Beloved,

This Sunday we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints and commend our financial pledges to God in a special offering. Our financial pledges are what keep this cathedral operating - paying salaries and utilities so that we can go about the work of building God's kingdom here in our little corner of the world. Your financial pledge makes a difference, no matter the size. Every dollar you give is a dollar we don't have to try to figure out how to raise another way. We have been called to be stewards of this cathedral while we are here, and we are to take that job seriously.

Another way we steward God's gifts is through our participation in secular forms of government (recognizing that only God is God), working to lift up into secular positions of power those who would care for all of creation as God asks us to: lifting up the lowly, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for children, widows, and strangers, tending God's creatures, land, and sea, and seeing to the work of justice, equality, and equity. Just as each dollar you pledge to this cathedral matters, so does each vote matter.

So bring your pledge cards with you this Sunday, and bring them forward as an offering at the designated time. Pledged on-line or already sent in your pledge packet? No worries, we have extra pledge cards on the table at the rear of the church - fill one out and bring it forward, making sure to mark that it is a duplicate! And then go out and vote on Tuesday (or earlier), and make your voice heard.

A prayer from the Episcopal Public Policy Network:

God of our flourishing, who granted us freedom to seek the good of our neighbors, give us wisdom as people across this nation participate in the midterm elections. Help us to fulfill our civic responsibilities to register and vote, seek reliable information, resist propaganda, and listen with open hearts. Teach us to consider not only our own interests but the good of our neighbors and our common life, and to vote according to conscience, that the ballot box may be another place where we practice the love of Jesus. In baptism you have joined us to Christ and made us citizens of your kingdom. Help us to place allegiance to Christ and his teachings above any loyalty to party, nation, or earthly power. Make us faithful participants in civic life, seeking justice, truth, and the flourishing of all. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  

Beloved, you are beautiful. I love you and God adores you,

Greta+

Thank You

Thanks to your generous contributions, our Feeding Champlain Valley liaisons brought 24 pounds of food to the food shelf for our neighbors in need.

Fall Back: Daylight Savings Time Ends this Sunday

Daylight savings time ends this Sunday at 2 a.m. Be sure to turn your clocks back one hour, and we'll see you at the Cathedral at 10 a.m. for worship.

St. Paul's 2027 Pledge Campaign Ingathering This Sunday

Thank you to everyone who has submitted your pledge! October at the Cathedral is all about Annual Giving as we launch our 2027 Stewardship Campaign. Stewardship means the duty Christians have to responsibly manage and make use of the gifts that God has given them. As Christian stewards, we receive God's gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and propagate and return them to the Lord.

Consider what you can give - the dollars pledged to our 2027 campaign will be used to fund our operating budget - salaries, utilities, outreach programs, and much more. Donating to St. Paul's Annual Giving campaign enables us to accurately budget each year. Our ingathering date will be Sunday, November 1, 2026.

There are extra pledge packets available on the Narthex table, or pledges can be made online using the link here. If you would like a pledge packet mailed to you, please reach out to Jennifer in the Cathedral office (admin@stpaulscathedralvt.org, or 802-864-0471). 

Church School Update

This week in Church School we will explore what it means to be a Saint. Join us as we create a construction paper chain of our favorite Saints to decorate the Church School space. If time permits, we may even get into the costume closet and do a parade around the classroom dressed as one of the celebrated Saints that we study. As always, we will finish off our time together by sharing in gratitude as we contribute to our collective United Thank Offering Box. 

We hope to see you there. All are welcome!  

Don't forget to see Holly before the service starts for your copy of the Sunday Paper. 

November Young Adults Table

Next Friday is our November YAT (Young Adult Table) and we are skipping the stress, and enjoying the best part of Thanksgiving - LEFTOVERS!

Whether you make a traditional "Ross Sandwich" or your own special creation, we'll have all the traditional fixin's, turkey, potatoes and gravy, excellent bread, and sides, for you to make your own Thanksgiving "leftovers" sammie.

Please bring a song, story, poem or tale of thanks to share, and we'll experience them together

NOVEMBER YAT sharing Compline and Community

FRIDAY the 6th at 5:30

Parish Hall - Childcare provided

Please RSVP by Wednesday, November 4, to karenbrightly@gmail.com

Diocesan Conventions: What are they? What happens during them? Who attends?

Volunteer at Convention for Behind-the-Scenes Access!

A diocesan convention is a time for the people of the diocese to gather. While it is a business meeting with important work to be done, the convention is, first and foremost, a time to be together in prayer and community.

Diocesan leaders, including the bishop, staff, and committees, work hard for months before the convention to organize logistics, gather reports, develop a proposed budget, and solicit nominations for leadership.

The primary components of our diocesan convention are: Worship, the bishop's address, and multiple business sessions, including resolutions, appointments, and elections for leadership positions.

Who attends: The bishop, all canonically residents priests and deacons, and lay delegates, who are selected to vote on the behalf of their congregations. Youth and visitors are also welcome to attend!

The Cathedral is hosting a portion of convention this year on Saturday, November 7. We are seeking a few volunteers willing to welcome attendees, facilitate coffee and meals, and act as Cathedral representatives to our guests from around Vermont. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering at this event, please reach out to the Cathedral office.

All Souls Day at St. Paul's

Each year on All Souls Day, it is our tradition at St. Paul's to remember those who have died in the past year or two.

