EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 5

Worship this Sunday: 10:15 am

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From the Dean's Desk: Holy Week & Easter 2026

On Ash Wednesday we prayed that God might, “create and make in us new and contrite hearts…” that we might observe a holy Lent. Now, as Holy Week begins, we pray “…that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts whereby you have given us life and immortality…” Please join us for these most solemn days of our faith.

On Palm/Passion Sunday, we begin in Cathedral Park (weather permitting) at both 8 and 10:15 AM, with the celebration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Greeted with palms and garments spread along his way, the people shouting Hosanna! and Son of David! But things change almost immediately, in the Gospel and in our worship service. We pray, “Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not in to glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross may find it none other than the way of life and peace…”

From palms to the way of the cross in no time at all. Holy Week is that kind of commemoration. The inevitability of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, trial and crucifixion is situated right next to the commemoration of his Last Supper with his friends, and his prayers for those friends. “Peace is my last gift to you, my own peace I now leave with you…” And he washed their feet and gave them a new commandment, “Love one another, as I have loved you.” It was “On the night before he was handed over to suffering and death” that Jesus took bread and wine saying “This is my Body…This is my Blood” “do this in remembrance of me.” We will observe Maundy Thursday with Holy Eucharist, foot-washing, and the stripping of the altar at 7:00 PM. All is left bare and empty, save for the reserved Sacrament kept in the Richmond chapel. The Night Watch follows until 12midnight providing time for private prayer and meditation remembering Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane and the words to his disciples, “Could you not keep awake one hour?”

The bare church is the site for our Noon observance of the Way of the Cross when we mark the fourteen Stations – a devotion developed for those who couldn’t go on actual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. At 7 PM we return to the starkly vacant church for the Liturgy for Good Friday when we hear the passion chanted, pray, and receive Holy Communion from the reserved Sacrament. “…we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross…”

And then the waiting of Holy Saturday. After dark, at the 8:00 PM Great Vigil, the new fire is kindled to light the Paschal Candle. It is after sunset; the new day in the reckoning of the ancient world—the day of resurrection. And we pray, “On this most holy night, in which our Lord Jesus passed over from death to life…this is the Passover of the Lord…” We tell the stories of our faith; of God’s deeds in the history of salvation. This is also the service at which, in the early church, baptisms were performed, so we too, renew our baptismal promises, and celebrate with joy as we pray,

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our joy continues in the morning at 10:15 AM with the Celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord as we raise our voices proclaiming Alleluia! Christ is risen and gather around Christ’s holy table, joining together in music and prayer, to proclaim Jesus’ victory over death and the Good News of the Resurrection. Featured musicians: Cathedral Choir and Brass Ensemble from the Eastman School of Music and timpani accompanied by our newly installed organ!

St. Paul's Lenten Bible Study

On Tuesday evenings, Dean Rebecca will lead a study on the Gospel of John. The program will be on the Cathedral Zoom page from 7-8:30pm on 2/24, 3/3, 3/10, 317, 3/24, and a final session on Easter Tuesday, 4/7. We will look at an overview of the "Fourth Gospel" while giving greater attention to the readings that from the Gospel that are part of the Lenten and Holy Week Lectionary. (If you are unable to attend the Wednesday evening Center City Lent sessions in Buffalo, this will be a good alternative.) For more information, please contact Dean Rebecca at deanrebecca@spcbuffalo.org

Children’s Christian Education: “Godly Play”

St. Paul’s offers “Godly Play: is a Montessori-based program on Sundays at 10am in the Bishop Scaife Room on the lower level of the Cathedral. Making meaning through story, wonder, and play, the program nurtures spiritual lives by honoring the centrality, competency, and capacity of children.

Remaining Holy Week and Easter Services at St. Paul’s

FRIDAY, APRIL 3

Good Friday

12:05pm - Stations of the Cross

7:00pm - Liturgy of the Day

Confession will be available following the Liturgy

SATURDAY, APRIL 4

The Great Vigil of Easter

8:00pm

SUNDAY, APRIL 5

The Sunday of the Resurrection

10:15am - Festival Holy Eucharist with Choir & Brass Ensemble

Good Friday Offering

The Episcopal Church supports just and sustainable peace in the Holy Land and around the world. While we pray and work for peace, our siblings in the Holy Land will continue to serve God’s people with hospitals, schools, orphanages, and humanitarian aid programs. These ministries serve people of all faiths without distinction, bearing witness to the power of hope and healing across divides.

Your gift will support:

al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, which has continued serving patients during the Israel-Hamas War amid bombardment, devastating shortages of food, water, and medicine, and extended power outages.
St. George’s Church in Baghdad, Iraq, and its medical center.
An eye clinic at Christ Church in Yemen.
All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Damascus, Syria.
All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Beirut, Lebanon.

