Download - Cow Hollow Church News - Winter 2015
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 W i n t e r 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6
Sacraments for a New Century The Rev. Scott E. Richardson, Rector
Towards the end of a sermon preached in mid-September, on Homecoming Sunday, I
suggested that it might be time to think about seven new sacraments for a still-new
century. These practices would not replace the ancient sacraments and sacramental rites
but amplify them. My list included the following practices: shared abundance, non-
violence, creation care, blessed intimacy, radical welcome, nurturing the most
vulnerable, and prodigal forgiveness.
The suggestion was rooted in the awareness that the church hasn’t finished her business
once the sacraments have been offered. The opposite, in fact, is true – we are not at the
finish line in that moment but at the starting line. At the very end of that sermon, I said that I would love to
hear from others who named practices they find life-giving and central to their being in the world. Here is just
one of the several responses I received (all of the responses and follow-up conversations were, by the way,
compelling and helpful):
Slow down. Listen deeply. Radical welcome of everyone and acknowledgement of everything, here
and now.
Energize, activate, and be present in our physical bodies.
Support pursuit of passions; accessible education for all.
Healing/creation care – heal ourselves, our communities, our planet, all relations (bring grief and
forgiveness to forefront).
Creative generosity and storytelling – what is our culture? What core stories and traditions do we
share? How can we all learn them and own them and share them with passion and personal flair?
Being more aware of and intentional about the stories we share/repeat.
Mentoring/art of questioning – how do we take on the role of mentor? Support curiosity in one
another, and live fresh and present in the moment.
Living simply/appropriate action – knowing our part in much larger systems, taking nothing for
advantage, transparency in full supply chains that provide basic human needs and making those
shorter/more local.
I’m sharing this response with you as we enter the season of Advent, the season in which we prepare for the
coming of the Lord. Would you consider adopting one or more of these practices over the next four weeks?
Doing so may open your mind and heart in wonderful ways to the coming of the Light of the World.
Page 2 Winter 2015-2016 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
News of Note from the Sr. Warden Jim Griffith
Stewardship Angst and Joy
Every year Stewardship time gives me angst. Yes,
it is a difficult thing to admit, but every year our
annual campaign gives me pause. I find it
necessary to revisit why I give to the church and
even more importantly, how much. Both are
difficult decisions and necessarily related.
I start with the “why.”
There are the typical reasons why I should pledge:
The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
provides a place for quiet,
inward reflection. Having
grown up in the Episcopal
Church, I find the service
comforting. I enjoy the
congregation. The clergy are
exemplary. I admire the
outreach work that so many in
the congregation do.
Then, there are the reasons to
make a pledge that, frankly, I
would like to ignore, but are there: I would feel
guilty if I did not pledge. I feel peer pressure.
There is also the very rational reason for giving:
this place would not exist year to year without
annual pledges. Your annual gifts provide 79% of
our operating budget. Zero pledges would mean
no Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin.
Having served on your vestry for nearly three
years, I have been privy to the financial workings
of the church, and now deeply realize the necessity
of gifts from the congregation.
Finally, there is the one reason why I pledge that
brings me to the finish line: I want to give. For all
the reasons mentioned above, I feel compelled to
give. This reason may sound overly simplistic, but
it has taken me years to understand the “why.”
And, it is related to how much I choose to give.
The amount of my pledge is equally difficult each
year. But, this year, this decision has been easier
because I have made two changes in how I think
about the amount to give.
One, I no longer think of the amount that I can give
as a “give until it hurts” commitment. I took to
heart what I heard our Padre Scott say during a
sermon: “Your commitment to the church should
come from joy. Give an amount that brings you
pleasure!” This simple change in thinking has
provided a welcome and refreshing way to think
about giving.
Two, I no longer think about my pledge like a “club
dues” amount: the amount that one pays monthly
to belong to a club or organization.
This really isn’t a “member dues”
type of situation. So, I have
changed my thinking. I have come
to realize that I should revisit the
amount I give throughout the year,
and base it on my total
compensation. If I receive a work
bonus, I should seriously consider
giving a portion to my church.
And, I have made a commitment to
leave an amount to the church when I am no longer
walking around Union Street, by joining the Legacy
Society. It is the right thing to do!
My 2016 pledge is an amount I want to give, and it
is an amount that brings me joy. I invite you to join
me in joyfully supporting your church, St. Mary the
Virgin.
THE VESTRY
Jim Griffith – Senior Warden
Belle McBride – Junior Warden
Jane A. Cook Jeff Landry
Rick Darwin Annie Morse
Donna Davidson Liz Paxton
Stephen Koch Creighton Reed
Rob Vanneman
Cow Hollow Church News Winter 2015-2016 Page 3
Youth Group News
Mike Stafford, Director of Youth Programs
The Youth Group has had two very eventful
months. There has been an excellent showing at the
Middle School Youth Group, with great
conversations on individual gifts we contribute to
God’s Kingdom, and what it means to be a
Christian teenager in the Bay Area. The high
schoolers took the Meyer-Briggs personality test,
and had a great discussion on personality, personal
strengths, and how our Christian community loves
and supports all kinds of people. The October
Adventure Night saw a huge group of 6th-12th
graders eating sundaes at Ghirardelli Square, and
November’s Adventure Night had Youth Groupers
running around Cow Hollow on a scavenger hunt
asking people questions and having them sign a
squash (pictured).
December is a short month for Youth Group, but
includes two of our favorite activities: on December
6, we will be making PB&J sandwiches after church
and handing them out to hungry people in the
Civic Center, and on December 13, all 6th to 12th
graders are welcome to participate in our annual
“ChristmAdvent” White Elephant Gift Exchange.
More information regarding these events is
forthcoming. If you would like to have your email
address added to the Youth Group email list,
please contact Mike Stafford ([email protected]).
Annual Parish Meeting
January 31, 2016 at 10:30 a.m.
On Sunday morning, January 31, 2016, we will
come together for our Annual Parish Meeting.
Once again, this meeting will take place in the
church, beginning at 10:30 a.m., following the 9:00
a.m. service.
The 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services will be
combined, taking place at 9:00 a.m. on this day.
The Annual Parish Meeting is different from most
of the obligations we experience
elsewhere; for, in addition to taking
care of some of the normal temporal
actions we need to fulfill—such as the
election of new members of the vestry
and new delegates to represent all of
us within the Diocese of California
and the San Francisco Deanery, as
well as reflection on the proposed
budget for the coming year—we also
take time to ponder our spiritual
health and condition.
We receive reports and remarks about
many of our ministries and programs,
and take time to raise questions about
how we might better serve the
community and the world. Parish leaders, lay and
ordained, offer their reflections on the State of the
Parish. And, unlike in many other meetings, we
join together as one community: we sing, laugh,
remember our departed sisters and brothers, and,
in general, recall who we are, whose we are, and
why we gather, week in and week out, season after
season, and year after year, in this holy place. Child
care will be available, and we encourage teenagers
to attend.
Please take part in this year’s Annual Parish
Meeting, and join your sisters and brothers in faith,
discerning God’s presence in, and call to, this
community of faith.
