Cow Hollow
Church News
T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h o f S a i n t M a r y t h e V i r g i n S u m m e r 2 0 1 7
Blessed by God, One Encounter at a Time
The Very Rev. Dr. Donald Brown, Interim Rector
This summer, whether you are away on vacation or taking a “staycation” here in the Bay Area, I hope you will
remember to be attentive to the people whom you encounter in your daily life. Whether they are family,
friends, or complete strangers, know that each person has something to teach you about, life, love, forgiveness,
adventure, hope, endurance, and trusting in the transformative blessings (that don’t always look like
blessings) from God.
I hope the little story
that follows will open
for you my meaning
about being attentive to
the people you
encounter.
There once was a little
boy who wanted to
meet God. He knew it
was going to be a bit of
a hike to where God
lived, so into his little
backpack he placed some cupcakes and
a few bottles of water, and started on his
journey.
Our summer clergy: Paula Nesbitt, Don Brown, and Lin Knight
When he had gone about three blocks, he saw an elderly woman. She was sitting on a park bench watching the
pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his backpack. He was about to take a drink from his bottle
of water when he noticed the lady looked hungry so he offered her a cupcake.
She gratefully accepted and smiled at him. Her smile was so wonderful that he wanted to see it again, so he
offered her a bottle of water as well. Once again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted!
Page 2 Summer 2017 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling
without saying a word. As it began to grow dark,
the boy realized how tired he was and wanted to
go home. He got up to leave but before he had gone
no more than a few steps, he turned around and
ran back to the old woman, giving her a big hug.
She gave him her biggest smile ever.
When the boy arrived home his mother was
surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked,
“What has made you so happy today?”
He replied, “I had lunch with God.” Before his
mother could respond he added, “You know what?
Sheʹs got the most beautiful smile in the whole
world!”
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy,
returned to her home. Her adult son, with whom
she lived, was stunned by the look of peace on her
face. He asked, “Mother, what has made you so
happy today?”
She replied, “I ate cupcakes in the park with God.”
And before her son could reply, she added, “You
know, he is much younger than I expected.”
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a
smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest
compliment, or the smallest act of caring; all of
which have the potential to turn a person’s life
around.
People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or
a lifetime. Take no one for granted and embrace all
equally with joy!
By the end of the summer season your new rector
will arrive and begin a journey with the St. Mary’s
family. I pray that together you will discover the
hand of God at work in your lives.
May you joyfully embrace the opportunities that
will unfold as God leads you forward in new
opportunities to deepen your faith and assist in
doing the work of bringing God’s love more fully
alive in our very troubled world.
News of Note from the Sr. Warden
Roulhac Austin
Love Letter to the Search Committee
Our parish has been tremendously well served by
the faithfulness of our Search Committee, the
people who discerned who would be the best of the
best candidates to serve as our next rector:
Matt Bartlett
Donna Davidson
David Gibson
Riley Haggin
Natalie Hala
Anne Kieve
Lauren MacDonald
Alan Pendergast
Creighton Reed,
Co‐Chair
Mike Stafford
Diana Sullivan,
Co‐Chair
Pleasant Thompson
Did you know our parish’s interests were
promoted and protected by a nonprofit executive
recruiter, a retail buyer, a tech consultant, two
attorneys, an historian, two school teachers, an
interior designer, a nonprofit executive director
and verger, an executive coach, and seven parents?
Did you know that together these men and women
traveled over 20,194 miles from stem to stern
around our country to discern who would be the
best possible candidates to be our new rector?
Did you know these people donated miles for
travel whenever it was possible to save money on
the process?
Did you know they collectively spent more than
6,000 hours in pursuit of the finalists to be our new
rector? These hours include:
2,016 hours in almost weekly meeting over
the course of 14 months
Co‐Chairs Diana Sullivan and
Creighton Reed
Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2017 Page 3
1,000 additional hours hosting and
documenting the Town Hall Meetings and
online surveys so they could then draft and
revise the Parish Profile and the Office of
Transition Management form which is the
official “job posting” for the new rector’s
position
At least 288 hours on Skype interviews of
potential finalists
1,728 hours away from home doing site
visits of candidates
At least another 1,500 hours preparing the
50‐page dossiers on each of the finalists they
presented to the vestry during three hours
on April 26th.
Did you know Natalie Hala and Anne Kieve
prepared dinner each week the Search Committee
met? Did you know that Mike Stafford was their
spiritual director during the process?
Even after these thousands of hours of hard work,
they all agree they wouldnʹt have it any other way!
On April 26th, the vestry hosted a joint dinner with
the Search Committee to honor them as they
concluded their duties. In addition to our shared
meal, all 12 dedicated parishioners delivered to the
vestry the written dossiers and gave a live
presentation of their site visits to the candidates
they discerned to be the best possible choices for St.
Mary’s. They were unanimous in their
recommendations and offered no rankings or
preferences.
In May and early June, we are hosting the finalists
and their partners for weekend visits to St. Mary’s.
Their visits include dinners with the vestry, tours
of the rectory and church campus, and lengthy
interviews.
The names of the finalists will remain in strictest
confidence, known only to the Search Committee
and vestry. This is required to maintain the
finalists’ confidentiality in seeking to come to our
parish. With prayer and the Holy Spirit, the
finalists and vestry will mutually discern who our
next rector will be. We will all rejoice with the
rector who ultimately accepts our call, sometime in
June or early July.
Our deepest gratitude goes to the 12 members of
the Search Committee for their fidelity and
commitment to listen to all who considered the call
to become St. Mary’s next rector and to selflessly
devote whatever was required to limit the choices
to only the few candidates who truly reflected the
values and aspirations we share as a congregation
for our spiritual life as we move into our future.
(Read the Search Committeeʹs wrap up on page 10.)
Your Pledge This Summer Allan Jergesen, for the Stewardship Team
Thank you for your support this Summer! Each
year as summer looms, the vestry assesses St.
Mary’s financial situation to ensure that our
projections for income and expenses are on track
and that we are in a good position at the half‐way
point in our fiscal year. This year, we were blessed
with $795,000 in pledges made by parishioners in
the course of our stewardship campaign. Actual
contributions through the first quarter of 2017 have
been $378,000, which is 48 percent of the total
pledge amount. This compares favorably with first‐
quarter pledge results in prior years, which are
usually in the range of 40 percent. Special thanks to
all who have pledged and contributed for bringing
us these happy results!
Summer also creates challenges for St. Mary’s
finances, as parishioners take a break from
ordinary life, go on vacation, and look for ways to
refresh and renew themselves. At the same time, St.
Mary’s continues to serve its parishioners and the
wider world, employing the resources available to
it. Parishioners can assist by using the summer
months to pay as much of their outstanding
pledges as they are able. Every little bit helps! With
everyone’s assistance, we look forward to
gathering our resources in the months ahead as we
prepare to welcome a new rector in the fall.
Page 4 Summer 2017 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Sunday School News Nancy Clark, Sunday School Co‐Director
We are nearing the end of another Sunday School
year, a year that adds up
to 30 Sundays of classes
and activities. As always,
we are grateful for the
energy and interest of the
children, the
commitment of parents,
and (applause! applause!)
the dedication of the
corps of teachers—12 in
all‐‐ who make it all
possible. With the
liturgical year as our
structure, spring lessons
focused on Lent and
Easter with the work of
Heifer International at
the center of our Lenten
outreach activities. The
traditional 5th and 6th
grade fundraiser on
“Refreshment Sunday“ featured cakes, cookies and
hot cross buns as well as potted flowers and savory
herbs and greens planted, tended, and harvested
by the class. This class of enterprising bakers,
horticulturalists, and aggressive sellers raised over
$500 for the Heifer cause. Noteworthy, of course, is
the generosity of parishioners, which underlies this
philanthropic success.