All Souls Day is traditionally celebrated on the day after All Saints Day - November 2 - and is the commemoration of All Faithful Departed. It is a day when faithful Christians who have died are remembered.

This year we are transferring our All Souls celebration to Sunday, November 8. If you have lost someone dear to you in the past year or two, we would like to honor them by inviting you to bring a photo or other memento of your loved one with you to worship. During the service, we will honor their lives by lighting a candle in their memory, writing their name on a slip of paper, and reading their name during worship.

Please send these names along to the Cathedral office: admin@stpaulscathedralvt.org, or fill out a form located on the Narthex table and drop in the offering plate.

Taizé Meditation at the Cathedral

Join us on Sunday, November 8 at 7 p.m. for an hour-long candlelit meditation combining sung and spoken prayer, readings, and silence, allowing space to slow down and simply “be.”

Selections primarily from the Taizé Community in France supply the musical framework, with creative instrumental accompaniment. Icons and candle lighting provide additional conduits to join minds and hearts in prayer for ourselves, the community gathered, and the world. All are welcome.

The Taizé committee is seeking a few volunteers to stick around after worship on Sunday morning, November 8 to help set up. Questions? Email Judith McManis, or just show up!

Justice Speaks: More on Proposal 4

Vermont Interfaith Action supports Proposal 4 to amend Vermont’s Constitution to include equal protection. From the website for VT Racial Justice Alliance, “Shield Vermont is a statewide call to reconstruct the Vermont civil rights infrastructure to one of greater autonomy and resilience.” Civil rights are clearly under attack at the federal level. The Voting Rights Act has been disabled. Transgender people and gays have seen attacks on their civil rights. Immigrants are vulnerable. The Supreme Court upended affirmative action. In this climate Vermonters who have been historically marginalized and allies are working to establish a comprehensive framework of constitutional safeguards, of which PR 4 is one piece. 

To learn more about the VT Racial Justice Alliance and why they are promoting Prop 4, go to vtracialjusticealliance.org.

From that website, you can go to the link for Prop 4 and learn more about this amendment. 

For God’s Beloved Community, 

Sylvia Knight 

Cathedral Arts Presents Paul Orgel, Bach and Debussy

Major critics praise concert pianist Paul Orgel for his “subtlety and attention to nuance,” “rare pathos,” “brilliant technique, sense of humor and fantasy,” and “warmth and beauty of sound.” The program features Claude Debussy’s complete impressionist masterpiece Preludes, Book 1, and six Preludes and Fugues from J. S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Klavier, Book 2, in an evening of dazzling contrasts and compositional prowess. 

Friday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets cost $28.65, or $12.57 for students, and are available online here.

Beware Email Phishing Scams

Please use caution when opening or responding to texts or emails that appear to be from St. Paul's clergy or staff. Often the return email address will be similar to, but not part of our network. We will never ask for your banking or credit card information or solicit gift cards via email or text. Most importantly, do not click on any links in these communicatons! 

If you have questions about the validity of a text or email you have received, don't hesitate to reach out to us in the Cathedral office: 802-864-0471, or admin@stpaulscathedralvt.org.

Cathedral Redevelopment Corner

Thank you to everyone who attended last week's Redevelopment Project Q&A, and to the task force members who answered questions.

In their October meeting, the vestry decided to retain the services of White + Burke under a new letter of agreement to solicit nonprofit and for-profit developers who may be interested in the Cathedral's downtown property. Once this agreement has been signed, the Task Force can begin discussions with potential partners to explore options for the development of the Cathedral's property.

We will continue to keep the parish community abreast of any developments as they occur.

Task Force Members: Dean Greta Getlein, Senior Warden Marley Skiff, Junior Warden Karl Fandrich, David McKay, Lisa Schnell (trustee), Caroline Henne, Shannon Williamson (vestry), Jen Sisk (vestry), Peter Anderson, Sarah van Ryckvorsel, Bert Cicchetti (trustee), Frank Guillot, Jennifer Sumner (staff)

ICE Out Vermont Funeral Procession and Sit-In

On November 6th, the ICE Out Vermont Alliance, a statewide coalition of community, faith-based, and activist organizations, is organizing a funeral procession and sit-in at key ICE facilities in Williston, VT demanding that the agency be abolished and replaced with a humane immigration system that recognizes the dignity and value of all people regardless of race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. 

All individuals are welcome to participate in the funeral procession and to express their support legally at designated areas adjacent to the sit-in. Interested individuals will meet at the NCATC (426 Industrial Ave. in Williston) at 9:00 a.m. on November 6th and are encouraged to wear dark clothing. Participants will carry coffins and tombstones and draw chalk silhouettes with the names of immigrants who have died at the hands of ICE. The walking route is approximately 1¼ miles. For more information, go to iceoutvt.org

Winooski Dismas House

Dismas of Vermont provides a supportive community for people leaving incarceration and trauma through family-style and step-down transitional housing that emphasizes relationship-building with community volunteers, college students, and international volunteers. The East Allen Dismas (EAD) house located in Winooski, VT is seeking volunteers to support providing a dinner to the house residence on a rotating monthly schedule. Volunteers and friends share the provided dinner with the residence in support of their faithful presence in the house, and who share the Dismas mission with others in the community and beyond.

If you are interested in providing a meal to the EAD house in Winooski, please contact Richard Parks via phone (802) 318-8815 or via email at rparks101@netzero.net for more information. Thank you for your consideration.