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Cow Hollow

Church News

T h e E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h o f S a i n t M a r y t h e V i r g i n S u m m e r 2 0 1 6

During This Time of Transition

The Very Rev. Dr. Donald Brown, Interim Rector

Transitions are challenging. If you remember back to when you were in grade school and heading into junior

high school, or moving on from high school, the anticipation of the new was tempered by a sense of sadness

about the loss of what was comfortable and familiar.

When transition happens in the life of a congregation, a multitude of emotions arise that are about as varied as

the people who make up the congregation. The issues around the abrupt and unexpected departure of the

rector as well other issues unfolding in parish life have created confusion and speculation among some in our

parish about both the present and the future of St. Mary’s.

Transitions are never easy. St. Mary’s staff and key volunteers are working to

smooth the way for calling our next rector. Part of that effort means

understanding and dealing with patterns of behavior and situations that need to

change but were not previously addressed. In that regard, to ensure that St.

Maryʹs is in compliance with diocesan and national Church policy regarding

“Safe Church,” windows have been installed in doors that lead into staff offices

and Sunday School classrooms. You can learn more about “Safe Church” and

other policies and procedures that St. Maryʹs follows on our website:

http://smvsf.org/policies‐procedures/.

A great deal of study has been devoted to how transitions normally progress. There is a natural cycle to the

emotions and stages a congregation moves through as it leaves what has been in the past and moves forward

into a bright future filled with new life and hope. You can picture transition as similar to being on a roller

coaster ride where you move from the heights of what had been the “status quo,” accelerating as you roll

down the tracks that pass through emotions such as shock, mourning, disorientation, recalling the good old

days, turmoil, anxiety, guilt, feelings of loss, detachment, and distancing from others. Finally reaching the

point where the tracks start to head back up, folks either decide to stick with the parish or they leave.

Congregational studies tell us that most people decide to stay for the ride back up as the natural forces of

transition begin moving the congregation toward a new future.

During the climb, we will participate in exploring options for the parish, problem‐solving, finding new

structures for congregational life, and reattaching to groups and programs that fulfill spiritual, educational,

http://smvsf.org/policies-procedures/

Summer 2016 The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin

and social needs. As the roller coaster continues to

move upward, new energy and excitement develop

concerning the future of the congregation and the

coming of the new rector. Wherever you find

yourself and your emotions and spiritual life on

“The Roller Coaster of Change,” know that God’s

Holy Spirit is on this journey with us, both

individually and as a community. Isaiah, bringing a

message from the Spirit, promises: “For I am about

to do something new. See, I have already begun!

Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through

the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry

wasteland”(Isaiah 43:19).

In order to keep all of our members and friends as

fully informed as possible we will have a new

bulletin board in the courtyard with pictures and

names of members of the vestry and the Profile and

Search Committee. See the story about search

committee activities and read mini‐bios of

members on page 12. Please feel free to seek out

members of the vestry and search committee to

chat about your hopes for St. Mary’s. A summary

of vestry minutes and financials will also be posted

on the bulletin board.

Because not everyone makes it to services on

Sunday, our weekly email of parish Highlights has

been expanded to include most of the printed

announcements available on Sunday.

We are going to have an active summer at St.

Mary’s this year. On June 12th, the summer service

schedule (8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.) commences

with our Annual Parish BBQ in the courtyard

following the 10:00 a.m. service. Our Summer in

the City lecture series begins June 26; see the flyer

for details. On Sundays, in addition to nursery care,

we will offer programming for children in

kindergarten through 5th grade; look for details in

the Sunday Announcements and Highlights.

As in the recent past, we will worship using

alternative liturgies adapted from Lutheran and

Anglican sources. It’s going to be a good summer at

St. Mary’s, so if you are not away on holiday,

please join us.

News of Note from the Sr. Warden

Jim Griffith

Who’s in Charge in the Interim?

Episcopal Church laws state that the Senior

Warden is the ecclesiastical head of a parish during

a time of transition. This means that the primary

decision‐makers during St. Maryʹs interim period

are the wardens and vestry, with support and

counsel from the interim clergy team. New clergy,

serving at the behest of the vestry, typically take up

their duties in new ways. Even small change can be

confusing to any institution, and when a three‐

person team arrives instead of an anticipated single

interim rector, the reverberations of change can

seem magnified. So our clergy have set down

descriptions of primary responsibilities for each

interim team member, and how the interims plan

to share in the existing and ongoing work of our

associate rector and deacons.

Clergy duties will shift in October, when Associate

Rector Claire Ranna, who is expecting her second

baby with her husband Haamid, goes on maternity

leave. At that time we will not be adding any new

clergy; however, Verger Natalie Hala will assist in

some liturgical duties, as Kathleen Bean did while

Claire was on maternity leave in 2014.

Please note that all of our clergy are available for

pastoral care and that all of the priests will be

participating in regular worship services, as well as

officiating at weddings and funerals. Don and

Claire will be at St. Mary’s every Sunday unless

otherwise announced in advance. Deb and Ted will

each be at services at least one Sunday per month.

All of the clergy will also participate in planning

and leading Adult Education/Formation

opportunities.

To help you better understand clergy duties and

responsibilities, as well as to determine whom you

should contact for various questions, here is a brief

(and necessarily incomplete) list of who is doing

what.

Cow Hollow Church News Summer 2016

Don Brown

Primary Role: Interim

Rector

[email protected] (20 hours

per week)

Primarily responsible for:

Personnel issues

Church administration

Buildings and Grounds (with vestry member Rick

Darwin)

Financial concerns

Liturgical oversight (with other clergy)

Clergy liaison to Legacy and Endowment Board

Clergy liaison to vestry

Deb White

Primary Role: Interim Pastor

[email protected] (10 hours per week)


Intentional interim ministry work

Parish Retreat at the Bishop’s Ranch (with Claire)


Church administration in Don’s absence

Clergy liaison to Search Committee

Clergy liaison to Climate Care Committee

Clergy liaison to Deanery (with Claire)

Clergy Liaison to vestry in Don’s absence

Ted Thompson

Primary Role: Interim Pastor



Formal healing and reconciliation work


Church administration in

Don’s absence

Clergy liaison to music

ministries

Clergy liaison to lay pastoral

committees

Clergy liaison to liturgical

staff and volunteers in

Claire’s absence

Claire Dietrich Ranna

Associate Rector



Liturgical scheduling (including Baptism and

Confirmation)


All Parish Retreats (Ranch retreat with Deb)

Clergy liaison to Newcomer’s Ministry

Clergy liaison to liturgical staff and volunteers

(including Altar Guild, Flower Guild, Ushers,

Lay Eucharist Ministers, Lectors, Director of

Music, Associate Director of Music)

Clergy liaison to Youth Ministries and Affinity

Groups

Clergy liaison to Planned and Major Gifts

Committee and Legacy Society (with Don)

Clergy liaison to Deanery (with Deb)

Clergy liaison to 125th Anniversary Committee

Communications

Nancy Bryan

Deacon

[email protected] (volunteer)


Pastoral Care

Clergy liaison to Pastoral Care Committee


Tim Smith

Deacon

[email protected] (volunteer)


Outreach

Clergy liaison to Outreach Committee

Clergy liaison to Cursillo


THE VESTRY

Jim Griffith – Senior Warden

Liz Paxton – Junior Warden

Roulhac Austin Donna Davidson

Ronald Clark Jeff Landry

Jane A. Cook Creighton Reed

Martha Daetwyler Ruth Tatum

Rick Darwin Rob Vanneman

[email protected]

The Revs. Deb, Don, Claire, and Ted.


