Family in Christ, 

Many of you will already know, but some may be reading this for the first time: late Monday night, our deacon Stan Baker, died of a heart attack. I sit in shock and sadness as I write these words. Stan had so much energy and vitality I would never have considered this even a possibility. He was such a valued member of the parish staff, but more importantly, such an integral part of this parish family. 

In the few days I have had to process this, I keep hearing about ministries Stan led or was a part of, or all the little tasks Stan took care of. As I read the press announcing Stan's passing, that scope was widened for me, as I realized just how much he meant to so many people. Stan cared so deeply and made each of us feel as if our lives – and ministries – mattered (because they do, of course). With quiet grace, charisma, style, charm, and love, Stan encouraged us to be better versions of ourselves, by virtue of just being Stan with us. I will miss that. Stan often laughed, and I will miss that too. 

I have shared some of my feelings, but whatever any of us might be feeling, this is a good time to remind us all: God is big enough to hold and love us through any response we might have. Every emotion is represented in Holy Scripture – one need look no further than the Psalms to see that – and our Triune God, who is a God of relationship, who is a God known in love, keeps us through them all. God in Christ Jesus did not shy away from difficult things, but instead met them with love and presence, and I am not sure I could think of two better words to describe Stan and his ministry than love and presence. 

Your presence is most welcome this Sunday in worship. We will say some prayers for Stan, his family, this parish family, and for all those who will miss him. After worship, we will be postponing our Adult Forum conversation with CVOEO, so that we can come together as a parish family in coffee hour. This gives us an opportunity to just be with one another: to share stories about and memories of Stan and hold the sacred space to process what has happened, as only this cathedral can. Additionally, we will be offering Sunday School so that the children have a space to talk about their feelings in their context, and to talk about Stan who would often spend that education hour with them. 

Whatever you are feeling, please bring your whole selves to Sunday worship. There will likely be tears, but there will just as likely be laughter. We will be together as a family, and God will be with us. 

Yours humbly in Christ, Bobby+ 

Thank You

Thank you to Jen Sisk for stocking the ladies' restrooms with feminine hygiene products.

CVOEO Presentation Postponed

So that we can give Jason Rouse from Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity our full attention at coffee hour, we have postponed his visit which was scheduled for this Sunday.

This coffee hour will instead be a time for us to all be together, to move from shock to profound grief upon learning of Stan's death. Jason will definitely be invited back. He was very enthusiastic about coming here to tell us about CVOEO. Stay tuned for details.

Coffee hour will take place as usual downstairs in the Parish Hall. All are welcome.

Missing Something?

The lost and found at St. Paul's has accumulated quite a few nice water bottles, glasses, and winter hats.

These items are now conveniently located in a basket on the Narthex table for you to pick up next time you're in church.

This is the final notice: These items will be donated next week! Please reach out to the Cathedral office if they belong to you.

Ray Suarez to Preach at St. Paul's July 20

St. Paul's is pleased to welcome author, radio host, podcaster, and journalist Ray Suarez to preach at the Cathedral on Sunday, July 20 at the 10 a.m. worship service.

Following the service, Mr. Suarez will speak about his experiences that went into his latest book on the modern era of American immigration, We Are Home: Becoming American in the 21st Century. As a veteran journalist and interviewer, he has criss-crossed the country to speak to new Americans from all corners of the globe, and to record their stories. This portrait of our newest citizens is full of their own, compelling voices. It’s a story as old as the country, yet each new wave of arrivals tells that classic story in new and crucially important ways.

Until the end of 2024 Ray was host of the public radio program and podcast On Shifting Ground. He is also the author of Latino Americans: The 500-Year Legacy That Shaped a Nation, The Holy Vote: The Politics of Faith in America, and The Old Neighborhood: What We Lost in the Great Suburban Migration.

He has been a visiting professor of Political Science at NYU Shanghai, and the John McCloy Visiting Professor of American Studies at Amherst College. He is a graduate of New York University and the University of Chicago.

Earlier in his career, Suarez was the host of the daily news program Inside Story from Al Jazeera America, Chief National Correspondent for The PBS NewsHour, and the host of Talk of the Nation from NPR. His recent podcast productions include two seasons of Going for Broke, produced with the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, and The Things I Thought About When My Body Was Trying to Kill Me, from Evergreen Podcasts, about cancer, treatment and recovery. 

Suarez’ journalism has been recognized with two DuPont-Columbia Awards, an Overseas Press Club Award, the Ruben Salazar Award from UNIDOS-US, and UCLA’s Public Policy Leadership Award for his reporting on urban America, among others.

Friends of St. Paul's Seeking Housing

Do you have an extra bedroom? Want to learn Spanish? Or would you just enjoy some company around the house?

Our friends, Kim and Luis, are in need of a place to live.

You may have seen Kim and Luis at the Cathedral. Last fall, they were living in their car in the Cathedral parking lot. Since then, they have joined us for worship, sat in at Adult Forum, and helped with Shrove Tuesday and Sunday hospitality. 

They are very good roommates. Kim's English is better every day. Luis is a pro at Google-Translate while he works on his second language and he loves to cook! 

If you have some extra space OR are just 'home-share-curious', please contact Deacon Susan ASAP to discuss the possibilities. Remember Hebrews 13:2!

Justice Speaks: Not One More

Bob and I and our daughter, Beth, were at the No Kings Day rally on Saturday in Burlington listening intently to Mohsen Madawi speak of his recent incarceration by ICE in Vermont. A friend approached and told us that Border Patrol agents had detained the husband and daughter of a Migrant Justice staff member in Richford that morning, breaking their car window and dragging them out of the car. Nacho, Rossy’s husband and Heidi, her daughter were detained in the border patrol barracks in Richford VT, pictured above. Migrant Justice was mobilizing allies to go and block exits so that ICE could not drive them away to any airport to “disappear” them out of reach of the U.S. judicial system. So we drove north to meet at least seventy other allies gathered in Richford, some at one entrance and some at the other. A car sat inside the gate with two agents standing beside it. We chanted: Not one more!

I was so grateful that our daughter was willing to go with us to this action. I felt outraged, heartbroken, but we all did. I sensed the liberating spirit of Jesus among people who gathered to resist evil and stand up for human rights. We are not helpless when we act together. Fortunately, lawyers were able to get restraining orders to prevent ICE from moving Nacho and Heidi out of state. 

For more information, contact Sylvia Knight: sknightinvt73@gmail.com.

Cathedral Arts Presents Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival Fellows Concert

Saturday, July 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Festival Fellows from Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival present a program of chamber works for strings as the culminating concert of the 2025 festival. This concert is in partnership with the Music for Food Project.

Admission is free with the donation of non-perishable food items.

Date Changed for St. Paul's Social Justice Ingathering

One of the signs of summer at the Cathedral is our annual Social Justice Outreach Ingathering, when we focus our fundraising efforts on local organizations that address hands-on support for members of our community, as well as those targeting systemic change in our community and state. Social justice fundraising is a form of support and power-building, not just a way to finance an organization's work, and raising money is an important part of the work of organizing, educating and advocating for human services.

To donate, you can drop a check in the offering plate on Sunday with "ingathering" on the memo line, or online using the link here, and enter your donation on the "Social Outreach" line so that your donation is applied appropriately.

There will be an ingathering on Sunday, August 17. To learn more about social justice outreach activities at the Cathedral, reach out to Deacon Susan McMillan. Thank you for your generosity.