Youth Group scavengers show off their signed squash.
Page 4 Winter 2015-2016 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Sunday School News
Nancy Clark, Sunday School Co-Director
Meet the Teachers
The open house gatherings at schools, a back-to-
school tradition, offer a time set aside to visit
classrooms, look at books and materials, learn
about the curriculum, and, most significantly, meet
the teachers. Alas, no such thing happens for
Sunday School. Short blurbs in the bulletin each
week highlight the focus of each Sunday’s lessons
and activities. A take-home activity page or project
provides a speck of insight about how class time
was spent. But, who are the teachers, the dedicated,
creative, loyal
volunteers who will
teach the 25-plus
weeks of Sunday
School this year?
Consider this your
official “Meet the
Teachers” forum.
Preschool, for our
three-to-five-year-olds
has three teachers this
year. Lisa Carey,
mother of two St.
Mary’s Sunday
School and Children’s
Choir graduates, has
led the preschool
program for 14 years. She is a true veteran teacher
who has also served two terms on the vestry. Lisa
worked a long stretch for IBM but now is co-owner
of Brandon Natural Beef. She cooks, hikes, plays
tennis, walks her beloved dog, Bo, and spends as
much time as possible outdoors.
Victoria Sutton has attended St. Mary’s since 1988.
Her three high schoolers went through the Sunday
School program from start to finish and are now
active in Youth Group. Victoria worked at
SFMOMA, but now devotes much time to
volunteer work in schools and the community,
without neglecting her tennis. This is Victoria’s
second year working in preschool.
Angela Latigona Heath moved with her husband
from Manhattan to San Francisco in 2014, leaving
behind her well-established career as a luxury real
estate broker, and an impressive array of volunteer
activities in New York. At present, she considers
herself “on sabbatical” from work, devoting her
time to her toddler-aged daughter, Catherine
Elizabeth. In September, she began what we hope
will be a long and happy career as a teacher in our
preschool. She has gifts!
Alice Allick is the Kindergarten teacher. She has
attended St. Mary’s for 30 years, has four children,
all alumni of St. Mary’s Sunday School, and all
confirmed here. Alice
has been a Sunday
School teacher off and
on for ten years. She
hikes, travels, reads,
arranges flowers, and
has been involved in
many volunteer
projects in the
community.
Although she's taken a
brief leave of absence
this year, Scott Case
plans to return to
teaching next
semester – this
time in
Kindergarten. Scott has covered the full gamut of
grades. Last year she worked with the 5th and 6th
graders, but prior to that, taught in all the earlier
grades. Scott has a career in business, has served on
the vestry, and is active in the schools of her three
daughters.
Donna Davidson and Gabby Taylor co-teach this
year’s combined first and second grade class.
Donna has been a St. Mary’s parishioner for 15
years and has taught Sunday School for five of
those years. In her work life she recruits leaders in
the non-profit sector. She is devoted to horseback
riding, plays bridge, takes part in a Bible study
group, and is a member of St. Mary’s vestry. Gabby
Costumed Sunday School teachers encourage and assist hands-on
learning at the Bible Times Market. Left to right: Alice Allick, Nancy
Clark, Nancy Svendsen, Lisa Carey, and Mackenzie Berwick.
Cow Hollow Church News Winter 2015-2016 Page 5
has a full-time career in finance and is also the
mother of two little girls. She quilts and sews in
her spare time. She and her family have attended
St. Mary’s for three years and Gabby has taught
Sunday School for two of those years.
A walk upstairs in Pixley House will lead you to
the 3rd and 4th grade classroom of Nancy
Svendsen and Rachel Davey who are frequently
assisted by Mackenzie Berwick, a student at St.
Ignatius High School. Mackenzie, who also races
sailboats on the Bay, has been attending St. Mary’s
with her family for four years.
Nancy Svendsen is new
this year to St. Mary’s
Sunday School, but not
new to teaching or to St.
Mary’s. She has an MA in
Elementary Education and
has years of classroom
experience here in San
Francisco. Nancy was also
an actress, founded a small
theater company, wrote for
a TV game show, ran an
event planning and
catering business, and now
serves as our parish’s
events coordinator.
Imagine what fun it must
be in her Sunday School class! Nancy and her
family have attended St. Mary’s since 2000.
Rachel Davey is a third year law student at USF.
She has attended St. Mary’s for three years but
grew up in another St. Mary’s Episcopal Church,
that one in Edmond, Oklahoma. Rachel hopes to
practice in the Bay Area. Taking the California Bar
exam is in her immediate future, but meanwhile,
when not studying, she hikes, golfs, and devotes
Sunday mornings to our 3rd and 4th graders.
The fifth and sixth grade class, the “big kids,” meet
in the Great Room and have three teachers this
year. The new guy in this constellation is Bill
Rousseau, a first-year teacher at St. Mary’s, but a
genuine pro, a veteran teacher with a 47-year career
in education. His bio is remarkable: he taught social
science classes in independent high schools (in
Florida for 36 years) and at various times was a
resident camp director, an athletic director, an
assistant headmaster and headmaster. He has been
in San Francisco for five years, attending St. Mary’s
for one year.
Capping this impressive array of teachers are Todd
and Lisa Reynolds, also teaching 5th and 6th
grades after a long stretch in 2nd grade. Todd and
Lisa have attended St. Mary’s for 22 years and have
been teaching Sunday School (hold your breath) for
21 years. Of course their two children, Sam and
Sophie, now in high
school, attended St.
Mary’s from start to
finish, served as
acolytes, and assisted in
Sunday School. Lisa,
surely one of the most
energetic people you’ll
meet, is a banker, has
been a Girl Scout leader,
and presently is team
parent for swimming,
lacrosse, and soccer
teams. Lisa knits and
sews, and of late has
taken up trail
running. Todd is a
water treatment engineer and a Scoutmaster for
Troop 11 in the Piedmont Scout Council.
Phil Woodworth, our Confirmation Class teacher,
has been on the job teaching an ever-increasing
batch of seventh and eighth graders for over a
decade. Phil, his wife Linda, and five children, have
been readers, teachers, assistants, organizers – or,
in other words, have taken part in the full spectrum
of parish life. Phil is also a coach for the various
athletic endeavors of his children.
We are blessed to have these accomplished,
impressive role models guiding and teaching our
children. Make an effort to meet and thank them.
A perennial attraction, the Bible Times Market generates
commerce with clay coins for such goods and goodies as
prayer jars, beads, pinch pots, bread, dates, and figs.
Page 6 Winter 2015-2016 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Happy Birthday to Us!
Marta Johnson
St. Mary’s is celebrating a significant birthday in
2016: we will be 125 years old!
On May 9, 1891, the Articles of Incorporation were
filed with the State. Did you know that the pews
we are using today are the original pews? I’d say
they have aged pretty well,
as has the rest of the
church.
But the continued beauty,
gentle aging, rich
programs, beautiful music,
strong Sunday School
program, and above all, the
caring and vibrant staff are
still here not by accident. It
is because of good
shepherding, forward
thinking, vision,
community, and of course,
the generosity of you, our
parishioners for the past
125 years.