Sunday School News Nancy Clark, Sunday School Co‐Director

At this writing, we are nearing the end of the 2015‐

16 Sunday School year with June 5th slated to be

the last teaching Sunday before the summer

schedule kicks in. The spring was filled with Lent

and Easter lessons and projects, most notably and

traditionally the Sunday School’s full participation

in Heifer Project activities. As always there was a

bake sale organized by the 5th and 6th graders and

in spite of a surprising downpour at the peak of

courtyard commerce time, sales of cookies,

brownies and lemon cakes netted over $200 or, in

terms of Heifer animals, a goat or a sheep.

Meanwhile, the assorted coinage and contributions

in the little Heifer “ark” boxes totaled almost $300.

As it happens, this year’s pre‐school children—and

of course that must include the guiding hands and

generosity of their parents—returned the most

boxes of any group. We are gratified that our

youngest parishioners are learning at very early

ages the pleasures and importance of philanthropy.

On Mothers Day, as a tribute to St. Mary, special

saint of our parish, and to mothers and fathers and

role models, the Sunday School children presented

a special wreath and also the final tally of their

Heifer outreach contributions. The wreath then

rested at the foot of the courtyard statue of Mary.

Following the last teaching day of Sunday School

in early June, if you are looking for activities that

are an extension of Sunday School and church

endeavors, consider the following:

Look for “good news”—random acts of

kindness and generosity in the news or in

the good deeds of people you know.

Identify them; talk about them.

Lay your hands on an age‐appropriate book

of Bible stories and read about the

adventures, challenges, triumphs of Old

and New Testament heroes. Tomi di Paolo

and Bishop Desmond Tutu are among

many who have created compelling Bible

storybooks for young children and

readers—and beautifully illustrated, too.

Talk about and practice what it means to be

“good stewards of creation.” Put the 3 R’s—

reduce, reuse, recycle—into every‐day use

wherever you are, even on vacation. At

home, work hard to fill the green compost

and blue recycling bins and strive for ever

smaller quantities in the black garbage can

headed for the dump. A question to

ponder: Why is environmental stewardship

not only an essential social concern but also

a religious value?

Visit art and history museums. Look for

art—there’s lots of it in Medieval and

Renaissance galleries—with biblical themes

and symbols. What’s going on? Who are the

people? What symbols can you find? In

history museums, talk about the qualities

that make the historical people featured

there heroic, enduring, great. What is

courage? What makes a good leader? What

is perseverance?

And of course, say family prayers. If you’re shy

about this, consider Anne Lamott’s three

categories: “Wow,” “Help,” and “Thanks.” That

will cover just about everything.

Mother’s Day wreath resting at the foot

of our statue of St. Mary the Virgin.


Youth Group News Mike Stafford, Director of Youth Programs

Youth Mission Trip to Kenya

This summer, seven young people and two adults

from St. Mary’s are heading all the way to Kenya to

serve the Nambale Magnet School (NMS) for the

Youth Mission Trip. The Nambale Magnet School

was founded in 2009 by the Rev. Evalyn

Wakhusama, a Kenyan Anglican priest who

wanted to serve children made vulnerable by

HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty in Western Kenya.

The school now serves more than 300 children in

Pre‐K through 8th grade. Some of the kids who

attend could be considered the poorest of the poor

on the planet.

The Youth Group was introduced to NMS by the

Rev. Claire Ranna, who met Evalyn at Yale Divinity

School, and who currently serves as the Social

Media Liaison for the school. Claire and Mike’s

hope is to establish a lasting relationship between

the school and St. Mary’s, and this trip is just the

event to get that relationship going. The itinerary is

very exciting: two days of travel, ten days of service

at NMS, two days of safari, and two days of travel

home (over 21,000 miles round trip) from June 19 to

July 4. The service to be done at the school remains

to be determined, but Evalyn has many ideas. The

school is working towards total self‐sustainability,

and is committed to improving its environmental

sustainability. The school has a fully‐functioning

farm, including gardens, cows, chickens, pigs, and

rabbits. Chores abound around the school, and

there might well be some physical labor needed.

As Youth Group members have experienced on

many previous trips, some of the best service will

come as we connect with the students at the school,

teaching them, reading with them, and playing

with them. Missioners will be in residence at the

school for the ten days of service, and time with

NMS students will certainly be a highlight of the

trip. The youth who signed up for this mission,

comprising both Youth Group members and others

from the parish, will be accompanied by Mike

Stafford and junior high teacher Riley Haggin.

Fundraising

efforts to

underwrite the

trip have already

proven very

successful, and

most of the trip

has already been

paid for. That

being said,

probably the

best form of

service to NMS

by St. Mary’s

would be to

contribute

financially to

the school, so

our young

missioners have set a goal of raising $10,000 to

benefit the school. To that end, they have identified

two major fundraising activities: selling baked

goods on Sundays until we depart, and selling

advance tickets to see a documentary that we will

film during the trip. The film will be presented

sometime in the fall. Every online donor will be

signed up for tickets automatically, as will those

who buy tickets in the courtyard after church.

Tickets are priced from $50 to $100 (or more) per

ticket. It is exciting to see the continued outpouring

of generosity from St. Mary’s reaching all the way

to Africa. We are still looking for donations big and

small to support our trip and NMS.

Youth Mission Trips have the opportunity to be

transformative not only for the people we serve,

but also for the youth who participate. This trip to

the Nambale Magnet School has the potential to be

transformative for St. Mary’s as a parish, as we

make what might be a long‐term connection to our

lovely brothers and sisters in Christ on the other

side of the world.

Mission Trip co‐leader Riley Haggin

serving cake and raising funds.


Reflections from Deacon Tim The Rev. Tim Smith

Together with other parishioners and Deacon

Nancy Bryan, I have been busy helping to sustain

and grow our parish’s external ministries in the

community. These ministries serve particularly

those on the margins in our city.

It has been a joy for me personally to see the

enthusiasm and commitment that parishioners

display as they serve the community and live out

their baptismal vows of seeking and serving Christ

in all persons, loving their neighbors as themselves,

and respecting the dignity of every human being.

Truly, they have heard and responded to the call of

the Holy Spirit in their lives and our world!

Following is an update of parish community

ministries with which I have been directly

involved.

San Francisco‐Marin Food Bank

Our partnership with the San Francisco‐Marin

Food Bank that began in January to deliver food

every Thursday to those unable to procure it

themselves continues to grow and flourish.

Wonderful stories have emerged about the passion,

compassion, commitment, and joy of our

volunteers as they serve elderly and disabled

program participants who are unable to procure

food for themselves. One volunteer has dedicated

himself not only to providing food but also to

helping to locate resources from the city and family

for a participant whose health has deteriorated and

leaves him vulnerable and alone in his residence.

Another team of volunteers has been able to

provide food and compassion to a hard‐to‐please

elderly

program

participant

with whom it

had been

difficult for

Food Bank

staff to

communicate

effectively.

Another team

related that a

participant,

who is a

disabled

former chef,

prepared a

meal for

neighbors and

friends

consisting

almost entirely

of carrots from

the Food Bank

delivery that

they had

brought to him!

Members of our Food Bank ministry in front of the church unloading food from the Food Bank

delivery truck; left to right: Marta Johnson, John Addeo, Stephanie Lehman, Alisa Quint Fisher,

Tom Austin, Lee Walsh, Anne Williams, and Laura Secour Lehman.


Next Door Shelter

Deacon Nancy and I provide liturgical support for

weekly Eucharists for residents of the Next Door

shelter on Polk and Geary. It has been a joy and a

gift to worship with residents of the shelter and to

share prayers and homilies with them. We invite

parishioners to join us. It promises to be a

meaningful experience for anyone joining us, just

as it is every week for Deacon Nancy and me.

