SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Worship this Sunday: 10:15 am

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A Word of Thanks from the Dean

I wish to thank everyone for making last Sunday's Annual Meeting, Patronal Feast, and Episcopal Visitation such a great success. I was pleased that the weather cooperated and we did not have to cancel, as we did the previous week. The bishop and his wife, Maria were so happy to spend time with us and commented upon departing on how well the meeting went and how excited they were about all that is happening at St. Paul's Cathedral!

I am grateful to all who played a role in making the day such a great success, from those who served, prepared food, set up and cleaned, to those who wrote reports, and stood for election. Thank you all for all the ways you continue to serve this faith community.

A special word of congratulations and thanks to our new officers and Delegates to Diocesan Convention. The makeup of the new Vestry and Delegates is as follows:

Vestry

Michael Bonilla - Senior Warden (Class of 2027)

Estelle Siener - Junior Warden (Class of 2028)

Del Milander (Class of 2027 - completing a term)

Kevin O'Neil (Class of 2027 - completing a term)

Katherine Woodard (Class of 2027)

Chris Casto (Class of 2028)

Latanya Jacob (Class of 2028)

David Jemmott (Class of 2028)

Nancy Boncore (Class of 2029)

Wendy Darling (Class of 2029)

Kathy Reiss (Class of 2029)

Evelyn Smigelsky - Clerk of the Vestry

Delegates to Diocesan Convention

Su Hadden

Kim O'Connell

Evelyn Smigelsky

Chris Casto (alternate)

Estelle Siener (alternate)

Again, thank you all for a wonderful Annual Meeting and all who played in part in what was a very full day. May God continue to bless us and guide us in the year ahead.

Faithfully,

Dean Rebecca

From the Dean’s Desk: Celebrating Blessed Absalom Jones and Black History Month

February is the month in which we begin the church season of Lent and our walk with Jesus to Jerusalem and the cross. It is also the month that civically, and as people of faith, we observe Black History Month. This year is the 50th celebration of Black History Month, a commemoration that has been endorsed by every U.S. President since President Gerald Ford first officially recognized Black History Month in 1976. That year, President Ford called upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Last year, Joe McDaniel Jr., a member of The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council, wrote an excellent essay on the importance of celebrating Black History Month. Amongst the reasons he noted are:

To help to promote social justice and equality within the church, recognizing and appreciating the contributions of African Americans, living into our values of respecting the diversity of our members, and highlighting the ongoing struggle for racial justice and a more inclusive and equitable society.

Black History Month provides an opportunity for the church to engage in reflection and education gaining a deeper understanding of racial issues and work toward reconciliation and healing.

Celebrating Black History Month encourages the church to confront and address its his story of racism and discrimination. By actively working to repair the harm done the church can move toward reconciliation and create a more racially just and inclusive institution.

To serve as a source of inspiration and empowerment for African American members of the church.

And lastly, celebrating Black History Month is an act of solidarity with the wider Black community.

(For complete essay see: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/racialreconciliation/why-must-the-episcopal-church-celebrate-black-history-month/)

In the church, a saint’s feast day is generally marked by the day the person entered in to glory, not the day they were born. The month of February in our Lesser Feasts and Fasts interestingly contains the feasts of several African American saints: The Consecration of Barbara Clementine Harris, First Woman Bishop in the Anglican Communion 1989 (2/11); Absalom Jones, Priest, 1818 (2/13); Frederick Douglass, Social Reformer, 1895 (2/20); and Anna Julia Haywood Cooper, Educator, 1964 (2/28).

While it has been a common practice in the Episcopal Church to celebrate the Feast of Absalom Jones for some time now, he still remains unknown to many.

Born into slavery, Absalom Jones dared to confront the system of oppression he inherited—pursuing education, securing freedom for his wife before himself, and becoming a tireless advocate for justice and dignity. In 1802, Bishop William White ordained Jones making him the first Black priest ordained in the Episcopal Church, just 26 years after the founding of the United States. (For a more detailed biography of Jones and the church he founded, The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, Philadelphia, see: https://www.aecst.org/ajones.htm)

This year, a Celebration for the Feast of Absalom Jones will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 139 Pearl St. Buffalo on Saturday, February 14 at 11AM. The guest preacher for the Eucharist will be The Rev. Canon Masud Ibn Syedullah, TSSF. Having grown up in a family with a Christian mother and a Muslim father, Fr. Syedullah has a keen awareness and sensitivity for racial and interfaith concerns and helping Christians understand their call to be in positive relationship with people of other faiths and to work to end the ignorance, fear, and hatred done in the name of religion that fuels so much violence and destruction in today’s world.

