FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026

Click here to view this email as a webpage.

SUNDAY OFFERINGS

Sunday, October 25, 2026: The Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

8 a.m. • Holy Eucharist

Thomsen Chapel

9 a.m. • Holy Eucharist

cathedral nave

10:10 a.m. • Sunday Forum

Bloedel Hall

11 a.m. • Holy Eucharist

cathedral nave & livestreamed

12:30 p.m. • Cathedral Tour

gather at the back of the nave

12:30 p.m. • Midway Gathering

Room 210

12:30 p.m. • The Inquirers' Class, Session 5

Leffler House Living Room

7 p.m. • Contemplative Eucharist

Thomsen Chapel

9:30 p.m. • Compline

cathedral nave & broadcast on KING FM

HEADLINES

Cover photo by Kevin Johnson shows the blessing of pledges on Ingathering Sunday 2025.

Stewardship 2027

At Saint Mark’s Cathedral, as Christians, we boldly proclaim, not only with our lips but in our lives, that…

• There is good news here for everyone.
• The humble will be exalted.
• God’s Kingdom breaks out in unexpected places.
• Every stranger is beloved of God.
• The Holy Spirit is alive in every moment.
• Our table always has room for more.
• We long to be transformed by mystery as the body of Christ.

REFLECTION FROM ALEXANDRA THOMPSON

Saint Mark’s 2024 Strategic Plan states: We embrace a countercultural view of giving – all we have been given is from God and we hold it lightly and with consideration of our neighbor. I contribute to Saint Mark’s through the online giving portal, but this year, I will deepen my stewardship practice by bringing an additional contribution and placing it in the offertory basket. It’s a good reminder that all we have is given is from God and to hold the gifts lightly. I see young children eye the basket as it comes towards them during the Offertory and gleefully add their folded-many-times bill to it. I can’t wait to recapture some of that joy this year. 

INGATHERING SUNDAY

This Sunday, October 25, is Ingathering Sunday, when all the 2027 financial commitments received to this point will be brought forward and blessed at the altar during the 9 and 11 a.m. services. A festive reception with coffee and snacks will be offered for everyone following the liturgies.

This marks the culmination of Stewardship Season, during which everyone who feels a connection to Saint Mark's is invited to make a financial commitment to support the cathedral in 2027. These pledges allow the cathedral to create a responsible budget for the coming year. Please submit your pledge using a paper form or online before Sunday so it can be included in Sunday's celebration of generosity! Later in November, the names of all those who have made a financial commitment will be printed in the Sunday bulletin.

Members of the Stewardship Ministry will be available in the rear of the nave following the 9 and 11 a.m. services this Sunday to answer questions or help you make a pledge. You may also email the committee with questions ahead of Sunday.

QUICK LINKS: LEAFLETS | READINGS | VIDEO ARCHIVE | SERMONS | CALENDAR

SUNDAY FORUM

Wholehearted Companions: Becoming a Dementia-Friendly Congregation

with Emily Meeks

THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 10:10 A.M. in Bloedel Hall

Dementia raises profound questions of identity, personhood, and faith. Many of us know or will know someone experiencing a form of dementia. Join seminarian Emily Meeks to explore how congregations can companion people with dementia on their spiritual journey through liturgical and spiritual practices and intergenerational relationships.

Emily is a third year student at Virginia Theological Seminary and a candidate for Holy Orders to the priesthood sponsored by Saint Mark's Cathedral. At VTS, her research has focused on the intersectionality of our Baptismal Covenant and different expressions of spiritual memory.

Cathedral Tour

THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 12:30 P.M. meet at the back of the nave

A cathedral docent will offer a guided tour of the nave, Thomsen Chapel, and the Cathedral House. The tour highlights the cathedral’s history and architecture as participants move throughout the building. An elevator is available for those who need it. 

Midway Gathering: Where the Heck is My Village?

THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 12:30 P.M. in Room 210

We are always hearing “it takes a village” to do basically anything: raise a family, heal from illness or surgery, process trauma, live life. But our current society is not really conducive to this village model. Can the church be that? Do we want it to be? If so, how do we foster that in our faith community today? How do we show up for each other beyond Sundays? Join the Midway Group for an engaging and thoughtful discussion accompanied by a potluck brunch.

Midway is the Cathedral’s affinity group for those in middle adulthood—after young adulthood but before retirement. All who see themselves in this description are welcome. Contact Jen Younggren with questions.

The Inquirers' Class: Session 5

THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 12:30 P.M. in Leffler House Living Room

This five-week series is facilitated by clergy and canons and explores the basics of the Christian faith through the lens of the Episcopal Church. This last session will be led by the Rev. Adam Conley and will cover "Faith in Action." All are invited to attend.

