The Road to Progress is Always Under Construction

I’m delighted to share with you that even during these summer months of June to August, your Cathedral was hard at work. Pastoral care, hospitality, outreach and building and property matters don’t take a holiday. I’m grateful to our Associate Clergy, Wardens, Vestry and our congregation members for all they do to keep things running.

Our shut-in members who value and treasure a visit, a prayer, and a sense of community all get this on a regular basis. Thank you, Larry Spears for check-in calls to our Cathedral members.

I’m also grateful to Larry Spears and Joyce Gibbs-Spears for getting our Sunday hospitality hour restarted. Also grateful to Cn. Clara Gregory and a host of Cathedral volunteers who initiated a program on healthy eating, with a grant from Trenton Health Team.

Our annual Summer Camps – Blue Mountain Music Camp and Urban Promise Camp – were very successful. Please do not underestimate the value of our youth being engaged and active in productive pursuits during the summer. Thanks to Georgia Koenig and Sherri Anderson and all of you who generously contributed to this effort.

As I informed the congregation, Ellen Wanser was scheduled for surgery in August and October. Unfortunately, some medical challenges have interrupted the plans. Please keep her in your prayers. In the meantime, Lourdez Hernandez has been assigned the responsibility of Director of the Food Pantry. She and several key members have not missed a beat. Willie Coleman, J. Gil Williams, Veronica Ngwayah, Edna Garrison, Samuel Richards and Judith Miller, along with our custodians have done a phenomenal job.

The reconfiguration of our Pantry set up, first initiated under Ellen Wanser has been a huge success. The acquisition of three new refrigerator/freezers and storage racks means that our set up is much more orderly. During a recent inspection by Mercer Street Friends personnel, Pamela Sims-Jones and Brooke Bauerle gave us much praise for the way everything is being handled. The acquisition of a computer, dedicated expressly to the Pantry ensures that the necessary monthly reporting is done expeditiously. Thank you, Lourdez Hernandez, for taking this on.

Thank you, to Mike Raab and Georgia Koenig and her band of landscape volunteers for paying attention to some important external building and property issues. Lots of plumbing issues (some completed) as well as some seriously damaged gutter work still to be done (on the educational building).

We are still waiting on an evaluation performed on the Chapel and Cathedral organs. We are working on improving the audio and live-streaming systems. We’re grateful to have acquired the services of another individual, Christian Boczar to assist with the live streaming.

In early August, after doing our due diligence, we welcomed The Full Gospel Community Church as tenants using our Chapel and Undercroft Restrooms from 10:30am – 12:30pm on Sundays.

Good news on two prospective restarts: we have been given the green light by Hamilton Grove Care and Rehabilitation to resume our Sunday worship services and visits. Persons wishing to be part of this must be vaccinated; if you are interested, please speak to Althia Russel Muse. Our Wednesday, midweek Eucharist will resume on September 13th from 12:10 – 12:45pm.

Your Friend and Dean,

The Very Rev. René R. John