Beloved,

Many of you commented, both after church and later by email, how moving last Sunday's All Souls' service was. As one of you wrote, "Outside of funerals, it's rare to be welcomed into a public ritual of private commemoration and grief, and I think today's service shows how much our culture needs that...There was something really beautiful in how we were all grieving different losses in different ways but sharing space and time to do so in a context of mutual support and shared faith." I could not have said it better. We will hold onto this service as a regular part of our liturgical life together. I realized, after the service, that I neglected to tell you what we would do with all the names collected in the bowl. Those we will hold on to and then burn in the new fire at the Easter Vigil.

On another note, it has come to my attention that we have lots of kids in church these days! Hurrah! And with kids comes a bit of noise, also to be celebrated! We have a lovely children's area in the back of the church, which is well-attended by children and their parents, with soft toys, books, crayons, and the like. But, kids are kids, and stuff happens. If you sit near the back of the nave most Sundays and find your worship a bit disrupted by kids being kids, I invite you to sit more towards the front. We celebrate everyone in this place, and there is a place for everyone here; it just might be closer to the front for some of you, and closer to the kids for others of you.

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

Greta+

Thank You

Thank you to Connie Quinby, Fran Carlson, Lisa Schnell, Shannon Williamson, Ann Guillot, Karl Fandrich, Bill Anderson, Noma Anderson, Kayla Spellenberg, Emiry Potter, and Miriam Burns for participating in last weekend's Diocesan Convention.

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. 

Tonight at 7:30 p.m.

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

This Week in Adult Forum: Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Vermont

Why do we have major Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices in Vermont? What is accomplished there? 

Maybe you've seen some of the protests happening around Harvest Lane and White Cap Industrial Park in Williston: long funeral processions, mock trials, sit-ins and arrests. What's the big deal? 

If you are curious, stay for an Adult Forum, this Sunday, right after our church service downstairs in the Parish Hall. Blaine Paxton will join us. Blaine has been doing research and raising awareness about the three national ICE facilities in Williston since October, 2025. Blaine also uses "alternative" means to raise awareness about ICE in Vermont through projects such as ICE Tours VT. 

We'll have a non-political discussion about just what happens in these buildings and how these agencies came to Vermont.

Church School Corner

It has been a busy couple of months in Church School. 

We are going to use this week to finish up some projects and take home what has been completed, so anticipate seeing some memory rocks and hand painted UTO boxes come home this week. In addition, we will strive to finish up our saints paperchain as the children are eager to make the chain cross the whole room! We wrap up our time together with a matching game where we will read a definition of one of our "words of the day" and see if the group can connect that to the correct word. It promises to be a fun time with lots of excitement, so we encourage all to join in.

Don't forget- next week is the UNITED THANK OFFER BOX collection, so please be sure to bring what you have collected at home to add on to all that we have been collecting and celebrating so far in Church School.

All children ages four through 14 are welcome to join us for Church School downstairs after worship.

Please reach out to Children's Formation Coordinator Holly Rees with any questions.

United Thank Offering Ingathering Sunday, November 22

Traditionally Thanksgiving has been a time when we remember UTO at St. Paul's. On Sunday, November 22 we ask that you bring your (filled) blue UTO boxes to church so that we can make them part of our offering. UTO funds many Episcopal Church outreach initiatives, including one here at our Cathedral some years ago when we needed a new sound system. 

If you would like to make a donation to the United Thank Offering online this year, you can do so using the link here, and selecting the UTO tile on our donation page. 100% of your donation will be passed through to UTO. 

The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of The Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through UTO, individuals are invited to embrace and deepen a personal daily spiritual discipline of gratitude. UTO is entrusted to receive the offerings, and to distribute the 100% of what is collected to support innovative mission and ministry throughout The Episcopal Church and Provinces of the Anglican Communion.

Cathedral Arts Presents Kinhaven Fall Concert

Kinhaven is thrilled to make their Burlington debut with this fall semester concert, featuring inspiring performances by semester program students, the Trillium String Quartet, violinist Deborah Buck, and special guest artists.

Kinhaven, located on a picturesque 31-acre campus in Weston, VT, celebrates its milestone 75th Anniversary in 2027, as well as the second year of its Semester Program intensive for exceptional high school string students, in collaboration with Burr and Burton Academy (BBA). The first of its kind in the nation, the Semester Program combines high-level academics at BBA with rigorous musical training at Kinhaven, where students live, study, and perform with each other and artistic faculty.

Sunday, November 22 at 4 p.m.

This is a free concert. Donations to Cathedral Arts are always gratefully accepted.

St. Paul's 2027 Pledge Campaign

Thank you to everyone who has submitted your pledge. So far, we have raised over $286,000 from 82 pledges. It's not too late to pledge!

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.

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). 

Multigenerational Wreath Making Sunday, November 29

All are welcome to gather downstairs after worship on Sunday, November 29 for self-directed, multigenerational advent wreath-making.

Advent wreaths help us mark the passage of the four weeks of Advent and serve as a visual, spiritual focal point as we await the celebration of Christmas. We'll provide greenery, rings, and candles. You provide the creativity. Come downstairs to the parish hall after worship to participate. All are welcome!

Make Family Game Night a Holiday Tradition

Champlainopoly board games are for sale this holiday season.

This version of everyone's favorite property trading game celebrating the Vermont side of the Lake Champlain valley is a fundraiser for arts programming and education by Cathedral Arts.

Games are available for purchase at the Cathedral Church of St Paul, 2 Cherry St. Burlington, where sales tax is not charged and a quantity discount is available (one game for $25, two for $45; $20 each for three or more). 

To inquire or to purchase, email Director of Cathedral Arts Peter Berton.

Cathedral Redevelopment Corner

This past week, the Cathedral signed an agreement with Brian Pine of White + Burke, retaining him for development, permitting, real estate finance, and longer-term strategic planning advising. We also met with a nonprofit developer to begin discussing potential approaches and possibilities.

These conversations represent an important step forward in our ongoing exploration of the property’s future. We are committed to approaching this process thoughtfully and keeping the congregation informed as transparently as possible. 

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)

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.