Pre-Election Interfaith Vigil for Unity & Peace

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 7 P.M. in the nave

Ahead of the midterm elections, local religious leaders and members of Seattle’s faith community are gathering for an interfaith prayer vigil. Together, we will demonstrate unity and express our shared values of peace amidst global conflict and solidarity with our migrant neighbors and other victims of mass violence, displacement, or othering. The service will include communal singing, brief readings from Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr. and others, time for silence and reflection, and the opportunity to light candles.

This event is co-sponsored by Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, St. James Catholic Cathedral, Temple De Hirsch Sinai, First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Seattle, and the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement at Seattle University.

Constitutional Observer Training

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 7 P.M. in Bloedel Hall

Do you know what to do if you see ICE in your community? ICE abductions are at record levels in Washington State. Immigration agents are everywhere, using license plate readers and other methods to pick up people on major roads, in retail parking lots and neighborhoods. This 1-hour class, led by Beth Donahoe from Eastside Indivisible and retired immigration attorney Jay Stansell, will show you what to do if you happen upon immigration enforcement activity. It’s like taking CPR training: you hope you’ll never need it, but it’s good to know what to do in case of an emergency. Constitutional Observer trainings prepare people to observe, document, and report what they witness—centering the people being targeted—in service of accountability, safety, and our shared democratic values.

Register for the training.

All Hallows' Eve Family Playdate

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 9:30-11 A.M. in Bloedel Hall

All families and kiddos (infants through elementary school) are invited to join for an All Hallows' Eve Family Playdate on Halloween in Bloedel Hall. Kids and their parents will enjoy fall themed snacks (friendly for all ages and dietary needs), crafts, games, and music. We will have story time at 9:45 a.m. Costumes are welcome!

Choral Evensong

on All Saints' Day and the Eve of All Souls' Day

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 4:30 P.M. in the nave

Saint Mark's invites one and all, through eventide prayers and praise, to celebrate all the saints and remember all whom we love but see no longer. The Evensong Choir will offer a boldly declamatory setting of the Songs of Mary and Simeon by the 19th-century English composer, Charles Villiers Stanford (the setting in C major, his own favorite among his several settings of those canticles); and the deeply moving anthem, Valiant-for-Truth, a setting by Ralph Vaughan Williams of a passage from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

WISDOM SCHOOL & CATHEDRAL COMMONS

God and the Alcoholic Experience: Suffering and Solidarity with the Addicted

with the Rev. Canon Rich Weyls

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 6:45 P.M. in Bloedel Hall & on Zoom

1 in 6 Americans struggle with addiction at any given moment. Recovery and healing are found through solidarity with fellow addicts, forming community, and service to others. This session will weave together Scripture, Christian tradition, contemporary wisdom, and the lived experience of recovery to show how these perspectives illuminate each other for sobriety and profound growth in the spiritual life.

Visual Arts Ministry: Visit to Frye Art Museum

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 11 A.M. at the Frye Museum

The Visual Arts Ministry is hosting a visit to the Frye Art Museum. Meet in the museum lobby at 11 a.m. to view the new exhibits by indigenous artists and to explore the ongoing collection in the Salon. Afterwards, the VAM group will gather for sharing time and lunch in the cafe.

Admission to the Frye is free. Contact VAM Co-Chair Deborah Brown with questions.

Concert by Canon Kleinschmidt

on the organ of First Lutheran Church, West Seattle

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 3 P.M. at First Lutheran Church, West Seattle

In celebration of the 509th anniversary of Martin Luther's launch of the Protestant Reformation, the 50th anniversary of the beautiful pipe organ built by Fritz Noack in the 1st Lutheran Church of West Seattle, and to honor the legacy of Andrew King who served as organist/cantor at this church for 50 years, Canon Kleinschmidt will offer a program of works by 17th and 18th century German Lutheran composers such as Michael Praetorius, Nikolaus Bruhns, Dieterich Buxtehude, and J. S. Bach. It will include settings for organ of melodies associated with hymns authored by Martin Luther and Elisabeth Cruciger, as well as dazzling free compositions. All are welcome. Free-will offering.

This offering is part of the Soli Deo Gloria Concert Series. The First Lutheran Church of West Seattle is located at 4105 California Ave SW, Seattle.