Readers of Sunday bulletin announcements know
that lessons after Easter focus on sightings of Jesus
by his incredulous followers as well as Jesus’
parables and acts of concern and caring. Stories of
the Good Shepherd, Good Samaritan, the healing of
blind Bartimaeus, and the Ten Lepers are avenues
for discussions about caring, healing, and kindness
in its many forms in everyday life. Older children
have been learning about Christian heroes and
activists such as Harriet Tubman, John Chapman
(aka Johnny Appleseed), Cesar Chavez, and Martin
Luther King.
Though Sunday School classes end on June 11, we
encourage parents to seek out during the summer
months activities that are extensions of Sunday
School lessons and endeavors. Here are some ideas:
Read a biography and
look for qualities in
that person that led to
success and greatness.
What acts of
generosity,
perseverance,
kindness, and
courage can you find?
”
an
onder:
nly
s value?
Talk about and
practice what it
means to be “good
stewards of creation.
Put the three R’s—
reduce, re‐use,
recycle‐‐‐ into every
day use wherever
you are, even on
vacation. At home,
work hard to fill the green compost and
blue recycling bins, and strive for ever
smaller quantities in the black garbage c
headed for the dump. A question to p
Why is environmental stewardship not o
an essential social concern but also a
religiou
Choose a family good cause or charity, set
out a collection jar, and make a point of
adding spare change and making regular
contributions. Learning early the benefits
and pleasures of philanthropy is a great gift
to give to our children
And of course, say family prayers. If you’re
shy about this, consider Anne Lamott’s
three categories: “Wow,” “Help,” and
“Thanks.” That will cover just about
everything.
Fifth and sixth graders offering home‐generated
edibles and botanicals for sale in support of Heifer.
Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2017 Page 5
Outreach at St. Mary’s – Funding and New Opportunities Ellen McLean, Assistant Treasurer
St. Mary’s has a deep and long‐standing
commitment to outreach with a focus on ministries
that support San Franciscans who struggle with
poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity. This
issue of the Cow Hollow Church News features
articles and pictures of some of the projects that
focus on improving the lives of those in need. See
stories on Nourishing Bodies and Souls (on page 6)
and on Rebuilding Together (on page 16). While
most of our outreach projects involve a
commitment of time and talent, some of these
projects also involve a commitment of financial
resources from the parish. There are three separate
sources of funding for outreach projects at St.
Mary’s:
1. Outreach Funds in our Annual Budget:
Every year the vestry budgets money for
outreach projects. This year they plan to
spend money on Open Cathedral, Edward
II/Larkin Street Youth Services, and Stephen
Ministries. Although the amount we budget
varies from year to year, we must spend at
least $6,700 each year from our operating
accounts because there are funds in our
endowment/investment accounts that
require the income to be used for outreach
each year.
2. The Annual Fundraiser for the Outreach
Granting Program (Tidings of Comfort and
Joy): Each year St. Mary’s has an Advent
fundraiser from which 100 percent of the
proceeds are distributed to local non‐profit
agencies that minister to those in need. Last
year St. Mary’s raised almost $50,000 for the
Outreach Granting Program and distributed
funds to eleven agencies: Art With Elders,
Brainstorm Program at the Janet Pomeroy
Center, The Episcopal School for Deacons,
Family House San Francisco, Raphael
House, Rebuilding Together San Francisco,
The San Francisco Night Ministry, San
Francisco Court Appointed Special
Advocates, Sojourn Chaplaincy at San
Francisco General Hospital, St. Dorothy’s
Rest Hospital Camps, and The Village
Project. For more information about these
organizations, see the Annual Report online
at http://smvsf.org/wp‐
content/uploads/2017/01/2016‐
17annualreport.pdf
3. New Outreach Fund: In 2015, St. Mary’s
received an anonymous gift from a
generous parishioner to be used exclusively
for outreach. These funds have been
earmarked for projects which expand our
outreach efforts and programs. Last year
and this year we used some of these funds
for the “Stop Hunger Now” initiative which
required a financial commitment to
purchase the food that was packaged by the
dozens of participants for distribution
overseas.
With this wonderful bounty, Ruth Tatum the vestry
representative for outreach, and Margaret Stafford,
the coordinator for outreach and the new Faith in
Action initiative, see opportunities both to expand
our outreach efforts with the help of the New
Outreach Fund and to increase the coordination of
our participatory outreach programs with the
Outreach Granting Program. Ruth and Margaret
are making plans to gather everyone interested in
outreach, but especially the current leaders of our
programs at St. Mary’s, for a brainstorming session
focusing on bolstering communication and
coordination of outreach efforts and discussing
new outreach opportunities. Look for
announcements in the Highlights email and the
Sunday bulletin for a date and time in June.
Page 6 Summer 2017 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Nourishing Bodies and Souls The Rev. Tim Smith and the Rev. Nancy Bryan
The food ministry at St. Mary’s has blossomed into
a robust and thriving group of different initiatives
in which parishioners minister with the elderly,
disabled, homeless, youth, and hungry people
abroad by providing food for them.
In ministering with those without adequate food
resources, our parishioners and non‐parishioners
who participate report that they find many benefits
from their work: joy, healing, a return to
wholeness, and renewed gratitude for all of the
blessings which God has bestowed on them.
Food Bank
St. Mary’s partnership with the SF‐Marin Food
Bank is now in its second year. In the first year, 25
volunteers
delivered over
25,000 pounds of
food on a weekly
basis throughout
the city to elderly
and disabled
residents who
could not
otherwise procure
food for
themselves.
Parish Sunday
School children,
under the
passionate
tutelage of our
Sunday School head Nancy Clark, periodically
prepare wreaths for volunteers to share with food
recipients. Recently, one of our volunteers
delivered food and an Easter/spring wreath
prepared by parish Sunday School children to an
elderly Russian couple at their home in the city.
They were so grateful for the wreath that they have
placed it next to their icon of Jesus on the mantle of
their living room!
Another recipient had retained on her front door a
Thanksgiving wreath prepared previously by
parish Sunday School children. When she received
an Easter/spring wreath from them, she proudly
placed it, too, in her home.
When
volunteers
have noticed
that food
recipients
struggle
with living
alone, they
have put
them in
touch with
various
resources of
the City of
San
Francisco to
assist them
with
housing and
medical care.
Stop Hunger Now
On March 4, the parish hosted a food packaging
event in partnership with Stop Hunger Now, a U.S.
non‐profit dedicated to eliminating global hunger.
At this event, a robust and highly‐energized multi‐
generational group of 75 parishioners and non‐
parishioners packaged over 15,000 meals in the
Great Room, for patients at tuberculosis and
hepatitis facilities in North Korea.
Edward II
Edward II, located several blocks from St. Mary’s,
is a residential facility for youth, operated by
Larkin Street Youth Services. On one Sunday a
month, a group of parishioners under the inspiring
leadership of Marta Johnson, prepares dinner for
Lifting spirits with wreaths
Packaging 15,000 meals in one afternoon
Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2017 Page 7
youth who live at the residential facility, and
prepare seasonally‐themed gifts, including for
Christmas and Easter. These young people are self‐
supporting, have experienced homelessness,
parental abuse, or lack of parental support, and
have committed to a rigorous educational program
to prepare themselves for independent living with
meaningful employment in the community.
After one of the young residents had broken his
leg, he came to visit with the volunteers preparing
dinner, who that evening were Alexandra
Crosswell and her three‐year‐old son, Marta
Johnson, Anne Williams, and Ilia and Tim Smith.