A special musical program featuring works by African American composers will include works by Adolphus Hailstork, David Hurd, Rosephanye Powell; and Lena McLin’s Eucharist of the Soul for the service music. Jaman Dunn-Danger, former Asst. Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic, professor at UB, and outstanding baritone will be our special musical guest. The offering will benefit the Absalom Jones Fund which helps support historically Black colleges and universities affiliated with The Episcopal Church since the 1800s.

The Absalom Jones celebration is being co-sponsored by St. Paul’s Cathedral; St. Philip’s Church; The Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE), Bishop Holly Chapter; and the Commission to Dismantle Racism and Discrimination. Street parking is available; there are also several public parking lots near St. Paul’s Cathedral, including a public parking garage under Main Place Mall, which is less than a block away.

We hope you will join us and invite others from your community to be part of this special day!

The Very Rev. Rebecca Barnes

Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buffalo

Christian Education and Formation at St. Paul’s

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.

Looking ahead…

Epiphany Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop

Centering Prayer is a receptive method of Christian silent prayer which deepens our relationship with God, the Indwelling Presence … a prayer in which we can experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. A Centering Prayer Introductory workshop will be offered throughout the season of Epiphany beginning with a workshop on Saturday, January 10, 2026 from 10am - 3pm. Follow-up sessions designed for ongoing learning and group spiritual support will be held on January 17, 24, 31, February 7, and 14. The workshop will be by The Very Rev'd Rebecca Barnes, Dean, who is a commissioned presenter and facilitator trainer with Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.

Lent 2026 – Bible Study on the Gospel of John

More details will be available soon.

Shrove Tuesday Mardi Gras Celebration

All are invited to join in a Mardi Gras / Shrove Tuesday celebration at St. Philip's. Come and feast before we fast!

St. Philip's Episcopal Church Parish Hall

15 Fernhill Ave.

Buffalo, NY 14215

Tuesday February 17th from 5-8pm

Ash Wednesday

The holy season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026. St. Paul’s schedule of services will be:

12:05 p.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II, with the Imposition of Ashes. No Music.

7:00 p.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II, with the Imposition of Ashes with hymns, organ and choir.

A full schedule of Lenten offerings will be included in next week's announcements.

Episcopal Migration Ministries weekly webinar

Submitted by Kathy Reiss

Even though the Episcopal Church has withdrawn from refugee resettlement following the executive order regarding resettlement of Afrikaners, the Episcopal Church is still very actively responding to the needs of immigrants and refugees, especially in these perilous times for many immigrants. You are invited to join Episcopal Migration Ministries every Tuesday at 1 pm ET for a 30-minute call on the changing landscape of U.S. immigration, refugee, and migration policy. They share updates and resources and will be joined by the Office of Government Relations and the Chief Legal Officer, along with representatives from many dioceses who share their experiences. I try to attend as many Tuesdays as I can and find it very enlightening and encouraging. Register at Episcopal Migration Ministries.

SJAT Note: Best of 2025 Book and Media List

From Estelle Siener for the Social Justice Action Team

Happy New Year! Once again this year members of the Social Justice Team have looked back on their 2025 reading to compile a list of our “Best of . . .” Books and Media. The contributions below have inspired us this year. Please let us know what you are reading and watching!

Fiction

(Chris) The Known World by Edward P. Jones, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel primarily about a black farmer and former slave in Virginia in the late antebellum period who must stay on the good side of the law. It took me to a very unfamiliar place.

(Estelle) One Day Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This by Omar El Akkad, journalist and writer. In this National Book Award winner, El Akkad specifically writes about the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza. But it’s a call to action for us to speak out against injustice everywhere.

(Bill) The Parable of the Talents by Octavia E Butler, published in 1998, offers a chilling vision of what could be when, in the face of racial injustice, economic division and climate change, the nation elects authoritarian, Christian Nationalists to lead the country back to greatness. Can there be redemption?

(Gary) Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriett Beecher Stowe. On rereading, this book remains remarkably relevant.

(Estelle) Playground by Richard Powers who again tackles big issues such as racial identity and the plight of our oceans with a strong cast of characters that grapple with technology.

(Chris) The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen tells the story of the end of the Viet Nam war from a Vietnamese perspective. The characters are richly drawn and the story is engaging. While I found it difficult in some ways, it was also very rewarding.

(Estelle) Orbital by Samantha Harvey, a short book. Ride along in the International Space Station with six scientists as they pursue their experiments in space while gazing and musing in awe at the amazing planet Earth out their window!

