First Tuesday
The first Tuesday of October falls on Oct. 6. Grab your favorite beverage, sit back and enjoy some chit chat with old and new friends at the SPC Zoom Coffee Hour.
Join in with the Zoom link here anytime between 7:00 and 7:45 PM when there is no particular agenda. One never knows what will come up. Compline begins at 7:45 and we adjourn at about 8:00.
SPC Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 716 855 0900 Password: 4cathedral
By Phone: 929-205-6099 Access code: 716 855 0900 Password: 535 007 8352
| |
From the Dean's Desk - Society of Catholic Priests Conference, Part 2
St. Paul's is honored to host the 2026 Annual Conference of the North American Province of the Society of Catholic Priests. The conference will be held September 29-Oct 2. Started in the UK in 1994, the Society of Catholic Priests was formed for Anglo-Catholics who were in support of the ordination of women to the priesthood. After further prayer, discussion and theological reflection, a Rule of Life was born, based on traditional Catholic disciplines and devotions: the rhythm of the Office, the centrality of the Eucharistic, confidential pastoral care, mutual accountability. Above all, the Society is guided by two main aims: an inclusive priestly spirituality and Catholic evangelism.
The Society now has a presence across Europe, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
As part of our conference worship is held throughout the day and all are welcome to join us for any of the worship services:
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Evensong and Benediction - 6:00pm, Cathedral Nave (will be Livestreamed)
Sung Compline - 8:15pm, Cathedral Nave
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Morning Prayer - 9:00am, Cathedral Nave
Mass of Requiem - 12 Noon, Cathedral Nave
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1
Morning Prayer - 9:00am, Cathedral Nave
Conference Mass - 6:00pm,Cathedral Nave, The Rt. Rev. Stephen Lane, Presiding (will be Livestreamed)
Compline - 9:30pm
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2
Morning Prayer 10:00am,Cathedral Nave
Low Mass 12:15pm, Richmond Chapel
On a personal note, I'd like to express my thanks in advance to Incipio Singers; the Cathedral Choir under the direction of Patricia Hills; Timothy Socha, organist; the Cathedral Altar Guild members; Victoria and Tom, our cleaning staff and sexton; and Teresa Carter, Cathedral Administrator for all their help in making this conference a reality.
| |
The Season of Creation
The Season of Creation 2026 runs from 1 September to 4 October 2026, and this year’s theme is “Living Water,” inspired by Ezekiel 47:9–12. This ecumenical observance invites Christian communities worldwide to pray, act, and advocate for ecological justice, with the symbol “Immersion in Living Water.” In conjunction with the celebration of this season and the Feast of St. Francis, the Cathedral will hold its Annual Blessing of the Animals in Honor of St. Francis on the Eve of the Feast of St. Francis, October 3 at 4PM. Those unable to attend may also have their pet blessed following the 10:15 Eucharist on Sunday, October 4th. More announcements about Season of Creation events are pending.
| |
St. Paul’s Annual Blessing of the Animals October 3, 2026 at 4PM
Join us in celebrating St. Francis Day with a special Blessing of the Animals service on Saturday, October 3 at 4PM. This tradition, rooted in the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi, invites us to pray for the well-being of our pets and all God’s creatures. All pets are welcome (leashed or in cages, please). Special musical artist is Ivan Dochenko. Pets may also be brought on Sunday to be blessed. If your animal does not travel well, a photo may be brought instead.
| |
Holy Hikes
Holy Hikes of Western New York, a ministry of St. Paul's Cathedral, is pleased to announce its full schedule for the 2026 season. All hikes are held on the second Saturday of the month at 10am, unless otherwise announced. On October 17th, we will hike at Heartland Forest Trail in Niagara Falls, Ontario, CN. We hike rain or shine.
