Sign Up to Support the Flower Guild

We’re pleased to announce that the 2023 Flower Chart is up on the bulletin board and ready for your memorials and celebrations. We thank the many individuals who signed up on the flower chart in the past for their donations and special flower requests in memory of, or in honor of loved ones, and in celebration of births and anniversaries. The requested donation is $75. Your memorials also contribute to the sanctity of each service and add to the beauty of St. Luke’s Cathedral. 

For additional information contact Kathy Watt or Mary Doughty.

Messiaen Concert by Ensemble Chamarré

Sunday, February 26th | 3:00pm

Location: The Cathedral Nave

Freewill offering in support of St. Elizabeth's Pantry

Contact: Christian Clough

Please join us on Sunday, February 26th at 3pm in the Cathedral Nave as we host Ensemble Chamarré for a concert of the music of Olivier Messiaen. Please read the description of the concert below:

Ensemble Chamarré is dedicated to performing the powerful and moving "Quatuor pour la fin du temps" by Olivier Messiaen. This piece (translated as the Quartet for the End of Time) was composed during an excruciatingly difficult time while Messiaen was captured and held in a German POW camp during World War II. The Quartet for the End of Time draws its inspiration from the Book of Revelation, birdsong, and the colors of the northern lights. The first performance was held in the camp during the bleak winter of 1941 with Messiaen at the piano, and fellow prisoners playing violin, cello, and clarinet. Ensemble Chamarré seeks to help the listener to experience the context of this extraordinary masterpiece of chamber literature by describing the conditions at the camp and details of Messiaen's experience as it relates to the music. Listeners may draw inspiration from this musical and spiritual journey of triumph and redemption over despair.

 Past performances were greeted with great enthusiasm from audience members, who described it as “a transforming experience”. Following these successful performances together playing Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, and witnessing the transformational qualities of that musical work and the audiences' response, as well as the musicians’ chemistry of working together, the musicians decided to formally create an ensemble dedicated to playing this powerful piece. The musicians who make up Ensemble Chamarré individually bring a great mix of experiences to the ensemble: from performances with the Boston Symphony on international stages to recording for Aerosmith, from movie soundtracks to concerto solo performances. They have performed worldwide, earning praise from reviewers citing their “mesmeric” and “brilliant” playing and “amazing delicacy” and “musical wizardry”.

A Warm Welcome to Paul from the

 St. Luke's Food Pantry

Last week we welcomed Paul, our newest food pantry volunteer. Paul and his wife Rose arrived in the US several months ago from Angola. He taught geography and computer science in Luanda and Rose is a trained cook.

Paul speaks English well and on Thursday mornings he makes our food pantry an even more welcoming place by interpreting for our Portuguese-speaking neighbors.

Paul and Rose have transitioned from living in a shelter to living with St. Barts parishioners in Yarmouth temporarily. If you have any ideas about permanent housing in the area, please email Anne Jacobs.

 Temporary Housing Needed for Angolan Couple

Paul and Rose are a young married couple who are asylum seekers from Angola, having just arrived in Portland this fall. They have become valuable volunteers at St. Elizabeth’s Essentials Pantry and St. Luke’s Food Pantry.

We are seeking host families for Paul and Rose for short 2-week stays in parishioners’ homes while they continue the search for permanent housing. Currently, they are staying in two Yarmouth homes with St. Bart’s families until March 3. They are in need of temporary housing from March 3-17 and possibly beyond.

Paul has many years of experience as a teacher of science and geography. He has a strong command of the English language and is skilled as a translator for our Portuguese neighbors. Rose is fluent in French and Portuguese, is trained as a cook and is currently taking English classes. They are very self-sufficient and eager to begin their new lives in Maine. Those who have hosted them so far share that it has been an enjoyable and rich experience. They are available to answer any questions.

If you are interested in hosting Paul and Rose in your home in the coming weeks, please contact Sarah Borgeson.

St. Luke's Community Kitchen to

Host Cooking Classes with Guest Chefs

Monday, March 6th|6:00p-8:30pm

Location: The St. Luke's Community Kitchen

All proceeds support St. Luke’s Community Kitchen.