Cozy Compline

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 7 P.M. in the nave

Come in your pajamas for cocoa and cookies and get cozy in the nave for the Church's bedtime prayers sung by the high school Schola of Saint Mark's Choir School. The 40-foot diameter Terra globe will be suspended from our 80-foot ceiling, casting a gentle light. With that guiding our theme, we're sharing Sophie Blacknell's picture book guide to our planet, If You Come to Earth, immediately before the liturgy. This service of Compline is beautiful, brief, and especially child-friendly, but meaningful for all ages. Pillows and stuffed animals are welcome!

20s & 30s Fall Brunch

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 12:30 P.M. in Leffler House

All in their 20s & 30s are welcome to gather for good food, tea, coffee, and conversation at Leffler House following the 11 service. Bagels, fruit, yogurt, and beverages will be provided; please feel free to bring a dish or side to share! Contact the 20s & 30s minsitry leaders with questions.

Second Sunday Book Group

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 12:30 P.M. in Room 210

The Second Sunday Book Group is discussing The Gospel Engine (2025) by Samuel Thawley. Thawley's novel is about a woman who, after a decade at Google's AI lab, leaves her job to do a doctorate in theology using her AI expertise to discover the process by which Gospel texts emerged and what alternative texts or wording may have been circulating at that time. She wants to know what may have been lost or suppressed and how this might challenge existing Christian theology. She knows her work will be controversial but doesn't anticipate the size or reach of the public storm that emerges. She wrestles with what can be known and whether her work reveals truth or tempts heresy. Her father is a cathedral dean in the Anglican Church; she is steeped in the history and philosophy of the church. This is a novel that takes both theology and technology seriously.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Saint Mark's Receives Grant from the City of Seattle

This week, the City of Seattle's Office of Sustainability and Environment announced that Saint Mark's Cathedral is a recipient of their 2026 Building Decarbonization Grant program. We were recognized as an historic place of worship and community gathering space with an ambitious carbon reduction goal. We will receive $148,000 to support the Living Stones II retrofit project of the HVAC in the cathedral nave. 

Saint Mark's has always been a gathering place for the city of Seattle and the region, and we're profoundly grateful to receive support from the city to continue being a safe place where people gather in times of crisis, sorrow, and celebration. Learn more on the City of Seattle's website.

Submit All Saints' Day Commemorations

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF NAMES: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25

On Sunday, November 1, we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints. On that day, names of those who have died in the past 12 months (since last All Saints’ Day) will be printed in the service leaflets and lifted up collectively in prayer.

Please submit the names of anyone you would like to be included by emailing Cathedral Worship Coordinator, David Poortinga, by Sunday, October 25.

Save the Date: Alternative Gift Market

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 10 A.M. - 1 P.M., in Bloedel Hall

special access will follow the 8 a.m. service

The Alternative Gift Market is an annual event to support the Threshold Fund and benefit some of our community partners. In 2025, the Market and Giving Tree raised an amazing combined total of over $12,900 in cash, gifts, and gift cards. In 2026, the Market will benefit the Threshold Fund, Lowell Elementary School, Casa Latina, Operation Nightwatch, L'Arche Seattle, Seattle Seafarers Center, and Building Together. Mark your calendars now and invite your friends to support this event!

A team of more than forty people contributed to last year’s huge success. There are a number of ways you can be involved:

1. Donate treasures: giftable items that others might make a significant donation for such as framed art/prints; special pieces of pottery, glass, or china; books, games or toys in excellent condition. Items may be dropped off in the coffee corner on Sunday or to the cathedral office during the week (Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.).

2. Donate a handmade item: knitted, quilted, sewn, painted, crafted.

3. Participate in our Crafternoon: On Wednesday, November 11, the kitchen will be open beginning at noon and crafting will take place in Bloedel Hall from 2-4 pm. Bring your own, or take part in ours!

4. Sign up to support before, during or after the event.

5. Look out in the newsletter for additional opportunities to support the Alternative Gift Market.

Discerning Leadership Opportunities

Serving on Vestry or as a Convention Delegate are significant leadership ministry opportunities that help define and articulate the mission of the church, steward our resources, and share ministry with Saint Mark’s clergy and staff.

At the Annual Parish Meeting January 24, 2027, we will elect four new vestry members from the Parish and 12 delegates to Diocesan Convention. 

Each Sunday in October, after the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services, members of the Nominating Committee will be present in the Coffee Corner to answer questions and offer material that clarifies the role and responsibilities of these roles. Parish members can nominate themselves or another member for consideration by the committee by submitting a form (available at the table) or by email to nominations@saintmarks.org.