All are welcome; carpooling will be available from the Cathedral at 9:15am or you can join us directly at the appointed hike location.
| |
Garden of Love: Sorting Sunday
On Sunday, September 27, the following sensational Sunday sorters showed up at the FMC and sorted and hung 4 racks of clothing for the Garden of Love: Katherine and Roger Woodard, Chris and Chuck Casto, Wendy and Jack Darling, Nancy Boncore, Gary Jeffrey, David Jemott, and myself. You too can be a sensational Sunday Sorter. All you have to do is show up at the FMC on Sunday, October 25 at 11:45 AM. You will be done no later than 1 PM, but, if you are as many and as fast as this last group of sensational Sunday sorters, you will get to leave early at 12:45. It is true, many hands make light work. Hope to see YOU there!
Michael Bonilla, for Garden of Love
| | CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND FORMATION | |
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Using materials from the United Thank Offering (UTO) we will be engaging in a study inspired by the book The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This book takes a look at how the natural world functions via a gift economy as plants, animals, soil, etcetera share what they have for the common good. Our faith teaches us that grace is a gift freely given by God and that the gift is so great we want to respond by giving to others. This is what it means to be a part of a gift economy when we give thanks and we give back. During this time of celebrating the Season of Creation, Native Peoples Day, and our Annual Stewardship campaign, we pray that this study will deepen our faith and awareness that “all flourishing is mutual” - when we are blessed, we bless others. Each week, we’ll reflect on an aspect of gratitude and reciprocity to help deepen (or start) your personal spiritual discipline of gratitude.
The schedule for the Serviceberry will be on the following evenings from 7-8:30PM:
Tuesday (9/15)Tuesday (9/22)- Monday (10/5)
- Tuesday (10/13)
*Please note there is no session the week of Sept. 27-Oct 3
The sessions will be held on the Cathedral Zoom site
SPC Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 716 855 0900 Password: 4cathedral
By Phone: 929-205-6099 Access code: 716 855 0900 Password: 535 007 8352
The author, Robin Wall Kimmerer, who also wrote the acclaimed book Braiding Sweetgrass, is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.
| |
Children’s Christian Education: “Godly Play”
“Godly Play: a Montessori-based program is offered 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. If you are interested in learning more about Christian Education and Formation for a child in your family, please contact Kathy Reiss at kathyreiss@yahoo.com. For information about baptism and/or confirmation, please contact Dean Rebecca at deanrebecca@spcbuffalo.org
| | SOCIAL JUSTICE & OUTREACH MINISTRIES | |
SJAT Note - Bonds between SPC and Good Shepherd, Irving
From Bob Ludwig for the Social Justice Action Team
Background for the current bonds between St. Paul’s Cathedral and Good Shepherd, on Seneca Territory, Irving – In the fall of 2021, SJAT was moved to learn about the intersection of Creation Care and Indigenous practices. After inviting an Indigenous speaker to an SPC adult education forum, we wanted more. Networking led us to Ellen Jamison, a parishioner at the Church of the Good Shepherd on the territory of the Seneca Nation in Irving, NY. Ellen was concerned about the condition of the church’s parish hall (Clough Hall [pronounced Kluff]). 2022 was a year of exploration with Good Shepherd for what were their most urgent, and most important, needs. The diocese helped identify possible grants, a route familiar to Good Shepherd who had previously received a Diocesan grant. A new grant process ensued. SJAT aided in the assembly and submittal by the deadline Mar 1, 2023. The purpose set forth in the grant request was:
“Good Shepherd Irving’s members, moved by the Holy Spirit, seek Seneca Nation grandparents to connect with their roots and with one another. How will this happen? First, by repairing the infrastructure which, with decades of neglect, no longer permits walker- and wheel-chair-bound people to enter Clough Hall, the century-old parish hall adjacent to Good Shepherd church. Second, by repairing the sacred breach of memory and the burial ground on both sides of Good Shepherd’s church building. Third, by the concomitant opportunity to invite and share with elders and community members the story of their loved ones buried in the cemetery. Thus, with easy access to electronic maps and physical grave markers, allow and encourage them in prayer to connect with their roots and in fellowship with one another. When elders come, Good Shepherd will rejoice in welcoming other members of their lineages.”