To Register: Dawn Brennan-Daly

Cost is $75/pp with seating for 12 participants.

Chef Will Donnelly will show you how to prepare home-made pasta with a delicious sauce, and then enjoy dinner together. Please BYOB.

Chef Donnelly was born in South Africa and started cooking at an early age with his family after moving to New York City. He continued his education at the Culinary Institute of America and has cooked in professional kitchens and restaurants in London, New York and Portland. He brings over 18 years of experience to his cooking, catering and classes, and is committed through his teaching to preparing better, healthier meals at home while supporting local, organic, humane farming.

Learn more by going to Loving Bite Catering and on Instagram, Will Donnelly (@sharplikeknife)

PPEAT Lenten Resources

The Public Policy and Environmental Action Team recommends these two resources for Lenten practice and reflection. 



The Creation Justice Ministries 2023 Lent Resource: Daily Reflection-Action Calendar to Cultivate Creation Justice can be downloaded here. This calendar includes daily tips for personal action, learning, advocacy and reflection.

The Rev. Mary Jane O'Connor-Ropp, of St. David's in Kennebunk, has developed Walking with Suffering Creation: A Meditative Experience in Eight Days, which can be downloaded here.

Each meditation includes an invitation, reflection and prayer, and they need not be done on consecutive days.

The Healing Team

The Healing Team will serve on these dates with the following Healing Team members:

February 19, 2023 Sara Schmalz and Elise Magnuson

February 26, 2023 Gail Kesich and Judd Hume

March 5, 2023 Oscar Mokeme and Sara Schmalz

Please contact Judd Hume at (207) 773-5611 or with any questions.

Contributions for Dean Shambaugh's Farewell Party

The Cathedral Finance team still welcomes contributions in support of the farewell party held for Rev. Benjamin Shambaugh.



If you wish to make a financial gift in support of Dean Shambaugh's farewell celebration please drop off a check to the parish office or mail to the cathedral at P.O. Box 4141, Portland, ME 04101.

Please denote in the memo either "For the Dean's Farewell Celebration."

For any additional questions please email our treasurer Tim Wilkins.

Thank you for your generosity.

Realm Online Giving Platform

The Cathedral has launched our online giving platform, Realm, which also serves as our new database.

If you are interested in establishing monthly or weekly recurring gifts for your 2023 Pledge or other outreach gifts, now is the time to do so.

Please see the link here to be able to access our giving page.

Please note, Realm is not where you make your pledge. It’s where you will schedule payment of your pledge in whatever increments you might like to do. That could be weekly, monthly, or in one lump sum payment as you set up your recurring gift or one time gift please look at those options and make sure the amount that you enter is what you want withdrawn each week or each month.

You can also donate to St. Luke’s through our new and secure “Give and Text” feature. Please TEXT “TEXTCSL” to 73256. Our 2023 Pledge Campaign is ongoing. Pledge materials and information are available here.

Family Promise Needs Your Help

Portland Friends is hosting GPFP families. Help is still needed!

The GPFP rotational model is up and running and we still need your help!

There are  currently two sets of volunteer opportunities.  One involves shifts at the day center at the YMCA on Forest Avenue. We are looking for help filling morning, midday, and afternoon shifts Monday - Saturday.  The  day center is generally staffed with one Family Promise staff person and a volunteer. We need the most help Tuesday and Thursdays between 10-2 and on Saturday when the kids are there. Sign up at the YMCA day center here.

The other involves volunteering at the host church, which alternates every two weeks. Portland Friends will host our families from February 8 through February 22. There are opportunities for spending time with the families from 5:00 to 8:15 pm, and overnights, as well as shifts on Sundays and Presidents’ Day on February 20. Sign up at Friends with this link.

  Please Contact Ann if you have questions, or Wayne if you’re having trouble signing up. 

At this time, we welcome both trained and untrained volunteers from our faith communities. Many thanks to all who have stepped up to help - we could not do this without you!

Lynne England: (207) 318-9848

Connie Bingham: (207) 415-1441

Mary Linneman: (207) 409-4253