Luck
Dinner.
Using the first initial of your last name, please
bring a pot luck to share from your
category.
A – J Entrees (both meat and
vegetarian entrees needed)
K – R Sides
S – Z Desserts
To assist diners, please supply a note card with the
name of the dish and a list of ingredients. If supplying a
container or serving utensil, please mark your name on those items. A
piece of masking tape works well as a label and you can use a Sharpie to write your
name. Please collect your container and serving
utensil before you leave for the evening. All
foods to be served warm should arrive already heated.
Any questions about this evening, please contact Joyce
Hoelzer, at jrhh5comm@proton.me or
763-762-6998.
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!
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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Annual Giving Campaign Update
We have received 180 pledges so far, totaling pledge revenue
commitments of $814,500. This is 74% of our goal. Thanks to those who
have made a generous commitment to Saint Mark's for the year ahead.
If you plan to make a pledge, please mail your pledge card or drop it
into an offering plate during services as soon as possible, since we
are beginning our budgeting process for 2026.
If you need a pledge card, you can find one
here: https://ourcathedral.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2026-Pledge-Card_FINAL-E-VERSION.pdf,
or at Saint Mark's.
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WELLS FOUNDATION GRANT SPOTLIGHT
Wildflyer
Coffee
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:
Wildflyer
Coffee has a tasty menu: soups & salads, wraps, hot
specials, smoothies, fresh pressed juice, and baked goods.
But the most interesting aspect of the cafe is its Work
& Life Program. They hire youth between 16 - 24 who have
experienced homelessness or housing instability. As employees, the
youth work in either the Minnehaha or St. Paul location for four months, and participate in the independent living
skills curriculum.
By the end of the training program, participants will
have identified and developed their personal strengths and interests, and be equipped to take the next steps
towards a future of their choosing. Go for a visit and check out
wildflyercoffee.com.
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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!
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Meditation
The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have
ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment
of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the
Lord.
Henri Nouwen
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