He told them it was the first time he had ventured
from his room for a meal in the kitchen since his leg
was broken. He looked forward to the St. Mary’s
dinner and seemed quite energized by his
experience with the volunteers, eagerly sharing
with them his stories about his work and about
living at Edward II.
Cupcakes decorated by residents at Edward II
The Food Basket
St. Mary’s is known for being very generous in
reaching out to others in the wider community.
Our food basket, located in the Narthex, is always
“open for business.” When you shop for groceries
or clean out your pantry, remember to pick out
some non‐perishable items and leave them in our
Food Basket. These items are delivered to
community‐based programs that feed hungry folks
and provide them with a filling meal. Deliveries are
made to places such as St. Paulus Lutheran Church,
the Food Bank, the Larkin Street Youth Services
residence at Edward II, Glide Memorial Church,
and others. Thank you for remembering others ‐‐
you make a difference!
Open Cathedral
For many years, St. Mary’s has helped to prepare
and serve bag lunches quarterly for “Open
Cathedral.” June 18 is our next date. During the
school year, our 5th and 6th graders help prepare
100 bag lunches, while learning about the
importance of serving others who are without
regular housing or food. Open Cathedral is under
the direction of the S.F. Night Ministry, begun in
1964, and serves the needs of those in crisis, both
on the streets at night and through trained
counselors answering their telephone Crisis Line.
We invite all parishioners to come along and see for
yourselves what happens when a faith‐filled
community gathers to pray, sing, receive the
Eucharist, and be fed both in spirit and body. The
Service begins at 2:00 p.m., lunch is served about
half an hour later. Regular attendees number about
75 and the ushers are always helpful and engaging
with everyone. This service takes place every
Sunday, rain or shine. Location: In the walkway at
Golden Gate and Leavenworth Streets, close to the
Sunday Farmer’s Market in Civic Plaza. For more
information, please contact Deacon Nancy Bryan at
Fifth and Sixth graders making sandwiches for Open
Cathedral
Page 8 Summer 2017 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
In God’s Hands Kevin Bulivant, Finance Manager
The principal of St. Brendan’s, my children’s
school, used to say, “God doesn’t always promise
you tomorrow.” I have thought about Sister
Diane’s words often in the last year. On Friday,
July 29, 2016 at around 9:10 a.m. I had a cerebral
infarction in the sanctuary at St. Mary’s ‐‐ a stroke
in the cerebellum area of my brain. I would like to
share my experience of that day and my journey to
recovery.
Normally I am the only one in
the office on Fridays; however
this day was an exception. At
9:00 a.m., Bryce, the piano
tuner, rang the door buzzer,
and I went down to let him
into the Sanctuary to do a
scheduled tune‐up on the
grand piano. I started to walk
back to my office; I felt a slight
dizziness that made me think
I’d better sit down for a
minute. I sat down in the
second center pew directly
facing the lectern. After about
a minute or two my breathing
felt very shallow, so I tried
taking some deep breaths to
calm myself. I started to feel a strange warming
sensation in my face. At this point I sensed an acute
awareness that something was wrong, and I asked
Bryce to call 911. I could tell he was a little nervous
making the call because he wasn’t quite sure how
to explain my situation. I am truly grateful that
Bryce was there that day to help me.
Sitting in the pew with my eyes closed, I was
breathing very deeply to control my anxiety. When
I opened my eyes, I felt like I was about to slide out
of the pew, as the whole sanctuary and the pew
were now slanted downward at a 45‐degree angle.
I gripped the front pew rail firmly to keep me from
sliding off the pew. I felt afraid and very alone
hanging onto the pew with different thoughts
running through my mind about my life, death,
faith, my deceased parents, my love for my family,
and whether I would ever see them again. I was in
God’s hands now and all I could do was hold on to
the pew, close my eyes, and pray to God for help
until the ambulance arrived.
When I arrived at St. Mary’s Medical Center, I was
so relieved to see my wife Mary at the ER. I
explained my slanted vision to the neurologist and
he called a stroke alert, and they took me to
radiology immediately for a CT
scan. The scan confirmed a clot in a
very small blood vessel in the right
side of my cerebellum. I was given
the miracle drug, tPA, to dissolve
the clot and to minimize damage to
my brain. There is about a three‐
hour window from the time of the
stroke for the drug to be effective. I
remember the Doctor telling me
the next 48 hours would be criti
because of swelling in the brain
after a stroke.
cal
I woke up around 2:00 a.m. on
Saturday in the ICU and thought I
saw an angel standing at the foot of
my bed. It was Sister Benzi, the
night nurse, in a long white habit.
Sister noticed I was awake and came into my room
to check on me in a very gentle caring way. She
explained the seriousness of my condition and her
spiritual presence gave me a feeling of hope and
peacefulness. Over the next few days in the ICU, I
realized how lucky I was to be alive. It felt like I
was on an emotional roller coaster and my blood
pressure was unstable. I wasn’t quite sure about
the road ahead.
After a one‐week stay in the hospital, my medical
team thought it would be best to continue my
recovery at home. I remember feeling so fragile and
cautious walking with a cane. My balance was
definitely off and I noticed my senses were over
Kevin Bulivant, grateful for tomorrow
Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2017 Page 9
stimulated, making it very difficult to be around
crowds and noisy environments. Fortunately, after
several weeks of physical, speech, and occupational
therapy, my balance and cognitive skills improved
greatly. I returned back to work on a part‐time
basis on August 19, 2016, and full time a couple of
weeks later.
To complete my healing process, I realized I
needed help for my mind to better comprehend
how this event affected me and to talk about all the
feelings I was having. After four months of sessions
with a neuropsychologist, I was able to work
through my PTSD and became – and remain ‐‐ very
optimistic about life. I feel blessed. Many stroke
patients do not receive tPA. I am one of the lucky
ones who did.
I am very grateful God gave me tomorrow.
Meet Your Stephen Ministers David Crosson
On March 26th, seven new Stephen Ministers were
commissioned, most of them young. (Just don’t call
them millenials.) With this new class, 12 Stephen
Ministers at St. Mary’s now provide quality, Christ‐
centered lay care with people in crisis. Most of the
new Stephen
Ministers work jobs
that require that they
travel nationally and
internationally, often
on a few hours’
notice. Two of them
have young children.
One was pregnant
throughout the
training classes and
gave birth two days
after commissioning.
Still, these dedicated
souls committed
themselves to fifty
hours of intensive
training with Stephen
Leaders Don Brown, Nan Slavin, and David
Crosson, every Monday evening and two full
Saturdays, over seven months.
The classes covered feelings, listening skills,
process‐oriented goal setting, assertiveness,
Christian care giving, boundary‐setting, identifying
and responding to psychological and physical
crises, mental health issues, and confidentiality.
The trainees read multiple books, watched training
videos, listened to lectures, read scripture, and
participated in role‐playing exercises. They
continue to grow into, and support each other in
loving community. Everyone is certified in the
diocesan safe church program to shield the
vulnerable. They did (and do) all of this because
each one has responded to the call to serve Christ
by serving God’s people in the most personal of
ways.
Are you going through a time of crisis in your life?
Are you losing or changing a job? Is your body
beginning to let you down? Are you caring for, or
mourning the loss of a dearly loved one? Are
family members hurting you and themselves? Are
your friends tired of hearing your story again and
again and again? Do you wonder how God could
allow this to happen to you, or to someone you
love? Then you may want to talk to a member of
the clergy about
having a Stephen
Minister walk with
you. Stephen
Ministers are trained.
Stephen Ministers are
absolutely
confidential. And
Stephen Ministers
will be with you,
listening, walking
beside you, as lon
you need them. Tha
is what God has
called Stephen
Mini
g as
t
sters to do.
