Oct. 9, 2025 | VOLUME 37, ISSUE 40

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost:

October 12, 2025

Preacher: The Rev. Jennifer Wagner Pavia

Saturday, October 11, 6:00 PM: Party of Parties hosted by Sisters of Bede in the Parish Hall (see flyer below)

Sunday, October 19, 2:00 PM: FoM Concert in the Sanctuary

Saturday, October 25, 11:00AM: Karen Scharre Memorial Service & Reception at St. Bede's

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

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 | 8:15 PM

Luther Hall & Zoom

FIGHT HUNGER THIS WEEKEND!

St. Bede's parishioners are invited to participate in the Mar Vista Neighborhood Association Food Drive this weekend. The flyer above tells us what they need, and all donations will be given to the Westside Food Bank. The members of the MVNA are very grateful for our presence in the community; in fact, one of them said, "St. Bede's is such a cornerstone of kindness in the Mar Vista community."

So please bring your donations to church this Sunday to help the impoverished households in Mar Vista. As they said, "Every donation counts and together we can make a difference." Thank you all !!!

THE PARTY OF PARTIES is THIS SATURDAY!

Party of Parties Tickets now ON SALE!!!

To purchase a ticket, please see Daphne Moote, Susan Holder, Penny Jennings, Ina Klem or Marissa Kovalovs.

Discover Giovani’s Story!

We’ll be serving Giovani’s famous Tiramisu at the Party of Parties. His journey is just as inspiring as his dessert, as illustrated by this short video. Click here to see how he turned his life around with his daughter’s help. Click here for a longer video offering additional information about Giovani’s journey.

FRIENDs of MUSIC CONCERT: OCTOBER 19

All St. Bede's parishioners, their families, friends and neighbors are invited to the performance on October 19, when the Friends of Music will open their Thirtieth Season with a concert by Agnes Schwartz, violin, and Sonia Lee, piano and organ.

Agnes Schwartz, violin

Sonia Lee, piano and organ

A native of Hungary, violinist Agnes Schwartz has performed in 25 countries as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician, specializing in early and classical music, contemporary repertoire, works by Hungarian composers, folk music, Klezmer, and free improvisation. Her performances have been broadcast on Hungarian Radio, Television, Bratislava Radio, Icelandic Radio, Radio France Paris, and Duna TV California, and can be heard on Hungaroton Recordings.

Schwartz has been the concertmaster of the Whittier Regional Symphony (formerly Rio

Hondo Symphony) since 2007 and is a member of the Long Beach Ballet, LA Sinfonietta, Vicente Chamber Orchestra and The Master’s University Orchestra. She has served as guest concertmaster for numerous opera and musical theatre companies, as well as professional, studio, and college orchestras in the Los Angeles area. As soloist, she has performed with the Whittier Regional Symphony, San Fernando Valley Symphony, CSUN Philharmonic, World Zoroastrian Orchestra, and the PCC Jazz ensemble. She holds an M.M. degree in Viola Performance from the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and an M.M. in Violin Performance from CSU Northridge where she was a winner of the 2009 Concerto Competition.

Pianist and organist Sonia Lee performs a wide repertoire ranging from classical to

contemporary to commercial to early music. She has been invited to give solo and

collaborative performances and masterclasses in more than 150 cities on four continents, including festivals and venues such as the Rome Festival, Nordic Historical Keyboard Festival, Milwaukee Museum of the Pianoforte, Tagliavini Collection at San Colombano (Bologna), Taipei National Concert Hall, Olympus Hall (Seoul), and the early music festivals of Boston, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, and Utrecht. Her discography includes leading roles with the Classical Chamber Players and La Donna Musicale featuring the first recordings of music by Antonia Bembo, Joseph Weigl, and Leopold Kozeluch. As director or guest director, she has led the University of Illinois Collegium Musicum, Dulces Exuviae, Musicerend Gezelschap, the Phantasie String Orchestra, and La Réunion Musicale.

Lee holds graduate degrees in music from McGill University and the University of Illinois. She is lecturer in music at California State University, San Bernardino, staff pianist at Río Hondo College, and music director and principal organist at St. Mary in Palms Episcopal Church in L.A. and Christ Church Parish in Ontario.

https://www.sonialeemusic.com/

KAREN SCHARRE MEMORIAL: OCTOBER 25

Karen Scharre Memorial Service & Celebration of Life

All parishioners are invited to join the Memorial Service in celebration of the life of our cherished and recently departed congregant, Karen Scharre. The service will take place in the Sanctuary at St. Bede's on Saturday, October 25, at 11:00 AM, followed by a luncheon in the Garden (weather permitting) or in the Parish Hall. Let us come together to honor Karen's life and offer heartfelt support to Jerry Hornof, her widower and St. Bede’s Senior Warden.

CELEBRATION GARDEN DEDICATIONS

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.

ADULT FORUM: A People's History of Christianity

Continuing . . . next week Chapters 10 & 11

8:15pm in person and via Zoom

"The Grassroots Movements That Preserved Jesus's Message of Social Justice for 2,000 Years and Their Impact on the Church Today"

Join us as we look at Christianity from a different lens. For too long, the history of Christianity has been told as the triumph of orthodox doctrine imposed through power. Now, historian Diana Butler Bass sheds new light on the surprising ways that many Christians have refused to conform to a rigid church hierarchy and sought to recapture the radical implications of Jesus's life and message.

Diana Butler Bass is an award-winning author, popular speaker, inspiring preacher, and one of America’s most trusted commentators on religion and contemporary spirituality, especially where faith intersects with politics and culture.

