Dear Friends,

Today we contemplate the mystery of the cross.

It reminds us how we fall short, how we fail. It is a reminder of death and pain, shame and vulnerability. A reminder of all that is wrong in our lives and in the world.

It reminds us that governments will wrongly imprison a person, run roughshod over human dignity, then wash their hands. It reminds us that out of fear or indifference, too many—us?—will yell “Crucify him!”

We might rather skip this day and head straight to Easter. The world certainly does, preferring springtime hope and cuddly bunnies.

But the cross also promises us that we have a God who knows suffering and is with us in it. That, no matter how deep our pain, we are never alone.

So, don’t skip the cross.

For the cross tells us that despite ourselves, despite the worst that we or the world offers, God can do more. God in Jesus took in all the worst--our pain, our selfishness, our sorrow, our cruelty—and rather than responding with violence and judgment, God absorbed and transformed it all, declaring us free and forgiven, changing our pasts and our futures with this universe-altering act of forgiveness and love.

We don't want to look at the cross. But it's the only hope we have.

Today, gaze upon the cross and allow your heart to be broken open, just as God's heart and Son were broken on the cross.

And, then, come Easter, you’ll be ready.

Faithfully, Suzanne+

TODAY: Friday, April 19: Good Friday

12:00pm Stations of the Cross

7:00pm Service with Meditation on the Cross

Music, prayers, the Passion, 

meditation on the Cross.

The Episcopal Church traditionally takes a Good Friday offering which supports the ministries of the three dioceses of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. 

LEARN MORE & DONATE HERE

Holy Saturday, April 19

Morning Service at 10:00 am

Keep the solemnity of the service - the quietest day of the year - with this prayer service. Stay after to help prepare the church for the Easter Vigil.

8:00 pm

The Great Vigil of Easter

Easter Vigil with Great Fire, Salvation Storytelling, Baptisms, 

and First Eucharist of Easter

Easter Sunday, April 20

Services at 8:00, 9:00, and 11:00am

We look forward to worshipping with LOTS of people on Easter!

If you prefer smaller crowds, you might want to celebrate at the Vigil on Saturday or early Sunday at the 8 am service (there will be hymns!).

Come to church early on Easter to get a seat!

ALL SAINTS’ EASTER EGG HUNT

Saturday, April 19  from 10am - 11:30 (rain or shine) 

Children ages 0 to 8 are invited to join in the All Saints’ Easter Egg Hunt and children 9 or older can come and help out. There will be craft activities to start the morning and juice, chips, and simple finger food following the hunt.

JOIN US; Church Clean-up Day

Saturday, April 19 | 10:30am-12:00p,

Join us to make the church sparkle for Easter! Meet in the sanctuary.

PLEASE NOTE: Next Sunday, April 27 is the Annual Ravenswood Run.



On this Sunday there is NO 8am or 9am Service.

See you at the 11am Service!

(More info about the Run in the Social Justice & Outreach section)

Centering Prayer at All Saints

Wednesdays at 7:00 pm in the Reading Room

Silence is God's first language" (St. John of the Cross)

Join practitioners of centering prayer on Wednesdays in the Reading Room at 7 pm for 20 minutes of centering prayer, followed by an optional time of discussion. Interested in learning more? Doors open at 6:45 for those who would like instruction in and more information about silent prayer.

Caregiver Connections

Monday, April 21 at 7:00 pm

The next meeting of Caregiver Connections, our monthly support group for caregivers, will be held on Monday, April 21, at 7 p.m. in the Reading Room. If you've thought about attending this group but haven't yet been able to make it, please join us. All are welcome! Reach out to Abby Wentworth Joseph (abby.wentworth.joseph@gmail.com) with any questions.

Photography as a Spiritual Practice

5-Week Small Group Focus: Creation
Photographer Dorothea Lange once explained: “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” Participants in this small group (limit is 10) will practice seeing Creation with new eyes by using their smart phone or other camera.

Introductory Zoom Conversation | April 22 from 7 - 8:30 pm

Gather on Zoom the following Tuesdays

April 29, May 6, May 13, & May 20 from 7 - 8:30 pm

When we’ll review participants’ photos and share what they discovered during the course of doing this spiritual practice.

For more information, contact EileenCrowleyPhD@gmail.com.

Celebrate Earth Day – Tuesday, April 22

Give Thanks, Act, Care for Creation!

During the first week of Easter this year, on Tuesday April 22, the world celebrates Earth Day. On that day and week, you are invited to pray Creation-themed Table Prayers of thanksgiving for the bounty of the earth. For your convenience, you can find selected “grace” prayers here. As you pray them before your meals, know that others in our All Saints’ community are praying them with you! (Some printed copies will also be available at the main entrance to the church.)

Want to give thanks with your eyes, hands, and feet, too? 

Take a walk with camera in hand to help track the health and growth of the Chicagoland tree canopy by participating in the Morton Arboretums’ Canopy Counts Program.

Snap a picture or two of trees in your neighborhood and use the Canopy Counts online tool to upload your photos. This tool will automatically insert them into the interactive Canopy Counts map and will even identify the type of tree in the photos! This information will be used to help local government and community organizations understand how best to care for trees for the benefit of all God’s creatures. 