Audrey Prescott, a member of our parish Youth

Group, recently visited Next Door. While there she

invited residents in the shelter cafeteria to attend

the Eucharist and then helped the presiding priest

and me (in my role as deacon) prepare for and

conduct the worship service. She wrote this

account of her visit:

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of

accompanying Deacon Tim Smith to an evening

Eucharist service at the Next Door Residential

Shelter. About eight residents, mostly women,

participated in this small, yet powerful service

that took place in the shelter’s library. As a

lifelong member of the Episcopal church, I am

quite familiar with the progression of the typical

service, so it was interesting to see how the Next

Door Eucharist was both similar and different.

The most notable distinction was the shared

homily. Following the Gospel, everyone was

invited to share their reactions, ideas, and

experiences. I enjoyed hearing what the residents

had to say and seeing how the discussion

progressed. Overall it was a lovely service and a

great experience.

Stop Hunger Now

Thorough and extensive preparations for the Stop

Hunger Now event culminated on May 21 in the

Great Room, drawing support from 50 parishioners

and friends in the community. We aimed to

package an astounding 10,000 (!) meals in just two

hours for an impoverished community in the

Philippines. All parishioners were invited to

attend, help package, and thereby help to sustain

and heal those suffering from hunger in the world!

To learn more about Stop Hunger Now, visit

http://www.stophungernow.org/.

Larkin Street at Edward II

Our ministry led by Marta Johnson to prepare

dinners twice a month on Sundays continues for

residents at Edward II, a residential facility near the

church. Sponsored by Larkin Street Youth Services,

it’s where 18 to 24‐year‐old youth live while

studying and working in preparation for

meaningful careers. My wife Ilia and I recently

prepared dinner with Jessica Metoyer on a St.

Mary’s team ably led by Pat McGuire. We then

joined eight young adults who reside there for an

enriching dinner filled with stories, laughter, and

camaraderie. We were deeply touched by the joy

and the hope that the young people demonstrated.

We were also struck by how much the residents

with whom we were familiar had grown in

maturity, self‐confidence, and presence between

our last time there and this time.

Our deep gratitude goes to all of the parishioners

who are ministering with others in Jesus’ name in

the above ministries! And we still need volunteers!

Please prayerfully consider whether God is calling

you to live out your baptismal vows by serving in

one of these ministries. If so, please contact Deacon

Tim or Deacon Nancy!

St. Mary’s volunteer Vanessa Lane makes cookies

with a resident at Edward II.


Deacon Nancy’s Corner The Rev. Nancy Bryan

Blankets Galore!

Our 5th and 6th graders made

seven fabulous “tie fringe”

blankets for the homeless that

were distributed by the San

Francisco Night Ministry. This

hands‐on project was a success

in every way: They worked

together to measure, cut and

tie two blankets together and

they learned more about how

the Night Ministry serves those

on the streets and counsels

callers by telephone every

night of the year, rain or shine.

A big thank you to this Sunday

School class, and to Todd and Lisa Reynolds, our

dedicated and enthusiastic teachers!

I would like to thank all of you who have donated

these blankets, plus sleeping bags, T‐shirts, scads of

toiletries, and even a tent from the Burnam family.

All of you show the generous heart of St. Mary’s

outreach, and each item is appreciated more than

you can know. Because these items come from the

parish, we all have a part in this outreach, touching

the heart of a friend or a stranger, reaching out to

someone in need, and helping to make another

person’s day a little warmer and brighter.

The Presidio Gate

At the Presidio Gate

residence, located at

Lombard and Lyon

streets, we conduct

an abbreviated

communion service

for several residents

on the 2nd and 4th

Mondays of every

month. Anna

Sylvester assists me.

Our conversations

mean a great deal to

those who cannot

always maneuver a

bus to attend church

elsewhere.

Blanket makers and their creations, left to right: The Rev. Nancy Bryan, Bo Darwin, Thomas

Woeber, John Hibbard, Oliver Hocking, Sophia Gnuse, Charlotte Wyman, and the Rev.

Claire Dietrich Ranna.

Caiden León‐Duffey and Eva Toney stitching fleece blankets for distribution by

the San Francisco Night Ministry.


Golden Gate Nursing/Rehab Facility

Another communion service takes place on the 4th

Sunday of every month at Pine and Divisadero. Jan

Bolles assists me. St. Mary’s started an outreach at

this facility in the 1980s and has continued to serve

residents regularly ever since.

Open Cathedral

Open Cathedral is on our calendar for June 19. We

will assemble lunch bags for 100 in our courtyard

after the 10:00 a.m. service. You are most welcome

to help us assemble lunches and to attend the

outdoor service at 2:00 p.m. near Civic Center

Plaza, at McAllister and Leavenworth streets.

Team Deacon

This group of Episcopal deacons provided meals

for the “Winter Shelter” program that feeds and

sleeps approximately 110 men every night during

the winter at St. Mary’s (Roman Catholic)

Cathedral. Team Deacons and parishioners

prepared two complete meals. It is quite an

experience to cook for an “army” while making

new friends as we stir the pots! The end result is an

abundance of gratitude from the 110 or so men

being served a delicious meal. I invite you to join

me next year when Winter Shelter dinners are

again on the calendar.

Deanery Meets at St. Mary’s David Crosson, Deanery Delegate

The San Francisco Deanery convened at St. Mary’s

on March 12th.

Deanery? What is a deanery, and why should I

care?

Deaneries are groups of people who help run

Episcopal dioceses, carrying out policies and rules

agreed on at the annual convention, vetting

questions posed by the diocese, and pursuing

matters of interest in their own areas. They meet

four times a year. Deaneries also bring together

people from different parishes to work with one

another on common goals such as greater

communication and education among

congregations, diocesan staff, and local ministries

and organizations. The Diocese of California has six

deaneries, arranged by geography: San Francisco,

Marin, Alameda, Southern Alameda, Contra Costa,

and the Peninsula.

Deanery delegates also act as delegates to the

annual diocesan convention. The convention

approves the assessment formula, the diocesan

budget, canonical changes, and, rarely, elects a new

bishop.

Delegates are elected from the laity of every

congregation or Episcopal organization in each

deanery area. St. Mary’s has seven delegates and

up to seven alternates, elected each year at our

annual meeting. In January 2016, we elected the

following people: Alisa Quint Fisher, Gretchen

Lintner, Roulhac Austin (the Deanery Convener for

St. Mary’s), Carl Zachrisson, David Crosson, Fred

Martin, and Steven Currier.

When the San Francisco Deanery convened at St.

Mary’s in March, Sarah Lawton of the Church of St.

John the Evangelist presided. The meeting began,

as always, with a worship service, this one led by

the Revs. Claire Dietrich Ranna and Deb White.

The most extensive and controversial discussion

arose from a presentation by Bill Cullen, Chair of

Sunday Schoolers making sandwiches for Open Cathedral.


the Diocesan Nominating Committee. The

committee proposes to collect individual

demographic information, including parish

participation and ministry interest, through a

diocese‐wide census in order to ensure that

nominations for various diocesan ministries and

functions represent the true demographics of the

diocese. Mr. Cullen is meeting with all of the

deaneries in order to receive feedback on the draft

census tool.

Impassioned discussion focused on the need for

collecting information on self‐identified preference

for gender and sexual identification – and how to

word questions about these designations. The

general sense of those expressing opinions was that

collecting gender‐identification information, even

as self‐defined, was fraught with difficulties of

intent, definition, and perception. The delegates

also firmly requested that the goals for, and use of,

the census be clarified and specifically stated. This

discussion provides a sterling example of the

critical dialogue between parish and diocese that

can only happen at the deanery level.