As our Rector Scott
Richardson has said, “we
are founded on the idea of
generosity and vision.”
Throughout 2016, we will
be celebrating this
milestone birthday in
various ways.
Focusing on our rich history, Mary Morganti will
be putting together photo displays throughout the
campus, and writing articles about the physical
transformation of the church, as well as the people
who have made St. Mary’s what it is today.
Helping to get the message out of the good works
accomplished at St. Mary’s over the past 125 years
will be Colin Hogan and Jory Sandusky. They will
be communicating lots of fun and interesting
stories and creating a pictorial history on our
website, among other things. Keep your eye out for
all of this.
The third prong of this celebration is to ask
parishioners to consider: what does St. Mary’s
mean to you? What brings
you back here Sunday
mornings? Why do you
keep returning to this little
church at the corner of
Union and Steiner streets?
To keep the vibrancy and
beauty of St. Mary’s going
strong over the next 125
years, we need your
generosity and vision – to
continue the tradition of
the early founders and the
people who have gone
before us who have made
this church the very special
place it is today.
As part of our 125th
birthday celebration, we
have a goal of expanding
the Legacy Society – the
group of people who have
remembered St. Mary’s in
their estate plans. Under
the guidance of Jane Cook, Chair of Planned
Giving, and Marta Johnson, head of the Legacy
Society’s 125th Anniversary Campaign, we will
initiate a campaign in early February asking you to
become a part of the Legacy Society – in a way that
is meaningful to you. We have so much to be
thankful for, for the hard work and generosity of so
many caring people before us. We want to keep
this history, generosity, and vision going forward.
Original to St. Mary’s, our pews get an annual airing
and cleaning. Photographer: Anne Kieve.
Cow Hollow Church News Winter 2015-2016 Page 7
Becoming a member of the Legacy Society gives
recognition of your feelings and faith and love for
St. Mary’s after your passing. You will have made
it possible with your bequest, along with the
bequests of many others, to keep our church alive
for the next 125 years, and beyond. You will have
left your legacy here.
Meaningful participation is the key, not amount.
The Legacy Continues….
Marking Ten Years
Catherine Secour, Secretary
Members of the
Daughters of
the King at St.
Mary’s
celebrated the
Tenth
Anniversary of
the formation of
their chapter
this year. The
first chapter of
the Daughters
was formed at
St. Mary’s in
1927. Our
current chapter
was reinstated
by the National
Order of the
Daughters of
the King on
June 5, 2005,
retaining the same chapter number as the original.
During the past ten years some members have
moved away, but we have added new members.
We still miss the presence of our faithful member,
Cynthia Soyster, who passed away this past
January. She was with us from the beginning of our
renaissance.
On September 6, we were privileged to welcome
Anna Sylvester into the order with a formal
Admission Service during the 10:00 am service. Fr.
Scott blessed Anna’s cross and Betty Hood-Gibson
presented it to her as we received her into our
order. As Anna was admitted, the rest of us also
recommitted to our rule of life: prayer and service.
Members of the congregation supported us with
their own personal commitment. Anna completed
her discernment process and study in record time
and we have already benefitted from her
organization and sense of humor.
This past year, our chapter has volunteered to
provide the cookies and snacks after the coffee
hour at the
11:00 a.m.
service on the
fifth Sundays
of the month.
Under the
leadership of
Gloria Powell,
we have been
guided to
make cookies
and greet
persons
during the
coffee hour as
we spread
spiritual
hospitality.
Once a year
we provide a
parish-wide
Quiet Day. Our next Quiet Day will be Saturday,
February 6, 2016. Save the date and watch for more
details after the holidays.
Standing in back, left to right: Alisa Quint Fisher, Gloria Powell, Anna
Sylvester, Catherine Secour, Malaney Johnides and Betty Hood-Gibson; in front:
Darlene Sandusky (seated) and Jan Bolles. Not pictured: Lisa Vance and the
Rev. Claire Ranna.
Page 8 Winter 2015-2016 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
“Yes, Virginia,
There is a Santa Claus”
Alan Jones, Dean Emeritus, Grace Cathedral, San
Francisco
Most of us know this famous response by Francis
Church to a letter from an eight-year-old, Virginia
O’Hanlon, published in The New York Sun in 1897.
Dear Editor,
I am eight years old. Some of my little friends
say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you
see it in The Sun it's so.” Please tell me the
truth; is there a Santa Claus?
The response was printed as an unsigned editorial
Sept. 21, 1897.
Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He
exists as certainly as love and generosity and
devotion exist, and you know that they abound
and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.
Alas! How dreary would be the world if there
were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if
there were no VIRGINIAS.
. . . Nobody can conceive or imagine all the
wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the
world . . . Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all
this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives, and he
lives forever.
The letter is as warm and fuzzy as it is
unconvincing, but it does serve a useful function in
that it’s a good idea, from time to time, to recover
the weirdness of existence, its very oddness, the
wonder of being alive at all. Even those among us
who tend to be skeptical, let alone, to be generally
cynical, would profit from being brought up short
with the oddness of being here at all. This is a
good time of year to think about how strange it is
to be here.
Jaron Lanier in his book, You Are Not a Gadget,
points out that people reduce themselves because of
information technologies. “Information systems
need to have information in order to run, but
information under-represents reality,” says the
computer scientist and virtual reality pioneer.
Information under-represents reality. Information
can’t give us the full picture. No wonder many of
us are disgruntled, disillusioned about politics, and
worried about the future. The gathering of data
isn’t enough, and more and more we find ourselves
living in a data junkyard.
We live now with a definite undertow of
decadence. Historian Jacques Barzun wrote, “When
people accept futility and the absurd as normal, the
culture is decadent.” In the light of this, “Yes,
Virginia . . .” is a call to rebellion, albeit of an odd
kind. Santa Claus may not exist, but the story tells
us that Virginia and each one of us matters, and
that a life fully lived is one full of expectation.
How do we nurture the imagination to create an
environment of possibility for ourselves and for
others? Why have a generous construction of the
world? For example, what comes to mind when
you hear, “Twinkle, twinkle little star?”
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum tells the story of
one of her students who responded to the question
in this way. He saw a sky beautifully blazing with
stars and bands of bright color, and the sight made
him look in a new way at his dog, a cocker spaniel.
“I used to look into the dog’s eyes and wonder
what the dog was really thinking and feeling. Was
my dog ever sad? It pleased me to think about my
dog and the way he experienced the world. I
looked him in the eyes and knew that he loved me
and was capable of feeling pleasure and pain. It
then made me think tenderly about my mom and
dad and other children I knew.”
Why would “Twinkle, twinkle little star” make
someone think that the starry sky was benevolent
and not malevolent? Why think of your dog as
loving and good rather than devilish and cruel?
Cow Hollow Church News Winter 2015-2016 Page 9
Who cares whether some dog is happy or sad?