Nonfiction

(Dean Rebecca) Reforesting Faith: What Trees Teach Us About the Nature of God and His Love for Us by Matthew Sleeth. I recently was sent an email from the national office for Holy Hikes offering me a Christmas gift - I could choose one of four titles they were offering to Holy Hike facilitators. As a child, I loved climbing trees, and as the daughter of a physician, I was intrigued that it was written by a doctor. Influential in evangelical circles the author, Matthew Sleeth has spoken about the biblical call to be good stewards of creation to audiences across the globe, including at the Washington National Cathedral. One of the reviews of this book by a former president of the Sierra Club stated, "Matthew again connects us to the essential: God, the planet, the Sabbath, a tree. God’s breath that gave life to man is being shared daily by all that breathes, including trees. This reminder brings hope and enormous joy. Reforesting Faith is a must-read.”

(Dean Rebecca) Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church, by Kevin Sack. Just named one of the Top Ten books of 2025 by the New York Times. “Mother Emanuel” is a masterpiece in which Kevin Sack tells the story of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in Charleston, S.C., “the most historic Black church in the South’s most historic city,” now best known as the site of an egregious act of barbarism: the killing of nine congregants on June 17, 2015, by a white supremacist. This former NY Times and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist explores Mother Emanuel AME Church's two-century history of racial justice, faith, and forgiveness, culminating in the 2015 tragic shooting and its aftermath.

(Dean Rebecca) Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization by Bill McKibben, acclaimed environmentalist. Although the fight for reduction in use of fossil fuels continues, he writes with hope in the increasing, indeed the spike in, affordable solar and wind powered energy.

(Chris) White Too Long by Robert P. Jones traces the legacies of white supremacy in the white Christian church. While the book has a slight emphasis on southern churches and the Southern Baptist Convention, the analysis goes well beyond that and includes examples from mainline and northern churches including the Episcopal Church. I found the book accessible and enlightening.

(Bob) The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy by Matthew Taylor: Taylor explores the New Apostolic Reformation from its inception in the work of a Fuller Seminary professor, to its immense networks of apostles and prophets, and its role in the January 6 riot. This vision of charismatic Christianity now animates millions, lured by Spirit-filled revival and visions of Christian supremacy.

(Bob) Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLean. Public Choice theory, devised by the Nobel Prize-winning political economist James M. Buchanan, has fundamental beliefs about fairness which differ radically from those that prevailed in the post-Depression era – notably in taxing high income people: 94% the max at the end of WWII vs. 37% currently. An important lesson in how American cultural values can change.

(Estelle) Turning to Birds: The Power of Beauty and Noticing by Lili Taylor. Yes, the actress Lili Taylor. A lovely book about her own step into the world of birding and how studying birds and just being in nature revives her soul.

Videos

(Estelle) Weathered by PBS Terra: an ongoing YouTube series of climate change started 5 years ago and updated regularly with the latest video posted one month ago.

Parish Leadership Day

The diocese will hold a Parish Leadership Day on March 7 at the Diocesan Ministry Center.

9-10am: Overview for new wardens and new vestry members

10am-3pm: Group presentations and breakout sessions for all parish leaders

As there will be multiple sessions, we recommend at least TWO members from each congregation to attend. We encourage all lay leaders to attend...warden, vestry member, treasurer, and all other lay leaders.

Lunch will be included as part of the day. Please REGISTER so that we have an accurate count for planning purposes.

Prayer and Pastoral Care

We lift up the following in prayer especially Roger, Elle & Reid, Vivian, Linda, Alex, Clark, Geri, Dominic, 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, and those whose anniversaries of death we mark this week. We pray for them and their loved ones who remember them.

ACROSS THE CHURCH AND DIOCESE

From the Bishop

Dear Friends,

Posted below is a letter with an accompanying video link that I signed along with 153 other bishops of The Episcopal Church. It is a letter of support and solidarity with the people and bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota. It is also a letter that reminds us of fundamental commitments of our Baptismal Covenant – to seek Christ in every person and to respect the dignity of every human being.

Ever since the Fires of Smithfield, that is, the execution of Protestant leaning clergy and laity by Queen Mary, and the subsequent Compromise by Elizabeth the Great, the great question for the Anglican Communion and The Episcopal Church has been: Who belongs at the table? The answer to that question has sometimes taken centuries to answer, but after great struggles, the answer has always been everyone. The example set by the early Christian community of making one body of male and female, Jew and Gentile, slave and slave owner, Palestinian peasant and Roman soldier has slowly been replicated in the Anglican Communion. For centuries, people of color were second class members. Women only became full and equal members in The Episcopal Church in the last part of the 20th century. (That’s why we had Women’s Auxiliaries and the ECW.) The participation of GLBTQ people remains a subject of contention today. And while we want children, they don’t participate with the fullness of their baptisms until age 16 or 18. Yet, haltingly, we give everyone a place at the table.