Offering envelopes will be available in the rear of the church. Donations may also be made electronically on the Cathedral website giving portal

A Message of Easter Joy from the Organ Committee

Easter is the celebration of new life. It seems so fitting that in time for this most holy season in the church year, we now have our Colby organ which is outfitted with Walker Digital components. Last week, the organ company voiced our newly retrofitted three-manual organ console and moved the four-manual console from the Chancel to the Gallery. We were very excited to have the organ debuted by Garrett Martin, organist of Westminster Presbyterian Church at last Saturday's Diocesan Ordination. And, we are especially glad that the organ is in place for our Holy Week and Easter services! This step completes our Phase 1 work as we now turn towards undertaking a search for a new Music Director. We hope you will join us at St. Paul's this week as we celebrate with joy the day of resurrection and are uplifted by the music of our choir accompanied on our new organ combined with the additional glorious sounds of the brass quintet from the Eastman School of Music!

Easter Decorating

Submitted by Michael Bonilla, Sr. Warden

If you are anything like I, you should be eagerly anticipating the most joyous Sunday of the year. Yes, Easter Sunday is almost here and we need your help. In addition to the beautiful liturgy and glorious music, we take special care to decorate the cathedral to reflect the joy we feel when we say: The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Please join me and others as we decorate the cathedral for Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday morning. We will gather in the Walker Room at 9AM on Saturday, April 4. You need no special talent, but bring your enthusiasm for this delightful task (and reverence....keeping in mind that it is Holy Saturday morning!). Hope to see you then.

Pastoral Care Ministry at St. Paul's

Two weeks ago, the Pastoral Care team met to pray and reflect on our shared ministry. It was also an opportunity to meet with Mother Liz Grohowski, who has recently been called to the Cathedral to serve in a limited capacity as Associate for Pastoral Care. Mother Liz will be taking care of the responsibilities previously covered by Mo. Barbara Price.

At our meeting, we made a decision to modify the Cathedral Prayer lists. Going forward, there will be a change in the intercessions that are offered during the Prayers of the People. Names may be submitted for those who are in acute or critical need. Names will remain on the list for six weeks. Should you wish to have them remain on the list longer, that request may be made to the Dean. We will maintain a separate Pastoral Care prayer list for those who are homebound and in nursing homes, or may request ongoing prayer. This list will remain in the announcements and on the eNews, but individual names will not be included in the intercessions. We do ask that the entire congregation remember these beloved of our community in your prayers and join with us in praying for them. We hope that this will shorten the prayers while holding in our hearts and prayers, all those in need and absent from us.

In a Pastoral Emergency, please contact—The Very Reverend Rebecca A. Barnes, Dean at 646-533-1836/e-mail at deanrebecca@spcbuffalo.org; or The Reverend Elizabeth Grohowski, 212-222-8109. If you, or a family member, are in the hospital, a healthcare facility, or are home bound and would like to have a visit from one of the clergy or a member of our Pastoral Care Committee, please contact the cathedral office at 716-855-0900 or at office@spcbuffalo.org. Due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA, hospitals no longer automatically provide churches with names of admitted parishioners. If you or a family member are hospitalized or in a healthcare facility, you or someone acting on your behalf will need to notify the church to assure that proper pastoral care may be offered. St. Paul’s complies with all HIPAA requirements and cannot provide personal information for sick or injured members without permission of the member or his or her close family member. Additionally, if you or a loved one are hospitalized or homebound and desire regular Eucharistic visitation, please notify the parish office. Eucharistic Visitations are customarily made once per month; weekly visits may be scheduled upon request.

– Dean Rebecca

SJAT Note

From Bill Siener for the Social Justice Action Team

This spring the SJAT is offering a variety of opportunities to participate in caring for ourenvironment through learning and action.

On April 11, Dean Rebecca will lead the first of this year’s Holy Hikes at Reinstein Woods at 2pm. A carpool will leave from the cathedral for those who need a ride. Join in the Eucharist with fellow hikers while enjoying spring wildlife and flora in a local natural area. A second opportunity to join a Holy Hike will be on May 2.