The Diocesan Reynolds Fund grant provided $39,520, Good Shepherd $2,300, SPC $2,300, individuals $750 – the Seneca Nation contributed $3,000 for grave-identifying and marking,– for the project total of $47,870. The Amish construction company started in April 2023 and finished by the fall of ‘23. ViaVista, by the fall, provided electronic maps – aerial photography linked to ground penetrating lidar. The identification work is ongoing - comparing old records to the electronic data and lots of manual labor setting out the cemetery boundaries and grave marking, casting concrete blocks on which to affix granite plaques with names on them.
Right now – Fast forward to Saturday Sep 19, 2026, and the annual observance of Every Child Matters observed at Good Shepherd in the refurbished Clough Hall. This event is a remembrance of the trauma inflicted on families and on their children by a policy of forced removal from their homes and subjected to live as a resident (at a Thomas School) under rules where the children were punished if they spoke their native language – or tried to run away.
Some 50 people were there, half of Indigenous descent, and most encouraging was the presence among them of half a dozen children.
It is tantalizing to wonder about how individuals have benefited from improved access to Clough Hall and from discovering where relatives are buried. The stories are coming. Stay alert for a future SJAT Note.
But help is still needed. Go back to early June 2026, and the message Good Shepherd sent St. Paul’s – they were in a real financial bind – (a) the furnace in the church had broken and required a new one (transferring worship to Clough Hall uses more energy because of the large space), and (b) the escalation in insurance costs and energy costs (electricity and natural gas), had blown a giant hole in their budget. The furnace alone will cost $2600. The insurance and the energy costs are the result of the current inflation (due largely to tariffs, wars, and uncertainty about the future.) The Diocese has been asked to help as has St. Paul’s. What will St. Paul’s Cathedral do? Here’s where SPCers help.
The Vestry agreed to take up a special collection on October 11th, in honor of Native People's Day. We will make a contribution to our friends at Good Shepherd, Irving to help them procure a new furnace as the cold weather is just around the corner. Donations may also be made on the Cathedral's website. Please put in the memo field "Good Shepherd, Irving." Thank you for your generosity.
| | IMPORTANT ONGOING ANNOUNCEMENTS AT ST. PAULS | |
“We’ve got you covered!” - Parking at St. Paul's
At St. Paul’s we are deeply aware of the challenges of downtown parking. As one of the oldest churches in the Diocese, we have been at this location for 210 years, long before the advent of the automobile era, but we do not want that to hinder your participation and worship at the Cathedral.
We offer the following options:
We've got you covered - literally! Park at Main Place Mall Parking (221 Pearl St., Buffalo, NY 14202, https://www.mainliberty. com/parking) .This is our preferred garage for those coming to St. Paul's. We suggest that you use the entrance directly across from the Rath County Office Building, approx. address is 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. If you bring your ticket from the Main Place Mall Parking with you, at the end of the service ask 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!)
As a reminder, street parking is free on Saturdays and Sundays.
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
| |
Pastoral Care Ministry at St. Paul's
In the weekly Prayers of the People, we offer intercessions for those for whom prayers have been requested who are in acute or critical need. Names 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 maintain a separate Pastoral Care prayer list for those who are homebound and in nursing homes, or may request ongoing prayer. This list is weekly announcements and eNews, but individual names are included in the intercessions. We ask that the entire congregation remember these beloved of our community in our regular prayers holding in your hearts and prayers, all those in need and absent from us.
In a Pastoral Emergency, please contact— The Reverend Elizabeth Grohowski, Associate for Pastoral Care at (212) 222-8109 / email at motherliz@spcbuffalo.org or The Very Reverend Rebecca A. Barnes, Dean at (646) 533-1836 / email at deanrebecca@spcbuffalo.org.
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.