New class of Stephen Ministers, left to right: Alli Bunker, James
Shepherd, Laurie Martin, Alexandra Pearson, Megan Burrows,
Kory Li, and Joannie Ericson
Page 10 Summer 2017 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Profile and Search Committee Wraps Up Its Work Creighton Reed and Diana Sullivan, Co‐Chairs
The Profile and Search Committee (PSC) wrapped
up its work in April 2017, delivering to the vestry
our reports on the three final candidates to become
rector of St. Mary the Virgin. While assurances of
candidate confidentiality preclude us from
providing details, we are thrilled with our finalists,
and truly feel blessed to be forwarding for
consideration three eminently qualified priests
with the requisite skills and experience to lead our
parish. Moreover, these are three fantastic
individuals — excellent people — whom we would
be honored to have as “fellow travelers” on the
journey we all share in this world. It makes us sad
to think we will need to professionally part ways
with two of these candidates; they will stay with us
in our hearts and go on to lead congregations
fortunate enough to have them bless them with
their presence.
Process and Timeline
Our process involved five steps, and included
dozens of intervening tasks.
1. Formation
2. Gathering, collating and organizing data
3. Writing the Parish Profile and OTM Profile
4. Collecting and screening applications;
conducting first round interviews;
interviewing semi‐finalists on site
5. Discerning finalists, writing up and
delivering reports to the vestry
Co‐Chairs Creighton and Diana were named at the
end of February 2016; our full committee was
identified in March; and we had our first meeting
in April. Our committee quickly organized itself,
set operating procedures, and began the first of
many cycles of planning and execution. From April
2016 through April 2017, we met virtually every
week, except for some weeks in summer and
around major holidays. We also met for full‐day
video conferences with first round candidates on
three successive Saturdays in January 2017, and
completed eight weekend on‐site visits with semi‐
finalists between late February and early April,
including teams that flew to visits in six separate
states. Here are some of the things we learned:
Outstanding parish — first of all, we have an
amazing community of faithful, dedicated,
energetic, compassionate, and thoughtful
parishioners. While we had a large task, and no
place is perfect, we felt part of a special place where
we care about each other, seek to support each
other, and choose to believe the best of each other.
Our main task was to find the best way to express
and communicate that, and then find the right
people who want what St. Mary’s offers and could
fit in — again as one of us, in the best mold of a
Servant‐Leader. So we always felt, in business
terminology, that we had a great “product” to
offer, and we feel fortunate to have found what
appear to be great individuals to continue on the
path with us towards a call.
The process — a quick note about this. In short, it
works. Yes, 13 months to get to three Finalists is
long (context: national average of 18 months for a
complete process). Many of us on the committee
wondered why it could possibly take so long —
after all didn’t we just go through this and have a
great Parish Profile from 2011‐12?
What we learned was that our parish had evolved
since we called our last rector. Our congregation
had changed a bit (for example, some more new,
young families and young adults), the times had
changed, and our needs had subtly changed. And
we needed, frankly, to heal. Perhaps some of us
still do. The time it took, and the steps we went
through — six large Town Halls, multiple smaller
targeted group meetings (Parish Choir, Altar Guild,
etc.), the survey, countless one‐on‐one discussions,
and so on until our current final step — have given
us as a committee, and we believe as a parish, time
to reflect and become clearer about what we
collectively want (and don’t want). Some people
Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2017 Page 11
left the church — which
is truly sad — but
others came, and while
we are still the same
basic St. Mary’s we
were five years ago, we
have changed. Again,
more accurately, we’ve
evolved, and this
process allowed for
that.
Our growth — Truly a
efforts as Search
Committee memb
has been our growth as
a team, and perhaps
even more so our
growth as individuals. Each of us feels we learned
a great deal about our faith, about our parish, and
for many of us, most significantly about ourselves.
As Co‐Chairs, this process deepened our fait
greatly increased the appreciation for what St.
Mary’s is. We talked about it a bit above, but w
came to really understand and appreciate just
truly hard so many volunteers work, and how
much so many of us do for those within and (even
more so) outside of our courtyard.
by‐product of our
ers
h and
e
how
s a committee, we did lots of hard work, but also
this
s
ppreciation of Applicants and those who choose
elves
.
though, thank you for what you do each and
uch
u
,
out our time as the rector Search
or of
e,
ne final time, Thank you and God bless you!
A
had laughs, and became friends. The two of us feel
so blessed to have worked with this committee.
This was an honor, a privilege, and such an
affirming experience. Thank you for giving us
opportunity — for the trust you placed in us, for
your support, and for your friendship and prayer
along the way. We pray for, and cheer the vestry
and our final candidates.
A
Episcopal Priesthood — Finally, we would like to
thank all of the candidates who took the time to
apply. Thank you for blessing us with your time,
your energy, and your effort to put together
applications, to talk with us, and to put yours
out there on paper and in person. We heard some
amazing stories and so many phenomenal sermons
Many of you truly touched us.
More
every day. Your work is truly important,
meaningful, and a blessing to those you to
personally and to the world as a whole. Our
appreciation for what it means to be a priest and
rector in The Episcopal Church grew tenfold — yo
stand not only as a spiritual, moral, and religious
leader, but also as CEO, coach, therapist, at times
referee, friend, and (again) fellow traveler (which
means father/mother, wife/husband, sister/brother
daughter/son) — and you wear countless other
hats. Thank you and God bless you!
Closing
We close
Committee by saying thank you for the hon
serving in this capacity. It has been an amazing
experience and a true privilege. We feel we have
gained far more than we could ever give. We hop
pray, and trust this journey will result in calling a
wonderful person to come and steer the special
ship that is our St. Mary’s.
O
Profile and Search Committee members at work; left to right, standing: Anne Kieve, Matt
Bartlett, Lauren MacDonald, Creighton Reed, Diana Sullivan, Alan Pendergast, and David
Gibson; sitting: Pleasant Thompson, Donna Davidson, Mike Stafford, and Riley Haggin;
inset: Natalie Hala.
Page 12 Summer 2017 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Martha Daetwyler, Vestry
Senior Warden
oulhac Austin and I announced the names of the
cre
to St. education of
0 among seven
r,
on
e
oung
women. You may have seen them serving the
arish in such capacities as Acolytes, as members
m
Member This year we are awarding $43,00
At the 9:00 a.m. service on May 7,
R
very first recipients of the St. Mary Magdalene
Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund was
young women from our parish, selected on the
basis of outstanding service to the church and the
broader community. The name of the fund and the
broad outline of the purpose were designated by
the donor who wished to remain anonymous.
recipients. The scholarship will continue each yea
because we spend only the income, so the milli
ated with a very generous donation of $1 million
Mary the Virgin to fund college
The first recipients are an amazing group of y
dollar gift will stay in the endowment and continu
to grow and provide the scholarships.
p
of the Childrenʹs and Youth Choirs, and as
participants on Youth Group mission trips.
Following are the recipients, their colleges, the
year they will enter in the fall, and their war
sentiments for their home parish.
First St. Mary Magdalene Scholarships Awarded
Announcing recipients of the first scholarships: left to right, Martha Daetwyler, Roulhac Austin, Frannie Sutton
and Ginny Woodworth. ʺMartha has been singularly devoted to setting up the St. Mary Magdalene Fund,ʺ said
Roulhac. ʺThe document that created this endowment is about three sentences long and the lawyer in her came
to the fore and created the structure and the process to make this viable in perpetuity for St. Maryʹs and for the
young women of this parish.ʺ
Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2017 Page 13
Ainsley Ball, First year
Tufts
St. Maryʹs
at
has been a
ays been a part of
d
elen Carey, Fourth
ear at Notre Dame
ʹs
n
na
ʹve
Isabel Paxton, Fourth
year at UC Los Angeles
e
ophie Reynolds, Second year at
C San Diego
mes Market, from
Smith, First year UC
a
of
ity
rannie Sutton, First year at
e most special
r me
y
il Iʹm back in the choir
inny Woodworth,
my home
, and
home‐base over the years.