Mike Chambers, who represents the San Francisco

Deanery on the diocesan governing Executive

Council, requested input into priorities for the 2017

diocesan budget. On behalf of the Commission on

Ministry, David Crosson reaffirmed the call of all

baptized Christians to faithful service and stressed

the importance of Local Discernment Committees

in helping all people discern how to best live their

calls, whether or not to ordained orders.

Chair Sarah Lawton introduced an exercise to

allow attendees to learn more about each other and

the wide variety of congregations and ministries

that comprise the deanery. Networking and

personalizing the face of the Church are two of the

more important functions and bi‐products of

deanery participation. We are not alone.

This is why deaneries matter and why you may

want to share with clergy your interest in running

for election as a delegate to the Deanery/Annual

Convention next year.

For All the Saints:

Marta Johnson Kim Regan

This is one in a series of articles on long‐time

parishioners of St. Mary’s.

On Ash Wednesday, the Editor of the Cow Hollow

Church News received an email from Marta

Johnson. It read, “I was driving by Union Street

after the 7:00 a.m. service, when I saw Natalie Hala

standing on a corner. Thinking she was waiting for

a bus, I backed up to see if I could offer her a ride,

and then I saw the whole gang distributing ashes. I

LOVE it. 50 people in an hour. That is huge.” So,

she stopped in the middle of an errand (taking

jambalaya left over from the previous night’s

Mardi Gras dinner at St. Mary’s to the residents at

Edward II), got her camera, and took pictures of

our three clergy distributing ashes to 50 people. She

then emailed them in, adding; “Now I’m running

off to Larkin Street where I volunteer on

Wednesdays. That’s an education in and of itself.”

Observing Marta Johnson in action is also an

education in and of itself. Cheerleader, doer, and

organizer par excellence, Marta puts every bit of

her dynamic energy into everything she does. As

Sandy Briggs puts it, “Marta is an amazing force at

St. Mary’s. She takes on big jobs, especially in

Outreach, but she is important in many small, quiet

ways as well. She greets newcomers, helps them

get involved, and continues to be there for them

long after they are no longer newcomers.”

On most Sundays, Marta can be found in the

Courtyard after the 8:00 a.m. service, greeting folks

at the Newcomers’ table, her four‐foot‐eleven‐inch

frame standing tall. Often she is organizing a

carpool or a dinner party to welcome friends.

Marta is one of those unsung heroines who gives

life to a community. Many parishioners share

vestry member Donna Davidson’s view. “I am at

St. Mary’s because of Marta,” says Donna. “When I

first visited St. Mary’s, I happened to sit next to


Marta and she invited me to a newcomer’s dinner

at her home. Having come from the South, I

thought this was the most hospitable gesture! I so

enjoyed Marta and the other guests that I joined the

church.” It is clear that many of her efforts over the

years have grown the community that rewards her

and the rest of us so richly.

A member of our parish for

almost 44 years, Marta has

been actively chairing

events at St. Mary’s for the

last 20 years. She served on

the vestry from 2001 to

2003 acting as Junior

Warden running the Parish

Council, and then as Senior

Warden. She has chaired

the Outreach Committee,

co‐chaired Foyer Groups

and Home for Christmas,

served on the Deanery and

the Granting Team, and

even planted nursery stock

at the Presidio.

Currently, she holds two

significant parish jobs:

organizing the schedule of

60 St. Mary’s volunteers

who prepare meals and

other activities for the residents at Larkin Street

Youth Services’ Edward II housing, and running

the Legacy Society’s Campaign for St. Mary’s 125th

Anniversary. She also participates in the weekly

Food Bank delivery program and wouldn’t miss

her twice weekly walk on Crissy field with St.

Mary’s walking group. She takes Spiritual Hikes on

local trails with other parishioners, and even finds

times to proofread this newsletter before it goes to

press. As Georgene Keeler says, “When Marta says

she is going to do something, it happens.”

Marta says, “St. Mary’s rewards with a deeply

satisfying sense of being held in a community, if

you invest yourself in this community.”

When we sat down to talk about Marta’s gifts to St.

Mary’s, in typical fashion, she spoke about the gifts

she receives. For her, the parish embodies

community. Marta believes that seeing people

frequently—at Sunday services, walking, working

together on projects—builds the bonds that are so

critical to our health and

happiness. Her two children

and four grandchildren are

the center of her life, but

they live far away in Ohio

and France. St. Mary’s

provides Marta with the

feeling and support of

family close to home.

Through the many friends

she has made in the parish,

she has traveled abroad to

exotic locales, subscribed to

the theater, and joined two

book groups.

Despite the “Stop me before

I volunteer again” sign on

her desk, Marta does seem

to do it all. How? Sandy

Stadtfeld tells a story

revealing her extraordinary

organizational skills.

“During a spell of house‐

and cat‐sitting for her (she

actually kept me off the streets when I had

nowhere to live), I was looking for a rubber band,”

he says. “I opened the drawer which in most

kitchens would contain a jumble of keys, tools,

scraps of paper, hardware, small change, and

coupons. Martaʹs drawer has an obvious plan,

including dedicated space for graduated sizes of

rubber bands. The easiest dwelling I have ever

inhabited!” She just makes it look easy.

Like many of us parishioners, someday Marta will

rest in the Columbarium in the inner courtyard.

Today she remains an energetic, living pillar of the

church; one that we gratefully acknowledge makes

St. Mary’s a special place for us all.

Marta Johnson: Cheerleader, doer, and organizer.


Profile and Search Committee News Creighton Reed and Diana Sullivan, Co‐Chairs

Charged with finding a new rector for St. Mary’s,

the Profile and Search Committee spent its first

month together focusing on identifying the scope

of our job, and team building. We’re a new group,

chosen by the vestry, whose members represent a

cross‐section of parishioners, varying in age,

gender, and service time at St. Mary’s. We have

had several in depth discussions on how we can

best support each other and do this very important

work for our community.

Each of us understands the importance of the job

we’ve been asked to do, and want to be sure we are

aligned on how we communicate, discuss, and

make decisions together. Here are mini‐bios for

each of us, beginning with when we first came to

St. Mary’s.

Matt Bartlett Member

since 2006; attends

11:00 a.m. service;

works as an attorney

at DLA Piper LLP;

father of a one‐year‐

old girl and the son

and grandson of

Episcopal priests.

Donna Davidson

Member since 2000;

attends 8:00 a.m.

service; works as an

executive search

consultant; current

member of the vestry

and former Co‐chair

of Adult Formation.

David Gibson

Member since 1971;

attends 9:00 a.m.

service with two sons and four grandchildren; tax

and estate planning attorney; former vestry

member and Parish Warden; serves as a LEV;

served on the Search Committee for Jason Parkin;

married to former Senior Warden Betty Hood‐

Gibson.

Riley Haggin Attending since 2005 and confirmed

in 2012; attends 11:00 a.m. service; teaches 8th

grade History in Los Altos; Young Adults Group

member and Youth Group leader.

Natalie Hala Member since 2006; attends 11:00 a.m.

service; retired non‐profit executive; Verger for St.

Mary’s and LEV; Former Co‐Chair of Adult

Formation.

Anne Kieve Member since 2000; attends 11:00 a.m.

service; architect and designer; former Senior

Warden and active with Buildings and Grounds

and Outreach.

Profile and Search Committee members at work; left to right, standing: Anne Kieve, Matt

Bartlett, Lauren MacDonald, Creighton Reed, Diana Sullivan, Alan Pendergast, and David

Gibson; sitting: Pleasant Thompson, Donna Davidson, Mike Stafford, and Riley Haggin;

absent: Natalie Hala.