There are plenty of people who take pleasure in an
animal’s pain. Martha Nussbaum assures us in her
book, Poetic Justice, that something important is
going on. She writes, “The strange fact is that the
nursery rhyme itself, like other rhymes, nourished
a tender humanity within us and stirs up in us the
prospect of friendship. It doesn’t make us think
paranoid thoughts of a hateful being in the sky,
who’s out to get us. It tells the child to think of a
star like a diamond
rather than as a missile
of destruction and also
not like a machine good
only for production
and consumption. The
nursery rhyme
nourishes a generous
construction of the
seen.”
Yes, Virginia, there is a
Santa Claus! We’re not
talking about the literal
truth but what it takes
to nourish a generous
construction of the
seen! Think of Irving
Berlin’s “I’m Dreaming
of a White Christmas.”
Is it true? No, of course
not! Is it true? Yes, of
course it is! Imagine.
It’s December 1941.
Bing Crosby is singing
it on his radio show on
Christmas Eve – 17
days after Pearl Harbor.
For many American troops fighting in WWII it was
their first time away from home.
Irving Berlin lived in a story made up of amazing
choices. He faced serious limitations. He could
play only in the key of C. Yet, he was the most
successful songwriter of the 20th century. He
embraced a generous construction of the seen. Life was
composed of a few basic elements: life and death,
loneliness and love, hope and defeat. In our
making our way through these givens, “affirmation
is better than complaint, hope more viable than
despair, kindness nobler than its opposite.” That
was about it, writes Huston Smith in his book Why
Religion Matters. “But because Berlin believed those
platitudes implicitly, he helped people cut through
the ambiguities and complexities of a confusing
century.”
Everyone knows the song
“White Christmas,” but our
ears are closed when we hear
it because we're so used to it.
In fact, if you step back and
think about the dramatic
situation in the song, the
narrator is recalling
something that is beyond his
reach. He says, “I'm dreaming
of a white Christmas, just like
the ones I used to know.”
Don’t knock it! This is a song
from an immigrant Jewish
outsider about a holiday that
was never his. Irving Berlin
was five when his parents
brought him to America from
Russia. The first Christmas he
remembered was spent on
Manhattan's Lower East Side
at the home of Irish neighbors.
The song was an immediate
hit. It has no overt religion in
it, no Baby Jesus, no manger,
but it became a wartime
anthem of love and longing. It
opens us up to the possibility of a deeper story – a
generous construction of the seen. Not a bad way to
celebrate Christmas. Not a bad way to celebrate
life.
“Yes, Virginia! There is a Santa Claus!”
Page 10 Winter 2015-2016 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Christmas Eve Pageant Thursday, December 24
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
John Patrick Moore, Pageant Director
In Advent, we are called into a season of
contemplation, waiting, and preparation leading
toward our joyful celebration of the coming of
Jesus into the world. And for the 16th year, we
have begun preparations for St. Mary’s annual
Christmas Eve Pageant. Our wonderful tradition
reenacts portions of Matthew’s and Luke’s Nativity
stories interspersed with Christmas carols, and
includes live animals (a pony, a donkey, and goats),
and a baby Jesus.
The pageant is a wonderful way to explore more
deeply the mystery of Christmas as community,
and everyone is invited to participate and/or
attend.
We are looking for people of all ages to fill the
speaking roles of Isaiah, Gabriel, Mary, Joseph’s
Angel, Joseph, Elizabeth, Innkeepers, Romans,
King Herod, Chief Priests, the Star in the East, the
Wise Men, and a Narrator. We also need a host of
Angels, Shepherds, and Live Animal Handlers and
of course a baby Jesus (or 2!).
Petting Zoo
A pony, a donkey, goats, rabbits, and chickens will
be part of a petting zoo in the courtyard before the
Pageant from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. The petting zoo will
close at 3:00 p.m. when these live animals will join
us in the church.
Participation
On Sunday, December 20, there will be a rehearsal
from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., between the Lessons and
Cow Hollow Church News Winter 2015-2016 Page 11
Carols services. For those with speaking roles and
any others who wish to attend, we will have a
rehearsal and introduction in the church with John
Patrick Moore (director), Rev. Claire Dietrich
Ranna, and Katrein Van Riel (student director). We
will read
through the
text and
discuss the
mysteries of
the story to be
told, and the
beautiful
poetry and
music of the
carols.
On Thursday,
December 24,
there will be a
walk-through
from 1:00 to
2:00 p.m. for those with speaking parts. Dressing in
costumes and a sing-through will happen from 2:00
to 3:00 p.m. in the Great Room.
Children who wish to
be in the Pageant as
Shepherds or Angels
must bring their
parents with them
and be at the church
for costumes and
rehearsal by 2:00 p.m.
Costumes and scripts
are provided. Parents,
we need you to
participate with your
children and help
manage them as they
learn how to
participate in a
pageant.
Helping Hands
Even if you don’t
want to be in the Pageant, we need your help!
There are volunteer opportunities for costuming,
live animal handlers, set up, cleanup, and crowd
control. Volunteers for costumes, live animal
management, and set-up need to be at the church at
1:00 p.m. Crowd control is needed from 2:00 p.m.
on. Cleanup is from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Any
assistance you can offer on Christmas Eve to make
this service a more meaningful experience for
others is greatly appreciated.
To Get Involved
Please contact John Patrick Moore at 415.613.2476
or [email protected] before December 13.
A selection of
photos from past
Christmas Pageants.
Page 12 Winter 2015-2016 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
12th Annual Outreach Grant Program Fundraiser
Greens and Pantry Sale, Sunday, December 6
Benefactor Reception, Friday, December 11
Adele Zachrisson, for the Outreach Grant Program
Fundraiser
Reaching in for Outreach
St. Mary’s Outreach Grant Program has been in
place for more than a decade, helping our
parish share its many blessings with local
organizations that are improving the lives of
people who are in need of all kinds of help.
Funds are raised through donations of friends
and benefactors, as well as through the
purchasing of
Christmas
greens and
volunteer-
contributed
baked goods.
This year, as
part of the 12th
Annual
Outreach
Grant Program
Fundraiser, a
festive
reception
thanking
benefactors will be held at a parishioner’s
home on Friday, December 11, and Christmas
greens and delicious baked goods will be
available for purchase at church on Sunday
morning, December 6.
Community organizations apply for grants,
and the funds are distributed through a
process conducted by the parish’s volunteer
Outreach Grant Team. I have served as a
volunteer on the Grant Team for several years,
an experience that confirmed for me the
positive impact of St. Mary’s outreach grants in
helping community organizations address very
real concerns in the Bay Area. While our grants
are modest, they are meaningful. The
programs are often small and hands-on, and
have arisen to meet needs that traditionally
have not been supported by mainstream
agencies.
Many of the programs we support are
recommended by parishioners, some of whom
have first-hand involvement with them. For
example, one program funded by St. Mary’s is
called “Brainstorm” at the Janet Pomeroy
Center. It helps
young adults
who have
suffered a
traumatic brain
injury, and are
in need of a
caring, safe
environment, to
heal. This
program has
helped many
participants,
including my
own son, figure
out who they
are and what they can do with their “new life,”
recovering as much as possible by engaging in
group activities, sharing experiences, and
learning from each other. I know firsthand that
there is no other program that does this on an
extended basis.