Prayer and Pastoral Care for the Week of October 4
We lift up the following in prayer, especially Brian, Sean, Lynne, Alex, Jim, Chuck, Clark, Chris, Joe, Larry, Sharon, Elaine, Howard, Lillian, Patty, Renee, Jim, Judy, Ann, Carol, and Shirley. We also pray for those suffering from wildfires, the floods in Nepal , and the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and those who are living in fear of or suffering from the Ebola outbreak.
We also remember those who have died especially Wanda, Terry, Rob and Antonio, those killed in the flooding in Nepal and the Grand Canyon, 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 Steve
As I write this, I’m returning from a consequential House of Bishops meeting. The bishops met deeply aware of and concerned about the chaos that characterizes contemporary life. Our work was focused on the ways that we might provide helpful leadership and hope for our distressed parishes and dioceses.
We spent a couple of days considering the trends and events that might disrupt the plans we currently have for congregational revitalization. The House has entered into an agreement with the Institute for the Future (IFTF) to develop a map of the next ten years, outlining trends and seeking insight into possible disruptive events. Predicting the future is impossible, but developing clarity about our mission and how it intersects with other developments is crucial.
The IFTF calls our current reality BANI: brittle, anxious, nonlinear and incomprehensible. That is, the current structure of reality is brittle – things break unexpectedly; anxious – all decisions are surrounded by heightened anxiety; nonlinear – actions and consequences do not always line up; and, incomprehensible – things often happen that make little sense to the people who are experiencing them. People often end up asking, “How did we get here? Why is this happening?” And the response is often anger, even rage.
In the face of this BANI reality, the church is invited to lead with a counter-acting BANI: bendable – flexible, adaptable; attentive – paying attention to what’s happening, and especially to people; neuroflexible – a willingness pivot, to improvise; and, interconnected – staying in touch with one another across our varying perspectives and differences.
Theologically, we are called to recognize that all of us are made in God’s image and redeemed by Christ. Our future is together, and we need to work together across our differences. We face many dilemmas – problems for which no solution is apparent – but it is not acceptable simply to sit back and watch things come apart. We need to act – with kindness, compassion and justice – even if clarity is hard to come by, and we may make mistakes.
We left the meeting feeling sobered, but also encouraged. There is much more to say about what we learned, and I’ll try to share it with all of you in the weeks ahead.
It was a privilege to represent you at this meeting, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Blessings,
Bishop Steve
| |
A pastoral word to The Episcopal Church from the September 2026 gathering of the House of Bishops
“We look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.”
— The Nicene Creed
“See, I am making all things new.”
— Revelation 21:5
Dear People of God:
Grace and peace to you in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Introduction
The bishops of The Episcopal Church gathered from Sept. 22-28, 2026, at Camp Allen Conference Center in Navasota, Texas. Our gathering included 118 bishops and bishops-elect, representing 93 dioceses and special ministries across 17 countries and territories. Mindful of the pressures and challenges facing our world and our church, we are grateful for this time set apart for spiritual renewal and focused work. We leave this meeting with deepened relationships and renewed commitments to the ministry we share in Jesus Christ.
Reflections from our meeting
Over the course of our meeting, we held in constant tension a clear-eyed look at the realities of the present and a persistent hope for the future. We received the latest draft of Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s strategic framework: Our Courageous Witness. This vision for The Episcopal Church has three strategic priorities that will compel our church to proclaim a Christianity that is authentic, expansive, beautiful, and unafraid; connect, convene, and coordinate resources across the breadth of our church; and better organize and allocate our resources to support the work of the Gospel.
We spent time learning about the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence as we reflected on the theological and existential questions of what it means to be human. Our time with futurist Bob Johansen, from the Institute for the Future, gave us the opportunity to engage in future-back thinking to help us better align our shared mission and ministry over the next decade.
