Oct. 30, 2025 | VOLUME 37, ISSUE 43

All Saints Day celebration

November 2, 2025

Preacher: The Rev. Jennifer Wagner Pavia

Saturday, November 1st & 2nd: Porchfest LA Live Music Events (see flyer below)

Sunday, November 2, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM: Porchfest on Rob's Porch; 4:00 PM: Frank Basile & Megan Gillespie (see schedule below)

Sunday, November 9, 4:00 PM: Evensong celebrating All Saints

Bible and Breakfast

Tuesdays | 9:30 AM

Luther Hall & Zoom

Midweek Eucharist:

Wednesdays | 7:00 PM

Chapel in the Sanctuary

Adult Forum: A People's History of Christianity

Wednesdays | 8:00 PM

Luther Hall & Zoom

ALL SAINTS & HOMECOMING BARBECUE: NOV 2

Sunday, November 2

Following the 10am service

This year the St. Bede's Homecoming Barbecue will be held in conjunction with our All-Saints Day celebration. We are asking parishioners to contribute food as they are able. Whether you bring a little, a lot, or just your beloved self, we hope that you will join us!

The Sign-up to bring food can be accessed HERE.

Where's the Beef ?

Dear Friends,

Several of you have asked why our Homecoming cookout menu does not include beef or pork this year. I want to share the spirit behind that decision.

As part of our ongoing commitment to steward God’s creation, we will feature chicken, turkey, and vegetarian/vegan options on the grill. During the global Season of Creation last month, faith communities were encouraged to eat one meat-free meal a week. We know well the environmental impacts of large-scale meat production—particularly beef and pork—from greenhouse gases to deforestation to significant water use.

Rather than hosting a vegetarian event, poultry has been included as a way to honor both stewardship and the reality that eating patterns vary. This small shift builds on the sustainable practices St. Bede’s embraced before my arrival—reducing food waste, choosing compostable/reusable items, tending native plantings, and more. My hope was that sharing one community meal without red meat would be a simple, joyful expression of our love for the earth God entrusted to us.

That said, I also want everyone to feel welcome at the table. If beef or pork is essential to you for this celebration, bring what you’d like to place on the grill for yourself. If you’ve already purchased beef or pork for the group, bring it. Nothing should go to waste, and no one should feel excluded.

Above all, I look forward to the joy of simply being together—sharing food, laughter, and the gift of this wonderful community.

With gratitude,

Rev Jennifer+

ALL SAINTS & HOMECOMING SUNDAY: NOV 2

To prepare for All Saints & Homecoming Sunday on November 2, please note the following:

Altar of Remembrance: Bring in photos of those we love but no longer see.

Homecoming BBQ to follow the 10:00 AM service. Sign up to bring food or drink by clicking HERE.

Don't forget to SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK one hour on Saturday night, Nov. 1.

A Brief Theology of Halloween

The name itself comes from “All Hallows’ Eve,” of course, a carnival-like inversion celebrating the shadow sides of life — ghosts and ghouls and such — just before the great festival celebrating the saints. Its deep roots may well include folk traditions of honoring the dead, appeasing evil spirits, and marking the end of the summer harvest and the beginning (in the Northern hemisphere, at least!) of the darkest days of the year.

But whatever its origins, Halloween today is worth thinking about. It’s become one of the most popular holidays in North America (second only to Christmas!), and at its best, it’s a magical, playful night of community-building and neighborhood-making. From this point of view, we might even call it a sacramental glimpse, if only for one night, of how the world is supposed to be: homes decked out in mischievous fun, doors opened to visitors of all ages, a spirit of wit and excitement in the air, and simple, sweet gifts given to children — all children, not just “our” children! — dressed up as heroes and villains alike.

It’s easy to grumble about “all that sugar,” “marauding teenagers,” “a waste of time,” and so forth. But think of it: when else do we intentionally spend this kind of time together as a community? When else do we do something as a neighborhood that’s this intergenerational? This open to all? This playful, goofy, and plain old fun? When else do our yards and doors open to so many? And when else are so many gifts given out — often by strangers, to strangers — simply for the sake of delight?