Veteran volunteers from the six years that Carl and Adele Zachrisson have
hosted the benefactor reception; left to right: Adele Zachrisson, Ava Eichler,
Diane Schatz, Alice Allick, and Shila Clement.
Cow Hollow Church News Winter 2015-2016 Page 13
Part of the application process for outreach
grants from St. Mary’s involves site visits
where Grant Team members interact with
those requesting funding, getting to know the
programs well, seeing them in action, and
feeling the impact that they have on those
served. I wish that all of you could have this
rewarding experience.
When I served on the Grant Team, I found the
site visits to be particularly moving – and they
have inspired me to give as generously as I can
to the outreach program every year. The
impact of the grants, especially to smaller,
often struggling, organizations cannot be
underrated. A few thousand dollars can make
a big difference. Because many of us at St.
Mary’s donate to the program, we are able to
make a more meaningful gift together than we
could as individuals.
The grants demonstrate in a tangible way the
faith we have in our communal life outside the
walls of the parish. They reflect our
commitment to loving our neighbors.
Supporting the missions of these organizations
is testament to our belief that lives can be
improved. Our grants can literally determine
the success or failure of a program. What
happens to people in our community matters!
Being involved in the Outreach Grant Program
also reminds me of just how privileged my life
has been – even with life-changing personal
tragedies along the way – and how fortunate I
am to be able to help others (if only in a small
way). I believe that it is the faith of St. Mary’s
parishioners – their compassion,
understanding, and love – that is ultimately the
foundation of St. Mary’s Outreach Grant
Program.
For information on becoming involved, go to:
www.smvsf.org.
The Seamen's Church Institute
David Gibson, Member Outreach Grant Team
This is one in a series of
articles on organizations
that receive funds from our
Outreach Grant program.
The Seamen’s Church
Institute (SCI) is the
largest and most
comprehensive mariners support agency in North
America. Founded in 1834 in affiliation with the
Episcopal Church, it is now nondenominational in
its trustees, staff, and service to mariners,
providing educational and advocacy services for
mariners who work on open oceans and inland
waterways.
Its west coast center is located in the heart of the
port of Oakland where its International Maritime
Center offers these services to mariners during
their stay in Port when they often have no place to
stay on land after being at sea a month or more.
Mariners can use the center to seek spiritual
counsel, read, call home using low-cost phone
cards, use the computer for visual and written
contact, and speak to new friends including the
center’s chaplains. The center serves as a station
where chaplains hold services and from which they
visit seafarers aboard their vessels. While located in
the heart of Oakland’s waterfront area, the center
provides these unique and continuing services to
mariners not only in Oakland, but also in
surrounding Bay Area ports. The center welcomes
all seafarers, as well as port workers, including
truckers and warehouse workers, to this friendly
and safe environment for spiritual refreshment and
relaxation.
Historically, before its affiliation with SCI, the
maritime center was located in San Francisco.
Burned out in the 1906 earthquake, the
organization occupied various locations on the San
Francisco waterfront before moving to the Port of
Page 14 Winter 2015-2016 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Oakland in 1971, where its name was changed to
Bay Area Seafarers Service (BASS). The center has
been served by Episcopal priests and deacons over
the years. Included among them was the Rev.
Alvin Gomer, who in 1988 became chaplain for the
center and who served part time at St. Mary’s.
Father Gomer's vision was for the new center to
have an ecumenical function with port chaplains
from all denominations using the center’s facilities.
In addition to the Episcopal and Roman Catholic
ministries originally based there, Lutheran,
Methodist, Presbyterian, and American Baptist
Churches have used the center since it was
established. Now its staff of professional chaplains
includes those with interfaith and cross-cultural
backgrounds.
The Bay Area center continues to provide service to
mariners during their stay in the port. The SCI 2015
request from St. Mary’s is for funds for Bibles
printed in various languages, to fulfill a continuing
request of mariners.
Fast, Friendly Facts About St. Mary’s Handbell Choir
Chip Grant, Director of Music
These facts about members of the Handbell Choir
of The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
illustrate the “type” of person who might ring
English handbells.
Our handbell ringers come from the East
Bay, San Francisco, and even the Presidio.
A quarter of them attend Burning Man.
They range in age from 4th grade to retiree.
In addition to English handbells, members
of the ensemble also play: cello, xylophone
(two), timpani, bongos, trombone, piano
(three), guitar, and tuba.
Two composers are part of the ensemble.
There are members of the Junior League.
Two ringers “moonlight” with other
handbell choirs: Golden Gate Boys Choir
and Bell Ringers and Resound.
They work as flight attendants,
preservationists, teachers, chefs, or physical
therapists.
Five are students, one is a consultant,
another is a former principal, and another
works in the San Francisco County Jail.
One-half of the ensemble can drive.
They can knit, crochet, macramé, and do
counted cross stitch.
They are the products of both public and
private education.
Some ringers own cats; some are allergic to
cats.
They speak English, Spanish, French,
Japanese, Tagalog (three dialects), and
Gullah.
All are
enthusiastic
about rhythm
and tone. If you
feel you might
fit in with these
musicians,
contact Chip
Grant at
Ensemble members Jeff Johnson (left) and
Daphne Ball. Photos by Cassandra Giovagnoli.
Nolan Giovangoli (left) rings alongside her brother Rollie.
Cow Hollow Church News Winter 2015-2016 Page 15
Sister Helen Prejean’s Visit
The Rev. Claire Dietrich Ranna
On Sunday, October 11, we were thrilled to
welcome Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., as our guest
preacher at all three morning services. Sister Helen
is the courageous nun whose tireless work against
the death penalty was brought to the big screen in
Dead Man Walking. A champion for the lost and the
least, Sister Helen continues to serve as a spiritual
advisor and companion to individuals on death
row and has recently published her second book
based on these experiences, The Death of Innocents.
If you found yourself especially moved by her
message and are wondering what you could do to
get involved, there are a number of ways to
support this
important work:
Prayer
Our faith
maintains that
prayer is
effective and
powerful. Pray
for the victims
of violent crime
and those who
perpetrate it;
pray for those
on death row
and those
advocating for
an end to the
death penalty;
pray for all those involved in our criminal justice
system. And pray this prayer for justice adapted
from Sister Helen:
God of Compassion,
You let your rain fall on the just and the unjust alike.
Expand and deepen our hearts
that we may love as you love,
even those among us who have caused great pain.
Jesus, our brother,
you suffered execution at the hands of the state
but you did not let hatred overcome you.
Help us to reach out to victims of violence
so that our enduring love may help them heal.
Holy Spirit of God,
You strengthen us in the struggle for justice.
Help us to work tirelessly
for the abolition of state-sanctioned death
and to renew our society in its very heart
so that violence will be no more. Amen.