Lauren MacDonald Member since 2013; attends

11:00 a.m. service; professor and academic librarian

for the San Francisco Art Institute; member of the

Young Adult Group and daughter and

granddaughter of Episcopal priests.

Alan Pendergast Member since 1994; attends 9:00

a.m. service; private equity

banker for Bank of

America‐Merrill Lynch; has

two children in Sunday

School; gives children’s

homilies.

Creighton Reed, Co‐Chair

Member since 2003; attends

9:00 a.m. service with

children Will and Bebe;

consults for early stage

tech startups using his

experience as an executive

for tech and finance firms;

current member of the vestry.

Mike Stafford Member since 2008; attends 9:00

a.m. service with two young daughters; teaches

High School at Convent of the Sacred Heart; former

Junior Warden and now is Director of Youth

Programs at St. Mary’s; son of an Episcopal priest.

Diana Sullivan, Co‐Chair Member since 2000;

attends 9:00 a.m. service; works at Price

Waterhouse Coopers drawing from experience in

executive coaching, and management talent

development; former Junior Warden and currently

on Newcomers committee.

Pleasant Thompson Member since 2013; attends

11:00 a.m. service; works as a buyer for Pottery

Barn Kids; member of the Young Adults Group

and Co‐chair of Maundy Thursday dinner.

Since we first met on March 31, we’ve been

convening every week, in a discovery mode about

our tasks, learning from various sources about how

transitions are successfully accomplished. We’ve

gathered information from the Transition Ministry

Team at the Diocese, from our own Interim Pastor

Deb White; reviewed information left by the

previous search committee; and reviewed external

sources including websites and documents we’ve

found from other parishes in transition. These great

resources have provided us both overview and

tactical practices on how

we will be successful in

our role.

We are now entering our

listening and data‐

gathering phase where it is

essential for us to hear

from all of you. We have

set dates in June for Town

Hall meetings, where we

will all have a chance to

discuss what is important

to us about St. Mary’s,

about our own spiritual

growth, and about what qualities we seek in our

new rector.

We have also been working on a survey that

provides another means for us to listen to you. The

survey will be available in early June for a period of

one month.

With information from Town Hall meetings and

the survey, we will then use our time during the

summer and fall to collate our findings, and then to

create the official parish profile. Distilling the

feedback from the parish and creating this profile is

one of the most important facets of our work (along

with preparing other necessary documents to post

the position online). We want to make sure we

capture the essential elements and spirit of St.

Mary’s, and those qualities we seek in a rector.

Before we post this material, we will need approval

from the vestry.

Then applications will come in. Once we have

collected applications, we will move into our

second important phase: screening candidates. This

Please come to one or more of these

Town Hall Meetings

Sunday, June 5 After each service; from 8:45

a.m. to 9:45 a.m.; from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon;

and from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 12 At 9:00 a.m., between the 8:00

a.m. and 10:00 a.m. services

Wednesday, June 15 Immediately following the

7:00 a.m. service


involves evaluating the candidates by reading their

applications and having phone and/or video calls

with them to identify those we want to meet for in‐

person interviews. The in‐person interviews will

involve travel to meet the “semi‐final candidates”

in their home parishes.

The screening phase leads into our last phase —

discussing feedback amongst committee members

to determine the top candidates. The final step

involves building packages of information on our

final candidates and presenting them to the vestry.

The timeline for the entire search is not yet fully

fleshed out; but we will try to move along at a pace

that makes sense and respects the quality of the

important work we need to do. A reminder to all is

that a typical search process takes from one year to

18 months, and sometimes the process lasts as long

as 24 months. Throughout all our work, we have

been listening, and will continue to listen, to the

Holy Spirit for guidance in our discernment.

Please feel free to reach out at any time if you have

information you wish to share or a candidate you

wish to bring to our attention. Our email is:

[email protected].

Thank you for your support and continued care for,

and attachment to, St. Mary’s. That care and love

are what make our parish family so attractive to a

new leader and so important to each of our lives.

Welcome New Legacy Society

Members

This 125th Anniversary year of the founding of our

church is an ideal time to honor and perpetuate the

strength, beauty, and spiritual oasis that is St.

Mary’s.

We hope you will join with the newest members

of the Legacy Society listed below to ensure that

St. Mary’s continues to remain strong and

moving forward for the next 125 years.

No legacy gift is too small; whatever is comfortable

for you and reflects what St. Mary’s means to you.

Pam and Robert Bledsoe

David and Janet Jeffrey

Cynthia MacKay

Josie and Bill McGann

Alexandra Morgan

Mary Roper

Catherine and Michael Secour

Jane Standing

Robert Tuller

Susan and Rob Vanneman

Chase Young and Judith Branch

Anonymous (1)

Any questions? Please get in touch with Jane A.

Cook at [email protected] or Marta Johnson

at [email protected].

Thank you.

Prepaying Your Pledge The summer months can be challenging for the

church in regard to cash flow. If it is possible for

you to do so, please try to pay 50% (or more) of

your annual pledge by June 30. Your attention to

this important detail will make it much easier to

manage our bills and payroll this summer. For

those of you who are new to St. Mary’s or who

did not have a chance to make a pledge last

winter, we would love to hear from you now.

You can make a pledge and/or a donation online

at www.smvsf.org/donation/.


125th Anniversary Spring Celebrations Fragrant with blossoms on an April evening, our courtyard formed the perfect backdrop to throw a party for our 125th

anniversary. Members of St. Maryʹs gathered for fellowship and fun by enjoying a potluck picnic and a delicious birthday

cake, arranged by Events Coordinator Nancy Svendsen. Then the church opened its doors to some lovely piano music, and

a spectacular presentation on our courtyard mural offered by parishioner Lauren MacDonald. But not before Marta

Johnson spoke on behalf of the Legacy Society, pointing out how lucky we are to have this “spiritual oasis” at the corner of

Union and Steiner streets.

We observed a special worship service adapted from 1891, experiencing what worship

might have been like at one of the earliest St. Maryʹs services. Verger Natalie Hala carried

her special spiral verge, Interim Rector Don Brown donned a biretta, and Associate Rector

Claire Dietrich Ranna wore a Canterbury cap for the occasion.


The Rev. William Washington Bolton (1858-1946) Sandy Stadtfeld

More Than Our First Rector

In 2016, the 125th year of the Episcopal Church of

St. Mary the Virgin, we celebrate a history of

challenge, endurance, grace, and remarkable

people. Let’s start with our founding rector. The

Reverend William Washington Bolton came to San

Francisco in 1890 to assist The Rev. William W.

Davis, Rector of St. Luke’s, who

promptly detailed Bolton to establish a

mission in the unchurched boondocks

of Cow Hollow. Bolton’s strident

negotiations with Frank Morrison

Pixley for the property at Union and

Steiner streets, the apostate Pixley’s

subsequent “conversion” and his

posthumous interment within our

foundation are parts of St. Mary’s

creation legend. (Read the story in our

Fall 2015 issue on our website

smvsf.org/cow‐hollow‐church‐news/

or in the New Fillmore An Argonaut in

Cow Hollow).

Bolton’s own story is not so well known,

but he could be a character out of Jack

London, E. M. Forster or W. Somerset

Maugham.

Before St. Mary’s

Bolton was the fourth of five children; his father a

prominent Anglican churchman and his mother “a

member of an ancient Bedford and Hertfordshire

family.” After schooling at Spencer House,

Wimbledon, and private tuition, Bolton was

admitted in 1877 to Caius College, Cambridge. He

was an outstanding scholar at Cambridge, but left

his lasting mark as an athlete and outdoorsman.

In 1879, he won the British amateur

championship for the half‐mile, and at the same

period, set a record for the thousand‐yard race.