As we have done in previous meetings, we continued to engage matters critical to the vitality of our church, including theological education, church planting, congregational redevelopment, and the ongoing dialogue toward a full-communion partnership with the United Methodist Church. We were joined by Mary Kate Wold, chief executive officer and president of the Church Pension Group (CPG), who shared the broad research being conducted by CPG to better align its services with the changing needs of the church.
A highlight of our time was our visit with the Most Rev. Sarah Mullally, who joined us on the six-month anniversary of her installation as the 106th archbishop of Canterbury. Echoing many of the themes of our week, Archbishop Mullally spoke of our call to grow in cultural competency and spiritual maturity, and encouraged us to nurture confidence in the Gospel as we move from fear to hope.
A call to embody God’s new creation
Each time we gather as the House of Bishops, God meets us in word and sacrament, and we see God at work in one another. Our meeting has been marked by a holy vulnerability. We remember not only who we are, but who authors our lives and renews our hope. The ability to hope as bishops and as the church seems ever more important in our present circumstances.
Our ancestors faced seemingly insurmountable troubles, yet their hope for us and future generations was boundless. Hope is a gift given to us by a God who loves us completely. With God’s grace, we meet all manner of circumstances with hope. Our hearts may tremble with fear, but with confidence we look for “the life of the world to come.”
In the book of Revelation, we are given a glimpse of God’s future, the promise of a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1). The hope of this new creation frames, but does not erase, our present struggle.
The Apostle Paul holds this tension in his letter to the Romans. He does not deny that the sufferings of this present time are real but insists they are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed (Romans 8:18). As we look for “the life of the world to come,” the whole creation groans in labor pains, and so do we. We groan in pain because the former things have not yet passed away. We also groan in hope because we know what is to come. Yet we do not groan alone. The Spirit intercedes for us and within us with sighs too deep for words.
We believe what God began in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God will complete in the new creation. God will dwell with God’s people and wipe every tear from their eyes (Revelation 21:3–4).
As we move from fear to hope, we are called to live now as an embodied sign of God’s future. To draw near to those who weep. To bear the burdens of those who are suffering. To work for justice, healing, and reconciliation. To stand in confidence that God, not fear or death, will have the final word.
| |
Diocesan Convention – October 23-24, 2026
Our 189th Diocesan Convention will be held in Celeron, NY at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel on October 23 & 24, 2026. Convention Business begins at 10am, Oct. 23rd and continues thru noon, Oct 24th.
This year's convention theme is: WE ARE THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH! We are excited to announce that our keynote speaker will be: The Rev. Molly F. James, Ph.D.
Molly currently serves as the Interim Executive Officer of General Convention for The Episcopal Church. She holds a PhD in Theology from the University of Exeter (UK), a Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Tufts University. She grew up in Maine and was ordained as a priest in 2005. She has served on the Bishops’ Staff in Connecticut, as a parish priest, and a hospital chaplain, as well as an adjunct professor focusing on ethics and pastoral care. Her doctoral research focused on suffering and grief. Her work, With Joyful Acceptance, Maybe was published in 2013 by Wipf and Stock. Molly previously served as co-chair of Young Clergy Women International (an ecumenical organization of clergy women under 40), and as a board member for the Society of Scholar Priests. She is currently co-chair of the Faith Communities Today research consortium, a board member for the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, and the Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance. She has two children and loves cooking, reading, travel, and spending time in the splendor of God’s creation.
Molly will also preach at the Convention Eucharist on Friday, October 23rd.
Convention Delegation from the Cathedral - Elected Delegates: Su Hadden, Kim Goodman O’Connell, Evelyn Smigelsky; Estelle Siener (alternate).
| |
Episcopal Diocese of WNY and Church News
For news about the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, and to sign up for emailed newsletters, go here.
The Episcopal Church website offers resources for individuals, congregations, and various ministries.
| | |
If you are with a group meeting on Zoom,
use the following link, unless specified otherwise:
SPC Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 716 855 0900 Password: 4cathedral
By Phone: 929-205-6099 Access code: 716 855 0900 Password: 535 007 8352
| | | | |