Education
Learn more about the death penalty here in
California and the U.S., as well as the history of
capital punishment. Challenge yourself to think
differently about who really benefits from this and
what ethical questions and concerns might be
involved. Explore the
work of Death Penalty
Focus online at
(http://deathpenalty.org/)
to get started.
Advocacy
Advocacy takes many
forms: everything from
supporting pieces of
legislation, writing
letters, and attending
protests, to ministering
among those in prison.
The Episcopal Church
has maintained a
position against the
death penalty since
1958 and has a long history of faith-based advocacy
on this issue.
Donate
Organizations advocating against the death
penalty, including Sister Helen's own Ministry
Against the Death Penalty, need your support.
Consider contributing to this courageous work at
whatever level you are able.
Sister Helen Prejean (at right) signed copies of her book, Dead Man
Walking, and paused to pose with Bebe, Will, and Creighton Reed.
Photographer: Carla Ocfemia.
Page 16 Winter 2015-2016 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Solar Power Brings Credit to St. Mary’s
Solar panels installed on the roof
Our solar project, two years in the planning, and in operation since October, is showing bright results from the
outset. These charts show our electric usage in the two periods just before and just after installation. Our
kilowatt usage decreased by just about 65 percent, and we received a credit from PG&E for $68.00. Before
installation of our solar panels, our average electric bill was about $900.00 a month. Solar project leader and
vestry member Stephen Koch offered the panels for dedication in October, saying, “I present this array of solar
panels for the blessing of God almighty, that they might energize this community, reflect our commitment to
creation care, and stand as a witness of God’s abiding love and grace in this world.” Continued Rev. Claire:
“Creator God, we thank you for these solar panels, for the people who designed and installed them, for those
whose generosity made their purchase possible, for the power they provide, and for the households they serve.
Bless us with vision and energy for change as we care for the earth and for each other.”
Chart showing electric usage before solar panels
Chart showing electric usage after solar panels
Cow Hollow Church News Winter 2015-2016 Page 17
Year-End Finance Note
Kevin D. Bulivant, Finance Manager
At year end, your contribution to the parish can
include more than one purpose: for instance, for
your pledge and for altar flowers. So it is important
to make your intentions clear. We can split
contributions for two or more purposes as long as
the amount for each purpose is clearly shown on
your check. Unless otherwise noted, checks
received at Christmas services will be assumed to
be Christmas (special) offerings. If you intend such
a check to be a pledge payment, please so indicate.
All checks received in special Christmas envelopes
will also be assumed to be part of the Christmas
offering.
The books for December will be held open until
January 12, 2016 so that checks dated in 2015 but
received late can be posted as 2015 contributions.
All checks received after January 12, regardless of
date, and all checks dated 2016 will be recorded as
2016 contributions. As always, we accept stock gifts
as payments for all pledges. Forms are available in
the office and via links on our website,
www.smvsf.org, under the Donate tab.
Pledge for 2016
Jory Sandusky, Stewardship Co-Chair with Roulhac
Austin
For nearly 125 years the people of St. Mary the
Virgin have faithfully supported the mission of our
church through their generous contributions of
time, talents and treasure. Whether it's the amazing
programs for people of all ages, the impact of our
outreach efforts in the community, keeping our
facilities beautiful, or supporting our talented staff
and clergy, each of us gives and in turn, each of us
receives. Thank you for your continued support of
St. Mary's!
Did you know that our church receives no outside
financial assistance? We are completely self-reliant
which means your annual pledge of financial
support is critical. Our pledging members make up
the largest source of financial support, as you can
see in the pie chart above. Thank you for helping
St. Mary's to remain a place of strength and vitality
in San Francisco!
If you haven't pledged yet for 2016, it's not too late.
Please visit http://smvsf.org/pledge-to-st-marys/
and log your pledge for the new year!
Mt. Calvary Retreat
Save the Dates
February 16 to 19, 2016
We are already planning for a rich season of
Lent, beginning with a retreat at Mt. Calvary
Monastery in Santa Barbara February 16 to 19.
This beautiful facility offers retreat goers a
glimpse of monastic life and an opportunity to
get to know an order of brothers in our own
Episcopal tradition. In addition to observing the
Daily Office with the monks in a beautiful
historic chapel, our clergy will lead a program
exploring Lenten themes. For more information
on the site, check out their website at
http://mount-calvary.org. The cost of $100/night
($300 total) includes all meals. Space is very
limited so please contact Rev. Claire if you are
interested at [email protected].
Page 18 Winter 2015-2016 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Our Own Christmas Cards
Erika Coughlan
This year St. Mary’s will once again offer our own
Christmas cards for sale. Long-time parishioners
will recall that the cards show a photo of our
sumptuous altar oil painting Mystic Vision
(originally Asunto Mystico). The back of the cards
offers a short description of the painting and
history of how it came to St. Mary’s. It reads:
Bound by ship from
Europe for a church
in South America,
Asunto Mystico
landed in California
instead. It came to
the church in 1891
after arriving on one
of hundreds of ships
that were abandoned
in San Francisco Bay
when crews landed to
seek their fortunes
following the
California Gold Rush
of 1849. The original
work, commissioned
by Isabella Farnese (wife of King Philip V of Spain) and
painted by Gianbettino Cignaroli (1706 -1770) now
resides in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Mystic Vision
depicts St. Mary the Virgin and Child enthroned and
surrounded by saints. St. Lawrence and St. Lucy stand
to the left, with St. Anthony of Padua and St. Barbara to
the right. A guardian angel cradles a child in the middle.
You may choose between two greetings inside:
NOEL or a verse. Or choose a blank one and
compose your own message. The cards will be
available for purchase at church on December 6th.
For more information, contact Erika Coughlan at
415-563-8343 or [email protected] or use the order
form on our website, smvsf.org
The Rite Words
The Rev. Claire Dietrich Ranna
Anglicanism is often described as a via media, or
middle way: an expression of Christianity which
manages to be both traditional and progressive,
catholic and protestant, even orthodox and
experimental, without sacrificing or minimizing
any of these attributes. It’s a difficult and at times
tenuous practice. We can look at many aspects of
the Episcopal Church and see this at play, but one
where it is especially obvious is our liturgy.
Taken as a whole, the services for Holy Eucharist
appointed in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer have
ancient roots. Much of the structure and many of
the prayers were taken directly from the medieval
Catholic Mass upon which the first English Book of
Common Prayer, published in 1549, was based. And
yet a protestant influence is prominent as well:
many parts of the service which used to be led by
priests are now led by lay people; prayers which
were inaudible when said from a distant altar are
now said in unison; and, of course, the service is in
English instead of Latin.
Liturgical change happens slowly. When the 1979
Book of Common Prayer was first published, the
use of “contemporary” language in the four Rite II
Eucharistic
Prayers
scandalized many
Episcopalians. In
the decades since,
these have
become the
normative
language for
Sunday morning
worship. For
some, formal
language reminds
them of the
precious holiness
of worship. For
Cow Hollow Church News Winter 2015-2016 Page 19
others, it makes
worship
inaccessible.
Which raises the
inevitable
question: how to
walk a middle
way?