Itʹs alw
my life, and I am so
grateful for the sense of
community it has provide
me.
H
y
Since joining St. Mary
with my family fiftee
years ago, St. Maryʹs
has given me a place to
grow, not only in my
faith, but also in my
personal and professio
and the experiences I
values and who I am today.
l life; the people Iʹve met
had have helped shape my
St. Maryʹs means a
community and a family
that has watched m
grow up since I was born
and always greets me
with love and warm hugs
when Iʹm home from
college.
S
U
My absolute favorite St. Maryʹs
event is Bible Ti
when I was in 3rd grade making
homemade clay coins to when I
was in 10th grade and got to be a vendor selling
grapes and matzo, itʹs something I looked forward
to every year.
Eva
Santa Barbara
St. Maryʹs has been
family to me in times
grief. A friend to me in
times of joy. A commun
that surrounded me with
positivity and sparked my
love for music. It has truly
been an honor to spend time there.
F
Pomona
One of th
activities at St. Maryʹs fo
is singing in the choir for
Lessons and Carols. That
service is, without fail, a
beautiful one, and a lovel
tradition that I am lucky to
have been a part of. It never
quite feels like Christmas unt
stalls trying my best to reach those high, high notes
of the descants.
G
First year at Seattle
University
St Maryʹs is
and my family, full of
people who have
helped me to grow
full of so many
memories.
Page 14 Summer 2017 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Transition, Baptism and Trust
he New
ut
t’s the way it’s been ever
ing to
en
l the
m
icene Creed.
e
se days is
t
,
d will
don’t be
of what God is doing – God is
ny
ick Buechner tells of a
time in his ife when he was really discouraged and
fearful. His
a
,
license
of
allenged beyond what we think we
handle, God can use anything to speak to us,
swer
on.
The Very Rev. Lin Knight, Assisting Priest
There was a cartoon a few years ago in T
Yorker of Adam and Eve walking hand in hand o
of the Garden of Eden. Adam turns to Eve and
says, “Dear, I think we’re entering a time
of transition.”
It seems like tha
since. St. Mary’s is going through its
second rector search, its second time of
transition, in five years. It’s an uncertain
time – “who will be our new rector?”
“Why did this have to happen to us?”
“Why is it taking so long?” “What
changes will our new rector bring to St.
Mary’s?” We are in a time of transition.
Years ago, when I was thinking about go
seminary, people talked about “going into the
ministry.” “Oh,” they would say, “we need nice
young men like you in the ministry” (it was all m
back then). The ministers were the ordained.
But that’s wrong! Because the ministers are al
people of God, all of you. The ordained clergy, the
1 percent of the church who are priests or deacons,
are like the supply corps, as we used to say in the
Navy. The ordained clergy minister mainly to the
ministers: to you who are out there on the front
lines, in the real world, meeting people where they
are, and showing them what a Christian looks like.
You’re where the action is, and the clergy are here
to support you in your ministry, give you the
spiritual strength to do your job as Christians.
Baptism is your ordination into ministry. Baptis
makes you a minister of Jesus Christ.
Baptism is more important than the N
Yes, it’s important what we believe. But the
Baptismal Covenant is what we do: “proclaim by
word and example the Good News of God in
Christ; seek and serve Christ in all persons; strive
for justice and peace; respect the dignity of every
human being.” Marcus Borg said, “You can believ
all the right stuff and still be a jerk!”
Clergy, rectors, and interims, come and go. The
average length of time for a rector the
about seven years. A wise priest once told me tha
if you want to know how much you’ll be missed
put your fist in a bucket of water, pull it out fast,
and see how much of a hole it leaves. The
congregation stays, you are the
backbone of St. Mary’s, the 99 percent
who have been here for years an
still be here years from now.
Finally, trust. Trust God and
afraid
bigger and more loving than we can
imagine, and God is with us in so ma
surprising ways.
The author Freder
l
daughter was very ill, and he didn’t
know what to do. He was sitting by the side of the
road in the little Vermont town where he lives,
when a car sped by with the license plate TRUST.
Buechner says that was exactly what he needed,
message from God to trust God, trust his daughter
trust that she would be okay, trust himself. A few
years later the doorbell rang at his house, and when
Buechner answered it a man stood there who had
read one of Buechner’s books in which he
mentioned that incident. He was the man in that
car, and he had come to give Buechner the
plate. He said he worked in the trust department
the local bank.
When we feel ch
can
even a license plate. Or another person. Or a
dream. St. Mary’s is not going into “circle the
wagons” mode. St. Mary’s will continue to an
Jesus’ call to be the church, to be the presence of
Christ, out in the streets. Ultimately a church is
known not for what it believes but for what it does.
Trust God, especially during this time of transiti
God is always with us. Transition, baptism, and
trust.
Fr. Lin Knight
Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2017 Page 15
A Journey to the UN he Rev.T
Dr. Paula Nesbitt, Assisting Priest
ber of the
ering
n
s of Women (UNCSW). I had never
is
.
ich I
en’s economic
rment across the Anglican world. It offered
es in various
erment.
e
the
of The Episcopal
hurch from 2012 to 2015. Both The Episcopal
ts on
ns,
r
n
n and
s to
sted,
e
Church Center,
untries,
and
der‐
sensitive budgeting
Episcopal Church. S
the experience has b
The Rev. Dr. Paula Nesbitt is a mem
International Anglican Women’s Network Ste
Committee.
For years I had taught college students about the
valuable work of the United Nations Commissio
on the Statu
imagined being involved in any way. But I was, in
March, and in 2016, when I spoke at events that
parallel the UNCSW annual meeting in New York.
“Listening across our
Differences: Empowering
women cross‐culturally for
transformation” was th
year’s event that I took part
in, one of the hundreds that
accompany the UNCSW
deliberations and are open to
both delegates and the public
I was invited to share my
research on how indaba had
empowered Anglican women
to speak up and work
together across cultural
differences, and to lead the
audience in a brief listening
exercise using indaba
principles. Indaba is a way of
communal listening and
deliberation that has been
used across the Anglican
Communion – and at St.
Mary’s.
Another parallel event, wh
attended, focused on wom
empowe
insights on what various Church
cultures are doing to promote this empow
For example, the Anglican Church in Samoa is
actively working to eliminate both violence against
women and the common practice of child brides.
The Episcopal Church of South Sudan has a
campaign for every woman to learn to read and
write, and to receive training in how to engage in
some kind of business: “We have to do that becaus
otherwise women never have a future,” said
panelist Joy Kwaje Eluzai.
I first encountered the UNCSW through my role as
chair of the Executive Council Committee on
Status of Women (ECCSW)
C
Church and the Anglican Communion sponsor
delegations of women and men to UNCSW who sit
in on official discussions, attend parallel even
related topics, offer their insights and suggestio
and return home to empowe
women in their communities.
As Chair of the ECCSW, I
served as a bridge betwee
TEC and the delegates to the
UNCSW. Each fall, wome
men can apply to become
Episcopal Church delegate
the two‐week UNCSW
meeting. If you are intere
contact me at [email protected].