He was also a boxer, a footballer (both rugby and

soccer), a long distance swimmer, and an ardent

tennis player when that now universal sport

was in its infancy. He was proud of being a

Cambridge Blue, and a member of the Achilles

Club of London, which is made of both

Cambridge and Oxford Blues. **

After ordination in the Diocese of Lichfield in 1882

and attaining a Master of Arts from Cambridge in

1884, Bolton served as a missionary at Moosomin,

Northwest Territories (now southeast

Saskatchewan) and chaplain to the Rt. Rev.

Adelbert John Robert Anson,

Bishop of Qu’Appelle. He

returned briefly to England in

1886 to fulfill a curacy at Stoke‐

on‐Trent, but by 1887 he was

back in Canada as Rector of St.

Paul’s Anglican Church in

Esquimalt, British Columbia. He

served in that capacity until 1889,

when he became headmaster of

St. Paul’s School, Esquimalt.

San Francisco

Bolton’s move to San Francisco in

1890 was characteristic of his

restlessness and curiosity. After

establishing the new mission in

Cow Hollow, Bolton traveled

frequently. He took absences from St. Mary the

Virgin in 1894 and 1896 to explore the interior

vastness of Vancouver Island. These were serious

expeditions into uncharted country, and

established Bolton as an ardent advocate for

protection of the British Columbian wilderness.

Bolton also traveled in search of a prominent

parishioner’s young wife after she absconded to the

East, and would write a colorful account of his

sleuthing in Salt Lake City, Denver and New York.

San Francisco newspapers were openly critical of

the sumptuous liturgical practices at Bolton’s new

church, St. Mary the Virgin. The incense, vessels,

vestments and chanting of high Anglican worship

The Rev. William Washington

Bolton, recently ordained.


were suspiciously English, if not surreptitiously

Roman to the mind of those adhering to the

popular nativist strain prevailing at the turn of the

19th century. Bolton repeatedly

defended the mode of worship he’d

established at St. Mary’s, even

against attacks by main‐stream

American Episcopalians.

Back to B.C.

By 1898, Reverend Bolton may have

tired of defending “high church”

practices in San Francisco. He

returned to British Columbia, this

time to St. Barnabas Church in

Victoria, where he served for several

years as headmaster of a new church

school for boys. This seems to have

been a speculation on Bolton’s part,

but by 1906 he was a co‐founder and Warden of the

University School, which continues today as St.

Michael’s University School. Victoria newspapers

lauded Father Bolton’s interdisciplinary program:

Mr. Bolton is an ardent athlete himself and firmly

believes that the best way to bring boys out as manly

men is to encourage them to

live healthy lives out of

doors, when not engaged in

their school duties. He is

therefore to be seen with

them at all times during

play hours, on the golf links

or on the shore, engaging in

their pursuits and teaching

them how to play as well as

how to work. **

While Warden of University School, Bolton

continued his wilderness exploration and

advocacy. In 1910, he was a leader of the

Exploratory Survey Trip on Vancouver Island, a

party which included his son Gerald. This

expedition led to the establishment of Strathcona

Provincial Park, the first such park in British

Columbia.

Through Asia and the Yukon

In 1913, Reverend Bolton traveled to England to

visit his ailing mother. As was his custom, he took

the scenic route: from Seattle via Japan,

Shanghai, Nanjing, Pusan, Changchun,

Harbin, and Vladivostok, across

Mongolia and Siberia to Moscow, then

through Belarus, Warsaw, Berlin,

Cologne, Brussels, and Calais, whence

he took the ferry to Dover. After two

months in England he completed his

westerly circumnavigation and returned

to Victoria, BC.

Bolton is likely to have inherited part of

his mother’s annuity upon her death in

January 1914, enabling him to begin

adventuring in earnest. That year,

enticed by tales of the 1897 Alaskan

Gold Rush, Bolton and a companion drifted the

Yukon River from Whitehorse to the Bering Sea on

“a 12 ft. flat bottom boat, brand new, made of

rough lumber and built in a day.”

South Pacific

In 1920, Bolton left Victoria and the University

School for the South Pacific,

with no planned itinerary

beyond Honolulu. He

landed in 1921 on the tiny

island of Niue, 1,500 miles

north of New Zealand,

where he taught and

inspected schools for the

New Zealand government.

During three years on Niue,

Bolton consulted with

resident elders to record

their history and traditions. His research resulted in

a book entitled The Chronicles of Savage Island —

invoking the name bestowed on Niue in 1774 by

Captain James Cook.

In 1924, Bolton returned to Victoria to become

Headmaster of the University School. After only

three years, he was drawn back – permanently – to

Bolton with an assistant teacher outside his town

house at Alofi, Niué Island; April 1924.

Official portrait of Rector

Bolton at St. Mary the Virgin.


the South Pacific. This time he relocated to Tahiti,

ostensibly to compose a history for the government

of France. Immediately upon his arrival at Papeete,

Bolton began exploring the island on foot,

surveying ancient sites, reading neglected

manuscripts, learning dialects, and becoming

familiar with village elders. In 1935, he published

The Beginnings of Papeete and its Founding as the

Capital of Tahiti.

Between 1939 and 1941, Bolton composed a series

of 93 stories about his travels for his grandchildren

in Victoria, and assembled them as Tales of a

Roaming Grandfather. These are perhaps the most

intimate and revealing of his copious writings. The

Tales reveal that Bolton continued roaming through

the last years of his life, including marathon

“birthday walks” around Tahiti:

Fancy!! the other day I stood at Milestone 82 on

Life’s long happy journey. I hope you do not think of

me as an old, old gentleman, bent nearly double with

a 3rd leg (his stick) to help him along. That would be

a great error. For my Birthday present I gave myself

a special treat, not of good things to eat but a

lovely walk of 5 and 20 miles and finished the Day

till sundown at work in the garden and orchard. **

William Bolton celebrated life with long walks

through 1946. He died on Tahiti, where he is

buried in the Uranie Cemetery. His legacy

includes seminal writings about Polynesian

history and culture, the first provincial park in

Western Canada, a vibrant academic community

in Victoria B.C., the first church in Cow Hollow –

and a lifetime of exuberance, service, inquiry, and

joy in Creation.

** Quotes and citations are from Notes on the Life of

William Washington Bolton 1858–1946; Compiled

by Timothy Adair Lawson March 2011; in “The

Writings of William Washington Bolton” Fourth

Edition, April 2015; Timothy Adair Lawson, ed.;

http://www.mediafire.com/download/a4faerq59b7mhh2/

WWB_2016_03_10.pdf

Small Groups Alexandra Morgan

One of the greatest pleasures in belonging to the St.

Mary’s congregation is in getting to know the

wonderful people who make up our church.

However, with the busy lives we all lead, it is

impossible to commit to attending as many of the

abundant church events offered as we would like.

It is exactly the demands of the world that create a

strong need to feel connected to others at St. Mary’s

for respite and renewal. Since I’d had such a

beautiful experience with my foyer group when I

first arrived at St. Mary’s six years ago, I wanted to

figure out a way to create a similar program

blessed by the clergy, so the Rev. Claire Ranna and

I met early last fall to discuss a way to re‐imagine

Foyer Groups, and came up with Small Groups.

We reached out to the congregation by email and in

person (full disclosure: Claire did most of the

work). Six groups resulted, blossoming into six

little communities that create a new bridge of

understanding between church life and daily life.