St. Mary’s, like
many Episcopal
Churches, has
sought to honor
both
perspectives by
offering Rite I and Rite II services at different times
on Sunday mornings. Our 8:00 a.m. service is a
spoken Rite I Eucharist, and more contemporary
language is used at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
Recently, however, the team responsible for liturgy
development – your clergy and others trained in
this area -- noticed that this division is not really
quite so stark. During Lent, the penitential season
that precedes Easter, the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
services are also in Rite I. We also frequently use
Rite I for special services. During the summer
months, we use experimental liturgies at the 10:00
a.m. service. These rotations are intended to expose
members of the church to many different styles of
worship even as we remain rooted in the
authorized rites of the Episcopal Church. And yet,
throughout the year, our 8:00 a.m. service remains
strictly Rite I.
People attend the 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., or 11:00 a.m.
services for a number of reasons: a particular style
of music, a family-friendly environment, preferred
language, or convenience. Attendees at 8:00 a.m.
are not necessarily more fond of Rite I than those at
other services, and it seems a disservice to never
expose them to the breadth and depth of our
liturgical tradition. As such, beginning at
Christmas and going through Epiphany this
coming year, we will use Rite II language at 8:00
a.m. as well. When we return to Lent, all 8:00 a.m.
services will again go to Rite I, as usual, but all will
go back to Rite II for the season of Easter. While
this change may be uncomfortable for some, who
really do appreciate and honor the more traditional
language of Rite I, it will be a relief for those who
like worshipping at 8:00 a.m., but don’t care for
“thee”s and “thou”s.
We come to church, in part, to practice being who
God calls us to be all the time. Saint Paul claims
that the whole law found in Scripture can be
summarized in one command, “Love your
neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14). If you are
uncomfortable with this change, try to remember
that some of your neighbors will be delighted by it.
But more importantly, listen for God’s invitation
and God’s abiding presence even in your
discomfort. Surely God’s grace can overcome even
that.
The clergy welcome your feedback on this. Please
feel free to contact Rev. Claire with questions or
concerns.
Bach Church Returns
Sunday, December 13
at 5:00 p.m.
On November 1, Dr.
Kayleen Asbo brought
Bach Church to St.
Mary's for the first
time.
We were so moved by
the powerful blend of
music, poetry, and
meditation that we will
welcome the ensemble
back on Sunday,
December 13 at 5:00
p.m. Kayleen Asbo (right) with
violinist Julija Zibrat.
Page 20 Winter 2015-2016 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Reflections from Deacon Tim
Tim Smith, Deacon
It’s hard to believe that it has been six months since
I was ordained a deacon at Grace Cathedral and
installed as a parish deacon at St. Mary the Virgin!
My thanks to Scott, Claire, and all others in the
parish for the warm welcome that I have received!
During this period I have been filled with joy and
gratitude for the opportunity to serve and minister
with parishioners and those at the margins in the
community.
One of my roles as deacon
is to assist, enable, and
facilitate sisters and
brothers in Christ in the
parish to live out their
baptismal vows of seeking
and serving Christ in all
persons, striving for justice
and peace among all
people, and respecting the
dignity of every human
being. As deacon I also
personally serve and
minister in Jesus’ name
with others at the margins
of our community.
To satisfy these roles I have
been engaging in various
community ministries
including: (1)
implementing a once-a-
week food distribution
partnership with the San
Francisco-Marin Food Bank; (2) serving in late-
afternoon weekly worship services at the Next
Door and Episcopal Sanctuary shelters staffed by
Episcopal Community Services personnel; and (3)
participating in social justice initiatives in San
Francisco together with other Episcopal clergy,
such as peaceful marches against gun violence in
neighborhoods having a high incidence of gun
violence, demonstrating for an inquiry by the
District Attorney into the shooting death of a
young immigrant by plainclothes police in the
Mission District, and serving as a volunteer to
speak with hotel management throughout the city
about the San Francisco Collaborative Against
Human Trafficking.
I hope that parishioners will join me in these and
other ministries. By doing so, we form
communities not only among fellow parishioners
but also among those whom we serve.
We are looking for volunteers
from the parish to help
package and distribute food
one morning a week in
partnership with the San
Francisco-Marin Food Bank
(SFMFB) to recipients who
are unable to shop for food
on their own, but able to
prepare it. As former
Presiding Bishop Katharine
Jefferts Schori wrote recently,
before we do anything else
we must feed the hungry.
Our partnership with the
SFMFB is one way for us to
help feed the hungry.
Parishioners who have
already joined our ministry
with the Food Bank include
Barbara and John Addeo,
Peter de Castro and family,
David Crosson, Vicki
Haggin, Natalie Hala, Claire
Johnston, Georgene Keeler, Laura Lehman,
Stephanie Lehman, Wendy Moseley, Ann McBride
Norton, Gloria and Everett Powell, Ilia Smith, and
Anne Williams.
I will shortly be putting on the parish’s website a
schedule of future worship services at the Next
Door and Episcopal Sanctuary shelters, in which I’ll
be serving as deacon, and I invite parishioners to
Tim demonstrated for an inquiry by the District
Attorney into the shooting death of a young
immigrant by plainclothes police in the Mission
District.
Cow Hollow Church News Winter 2015-2016 Page 21
join me at these inclusive services. These services
will be an opportunity for those of us from the
parish who are present to build community with
shelter residents by sharing with them the liturgy
as well as life narratives during the shared homily
portion of the worship services. The services take
place at the shelters late in the afternoon during the
week. Next Door is located on the corner of Polk
and Geary, and the Sanctuary is located on the
corner of Howard and 8th Street. I’m hoping that
volunteers from the parish will join me to discover
the healing, hope, and renewal that both the shelter
residents and those assisting in the worship
services experience at these worship services.
Also on the parish’s website I will list the diocesan
social justice initiatives with which I’m currently
involved. DioBytes, the weekly electronic
newsletter of the Diocese of California, often
describes the involvement of diocesan clergy in a
variety of social justice initiatives to help find
peace, healing, hope, and renewal in Jesus’ name in
communities in the city that have experienced
violence and injustices. Our participation in these
initiatives shows our desire to be present with
others who have experienced violence or injustice
and to demonstrate our compassion and solidarity
with them. You can subscribe to DioBytes by
linking to: http://diocal.org/diocal-enewsletters.
These community ministries are just a few of those
that are currently being supported by parishioners.
Some of the others include the nearby Edward II
residence for young people where parishioners
prepare and serve dinner for the residents; Open
Cathedral, a program of the San Francisco Night
Ministry where parishioners prepare bag lunches
for congregants after Sunday afternoon Eucharists
near City Hall; and Raphael House on Sutter Street,
where parishioners prepare and serve dinner for
the families who reside there.
A list of parish community ministries is on our
website at http://smvsf.org/community-outreach/
and contains contact information for joining them. I
hope that you will reflect carefully on a possible
calling to you to serve in these or other community
ministries! If you are involved in community
ministries not on the list, please let me know. I'd
like to be able to refer those ministries to other
parishioners who might also feel called to them.