Nominating Committee Members: Christopher Breunig, Carrie Davis, Greg Hamm, Hilary McLeland-Wieser, Peter Snyder, Nancy Valaas, Julia Logan and Martha Craig (Co-Chairs), Dean Steve Thomason (ex officio)

Position Open: Director of Communications

Saint Mark's Cathedral is now accepting applications for the Director of Communications. This role is responsible for the overall communications and messaging of the Cathedral and for timely content creation across various channels (digital and print) - cultivating a sense of belonging among parishioners and the broader community through effective storytelling and consistent brand identity. Read the job description and application instructions.

Grief Process Group

Saint Mark’s will offer a six-week Grief and Loss Process Group on Friday afternoons from November 6 to December 11, 3-4:30 p.m. in Leffler House. A Licensed Professional Counselor will facilitate the process using contemporary scholarship and secular ritual, and the group will be limited to four participants.

If this group sounds like it could be of benefit to you, please send an email inquiry to the Rev. Mary Petty Anderson.

Call for Entries: Quilt Exhibit at Saint Mark's Cathedral

presented by the Visual Arts and Quilt Ministries

We invite quilters from across the Episcopal Church in Western Washington to submit their original works reflecting our theme: “The Joy of Creating.” Quilts will be hung in the cathedral nave, January 3 -31, 2027.

The submission deadline is November 21, 2026. More information and the entry form is here.

FROM OUR NEIGHBORS

Seattle Weavers' Guild Show & Sale

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 10 A.M. - 7:30 P.M.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.

The Seattle Weavers' Guild Show & Sale in Bloedel Hall will showcase one of the northwest’s largest selections of fine handwoven textiles by regional fiber artists with artist talks and demonstrations. This is more than just a sale—it's a chance to find that exceptional, one-of-a-kind item for your home, your wardrobe, or someone special in your life.

Take a peek at the offerings here. Admission and parking is free.

FROM OUR NEIGHBORS

Bring Christmas to a Seafarer

Every year, the Seattle Seafarers Center provides over 1,000 ditty bags stuffed with basic personal necessities to merchant seafarers. These bags are one way we give thanks for these essential and often hidden workers and help seafarers celebrate the holidays while they are far from home. Please consider making drawstring bags or knit hats or purchasing basic supplies to fill the ditty bags. Learn more on the Seattle Seafarers Center website and contact the center with any questions.

PASTORAL CARE

To submit a prayer request for the Prayer Chain or to be added to the spoken Prayers of the People on Sunday, send an email to prayers@saintmarks.org or call 206.323.0300 x314.

We also invite your prayers as informed by:

• The Anglican Cycle of Prayer
• The Diocese of Olympia Diocesan Cycle of Prayer
• The Saint Mark's, Seattle, Cathedral Cycle of Prayer

THIS WEEK'S RECURRING OFFERINGS

Below are recurring offerings at Saint Mark's this week. Click the photo to learn more, or visit our cathedral calendar.

Sunday, October 25

during the 9 a.m. service

in Thomsen Chapel

All children are invited to join the Gospel procession and gather around the Deacon as the Gospel is proclaimed. Parents are welcome to join; otherwise they will return to their families in the nave at the Peace.

Sunday, October 25

10:10 a.m., Bloedel Hall

Seminarian Emily Meeks will lead a discussion on becoming a demential-friendly congregation.

Sunday, October 25

12:30 p.m., in the nave

This tour will highlight the cathedral’s history and architecture as participants move throughout the building. An elevator is available, if needed.

Monday through Friday 
on Zoom

Daily Morning Prayer is offered online via Zoom, Monday through Friday at 7:30 a.m.

Daily Evening Prayer is offered via Zoom, Monday through Friday at 6 p.m.

Monday, October 26

6:30 p.m. in the cathedral nave

Cathedral Yoga will be led by Andrew Ragan, followed by a tea social. Doors open to welcome participants at 6 p.m. and close at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 27

12 p.m. on Zoom

This group provides a weekly conversation around the scripture readings for the following Sunday.

Email Bible Study leaders for the Zoom link.

Tuesday, October 27

6:30 p.m. in the nave

Contemplative Prayer gatherings begin with a time of silent meditation, followed by a discussion of contemplative experience and practices.

Wednesday, October 28, 5:30-8:15 p.m.

Cathedral Commons begins with Evening Prayer at 5:30 p.m., a community dinner from 6-6:30 p.m.. There will be no forum this week, but all are welcome to the Interfaith Vigil at 7 p.m. in the nave.

Thursday, October 29

7:30 a.m.,

 in Thomsen Chapel

A service of Holy Eucharist is offered, followed by fellowship and a community breakfast in Leffler House.

Saint Mark’s Cathedral acknowledges that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People, who are still here, and we honor with gratitude the land itself and the life of all the Coast Salish tribes. [Learn more]