And there’s an even deeper side to all of this, too: in many neighborhoods, lines of social division — segregated lines of race and class, for example — are often crossed on Halloween night. In such moments, Halloween can become an all-too-brief time of sharing experiences and resources, catching sight of a true “commonwealth” too often obscured from view on the other 364 nights of the year. And what’s more, there’s now some intriguing social science showing a strong correlation between a community’s health and the extent to which it celebrates Halloween.

At its best, then, Halloween amounts to a vivid portrait of what “neighborhood” actually looks like. That alone is worth celebrating. And after all, what better way to honor the dead, prepare to celebrate the saints, and enter together the darkest time of the year than to embody — with equal parts playfulness, creativity, and joy — the “loving our neighbors as ourselves” to which Jesus calls us every day?

Those mini peppermint patties never tasted so good!

By saltproject.org

FALL STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN for 2026

Did you ever have news so exciting that you could not wait to share it with others? The Good News that fills our spirits with joy is about the radical abundance, abiding love, and healing power that Jesus shares with us when we respond to his call to follow him. All of the gifts that we have been given are ready to burst forth to serve our neighbors and share our love with a world in need.

Stewardship is our grateful response as responsible stewards of the gifts we receive from God. The tradition of giving back to God and to the church comes from the Biblical practice of “tithing,” which means to give back a tenth of our earnings to God (Numbers 18:26). The Episcopal Church sees stewardship as more than simply contributing money to the church; it’s also about contributing time and talents and volunteering for ministry and mission. It’s about reaching out to build relationships from a perspective of abundance instead of scarcity. Please visit the St. Bede's Stewardship page HERE to read Rev. Jennifer's letter and make your pledge online.

CELEBRATION GARDEN DEDICATIONS: NOV 2

ADOPT A PLANT!

You are invited to participate in the dedication of the St. Bede's Celebration Garden by sponsoring a California native plant in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving for someone special. Each dedication is $50.

The list of plants may be found on our parish website at stbedesla.org or on the sign-up sheet by the front door. The garden will serve as a living tribute of remembrance and gratitude, while also supporting the flourishing of pollinators and other wildlife.

Dedications will be recognized, and the Celebration Garden will be blessed on the Feast of All Saints, Sunday, November 2. See Rev. Jennifer with any questions.

PORCHFEST LA: NOV 1 & 2

Porchfest is taking place at several locations around Los Angeles on Saturday, November 1, and Sunday, November 2.

Click HERE to see the list of porches with the location, schedule and artists performing.

Click HERE to see a map showing the locations of the porches in Mar Vista & Culver City.

St. Bede's parishioners Rob Kadota & Melora Sundt are hosting one of the porch events on Saturday, November 1, as displayed below. Note that Frank Basile, our Music Director, is one of the performers and we hope to see you there!

Rob’s Porch at 3759 Barry Ave. LA, CA 90066 (Sat)

11:00 AM Nina Storey- @ninastorey, www.ninastorey.com - Singer Songwriter

12:00 PM Mary Beth Abella - @marybethabella - Indie Pop-Rock Songwriter

12:40 PM Jerry Hernandez - @Jerryismeh- Stand Up

1:00 PM Tart Vandelay - @tartvandelay - Electronic Dance Pop Duo

1:40 PM Jonathan Galeano Gonzalez - @bonbonathan - Stand-up Comedy/Improv

2:00 PM Old Corn Lickers - @oldcornlickers - Acoustic Old-Time Bluegrass, and Folk

3:00 PM Trees - @treestheband - Folk-rock-soul, Singer-songwriter

4:00 PM Megan Gillespie, vocalist and Frank Basile, keyboard - Classical, Musical theater, Jazz

SACRED RESISTANCE: Help Immigrant Families

By Alice Short

In recent months, St. Bede’s has made several connections with Sacred Resistance, a standing task force of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Among other ministries, Sacred Resistance is assisting immigrant families that are living under the threat of deportation and are sheltering in place.

A few of our parishioners have started to work with a handful of families, delivering some household goods and children’s clothing, and the Mission Committee is also working to assist.

Our families need more items and will need more in the future. We can help in a number of ways:

The families have sometimes requested specific household items, which we can purchase, and they continue to need clothing. Gift cards to stores like Target are on their list.

The children in these families need school supplies and art supplies.

We are also collecting money to buy some of these supplies. Checks (with the words “fall clothing/assistance drive”) and cash are welcome!

Below is a list of some items the families have requested … which we (as individuals or a parish) might purchase– and we will continue to add to this list.