Groups were able to self‐select based on a specific

theme such as parenting, life transitions, or Bible

study. The group that formed around the theme of

fellowship (my group) could not have been more

Enjoying poulet au pot, apple crisp à la mode, Austrian Stroh

rum, and each other’s company, left to right, are: Mike Stafford,

Dave Anderson, Derek Weiss, John Balestreri, Kat Anderson,

Margaret Stafford, and Morgan Sanders. Absent: Alexandra

Morgan and Jessica Metoyer. Photographer: Katie Balestreri.


interesting. Over meals in our homes, we are

getting to know one another beyond, “hello, how

are you,” recounting our backgrounds, and telling

what we do.

In a wide range of topics from

church to children, from work to

inspiration, we started to know one

another in a deeper way that can

provide the glue for life’s inevitable

ups and downs. Perhaps the greatest

part of the program is listening to

new friends talk about what makes

them feel dignified, and how we are

all entitled to the majestic gifts of our

faith. The exchange of experiences and

ideas around the dinner table with a faith‐based

group is nothing short of a blessing; as we grow

together in community and in spirit, we have a core

group strengthening our worship together at St.

Mary’s.

Telling Our Stories The Rev. Dr. Deb White, Interim Pastor

Arnold Toynbee said that history is a vision of

God’s creation on the move – and St. Mary the

Virgin has been on the move for 125 years!

Christianity is a religion of relationship and each of

us has a uniquely meaningful relationship with St.

Mary the Virgin. Scripture tells us the importance

of sharing our faith journeys and exploring the

ways we are connected to one another and to God.

Remembering what initially drew us to St. Mary’s

and to one another is particularly important during

this time of transition when we may feel unsettled

and even a bit anxious about the future of the

parish. One of the ways we can remind ourselves of

the many and varied gifts that St. Mary’s has

brought to our lives is by telling one another about

them and documenting them in an accessible

format. On April 3rd and May 22nd, lively groups

of St. Mary’s parishioners gathered in the Great

Room to share stories and help construct a visual

timeline of the eventful 125‐year history of the

Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin. One tale

quickly followed another as people talked about

what initially led them to St. Mary’s and the love

and fellowship they have found here. According to

many parishioners, seeing St. Mary’s history

visually represented allowed them to “see” what

makes St. Mary’s unique. Storytelling evolved into

evaluation as participants shared their insights

about the spirit of St. Mary’s, and began to identify

how our past will shape our future. You can listen

to audio recordings of these talks on our website, at

http://smvsf.org/st‐marys‐125th‐anniversary/.

The group started a list of core values they

associate with St. Mary’s, including a sense of

welcome, a history of inclusion, and the

empowerment of the laity. They discussed the

importance of knowing and communicating these

values during the search process so that St. Mary’s

can call a new rector who embraces these traits.

Parish leaders want you to know that if you did not

have a chance to attend one of the gatherings you

can still participate in the process by viewing the

timeline on the wall of the Great Room and using

the sticky note paper and pens that have been left

out to write your family name and post it

underneath the timeline on the date nearest when

you arrived at St. Mary’s, as well as by noting any

major parish historical events that have been left

out. Please take a moment to be part of the

important work of thinking about what makes St.

Mary the Virgin our spiritual home and discerning

how to keep the spirit of this place alive and

growing as we move into the future.

A visual timeline of shared stories, linking us to our 125‐year history.


David Sullivan, Event Chair

On April 30th a hearty team

from St. Mary’s joined forces

with volunteers from St. James

Episcopal Church and Wells

Fargo Bank to help refresh and

make safe the home of Mrs.

Ernestine Ross in the San

Francisco Bayview district.

Volunteers from St. Mary’s

included: (brand new

parishioner) Marissa Dean, Pam Sauer, Deacon

Nancy Bryan, the Rev. Deb White, Marian Brischle,

Ned Mobley, Alexander Burnham, Deborah

Franklin, Steve Hibbard, William Hibbard, and

David Sullivan.

The volunteers painted many rooms and a

stairway in the house, replaced an aging

kitchen stove, reinforced and repaired the back

stairway for safety, cleared clogged drains, cleaned

out the garage, brought in a new washer and dryer,

weeded, trimmed trees, and built raised

beds in the sunny garden. Mrs. Ross, who

lives with her great granddaughter Jayla, is

excited to grow her own vegetables in the

refreshed garden—especially beans. It was

a fun day of fellowship with old and new

friends across communities, hard work,

and the gratification of a job that will be

truly appreciated by the recipients. Many

thanks to our volunteers! Mark your

calendars now for April 29, 2017, the next

National Rebuilding Day. It’s a great way

to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our

community.

Raphael House Award Alisa Quint Fisher, Chair

Volunteers from St. Mary’s faithfully show up on

the first Monday of every month at Raphael House

to prepare food, serve, and clean up for residents of

this shelter for homeless families, the first family

shelter in Northern California. In fact, volunteers

from St. Mary’s have been showing up for over 30

years and the Raphael House staff expressed their

gratitude for this sustained commitment by

presenting its Volunteer Service Award to our

group of 20 volunteers, led by Alisa Quint Fisher.

In the kitchen at Raphael House: (left to right): Susan

Barber, Anne Kieve, Alisa Quint Fisher (holding the

award), Pam Sauer, Steve White, and Anna Sylvester.

Refreshing a home, left to right: Grant Paul (St.

James), Jeffrey Douglass (Well Fargo Bank), Mrs.

Ernestine Ross (homeowner), David Sullivan, Pam

Sauer, and Alexander Burnam. Photographer:

Deborah Franklin.

On the job: (l to r) Marissa

Dean and Deborah Franklin;

kneeling Nelson Heuy.


Newcomers’ Corner

James Shepherd James Shepherd

From conversations I’ve had with members of St.

Mary’s, I’ve found a variety of stories about how

God has led people into this congregation. Some

are born into it and grow as members of the

Church, while others are guided in by friends or

family. I found St. Mary’s on Yelp.

Growing up in small‐town

Georgia, church was a huge

part of my life. From learning

the Apostles’ Creed in my

fourth‐grade Sunday School

class to going on youth choir

tours throughout high

school, I was at the local

Methodist church several

times a week for ten years. It

was a second home, where a

community that deeply cared

for me helped to care for my

spiritual, emotional, and

mental development.

But my generally loving and

supportive church wasn’t the

only experience I had with

faith – for seven years, while

going to that Methodist

church on Sundays, I

attended a fundamentalist Baptist school up the

road from my house, where I was introduced to an

angry and punishing vision of God who seemed

obsessed with the shortcomings for which He

could condemn me to Hell.

Reconciling these two versions of faith was not just

difficult, but impossible for me to do. So despite the

strong and loving community that I held onto so

strongly in my church, I fell away from all religion

when I went off to college.

Fortunately, God is persistent. After struggling for

several years with a faith I couldn’t shake I started

looking for a church to call home. Having moved

around the country after college and cobbled

together whatever church experience I could find

in each new city, I moved to Cow Hollow and tried

again to find a new church home.

After several frustrating attempts at finding a

church in the city where I felt at home, I finally

turned to the best place to look for just about

anything – Google. What I found

surprised me. Apparently people

have taken to rating churches on

Yelp, and there at the top of the

page was a church just a few

blocks from my house with a

traditional service in the

Anglican tradition (with which I

was not completely unfamiliar) –

the Church of St. Mary the

Virgin.

As soon as I walked into the

courtyard for the first time and

saw children running around the

legs of adults of all ages, I knew

Yelp was right. Like my beloved

church back home, I had found a

Christian community that served

people throughout their spiritual

lives.

Since January of this year when I

first came to St. Mary’s, I’ve been

attending regularly, whenever I’m not traveling for

work (as a management consultant for Accenture

Strategy dealing with tech companies). I try to get

involved wherever possible, including attending

the Lenten Series and various parish meetings.

Finding an active church community has been a

huge blessing, and I’m excited to make this my

church home in San Francisco.