This year, both Anglican and
Episcopal delegates cam
together for a Eucharist and a
lively discussion at the
Episcopal
where delegates spoke about
the importance of The
Episcopal Church for women
in Spanish‐speaking co
about the issue of refugees
immigrants fleeing violence,
and about whether gen
was being used by The
ome delegates have said that
een life‐changing in what they
learned, the relationships they built, and their
motivation to work for change. One woman had
brought a group of teenage girls and their mothers
The Rev. Paula Nesbitt and Imaculee
Nyiransengimana from Rwanda engaging in
important work for women worldwide
Page 16 Summer 2017 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
to the UNCSW meeting to reflect on where God
might be calling them.
Anglican women delegates, coming from more
than 20 countries, wrote a statement to the
Anglican Consultative Council at the end of the
o week UNCSW meeting, urging it to ensure
e those
omen
N conference
n economic empowerment.” March 28, 2017.
glic
David Sullivan, Event Chair
At 8:30 a.m. on a rare warm April day in
San Francisco (the temperature hit nearly 70
ore than 35 hearty souls
ined forces in Bernal Heights to help elderly
f years
the‐
made
rnal
. And
Francisco
dvertising and promotions agency. St. Mary’s
to,
tw
that women were full participants at all levels of
Church leadership, and to publicly denounc
involved in gender‐based violence. Having met
Anglican women from Rwanda, South Africa,
Burundi, Pakistan, and elsewhere, and learning
about the work they are doing to improve women’s
status, I returned home inspired and freshly
committed to this important work.
Here are some resources for more information:
ACNS – Anglican News Service, “Anglican w
pledge to ‘change the world’ after U
o
http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2017/03/an
an‐women‐pledge‐to‐change‐the‐world‐after‐un‐
conference‐on‐economic‐empowerment.aspx.
International Anglican Women’s Network,
http://iawn.anglicancommunion.org/. To find
out more about the UNCSW meeting, see
https://www.ngocsw.org/
degrees later in the day), m
jo
residents stay safely in their homes. It was
Rebuilding Together day and we did a lot in one
day. We weeded (filling 35 compostable bags), we
painted, we repaired stairs, we built a deck, we
replenished a garden, we emptied an attic o
of clutter, we replaced old smoke detectors, we
installed handrails – then we caught our breath for
lunch. Whew! Yes, we did nearly all this before
lunch! After lunch, we repaired and painted a
stairway, finished building the deck and
replenishing the garden, and cleaned up. We
wrapped up the whole day by 4:00 p.m. and
greeted our two beaming homeowners, across‐
street neighbors Curtis and Harold. Yes, we
this effort at not just one, but two homes in Be
Heights. Quite an accomplishment in one day
our homeowners are now safe at home!
Many thanks to our generous St. Mary’s volunteers
who were joined by forces from St. James Episcopal
Church and Jack Morton’s, a vibrant San
a
participants this year included Josie McGann, Steve
White, Tim Smith, Ellen McLean, Pam Sauer, Ned
Mobley, Linda Logemann, Jessica Metoyer, Dan
Hodapp, Susan Crown, Greg Toto, Katherine To
David Crosson, David Gibson, Nancy Svendsen,
Mark Wilson, and volunteer coordinator David
Sullivan.
In Bernal Heights before weeding, repairing and replenishing and
after (below)
Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2017 Page 17
Chalice Bearing at St. Mary’s arl Zachrisson, as reprised from the Summer 2014
ow Hollow Church News
.
ur
s
wine
pper. In his
us
er
ev
ious
e rgy, the
ook
e
Christ’s
of
.
is
love
the
e
e
XXX
h
arers.
o
to be a Cha
coordinated by Pam Ble
conducted by Bob B
C
C
Regular celebration of the Holy Eucharist at St
Mary the Virgin has been an essential part of o
community worship since the founding of the
parish in 1891. Holy
Communion, or Mass, is
celebrated each Sunday,
with additional
celebrations depending on
the season. Chalice Bearer
are central to the
celebration.
The roots of Holy Eucharist
are found in Christʹs
offering of bread and
at the Last Su
first letter to the
Corinthians (I.23), the
Apostle Paul witnesses, “I
have received from the
Lord what I also delivered
to you that the Lord Jes
on the night when he was
betrayed took bread, and
when he had given thanks,
he broke it, and said, ‘This
is my body which is for
you. Do this in
remembrance of me’. In the
same way also the cup,
saying, ‘This cup is the new
covenant in my blood. Do
this as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me’.” A v
is spoken by the celebrant at
Eucharist is also called, var
Supper, Holy Communion, th
Mass, and the Great Offering. It has been
celebrated since the Last Supper. Our Prayer B
sion of those words
ery Eucharist.
ly, the Lordʹs
Divine Litu
One of the special opp
St. Maryʹs is
Catechism offers the following observations: “Th
outward and visible sign of the Eucharist is bread
and wine, given and received according to
command; the inward and spiritual grace in the
Holy Communion is the Body and Blood of Christ
given to his people, and received by faith.”
In 1563, the Church of England sought to define its
doctrine as it related both to the Calvinist doctrine
and to Roman Catholic practice, by adopting the
Thirty‐nine Articles
Religion. These articles
were restated by the
Episcopal Church in 1801
Article XXVIII affirms that,
“The Supper of the Lord
not only a sign of the
that Christians ought to
have among themselves
one to another; but rather it
is a Sacrament of our
Redemption by Christ’s
death: insomuch that to
such as rightly, worthily,
and with faith, receive
same, the Bread which w
break is a partaking of th
Body of Christ; and
likewise the Cup of
Blessing is a partaking of
the Blood of Christ.”
Significantly, Article
stated, “The Cup of the
Lord is not to be denied to
the lay people: for bot
parts of the Lordʹs
Sacrament, by Christʹs
order and commandment,
administered to all…”
Enter the Chalice Be
rtunities for lay ministry at
lice Bearer. The schedule is
dsoe, and training sessions
ledsoe. Please consider the are
possibility that you may have a call to join this very
rewarding lay ministry. If so, contact Pam or Bob
Bledsoe ([email protected]).
Carl Zachrisson joined St. Mary’s of his own volition at
age 14 in 1954 and was baptized and confirmed two years
later. While his parents never attended, he brought up his
two sons at the parish with his wife Adele, and became one
our longest‐standing and most engaged parishioners. He
of
altar
of
served in many capacities including as member of two
rector search committees and on the vestry twice, once as
Senior Warden. His gracious presence was a fixture as a
welcoming usher at the 11:00 a.m. service for decades. A
regular reader of scripture, Carl offered his resonant
baritone and powerful delivery of the 22nd Psalm as a
deeply moving integral part of St. Mary’s Maundy
Thursday liturgy for 21 years. He died on March 10. All
St .Maryʹs Chalice Bearers have contributed moving
accounts of their own personal experiences behind the
rail. Read them at http://smvsf.org/liturgical‐
ministries/.
Page 18 Summer 2017 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Faith, Justice and Action Sandra Gary, Editor of the Cow Hollow Church News
For some parishioners of St. Maryʹs, events of the
s of issues
faith on matters of social justice through
The
, the
sued the federal
over its ban on travelers entering the
m
year 2017 ignited a heightened awarenes
in the community, inspiring a desire to express
their
taking action. Individuals have joined marches or
demonstrations on a variety of issues like
protesting travel bans, supporting gun control,
showing solidarity with women and refugees.
“Answer hate with love, ” read one sign,
articulating a guiding principle.
These actions reflect steps taken by members of
Episcopal Church elsewhere. For example
Diocese of Olympia, Washington
government
US from certain majority Muslim countries, on the
grounds that the ban prevented its members fro
practicing their faith by welcoming strangers in
need.