Keys to the Kingdom
The Rev. Claire Dietrich Ranna
Keys are both practically necessary and
symbolically rich, representing privileged access to
otherwise restricted or inaccessible places. Having
a key to the church involves a special and powerful
trust. I was recently reminded of this at a clergy
training session, where I learned that anyone in
possession of a key to a church in our diocese, even
if only for one event or one day, is supposed to
complete comprehensive Safe Church training and
a background check.
For years, keys to St. Mary’s have been distributed
generously and very rarely tracked. In some sense
this is quite beautiful: We are a community that
wants to open our doors to our neighbors, to be a
haven for its members, and to be accessible for local
events and concerns. While these characteristics are
commendable, they are also held in tension with
the very real possibility that keys can be misplaced
and misused.
When I brought the expectations of the diocese to
our vestry last June, pointing out that we are not
currently tracking who has keys or requiring that
they complete the recommended training, they
voted to move in the direction of full compliance
with diocesan expectations. In order to implement
the vestry’s decision, we are planning to re-key the
Church in early 2016. We’ve already received
quotes for this work and are budgeting for it in the
year ahead. We are also budgeting for the
background checks that will be required of
everyone who is entrusted with a new key and
working with our Parish Administrator to get a
system in place to track keys. More details about
the distribution of new keys will be coming early
next year.
Page 22 Winter 2015-2016 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
From the Associate Rector
The Rev. Claire Dietrich Ranna
Living Rooms and Living Water
One of the most exciting things for me about
celebrating St. Mary’s 125th anniversary next year
is learning so many stories about our history. One
of my favorites involves the natural spring flowing
in our courtyard. An underground river actually
runs just below the church, one of the many
invisible realities hidden just below the surface of
this special place. Following the 1906 earthquake,
with much of the city in ruins (including the other
side of Union Street) St. Mary’s remained standing,
and this spring provided water for the surrounding
neighborhood.
A few weeks ago, I was
reminded that what we
expect to encounter
inevitably shapes how
we experience a place.
During a program this
fall about end of life care,
someone asked why
death became such a
taboo topic in our society.
We panelists all had
different perspectives,
but in my response, I
told the story of how the “living room” got its
name. For generations, the large room on the first
floor of an English home that was used for
receiving guests (and for visiting or speaking –
parlare in Latin) was known as the parlor. (In my
husband’s family home back in Pakistan, and most
countries once colonized by England, it still is.)
This room was the buffer zone between the public
world and the private home and was generally
used for formal occasions. Following a death,
bodies were placed in the parlor, where guests
could gather to pay their last respects before the
burial. As a result, following World War I, when a
global influenza epidemic claimed the lives of
millions, these front rooms got a lot of use and
came to be commonly known as “the death room.”
In the early 20th century, the Ladies Home Journal,
under the editorship of Edward Bok, began
publishing architectural plans for middle class
homes. As families sought to rebuild their lives
following the First World War, domestic building
boomed. Bok found the existence of a well-
furnished yet infrequently used room impractical
for such families and insisted on calling it “the
living room” in the designs his magazine
published. The popularity of these plans coincided
with the rise of Funeral Parlors, which were better
equipped to receive bodies from overseas and
quickly encouraged everyday families to make use
of their services as well. Soon, death had a new
address, and there was no
room for it in the family
home.
We now use the phrase
“living room” with little
critical awareness, but
there’s a rich history there.
Intentionally
remembering the history
of a place helps us think
differently about it. St.
Mary’s is no exception.
Once upon a time, St.
Mary’s provided water
for the thirsty. We provided the very thing people
most needed during a time of desperate want and
serious hardship. We were a spring; a source; a
fountain of life-giving water for a people with dry
lips and heavy hearts. What if we are still called to
be just that?
In Jeremiah 2:13, God is described as “the fountain
of living water.” When we live as Christ in the
world, many members of his one mystical body,
we, too, are living water for a thirsty world. We are
called to quench the deep spiritual needs of our
neighbors: to be a spring for the soul and a source
of hope in a desperately dry landscape.
Once upon a time, St. Mary’s provided water for
the thirsty. And it turns out, we still do.
Our natural spring, a fountain of life-giving water
Cow Hollow Church News Winter 2015-2016 Page 23
ADVENT
December 6 Second Sunday of Advent
9:00 a.m. La Virgen de Guadalupe Celebration
Children’s Choir
December 13 Third Sunday of Advent
9:00 a.m. Sankta Lucia Celebration
Children’s & Youth Choirs
December 19 A Festive Parish Tradition
1:00 p.m. Caroling on Union Street
Saturday All are welcome to participate
December 20 Fourth Sunday of Advent
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
9:00 & 11:00 a.m. A Service of Lessons and Carols
Children’s, Youth, Handbell, & Parish Choirs and Chamber Orchestra
CHRISTMAS EVE December 24
3:00 p.m. Christmas Pageant
Costumed players and live animals
5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Eucharist
Children’s and Youth Choirs
10:30 p.m. Candlelight Carol Sing
Parish Choir and Chamber Orchestra
11:00 p.m. Candlelight Eucharist
Parish Choir and Chamber Orchestra
CHRISTMAS DAY December 25
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Carols
Parish Choir and Organ
December 27 First Sunday after Christmas
8:00, 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. regular services at usual times
FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY January 3
9:00 a.m. Visit of the Magi
First Class Mail
.
HIGHLIGHTS—WINTER – 2015-2016 Also visit www.smvsf.org
ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
See Inside Back Cover, page 23
SPIRITUALITY & PASTORAL CARE
Sunday morning services – at 8:00, 9:00, and 11:00 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.
Holy Eucharist, Rite II – Wednesdays, in the chapel, at 7:00 a.m.
OUTREACH
Raphael House Ministry – First Monday of each month. Contact Alisa Quint Fisher at [email protected]
Larkin Street Dinners at Edward II – 2nd and 4th Sundays each month. Contact Marta Johnson at [email protected]
SAVE THESE DATES
Bach Church – Sunday, December 13, in the church, at 5:00 p.m.
Annual Parish Meeting – Sunday, January 31, at 10:30 a.m.
Lenten Retreat at Mt. Calvary – in Santa Barbara, February 16 to 19, 2016. For info contact Rev. Claire: [email protected]
2325 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123-3905
(415) 921-3665 • www.smvsf.org
INSIDE… From the Assoc. Rector ... Cover Story
Sr. Warden’s Letter ............................ 2
Youth Group ....................................... 3
Sunday School ................................... 4
Happy Birthday to Us ........................ 6
Daughters of the King ....................... 7
“Yes, Virginia…” ................................ 8
Christmas Eve Pageant ................... 10
Outreach Grant Fundraiser ............. 12
Seamen’s Church Institute ............. 13
Handbell Choir Fast Facts .............. 14
Sister Helen Prejean’s Visit ............ 15
Solar Power ..................................... 16
Pledge for 2016 ............................... 17
The Rite Words ................................ 18
Reflections from Deacon Tim ........ 20
From the Associate Rector ............ 22