Newcomer James Shepherd enjoys a huge

blessing in finding an active community at

St. Mary’s, his new church home.


From the Associate Rector The Rev. Claire Dietrich Ranna

Contemplating Complementarianism

When asked about his religious affiliation, Nobel

Prize‐winning physicist Frank Wilczek frequently

responds, “I’m a complementarian.”

The principal of complementarity was developed

by Niels Bohr, one of the founders of quantum

mechanics, and states that objects have

complementary properties that cannot be observed

or measured at the same time. These properties

frequently appear to be contradictory. A classic

example of this involves the properties of light;

light is sometimes observed as a wave and

sometimes as a particle. Until relatively recently,

scientists believed that light could only behave as

one or the other.

Frank Wilczek, a professor at M.I.T. and author of

the recent book, A Beautiful Question: Finding

Nature’s Deep Design, is not only a successful

scientist; but he is also a curious soul and a deep

thinker. He is known for looking at the cosmos and

human nature with equal intent, searching for

similarities and patterns in the ways that the

universe and consciousness are manifest here and

now.

One way he invites a more robust embrace of

complementarianism, not only as a scientific

principle but also as a helpful philosophy, is by

reflecting on the nature of truth. We often assume

that the opposite of a truth is a falsehood, but in

many cases the opposite of a deep truth is another

deep truth. For example, from our own tradition,

we might say that humans are created in the image

of God and that we are capable of doing things that

break God’s heart; or that Jesus is seated at the

right hand of the Father and that he is here among

us, finding us when we are lost and leading us

home; or that death is both an ending and the

gateway to new life.

Deep spirituality calls for just this kind of flexible,

curious, yet reasoned approach. In this sense,

cultivating a complementarian imagination can

help us to engage the Christian story more

holistically.

As human beings, we tend to focus at any given

time on one particular property or manifestation of

God, but learning to seek God in the places we least

expect to find God can be a powerful and

transformative practice. May we all be willing to

stretch our imaginations a little as we journey

together through the season after Pentecost,

empowered in our quest by God’s own surprising

and sustaining Spirit.

Summer Choir at St. Mary's

The summer choir at St. Maryʹs is a wonderful time

for you to try your hand (or voice, rather) at some

choral singing. The choir has a relaxed commitment

during the summer months. We still sing every

Sunday morning even though a single 10:00 a.m.

service replaces the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

services. Thursday evening rehearsals for the

Parish Choir and Wednesday rehearsals for the

Youth and Children’s Choirs are suspended. If you

would like to participate, simply show up at 9:00

a.m., an hour before the service for a quick

rehearsal. It is a very fun way to get involved

without making a commitment for the whole year.

Come one and come all. We welcome participation

from people who have much singing experience,

and people who have none. It is a fun, friendly

environment in which everybody participates fully

in the music ministry at St. Mary the Virgin.

Summer Worship Schedule

Starts June 12

Morning Services at

8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

Parish BBQ Following the 10:00 a.m. service


Parish Retreat 2016 at The Bishop’s Ranch

The Pentecost theme at annual parish retreat at the Bishop’s Ranch in Healdsburg this year was, “Experiencing the

Movements of the Spirit.” On Saturday morning, the Revs. Claire Ranna and Deb White led the adults in playing a

church‐themed Jeopardy game, and discussing how we feel the Spirit moving us at St. Mary the Virgin. We expressed our

sentiments as haikus. An example: Water welling up/ Refreshes our souls daily/ Water cleanses us. Meanwhile, Riley

Haggin and Mike Stafford were helping the kids make Spirit‐related art projects, including kites and origami birds. We

then all gathered together to build a new St. Mary’s. On Sunday, Deb and Claire led us through an instructed Eucharist,

and invited us to participate by offering our own homilies. Bob Bledsoe remarked that it was nice to have a single small

group where everyone could get to know everyone else in easy intergenerational exchanges. “I believe the Holy Spirit is a

moving force,” he said. “And that’s St. Mary’s.” Relaxed, rejuvenated, and filled with the Holy Spirit, we said our

farewells and made our way back to the city. My two children are already looking forward to next year’s retreat!

‐‐ Margaret Stafford

Building a new St. Mary’s: Adults wrote their vision for the church’s future on building blocks, and the children used

them to construct a church. No sooner was it built, but it was torn down. And then rebuilt; and then, by the grace of the

Holy Spirit (in the form of flame‐colored balloons), it held together.

Watching the cows come home.

Gathering together, refreshed with the energy of the Holy Spirit.

First Class Mail

.

HIGHLIGHTS—SUMMER - 2016 Also visit www.smvsf.org

SUMMER SCHEDULE STARTS JUNE 12 Summer Schedule for Sunday Morning Worship – Starting

June 11, Service times are 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Regular worship times start again September 11, with services at 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m.

SPIRITUALITY & PASTORAL CARE Sunday morning services – at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.

Holy Eucharist, Rite II – Wednesdays, in the chapel, at 7:00 a.m.

Nursing Home Ministry – every 4th Sunday, Golden Gate Healthcare Center, 2707 Pine Street, at 1:30 p.m.

Presidio Gate Ministry –2nd & 4th Mondays, 2770 Lombard Street, at 11:00 a.m.

Pastoral Emergencies – A priest is always on call. To reach a member of the clergy, go to www.smvsf.org/pastoral-care

OUTREACH Raphael House Ministry – First Monday of each month.

Contact Alisa Quint Fisher at [email protected]

Larkin Street Dinners at Edward II –Sundays June 12, July 10, and August 14, at 4:00 p.m. Contact Marta Johnson at [email protected]

SF- Marin Food Bank – Every Thursday morning deliveries from church. Contact the Rev. Tim Smith at [email protected]

MEETINGS & MISCELLANY Deadline for the Fall 2016 Cow Hollow Church News –

August 1. Please email articles to [email protected]

SAVE THESE DATES Confirmation of 20 St. Mary’s Confirmands – Saturday, June

4, at Grace Cathedral, at 10:00 a.m.

Chefs SummerTini Gala – Episcopal Community Services Benefit – Friday, June 3, 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.summertini.org

Night Ministry Open House – Sunday, June 12, at St. Mark’s Church, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.sfnightministry.org.

Summer in the City Adult Forum Series – Sundays. June 26– August 21, in the Great Room, at 9:00 a.m. See flyer for details.

Open Cathedral – Sunday, June 19, at Civic Center Plaza, at Leavenworth and McAllister Streets, at 2:00 p.m. For information, contact the Rev. Nancy Bryan at 415-608-8777.

N.E.R.T. Training Course – Monday evenings July 18 – August 22, at St. Mary’s. For details, contact [email protected]

Night Ministry Annual Cabaret – Friday, August 12, at St. Aiden’s Episcopal Church, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.sfnightministry.org

2325 Union Street

San Francisco, CA 94123‐3905

(415) 921‐3665 • www.smvsf.org

INSIDE… From the Rector ................ Cover Story

Sr. Warden’s Letter ............................ 2

Sunday School & Youth ................. 4-5

Reflections from Deacon Tim .......... 6

Deacon Nancy’s Corner .................... 8

Deanery Meets at St. Mary’s ............. 9

Saints: Marta Johnson .................... 10

Profile and Search Committee........ 12

Legacy &125th Anniversary....... 14-15

W. W. Bolton, Our First Rector ....... 16

Small Groups ................................... 18

Telling Our Stories........................... 19

Rebuilding Together & Raphael ..... 20

Newcomers’ Corner ......................... 21

From the Associate Rector ............. 22

Parish Retreat 2016 ......................... 23

cow hollow church newssmvsf.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/chcn-2016-summer.pdf · (and necessarily...

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