And that matters profoundly. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was set on the path toward his vocation as priest and bishop because Father Huddleston tipped his hat and stepped off the path for Tutu’s mother. Retired Presiding Bishop Michael Curry is an Episcoplian and a child of Buffalo because his father and mother were given communion in an Episcopal Church in the still segregated South in the 1940’s. A place at the table is a sign that you have been seen as a child of God and a member of Christ's body. Your humanity and dignity are recognized as God-given and irrevocable.

On February 13, we will celebrate the Feast of Absalom Jones, and the occasion will be marked at a service at St Paul’s Cathedral (see invitation below). Absalom Jones was a man born into slavery with a remarkable sense of his own worth. He learned to read and write. He bought the freedom of his wife, and when he was manumitted by his owner, he chose the name Jones to signify that he was an American. With Richard Allen, he founded the Free African Society, a mutual aid society for free Africans in Philadelphia. In 1794, he planted a black Episcopal congregation. In 1802, he was the first African American ordained to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church. He was outspoken for the abolition of slavery and the rights of black Americans. He is an icon both of the continuing presence of a strong black tradition in The Episcopal Church and a prophetic answer to the question, “Who belongs at the table?”

It is always the case that there are people we don’t like; people we think are wrong-headed or deficient in some way. It is always the case that we are most comfortable with a small group of people who are very much like us. But neither of these realities can justify excluding people from the table. The worth of those “others" is established by God, and our task, the task of a lifetime perhaps, is to acknowledge their humanity and their dignity. It is a commitment we make to one another in baptism. It is the path to a better world.

Blessings,

+Steve

A Joint Letter from 154 Bishops of The Episcopal Church: Who’s Dignity Matters?

January 31, 2026

A letter to our fellow Americans.

We, the undersigned bishops of The Episcopal Church, write today out of grief, righteous anger, and steadfast hope.

What happened a week ago in Minnesota and is happening in communities across the country runs counter to God’s vision of justice and peace. This crisis is about more than one city or state—it’s about who we are as a nation. The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters?

In the wake of the tragic deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, we join Minnesotans and people across the nation in mourning two precious lives lost to state-sanctioned violence. We grieve with their families, their friends, and everyone harmed by the government’s policies. When fear becomes policy, everyone suffers.

We call on Americans to trust their moral compass—and to question rhetoric that trades in fear rather than the truth. As Episcopalians, our moral compass is rooted firmly in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is what we know. Women were shoved to the ground, children torn from their families, and citizens silenced and demeaned for exercising their constitutional rights. These actions sow fear, cast doubt, and wear us down with endless noise.

We cannot presume to speak for everyone or prescribe only one way to respond. For our part, we can only do as Jesus’ teaching shows us.

A Call for Action

This is a moment for action. We call on people of faith to stand by your values and act as your conscience demands.

We urge the immediate suspension of ICE and Border Patrol operations in Minnesota and in any community where enforcement has eroded public trust. Because the rule of law is weakened, not strengthened, when power is exercised without restraint.

We also call for transparent, independent investigations of the people killed—investigations centered on truth, not politics. Justice cannot wait, and accountability is essential to healing.

We call on the elected officials of our nation to remember the values that we share, including the rule of law. Rooted in our Constitution, it ensures that law—not the arbitrary will of individuals—governs us all, protecting individual rights, ensuring fairness, and maintaining stability.

A Shared Commitment

Every act of courage matters. We must keep showing up for one another. We are bound together because we are all made in the image of God. This begins with small, faithful steps.

As bishops in the Episcopal Church, we promise to keep showing up—to pray, to speak, and to stand with every person working to make our communities just, safe, and whole.

We are committed to making our communities safer and more compassionate:

So children can walk to school without fear.

So families can shop, work, and worship freely.

So we recognize the dignity of every neighbor—immigrant communities, military families, law enforcement officers, nurses, teachers, and essential workers alike.

You may feel powerless, angry, or heartbroken right now. Know that you’re not alone.

Each of us has real power: community power, financial power, political power, and knowledge power. We can show up for our neighbors, support small businesses and food banks, contact elected officials and vote, and learn our rights so we can speak up peacefully without fear.

Choosing Hope

This crisis is about more than one city or state—it’s about who we are as a nation. The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters?

Our faith gives a clear answer: everyone’s.

Safety built on fear is an illusion. True safety comes when we replace fear with compassion, violence with justice, and unchecked power with accountability. That’s the vision our faith calls us to live out—and the promise our country is meant to uphold.

In the face of fear, we choose hope.

By the grace of God, may this season of grief become a season of renewal. May courage rise from lament, and love take root in every heart.

Faithfully,

† The Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane

Bishop Provisional of Western New York

View the full list of 154 Episcopal Bishop SIGNATORIES

To view the video presentation of this letter...CLICK HERE