Dr. Ibram X. Kendi will be the featured guest in a panel discussion titled "Beyond Hate," one of a series of events taking place on May 12 to mark the anniversary of the shooting at the Tops grocery store in Buffalo. The panel will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the David C. Hohn M.D. Lecture Hall at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will participate in the panel, which will be moderated by Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry, host of NPR’s "The Takeaway." Other panelists are Dr. Helene Gayle, president of Spelman College, John B. King Jr., chancellor of the State University of New York, and Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown. The event is open to the public but registration is required.

Learn more about 5/14 Remembrance Weekend events.

This week, a second email update will be sent on Saturday, with a link to the worship bulletin. You may also read the lessons here.

• Watch the livestream at SPCBuffalo.org/livestream or on Facebook.

• Between worship services: 9 a.m. “Caring Cafe,” in the Walker Room (lower level), with coffee, conversation, and study of scripture for the week.

• After 10:15 worship: stay for refreshments and conversation in the Narthex (church entry), sponsored by the Social Justice Action Team

Join INCIPIO for Verbum, an evening of contemplative sacred music. INCIPIO has been rehearsing at the Cathedral and is offering a special rate of $10 to Cathedral members for this concert. Details and tickets are available through Eventbrite; use the code SPC5 when purchasing. The concert will include Sergei Rachmoninoff’s “Bogoroditse Devo” and the young composer Jake Runestad’s “Alleluia.” It also features unique comparative pairings, engaging the audience to bask in the glory of three different takes on William Byrd’s “Ave verum corpus” and two versions of the famous “O sacrum convivium.” The group’s mission is to give young and burgeoning singers an opportunity to perform groundbreaking, evocative music in a group that prepares them for the professional vocal world. Singers come from a diverse array of backgrounds and include several young music educators, choir singers, and professional performers from around Western New York.

Meet on the first floor of the Flickinger Ministry Center, located at the Main Street end of Cathedral Park – Pizza at 6:30 p.m., Livestream 7-8:30 p.m.

Tony Hiss, one of the strongest advocates for land protection in the United States, is speaking Thursday, May 25, to discuss his seminal book, Rescuing the Planet: Protecting Half the Land to Heal the Earth. This note is an invitation to come to St. Paul’s Ministry Center at 6:30 p.m. on May 25 to share some pizza with the Social Justice Action Team. Stay to hear Tony speak from 7-8:30 p.m. and stick around for a short time afterward to respond to “What’s in it for me?” The Ministry Center is in 4 Cathedral Park – two doors down from Main Street. The lights will be on. (Tap on the window if you can’t find the door to get in.)

Pentecost will also be the United Thank Offering (UTO) day at St. Paul's Cathedral. The UTO was founded in 1889 by two women who envisioned a way to collect small thank offerings as personal expressions of gratitude. From that point onward, the UTO was born. Every penny given in thanksgiving is given away in grant funding to missions and ministries seeking to live the way of love as established by Jesus. More than 5,000 grants have been awarded by UTO for a total of $140 million. Within the Diocese of Western New York, a grant for $10,000 was awarded to St. Simon's Episcopal Church in South Buffalo for the purpose of renovating an existing bathroom into a handicapped accessible one. 

You will receive your UTO offering envelope in the bulletin Sunday, May 21st. Please return it the next Sunday, May 28th, with your offering of thanksgiving. You can also give online, designating your gift for UTO. Seems like this year, we have much to be thankful for. Questions: ask Judy Elliott

• We have a few copies of the new UTO Book of Prayers at the back of the church or you may view it online here.

• Explore the UTO practice of “Notice. Give. Make. Bless.”

The funeral for Canon Al Price, spouse of The Rev. Canon Barbara Price, will be held at the Cathedral, 2 p.m. Saturday, May 27, with Bishop Sean Rowe presiding. The family will receive people prior to the service in the Walker Room (downstairs at the Cathedral), from 1-2 p.m. Anyone who would like to help with hospitality needs that day is asked to contact Teresa in the church office or Dean Twila.

As the weather warms, new items are needed for those who come to the Garden of Love, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesdays. Volunteers distribute sack lunches and also provide a selection of items, including clothing, that are especially useful for persons who are traveling, neighbors in the area, and people who often stay in Cathedral Park. Please note that not all clothing is needed and with limited space and resources, only certain items can be accepted. All items must be clean and be washable/easy care. The need for men’s clothing is greater than women’s items. The seasonal list is (all for adults): short-sleeve shirts (tees, polos, button-front), shorts/capris, summer-weight pants, sundresses, athletic shoes, socks, belts, and new underwear.

• TO VOLUNTEER: Contact Canon Mike Hadaway about volunteering for the Garden of Love on Tuesdays. Also, beginning June 10, volunteers will meet periodically through the summer to sort donations and prepare them on clothing racks to distribute. Summer volunteer dates are Saturday mornings (9-12) June 10, July 22, and August 10, meeting on the first floor of the ministry center, 4 Cathedral Park.

We are partnering with Trinity, Delaware Avenue, and other area churches for this year’s Pride parade and festival. The parade starts around 11 a.m. and the festival, at Canalside, is 1-7 p.m. Sunday, June 4. Learn more at buffaloprideweek.com. Interested in serving? Email Dean Twila.

• If you have requests to add to the weekly Prayers of the People or a name to add for the prayers of clergy and the Pastoral Care Team, please email prayerrequests.

• If you know someone in need of pastoral care, please contact Judy Elliott or Canon Barbara Price.

By Phone: 929-205-6099 Access code: 716 855 0900 Password: 535 007 8352

• See the Diocesan Partnership newsletter here.

• For more news about the Dioceses of WNY and NWPA and to sign up for emailed newsletters, go here.

• The Episcopal Church website offers resources for individuals, congregations, and various ministries.