St. Maryʹs on the march on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
One parishioner of St. Maryʹs, in the everyday
course of doing his job, took action in a judicial
reflected the faith‐centered values of
o on
d
al
yʹs parishioners acting as individuals
the group Faith in Action.
a project ‐‐
may or may not have a social justice focus ‐‐
ve
do you feel called to live out your faith in the
ll
St. Mary’s has been working with Faith in
an interfaith organization that guides
o
s
setting that, while not faith‐based in itself,
nevertheless
fellow parishioners ‐‐ and in the process gained
national attention. As reported in The New York
Times on April 25: “A judge in San Francisc
Tuesday temporarily blocked President Trump’s
efforts to starve localities of federal funds when
they limit their cooperation with immigration
enforcement, a stinging rejection of his threats to
make so‐called sanctuary cities fall in line. The
judge, William H. Orrick of United States District
Court, wrote that the president had oversteppe
his powers with his January executive order on
immigration by tying billions of dollars in feder
funding to immigration enforcement. Judge Orrick
said only Congress could place such conditions on
spending. ”
He also presided at an immigration case in April
that was coincidentally the focus of participation by
other St. Mar
through
Through Faith in Action, parishioner Margaret
Stafford and a core group are leading a parish‐wide
discernment process to see if there is
that
that the parish might like to adopt as a way to li
out our faith.
Engaging with the Community Margaret Stafford, Outreach Chair
How
world? How should St. Mary’s engage with the
eeping you up atcommunity around us? What is k
night?
Many people in our congregation are feeling a ca
to take our faith beyond the walls of the church. A
group at
Action,
congregations through an internal exploration and
discernment process and helps makes connections
to community groups with similar goals. In April,
the Faith in Action team at St. Mary’s hosted tw
facilitator training workshops where we learned to
listen deeply to one another’s stories. We are now
shifting to the congregation‐wide discernment
process, and we will be holding exploration group
this summer to allow us to get to know each other
more deeply and discover the common threads in
our stories and concerns.
Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2017 Page 19
Several parishioners have been eager to jump right
into actions and new relationships with other
communities of faith. You
can read their stories
elow and get a sense of the amazing work that can
of
ore familiar with
aith in
community, St.
s such
in Action gathering held
March 30 with
pal churches,
many other faiths. Participants heard first‐
n
ias
was taken into custody by federal
re
I. Our
t.
further proceedings for July in front of a
in
ral on April 20. Various
congregations, the San
cisco
tives
S
t
Arrivals (DACA) not
confer legal statu gram is
r
other individuals
representing many faiths.
b
be done within these relationships. If you want to
know more, contact Margaret Stafford at
Parishioners and Clergy Explore Faith in Action Kathleen Murray
In recent weeks, as a way
becoming m
San Francisco’s F
Action
Mary’s parishioners and
clergy have become involved
as individuals in activitie
* Joining a citywide Faith
at St. Mary’s R.C. Cathedral on
representatives from several Episco
as: introduced a U
studying under
and
hand the experiences of undocumented immigrant
families and how leadership from Faith in Actio
had kept their families together. Citywide Faith in
Action gatherings are scheduled quarterly.
* Accompanying a 34‐year‐old mother of three,
who came to Santa Rosa from El Salvador at age
four, at her federal court hearing. Yazmin El
Obregon
immigration officials in February 2016, and later
denied bond by an immigration judge. On April 3,
her appeal of the denial of bond was heard befo
federal district court Judge William Orrick II
accompaniment consisted of sitting quietly in the
courtroom filled with close to 100 supporters. Just
before the end of the bond hearing, Judge Orrick
looked out at the observers and acknowledged that
he could see that Ms. Obregon had a lot of suppor
Judge Orrick later issued an order for a full bond
hearing.
* Attending Ms. Obregon’s bond hearing before an
immigration judge on April 12. After two hours of
testimony, the judge suspended the hearing and
scheduled
new immigration judge. Ms. Obregon returned to
incarceration. She will have been held without trial
for a year before the trial begins
July.
* Joining the “Immigration Now”
panel discussion at Grace
Cathed
faith
Francisco Interfaith Council, and
the University of San Fran
School of Law participated.
Several St. Mary’s representa
attended along with about 300
others. Speakers discussed
immigration policies and
F law student who is on campus
he Deferred Action for Childhood
program. Since DACA does
s and the future of the pro
in question, this student reports she is living in fea
for herself and her family.
* Attending Faith in Action’s Accompaniment
Training on April 25 at First Unitarian Universalist
Society Church with about 80
Natalie Hala, David Crosson, the Rev. Davidson
Bidwell‐Waite, Tim Smith, and Ilia Smith demonstrating
in solidarity with refugees
Answering hate with love
Page 20 Summer 2017 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Newcomers’ Corner
The Li Family Kory Li
My wife, Liz, and I have moved around quite a bit
in the last two years – from St. Louis to Houston to
San Francisco – but we never really had to shop for
a church before. When in St. Louis, there was only
one Episcopal Church in downtown St. Louis –
Christ Church Cathedral. When we were in
she
hen we came to San Francisco, we didn’t know
shop?” How do
about in a church?
We spent the first month going
service to Sunday service, try
Houston, we went back to Liz’s church where
went to school for 12 years – St. John the Divine.
W
what to expect. Do people “church
we do it? What do we even care
from Sunday
ing to find a good fit.
a cradle Episcopalian, and I was baptized
ew it
’t
that they had the same vestments as her
tion
r
grow an
ntirely new thymus out of stem cells. She obtained
gton
pany. I
held positions ranging from leading our
y, to my
current position
managing all
les to
t
! We
S
a e
was Liz
about two years ago. I chose the Episcopal Church
because of its inclusive spirit as well as because it
maintains many traditions. We did not check out
any other denominations in San Francisco.
When we came to St. Mary the Virgin, we kn
was home after the first service. Liz loved the
amazing music during the 11:00 a.m. service (didn
hurt
childhood church). The sermon by the Rev. Deb
White professing love, acceptance, and inclusivity
spoke to both of us. However, most importantly,
the friendliness and openness of the congrega
made us feel at home after the first 20 minutes. We
knew that we found our church home.
When not at church, Liz works at UC San Francisco
as a Research Associate in the Diabetes Center. He
research focuses on stem cells and how to use them
to re‐grow organs. Her current project is to
e
her Masters in Biology from St. Louis University
and Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Washin
University in St. Louis, where we met, and where I
received a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical
Engineering and Finance.
I have worked for Anheuser‐Busch since
graduating from college three years ago, and have
moved around quite a bit within the com
have
innovations
team in the
creation of some
of our national
brands (ask me
which) to
managing the
Houston
Brewer
beer sa
Safeway.
We live righ
here in Cow
Hollow and
enjoy exploring
our new city we
call home
t. Mary’s.
people, but our
y from our hom
live about a 10 minute walk from
Parking can be a problem for some
car is actually garaged farther aw
than the church is!
Newcomers Liz and Kory Li
Summer Sched
Starts June 1
Sunday Service
8:00 a.m. and 10:0
Parish BBQ
Sunday, June
00 a.
ule
8
s at
0 a.m.
18
m. service Following the 10:
Music News ric Choate, Interim Director of Music
Chili Cook O asting
he first ever Chili Co ft Beer Tasting
t St. Mary’s, in M ople who
ampled a dozen ozen
inds of freshly‐baked corn and several
pes of brews and sof one voted for
eir favorite chili in hottest,
ost origina me
ooden spoons engraved with St. Maryʹs logo by
olly and Conrad Irwin. A benefit for St. Mary’s
riends of Music, the event drew hearty applause
nd calls for an encore
Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2017 Page 21
E
ff and Craft Beer T
T ok Off and Cra
a arch, drew over 50 pe
s varieties of chili, a half‐d
k bread,
ty t drinks. Every
th three categories –
m l, and best overall. Winners took ho
w
M
F
a next year.