We will be setting up bins at church for people who purchase those items.

Thank you!

Tide pods laundry detergent

Old spice body wash for men

Softsoap Liquid Handsoap refills

Women' s tote bags

Papa John’s gift cards

The families are looking for various clothing items (pants, T-shirts, Sweat-shirts) in the following sizes:

· Sizes for women are medium and large

· Sizes for men are large and xl

· Size for boys are 7 and up

· Size for girls are 5 and up

SACRED RESISTANCE ~ Los Angeles

Who We Are

We are people of faith and conscience standing together against injustice. Rooted in our commitment to resist evil and protect the vulnerable, we work to support immigrants, refugees, and all marginalized communities. Sacred Resistance is a social justice ministry and advocacy branch of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles that was formed after Diocesan Convention voted in 2016 to be a Sanctuary Diocese.

What We Believe

We believe that every person deserves dignity, safety and the right to live without fear. When systems of oppression threaten our neighbors, our faith calls us to act. Our baptismal covenant calls us to "persevere" in resisting evil. We understand that as a sacred promise to stand against the systemic forces that oppress and marginalize any member of our human family– including but not limited to racism, sexism, nativism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

We are situated at the intersection of faith and action, recognizing that true sacred practice means protecting the vulnerable and confronting systems that perpetuate harm.

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

ELECTION PRAYER for NEW EDLA BISHOP

SUPPORT for IMMIGRANTS

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: FOOD DISTRIBUTION

Jessica and her husband Rob head to the food distribution drop off site.

By Jessica Mariglio

During a recent trip to Southern Italy, I found myself intrigued by a tradition tucked into Naples' café culture: il caffè sospeso, the suspended coffee. The practice is simple—you buy an extra coffee and leave it "suspended" for a stranger who can't afford one. Just a small act that leaves a little goodness for the next person who needs it.

Coming back to Los Angeles, I carried with me a desire to continue this tradition of looking out for one another. Having just finished Sara Miles' excellent memoir, Take This Bread, about how distributing food became her path to understanding both hunger and grace, I began thinking about providing nourishment as an expression of solidarity. So when I heard that families in our community were afraid to leave their homes because of the current political climate, I knew I had to get involved.

I started volunteering with CLUE Justice's initiative to feed immigrants sheltering in place. The process is simple—we load cars with fresh vegetables, canned goods, and baby food, then drive to drop-off locations where the provisions can be collected by those in need.

The families served come from Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia—diverse backgrounds united by shared vulnerability. They've stopped attending regular food distribution events not out of choice, but out of fear for their safety.

This work matters because in addition to delivering food, we're sending a message that these families matter and aren't forgotten. When people are too scared to seek help, we can bring help to them. Our own form of sospeso-- one of kindness, if you will.

If you'd like to get involved or learn more, please contact Sithy Bin at sbin@cluejustice.org.

Here is the writeup Telemundo did on CLUE's work. (It's in Spanish):

https://www.telemundo52.com/noticias/local/organizacion-comida-domicilio-inmigrantes-los-angeles/2797060/

Dear friends,

Many of you have shown concern about new immigration policies and how they will impact this vulnerable population among us here in Los Angeles. Below is information about how you can get involved through CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice), an organization that St. Bede's works with and supports. Join us in preparation for this essential work.

Blessings,

Rev. Jennifer+

At the core of nearly every faith tradition lies the concept of a just, harmonious, and loving society where all souls are valued and everyone can thrive.

It is unconscionable that people fleeing violence in other countries would be deported back to those places, regardless of threats to their safety and security.

Because the Trump Administration is threatening immigrant communities across the country (regardless of documentation status), CLUE is working across Southern California to protect immigrant workers and their families in a variety of important ways.

You can join us in this work or support it with your donations knowing that you are doing your part to protect vulnerable people.

SUPPORT CLUES IMMIGRATION WORK

RAPID RESPONSE NETWORKS

If you see ICE Activity anywhere you go, you can report it to the Rapid Response hotlines in your area.

Los Angeles: 888-624-4752
Orange County: 714-881-1558
San Bernardino/Riverside: 909-361-4588
Kern County: 661-432-2230
Central Valley: 559-206-0151

CLUE is working with RRN partners to offer ongoing trainings for faith leaders and community members who want to show up for workers and families being targeted by ICE.

