It’s Annual Meeting time, take two! Thank you for your understanding in our canceling last week’s service and meeting due to the weather. Now, we’ll try again. It’s the one time per year we gather as a body to hear what we have done over the past year and look forward to what we are called to do in the year to come. It is always nice to hear where we’ve been and where we hope to go. Notice I said what we are called to do. We’ve been hearing about our various callings during this season of Epiphany and will continue to hear stories of calling in the weeks to come. We, too, are called as a Cathedral parish to do the will of Christ in this place and beyond. It is exciting to see where that might lead us. You will hear my Dean’s report at the sermon time during our one service only at 10:30 a.m. I try my best to recap the year and lay out hopes, wishes, and goals for the year to come.

Another part of the Annual Meeting will be to read reports from all of our ministries at the Cathedral to get an overall picture of what we are able to accomplish, and have accomplished, together. Because all reports are in written form, we will not present each one. We will present the budget because I believe it is important to take the time to explain how we are being good stewards of all that has been given to us. We will also elect four members of the Cathedral to the Vestry for a three-year term. This year we have one new person standing for election: Janet Sweeting. We also have three people standing for reelection: Blain Lagergren, Julie Brogno, and Mathias Nichols. I’m excited about the prospect of these members joining and continuing to join in the work of the Vestry and working with me to help strengthen all we do at the Cathedral. Thank you, very much, to one who is rolling off of the Vestry this year: Paget Higgins. I have enjoyed working with you and look forward to your continued involvement in the life of the Cathedral. Immediately following the Annual Meeting, I will meet with the newly elected Vestry members and current members to elect new officers.

Coming up we have our Shrove Sunday Pancake Breakfast on February 15, our Jambalaya Mardi Gras Dinner on Tuesday, February 17, and our observance of Ash Wednesday on February 18 at 7 a.m., 12:05 p.m., or 7 p.m. We also have a special evening planned through our Social Events Committee for a book study and dinner on Friday, March 20. The book is Being Dead is No Excuse by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays. It is a humorous look at Southern funeral customs, etiquette, and recipes. Our dinner will consist of recipes made from the book. The book will be available in our Bookstore. Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for peace and calm in our nation, and the world.