On April 25, St. Paul’s will again participate in Buffalo-Niagara Waterkeeper’s Clean Sweep. We’ll pick up litter that has accumulated in one of several public spaces over the winter. In addition to removing tons of trash, Waterkeeper analyses the kinds of litter collected in order to develop strategies to reduce the problem in the long-term. This Earth Week event will be followed on April 26 by a special coffee hour after worship. Sponsored by SJAT, the coffee hour will aim to raise awareness of simple ways that we can all care for God’s creation. Then, on May 9 OR 21, Waterkeeper is holding a Nurdle Patrol training session. Nurdles are small plastic pellets, about the size of a lentil, used in plastics manufacturing. This plastic pollution has been found on the shorelines of several waterways within the Niagara River Watershed. In the traing sessions at Gratwick Park in North Tonawanda, you’ll learn more about nurdles and how to collect them. Sessions are on Saturday, May 9 from 10-11 a.m. or Thursday, May 21. from 5:30-6:30 p.m. You can register at the Buffalo-Niagara Waterkeeper website https://bnwaterkeeper.org/nurdle-patrol/

Finally, on May 3 and 10, join a discussion of Matt Simon’s A Poison Like No Other to learn more about the growing problem of plastics pollution, specifically in our water, and generally in the environment. Estelle and Bill Siener will lead the discussion. More details about individual programs will follow.

An SJAT Note for Spring Sweep cleanup in Peter Park

From Kim Goodman and Bob Ludwig for the Social Justice Action Team

A call for SPCers to be Team members, Saturday, April 25 from 10am to noon! It’s Spring Sweep time. The Social Justice Action Team has again chosen to help clean up Peter Park. This is an act of defiance against the throw-away forces that surround us. Last year we filled our bags in the rain. We can hope for better weather, but SJAT wants to demonstrate the grit of willingness to work on the same ground. We’ll see how much we get. Buffalo-Niagara Waterkeeper trucks the trash away and reports what was identified to Letitia James, NYS Attorney General. At 12:15 pm on the 25 th enjoy the fellowship of lunch together at Nine and Night, a Thai restaurant, a block west of Peter St. on Amherst St. Sign up with Kim or Bob or

any member of SJAT.

Parking at St. Paul's

Street parking is free on Saturdays and Sundays. There are also several nearby parking garages. We recommend:

Main Place Mall Parking (221 Pearl St., Buffalo, NY 14202, https://www.mainliberty.com/parking) - This is our prefered garage for those coming to St. Paul's. We suggest that you use the entrance directly across from the Rath County Office Building, 166 Pearl, (you will notice the skywalk above) which is only a 1/2 block north of the Cathedral. Weekend parking is $6 all day. Weekday rate: $5 for 1 hr or less; $7 for 3hr or less; $12 full day. Accessibility: ADA-compliant spaces and elevator access available and 24/7 surveillance, well-lit areas, and patrolled security. EV Charging: Electric vehicle charging stations available.

Need help covering parking fees? We've got you covered! Bring your ticket from the Main Place Mall Parking with you. At the end of the service just see an usher for a voucher for your card. (If you can afford to pay, we kindly ask that you please leave this limited fund for those who can’t, thank you!)

Additional ramps we suggest are:

Adam Ramp (343 Washington St., Buffalo, NY 14202) - 1 1/2 blocks behind the Cathedral. Weekend parking is $6 all day. Weekday rate: $2.50 hr/ $10 max.

93 Pearl Street Garage (93 Pearl St. Buffalo, NY 14202) - A block south of the Cathedral. Daily Parking (Mon - Fri, 6 am - 6 pm) - $10 Max

There are also several open/uncovered Premier Parking parking lots near the Cathedral. These require payment at a kiosk; fees are higher. Please note, when there are special events at Sahlen Field and the KeyBank Center, area lots charge Event Rates which are significantly more than daily rates.

Prayer and Pastoral Care

We lift up the following in prayer especially John, Mariann & Tom, Elle & Reid, Alex, Clark, Lisa and family, Andrea, Byron, Chris, Joe, Lori, Larry, Carol, Renee, Sharon, Elaine, Anne, Jim, Judy, and Shirley. We also remember all those who have died, especially James, Nurul, and those whose anniversaries of death we mark this week. We pray for them and their loved ones who remember them.

ACROSS THE DIOCESE AND THE CHURCH

From Bishop Stephen Lane

Dear People of God,

Holy Week and Easter is the story of a human tragedy and God’s loving response.

The tragedy is that love for the poor and the marginalized, a commitment to the dignity of every human being, and a belief that human beings have the capacity to create a merciful society – these are never popular with the lovers of power and money. They threaten the very foundations of those who rule by power and money and who take advantage of their power to impose their will on others. Jesus was murdered by an unspoken conspiracy among religious leaders and political leaders, each of whom saw in Jesus the seeds of a new way of living that would deprive them of their privilege and power. And everyone else who had a stake in the system joined in the conspiracy to protect their own places as well.

The power of this tragedy is that it echoes to our own day and through our own lives. We all are fearful of what fundamental change might mean and the losses we might experience if we, as a society, held “all things in common” (Acts 2:44) for the benefit of every member of our society. Yet, love of neighbor was never meant to be limited to positive regard for others. It was meant to lead to action that recognizes the dignity of others as created in God’s image and provides the means for a healthy, productive life. Fearful of that great change, we, too, might find ourselves shouting, “Crucify him!” Holy Week invites us to consider how we benefit from the oppression of others.