If you want to be trained to be a rapid responder and you live in Orange County, Los Angeles or the Inland Empire, contact Sithy Bin at sbin@cluejustice.org.

CLUE WELCOME NETWORK

CLUE is cultivating its vast network of houses of worship to create a network of congregations that provide respite, and even longer-term shelter, to migrants released into Southern California.

Over 30 congregations are already participating in the CLUE Welcome Network that houses asylum seekers and refugees. We receive referrals from CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) for asylum seekers in need of shelter, from legal service providers that are seeking sponsors for people being released from detention, or direct walk-ins. Some congregations in the network provide temporary shelter or short-term housing, and others support those efforts with gifts of supplies, transportation, etc.

Thank you for standing in intimate solidarity as we seek to build a society where everyone is safe and lives with dignity.

If your congregation is interested in joining the network, offering housing or supplies or services, please contact Sithy Bin at sbin@cluejustice.org.

In faith and solidarity,

Rev. Jennifer Gutierrez

A PRAYER for IMMIGRANTS from BISHOP TAYLOR

BISHOP LETTER on CRISIS IN GAZA

Letter from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe on crisis in Gaza

July 16, 2025

Yesterday, Archbishop Hosam Naoum of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East gave a powerful address to the Church of England’s annual Synod in York about the situation in Gaza and the Holy Land. He spoke of the horrifying humanitarian conditions that the war in Gaza has created, including the continued bombing of hospitals, a desperate lack of medical supplies, and a food distribution system that he likened to the dystopian novel “The Hunger Games.”

In his address, Archbishop Hosam asked for our help, saying, “Where the church is wounded and constrained, we need the wider body of Christ to help us, to be the church in brutal and damaging times.”

Here are some ways that we in The Episcopal Church can respond to his call for help:

As Christians committed to peace and reconciliation, we can stand with our siblings in Christ in the Holy Land as they continue their ministry of presence and resilience in the midst of inhumane conditions. We join Archbishop Hosam in his call for the Israeli military to end the bombing of hospitals and the siege of Gaza; for the restoration of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza under United Nations supervision; and for Israel and Hamas to release all unjustly detained people and hostages.

We can also call for Israel to end its targeting of civilians in Gaza. I particularly grieve the death of Dr. Ahmad Attallah Qandil, a surgeon at the Diocese of Jerusalem’s Al Ahli Hospital, who was killed by a drone strike as he left the hospital after his shift last Friday. He is one of hundreds of medical workers who have been arrested, detained, or killed in Gaza during this war.

Conditions in the West Bank are also deteriorating, and we join the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem in expressing grief and outrage at the recent attack on Taybeh, the last all-Christian village in the West Bank. Extremist Israeli settlers destroyed crops and olive groves, damaged historic buildings and water systems, and attempted to burn its ancient Byzantine cemetery and fifth-century Church of St. George.

Archbishop Hosam and the Diocese of Jerusalem are committed not only to providing Christian hope in the midst of the current hopelessness, but also to creating conditions that will bring about a lasting peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people. Because U.S. policy plays an outsized role in this conflict, we Episcopalians in the United States have a particular responsibility to support this work by advocating to our government to support a permanent ceasefire and a solution that provides a just and enduring peace. Most of all, we must decry in the strongest possible terms any U.S. or Israeli proposal for ethnic cleansing or the removal of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank.

Our Office of Government Relations helps us make our voices heard in Washington, D.C., ensuring that we can speak as Christians guided not by any political party, but by the redemptive love of the Risen Christ. You can find more information and tools for advocacy on the church’s website.

As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we can also support the Diocese of Jerusalem as it continues its ministry of peacebuilding and reconciliation and prepares for the rebuilding of its ministries after the war. As I have done several times, I invite you to join me in making a generous donation to the Good Friday Offering or the American Friends of the Diocese of Jerusalem, both of which provide urgently needed funds for the ministries of the Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East.

In his address, Archbishop Hosam, who is from the Israeli city of Nazareth, called us to join his church in fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah that Jesus proclaimed in the synagogue there:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18-19)

May we answer this call through our support for God’s people in the Holy Land.

The Most Rev. Sean Rowe

Presiding Bishop

The Episcopal Church

PRAYER FOR PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND

ST. BEDE'S ONLINE GIVING PORTAL

Visit the St. Bede's website and at the top of every page, look for the "Donate" button. When you click on the "Donate" button, you will be transported to St. Bede's Vanco eGiving and Payment Process Site.