Chili Cook Off winners, left to right: Stephen Currier for
best overall, Anna Sylvester for most or
iginal, and Jay
ssell for hottest.
Summer Choir at St. Maryʹs
The summer choir at St. Maryʹs is a wonderful time
for you to try your hand (or voice, rather) at some
choral singing. The choir has a relaxed commitment
during the summer months. We still sing every
Sunday morning even though a single 10:00 a.m.
service replaces the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
services. Thursday evening rehearsals for the
Parish Choir and Wednesday rehearsals for the
Youth and Children’s Choirs are suspended. If you
would like to participate, simply show up at 9:00
ma ole year.
one a ticipation
the
e
co
g
t, and
and H ance singer
as an aspi appreciate
n
music.
without king a commitment for the wh
nd come all. We welcome parCome
from people who have much singing experience,
and people who have none. It is a fun, friendly
environment in which everybody participates fully
in the music ministry at St. Mary the Virgin.
Max Colter in Concert
Section leader Maximiliano Colter first sang in
Parish Choir in 2010, when he was a student at th
Ruth Asawa High School of the Performing Arts
(SOTA) and arrived at church on his skate board.
He joined the S. F. Symphony Choir for two
seasons and began studying at the San Francis
Conservatory of Music, from which he is now a
graduating senior with a Bachelor of Music in
classical vocal performance. The baritone gave his
senior recital at St. Mary’s on April 23, enchantin
an enthusiastic crowd of admirers with selections
from composers as varied as Mozart, Schuber
Rodgers ammerstein. “As a freel
ring classical musician, Iand
the knowledge of liturgical music I have received
from St. Mary’s,” says Max. “Studying a
combination of church music at St. Mary’s and
classical works at the conservatory has given me a
insight into the whole foundation of western
And I wouldnʹt change the environments in which
I learned for the world. Thank you St. Maryʹs!”
Ru
a.m., an hour before the service for a quick
rehearsal. It is a very fun way to get involved Max enchanting the crowd
Page 22 Summer 2017 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Parish Retreat 2017 at The Bishop’s Ranch
Over fifty members of St. Mary’s, with many first‐timers, joined us on this year’s annual parish retreat at the
Bishop’s Ranch in Healdsburg. The theme this year was “Inside Out.” On Saturday morning, Parish Life
Committee member Stephen Gamboa led the adults in a forum that started with a period of meditation and
that then explored in small groups how the noise inside our heads can get in the way of experiencing the
“peace that passes all understanding.” Riley Haggin, Theodora Knauss, and Mike Stafford helped fifteen kids
fill their buckets with joy. Pam and Bob Bledsoe and Arthur Perkins led attendees through a tasting of the
flavors of the world Saturday afternoon. Chris Ralph served as mosquito bait while strumming his guitar
(along with Stephen and Mike) while others joined in songs and s’mores around the campfire under the stars.
On Sunday, Parish Life Committee member Olivia Gamboa led a peaceful Yoga session overlooking the hills.
the Rev. Lin then led a beautiful service in the chapel with wondrous music provided by Marla Perkins and
the children. After a weekend of sun and fellowship, old and new friends were already marking their
calendars for May 18 to 20, 2018. Can’t wait to see you next year at the Ranch! (see the photo gallery at
http://smvsf.org/2017‐retreat‐photo‐gallery
‐‐ Amy and Christian Cebrian
A Sparkling Afternoon
Legacy Society members gather under the great window’s tracery at Don and Carol Anne Brown’s fabulous home.
On Sunday, May 7th, the Planned and Major Gifts Committee hosted an Afternoon Tea for the members of St.
Mary’s Legacy Society. The Very Rev. Dr. Don Brown and Carol Anne Brown graciously opened their fabulous
home in Berkeley for the gathering. About 30 people attended. Don thanked everyone for coming and for
being so generous. Don and Carol Anne both provided fascinating architectural and historic background
regarding the house. It was designed by Julia Morgan in a style that Don said Julia described as
“Mediterranean‐Moorish‐Renaissance.” The Browns frequently allow nonprofit organizations to use it for their
events. David Gibson then mentioned that we all drink from wells that others have dug. He reminded us we
are the beneficiaries of past gifts received by our parish, and our generosity will in turn benefit countless
unknown people in the future. On Sunday, July 16, as part of the Summer in the City series of forums, Sandy
Stadtfeld will make a presentation about the meaningful and lasting impact that specific planned gifts have
had on our parish over the years. Please plan to attend. If you need more information regarding easy ways to
make arrangements for planned gifts to St. Mary’s, or if you have already done so but have not notified us yet,
contact the parish office at 415‐921‐3665.
Jane A. Cook, Planned and Major Gifts Committee Chair
Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2017 Page 23
First Class Mail
.
HIGHLIGHTS—SUMMER - 2017 Also visit www.smvsf.org
SUMMER SCHEDULE STARTS JUNE 18 Summer Schedule for Sunday Morning Worship – Starting
June 18, Service times are 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Regular worship times start again September 10, with services at 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m.
SPIRITUALITY & PASTORAL CARE Sunday morning services – at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.
Holy Eucharist, Rite II – Wednesdays, in the chapel, at 7:00 a.m.
Nursing Home Ministry – every 4th Sunday, Golden Gate Healthcare Center, 2707 Pine Street, at 1:30 p.m.
Presidio Gate Ministry –2nd & 4th Mondays, 2770 Lombard Street, at 11:00 a.m.
Pastoral Emergencies – A priest is always on call. To reach a member of the clergy, go to www.smvsf.org/pastoral-care
Upcoming Baptisms – Sundays, June 4, July 30, September 24
OUTREACH Raphael House Ministry – First Monday of each month.
Contact Alisa Quint Fisher at [email protected]
Larkin Street Dinners at Edward II –Sundays June 11, July 9, and August 13, at 4:00 p.m. Contact Marta Johnson at [email protected]
SF- Marin Food Bank – Every Thursday morning deliveries from church. Contact the Rev. Tim Smith at [email protected]
MEETINGS & MISCELLANY Deadline for the Fall 2017 Cow Hollow Church News –
August 1. Please email articles to [email protected]
SAVE THESE DATES Confirmation of St. Mary’s Confirmands – Saturday, June 3,
at Grace Cathedral, at 10:00 a.m.
CHEFS Gala – Episcopal Community Services Benefit – Thursday, June 8, 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.ecs-sf.org/events/CHEFSGala.html
Parish Barbecue – Sunday, June 18, following the 10:00 a.m. service, in the courtyard.
Open Cathedral – Sunday, June 18, at Civic Center Plaza, at Leavenworth and McAllister Streets, at 2:00 p.m. For information, contact the Rev. Nancy Bryan at 415-608-8777.
City Adult Forum Series – Sundays. June 25 – August 7, in the Great Room, at 9:00 a.m. See flyer for details.
2325 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123‐3905
(415) 921‐3665 • www.smvsf.org
INSIDE… From the Rector ................ Cover Story
Sr. Warden’s Letter ............................ 2
Sunday School & Youth .................... 4
Outreach Funding ............................. 5
Nourishing Bodies and Souls........... 6
In God's Hands................................... 8
Profile and Search Committee........ 10
First Mary Magdalene Scholarships12
Transition, Baptism and Trust ........ 14
A Journey to the UN ........................ 15
Chalice Bearing at St. Mary's.......... 17
Faith, Justice & Action .................... 18
Newcomers’ Corner ........................ 20
Music News ...................................... 21
Parish Retreat 2017 ......................... 22
A Sparkling Afternoon..................... 23