She holds a doctorate in religious studies from Duke University. Her bylines include The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN.com, Atlantic.com, USA Today, Huffington Post, Christian Century, and Sojourners. She has commented in the media widely including on CBS, CNN, PBS, NPR, CBC, FOX, Sirius XM, TIME, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, and in multiple global news outlets. In the 1990s, she wrote a weekly column on religion and culture for the Santa Barbara News-Press, which was distributed nationally by the New York Times Syndicate.

Available in hard cover from your favorite bookseller,

and on Kindle and Audible

Click here to join via Zoom

BLESSING of the ANIMALS & PLANTS

Amanda Murray, along with her daughter Ash, both pay rapt attention as her service dog, Castamere, is blessed by Rev. Jennifer. Photo: Penny Jennings

Last Sunday, October 5, at both the 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM services, Rev. Jennifer joyfully blessed animals belonging to numerous St. Bede's parishioners. The blessing of the animals is a tradition inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology. A variety of beloved pets, in addition to photos of pets and stuffed animals, were brought to St. Bede’s for a blessing which involved prayers for both creation as well as the animals. It was a beautiful way to show gratitude for the joy and companionship animals provide and to affirm their place in God's creation.

Katya Zagorska gives love to one of her blessed kittens as Luna & Stella look on. Photo: Deb Giordano

Sharon Schmidt, along with her King Charles Spaniel named Monty, receive a blessing from Rev. Jennifer. Photo: Susan Holder

Holly Matsuura with her husband Daron are delighted with the blessing of their dogs, Hermes (black) and Eros (white). Photo: Susan Holder

Bill Murray is thrilled following the blessing of his dog Reggie. Photo: Deb Giordano

After the 10:00 AM service, Rev. Jennifer blessed all the plants in the St. Bede's garden.

PORCHFEST LA

Mar Vista Music Project is bringing Porchfest LA to

Mar Vista and Culver City - November 1st and 2nd, 2025

Don’t delay. Act now, Spots are limited.

Be part of this annual LIVE music event held across the U.S.A. and in

Canada on front porches, bringing local musicians and neighborhoods

together to celebrate and create a sense of community.

● Registration for Performers is now open through September 27, 2025. Click here for the Musician/Performer Application

● Register here to be a Porchfest LA Host. Closes September 27, 2025. Click here for the Host Application

www.porchfestla.com

By Rob Kadota

Porchfest has been celebrated all over the USA and Canada for over 10 years now and just arrived at East LA last year and this year will be in Mar Vista and Culver city. People freely offer their porches for performance space and musicians donate their skills as well. We have more than a dozen porches in Mar Vista and half a dozen in Culver City so far, and we will continue to accept both porch hosts and musicians up until September 27th. As of today, we have 31 musicians committed to play in Mar Vista and 23 willing to play in Culver City. Musicians can indicate more than one location in their application. This event should be a wonderful celebration of community and artistic talent. Businesses and organizations are also invited to host porches, side yards, backyards and more. Stay tuned for additional information in the near future.

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

Law professor Jeff Baker

Law professor Jeff Baker will focus on justice issues, public policy in Diocesan Convention’s Margaret Parker lecture

By EN Staff

Jeff Baker – University of Alabama School of Law professor and associate dean who is also a vice-chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles – will deliver the biennial Margaret Parker Lecture at Diocesan Convention on Saturday morning, Nov. 8, in Riverside.

Titled “The Church of Dissent in an Imperial Republic,” the lecture “will address the church’s work and voice for justice in the law and public policy and its relationship to secular and political power,” Baker told The News.

Named a vice-chancellor of the diocese in 2019, Baker relocated earlier this year from Southern California to his home state of Alabama where he now serves the university law school as a clinical professor of law and associate dean of experiential learning. He and his family are now parishioners at Canterbury Episcopal Chapel at the University of Alabama.

Baker said his clinic law practice “seeks to advance social justice, human rights, and access to justice for communities with fewer resources,” while his scholarship “addresses issues at the intersection of law, policy, theology, human rights, and human dignity.”

Previously, Baker was a clinical professor of law and associate dean of clinical education and global programs at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law where he also directed the Community Justice Clinic.

EPISCOPAL NEWS SERVICE

London Bishop Sarah Mullally was announced Oct. 3 as the archbishop of Canterbury-designate. Photo: Anglican Communion News Service

Conservative Anglican archbishops object to new archbishop of Canterbury as others celebrate her

By David Paulsen

The announcement last week that London Bishop Sarah Mullally would become the Church of England’s first female archbishop of Canterbury was cheered by many in The Episcopal Church and in provinces across the Anglican Communion, potentially signaling a new era for the global Anglican leadership role, which has centuries of history.

In sharp contrast, the reaction of some conservative Anglican leaders in Africa and other parts of the Global South has been decidedly negative.

“Grievous” was the adjective used by the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches. It issued a statement calling Mullally’s selection “one further symptom of the crisis of faith and authority” in the Anglican Communion.

Another organization of conservative Anglicans, GAFCON, said it received the news with “sorrow” and restated its arguments that the archbishop of Canterbury “can no longer function as a credible leader of Anglicans, let alone a focus of unity.”

And Nigeria Archbishop Henry Ndukuba called Mullally’s selection “devastating.” Ndukuba’s province has boycotted most Anglican Communion gatherings for years in protest of the theological diversity of beliefs and practices represented by the 42 autonomous, interdependent Anglican provinces. He and the Anglican Communion’s most conservative leaders have insisted on theological uniformity, particularly regarding human sexuality and traditional gender roles.