Vanco is an industry leader in online payments. More than 40,000 churches, faith-based groups, nonprofits, schools, and educational organizations trust Vanco to securely complete transactions every day. Vanco complies with PCI Level 1 standards, the highest security standard in the payment processing industry.

You are invited to set up one-time or recurring gifts using credit, debit, or bank transfer on Vanco's secure payment processing platform. Giving online through the Vanco site saves time and the hassle of remembering to bring your offering. In addition, you decrease the expense incurred by St. Bede’s from handling and processing checks and cash.

FROM THE EPISCOPAL NEWS

A newsletter serving the Diocese of Los Angeles

L.A. attorney Catherine Helm named diocese’s interim chancellor

By Bob Williams

Bishop John Harvey Taylor has named attorney Catherine Helm – an active volunteer and former senior warden and school board chair at St. James’ in the City, Wilshire Center – to serve as interim chancellor, or principal legal counsel, of the Diocese of Los Angeles.

Helm will succeed outgoing chancellor Canon Richard Zevnik, who is concluding his tenure as chancellor during Diocesan Convention’s upcoming annual meeting Nov. 7-8.

“It’s been a privilege to work with Cathy over the last several months,” Taylor said. “A chancellor’s portfolio is a delicate balance of offering legal and pastoral insight. In even the most difficult matters, our command in Christ is to seek reconciliation where possible. This has been a hallmark of Chancellor Zevnik’s ministry as well as that of our late vice chancellor, Julie Dean Larsen, along with vice chancellors Jeff Baker and Nancy Whitehead. As interim ‘managing partner’ in our diocesan ‘firm,’ pending the determination of new episcopal leadership, Cathy has already risen splendidly to the challenges of this unique and vital ministry.”

A partner in Helm Silverman LLP specializing in labor and employment law, Helm expresses longstanding interest in the work of the diocesan chancellor and vice chancellors. “Several years ago,” she said, “I spoke to one of our diocesan chancellors when I was working on a project for my church. I was intrigued to discover that the chancellor posts existed, and I wondered how people were lucky enough to get such an interesting job. I’m delighted that things have turned out so that I now have the chance to work in the position myself. The little bit of work that I’ve done so far has been fascinating, and I’m looking forward to learning and doing more.”

Previously, Helm was a partner in the Los Angeles office of Irell & Manella, a firm she joined in 1984 after a year as a law clerk in the office o the Hon. James A. Belson of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. She graduated Harvard Law School in 1983, and earned a bachelor’s degree in American history and literature, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Harvard College in 1980.

EPISCOPAL NEWS SERVICE

St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Gary, Indiana. Photo: Paula DeBois

Northern Indiana’s only historically Black Episcopal church honored for its place in Gary’s history

By Shireen Korkzan

St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Gary is Northern Indiana’s only historically Black Episcopal church. Since its founding as a colored mission nearly 100 years ago, the congregation, mirroring the city, has experienced growth and decline.

“When I was a child, midnight Mass on Christmas was standing room only, and all the politicians, including Mayor [Richard G.] Hatcher (Gary’s first Black mayor who served from 1968 to 1988) and different congressmen and councilmen came regularly. …St. Augustine’s was quite a church in its heyday.” Phil Johnson, a former parishioner of St. Augustine’s who now lives in nearby Chicago, Illinois, told ENS.

Paula M. DeBois, a lifelong member of St. Augustine’s who now serves as the parish’s historian, has worked to preserve the church’s building and history. Over the last five years, she worked with Indiana Landmarks and the Indiana Historical Bureau to get the church approved for a state historical marker. Their efforts were successful. In August, volunteers from Decay Devils, a local landmarks restoration nonprofit, installed the marker in in front of the church between two large oak trees, where it’s visible from the street.

Former Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, who preached at St. Augustine’s in 2016, congratulated the congregation after the marker was installed in a video message:

“The historic marker [recognizes] the continued existence and faithful witness and ministry of your congregation over these many years,” he said. “One of the wonderful things about having a historic marker is that you never know how many people will stop and pass by and … take note of the fact that you have been there and have been serving and ministering and worshiping God in that community and that sacred place for many years.”