Join Friends of the Parks on Saturday, April 26

rain or shine, to help clean up your neighborhood park!

If you live near Ravenswood Manor Park, sign up here. To participate in clean-ups happening at other parks, you can find one near you and sign up on the Chicago Park District’s Earth Day page. People of all ages are welcome! 

Stay tuned for more ideas! 

Would you like to help out on the Building & Grounds Committee? 

We have an interesting list of projects for 2025, including refurbishing the church bell, installing new windows in the basement, painting fences, and addressing replacement of the church school HVAC units. There’s no obligation to participate in any of the projects - it’s enough if you simply want to stay informed about the work we’re doing to keep the church campus intact. But there are definitely volunteer opportunities to paint, clean, recycle and otherwise help out as the weather warms up. Many hands make light work! Please contact Mark Ortlieb at MRO25@aol.com.

EPISCOPAL 101

4 Wednesdays in May | 7 -8:30 pm

Are you new here at All Saints? Been coming for a while, but still have lots of questions about what the Episcopal church is all about? Would you like a deeper understanding of our worship and why we do what we do? Episcopal 101 provides an introduction to the history and culture of All Saints, the Episcopal Church, and Anglican Communion; how we worship and why; and our approach to scripture, theology, sacraments, and social issues.

Our first session will be an overview of the classes so you can get a "taste" of the topics; we will do deep dives into Theology/Beliefs, Liturgy/Worship, and History/Governance in the following weeks.

This is also one of the ways we prepare people for CONFIRMATION and RECEPTION in the Episcopal Church; if that interests you, please join us! Reach out to Suzanne or Courtney with any questions.

REGISTER HERE

Our Neighborhood 5K is next Sunday!

The 28th annual Ravenswood Run is just around the corner! On Sunday, April 27, our neighborhood will once again come together for this great community 5k event, which serves as a crucial fundraiser for RCS' food pantry and community kitchen.

We still need volunteers to help out!

Post Ravenswood Run Neighborhood Signs on Saturday, April 19: Click Here

Ravenswood Run Windshield Flyering on Sunday, April 20: Click Here

And on Race Day, multiple volunteer opportunities, Sunday, April 27: Click here

Troublemakers and United Power for Action and Justice Call to Action!

We are calling on All Saints members to write letters to our state elected officials to include a $15M provision in the budget for affordable homebuyer subsidies to keep this work going. Letters will be collected at All Saints and blessed on May 4 and then delivered to our legislators. 

Back in 2020, All Saints put its faith into action and raised over $250,000 to help build the first 2 model homes in North Lawndale. We prayed those homes would be a catalyst to a new effort to revitalize neighborhoods and families blighted by racism and red lining. 

Faith, hope, and hard work by members of United Power, including All Saints, has turned those 2 homes into the Reclaiming Chicago campaign. 79 homes were built this past year and another 73 are scheduled to start this spring. That’s over 150 new homes for working class families! Our goal is 2000 homes and families.

Click here to learn more, including a draft letter and legislators’ contact information.

Information will be available at the back of the church. 

Church-wide Immigration Resources: Immigration Resources & Training

Online resources including The Episcopal Church Action Toolkit, and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights 24-Hour Hotline can be found on the Diocese of Chicago website.

The Diocese of Chicago Sanctuary Committee, led by Canon Sandra Castillo, continues to offer “Know Your Rights” trainings for congregations and groups, in English and Spanish. Learn more and schedule a training.

VOLUNTEER AT RAVENSWOOD COMMUNITY SERVICES (RCS)

TUESDAYS:

Click to Volunteer Hub! 

RCS is also looking for volunteers to join

the Tuesday Delivery Crew. 

Every Tuesday between 12:30-2pm volunteers unload A LOT OF FOOD from pallets on the sidewalk to the Parish Hall for distribution. You should feel comfortable lifting 30-50 lbs and going up and down stairs. Those interested should reach out to Parker at parker@ravenswoodcommunityservices.org.

Ars Musica Chicago presents “Music Among Friends”

at All Saints

Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 3:00 pm

FREE concert

featuring vocal and instrumental masterpieces by Handel, Rameau and others. 

Music connected the lives of Baroque composers and performers through mutual admiration and friendship, much in the same way it will be bringing together five dear friends, nearly three centuries later, for a spirited afternoon of chamber music.

Hannah De Priest, soprano

Shelby Yamin, violin

Emily Nebel, violin

Ana Kim, cello

Jason Moy, harpsichord

MORE INFO HERE

The church office will be closed Monday April 21 & Tuesday, April 22.

If you have a pastoral emergency, such as a death or hospitalization,

you can contact Suzanne or Courtney.

NOTICE: The April Vestry meeting date has changed!

The next vestry meeting will be on Tuesday, April 29 at 7:00pm. Vestry meetings are open to parishioners. To see the most current Vestry Minutes click here.

Facebook Livestream Team at the 11:00am Service

Audio: Jacob Farmer

Camera: Josephine Koo

www.allsaintschicago.org

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