That’s shocking to consider, because we don’t think often of ourselves in this way. We think of ourselves as trying to do our best within the limitations imposed by our circumstances, by the forces beyond our control. But Jesus challenges the limitations we accept and asks what God wants. Is this the way God wants us to live?

The Good News which we celebrate this Sunday is that God is not content to let our fears control the divine gift of new life. In the midst of all the pain and loss of our existence, God is at work pulling new possibilities, new life, from sin and death. Resurrection not only occurred once in Palestine, but occurs daily in the midst of our struggles. Moreover, God forgives our inattention and paralysis. The Resurrection of Jesus is a sign of God’s constant restlessness, pulling, pushing, prodding, encouraging us into new life, showing us signs of growth where we thought none could survive.

Ready or not, the Day of Resurrection arrives this Sunday, just as God shows up unexpectedly, again and again, in our daily lives. In the midst of the turmoil of our time, may we draw hope from the loving presence of our God who never ceases to create a new heaven and a new earth.

Blessings in this Easter season.

Bishop Steve

The archbishop of Canterbury’s ecumenical Easter letter

[Episcopal News Service] This is the Most Rev. Sarah Mullally’s first ecumenical Easter letter as archbishop of Canterbury.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24).

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

Christ is risen! Alleluia.

At Easter the Church proclaims the truth at the very heart of our faith: Christ has conquered death, and through him new life has begun. The resurrection of Jesus is not only an event remembered; it is a living reality that shapes our hope, our witness, and our shared calling as Christians. It gives us confidence – deep, unshakeable confidence – in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This hope is not abstract. We proclaim it in a world marked by deep suffering and conflict. We think of those living amid war and violence – across the Middle East, in Ukraine, in Sudan, and in so many other places of conflict – and of the churches of the Holy Land, bearing faithful witness under immense strain. We remember all who are displaced, oppressed, or forgotten, and we renew our calling as Christians to stand with the marginalized and to serve those most in need.

In such a world, the mystery of Easter speaks with particular depth. Writing from prison, Dietrich Bonhoeffer reflected that “only a suffering God can help.” These words give us pause. They remind us that in Jesus Christ, God does not stand distant from human pain, but enters into it, bears it, and transforms it. The cross stands firm while the world changes. Empires rise and fall, cultures shift, and societies transform, yet the love of God revealed in Christ crucified and risen remains constant.

The cross and the empty tomb together tell us that suffering and death do not have the final word. Suffering and pain are penultimate; ultimate is the loving embrace of God in glory. Easter proclaims that even in the darkest places, God is at work bringing life.

At Lambeth Palace, the signs of spring offer a quiet echo of this mystery. The gardens are beginning to blossom again – what seemed dormant is now filled with colour and promise. In the courtyard, the magnolia has put on a breathtaking display, its blossoms both radiant and fleeting, a reminder of beauty held in time. Even the magnolia I recently planted has begun to flourish, a small but hopeful sign of life taking root. Yet the deeper truth to which all this points is found in the words of Jesus: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies… it bears much fruit.” The pattern of death and new life lies at the heart of the Gospel.

Easter invites each of us to entrust ourselves anew to this mystery. What in our lives, our churches, and our relationships must be surrendered so that God may bring renewal? The resurrection assures us that no act of faithful surrender is ever wasted. In the Christian East, the icon of the resurrection expresses this hope with profound beauty. Christ stands upon the broken gates of Hades, reaching down to raise Adam and Eve, and with them the whole human family. It is a vision not only of victory, but of joy: humanity lifted into the life of the triune God.

This is a hope we share across our churches. For those engaged in the work of Christian unity, the resurrection is our common foundation and calling. Our divisions, though real, do not define the final reality of the Church. The risen Christ continues to draw us to himself and to one another, and in him we find both the courage and the confidence to walk together.

Often, this work unfolds quietly – in prayer, in friendship, in hospitality, in shared witness. Yet these small and faithful acts are seeds of a greater harvest, signs of the deeper unity we already share in Christ.

Easter calls us to live from this hope: to trust in the victory of Christ, to stand alongside those who suffer, and to bear witness with renewed confidence to the Gospel. In a wounded world, we are called to be people of resurrection – people who live not in fear, but in hope; not in despair, but in the promise of new life.

As we celebrate this holy season, may the joy of Easter renew our faith, strengthen our fellowship, and deepen our commitment to one another in Christ. And may we walk together, with confidence and hope, toward that ultimate fulfillment, when all things are made new and all creation is gathered into the loving embrace of God.

Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia.

The Most Reverend Dame Sarah Mullally

Archbishop of Canterbury