graceThe murals along the walls of the nave of Grace Cathedral and the beautiful, multicolored stained glass windows tell stories of pilgrimage. The windows are filled with Biblical and other historical characters whose lives may be seen as lights along life pathways that we will follow. The murals are more particular in telling of the pilgrimage of Californians who have built up the church in this place. What is universal among the characters in windows and murals is that all are pilgrims, people who lived by promise, and who invested their lives in pursuit of the promise.

What Kristy and I have experienced among you in this year of interim ministry is the faithfulness characteristic of pilgrims. While you are proud of San Francisco and Grace Cathedral, your lives demonstrate that neither the city nor the church is finished and perfect.

There remain homeless and hopeless people in the city who yearn for both home and hope. The ministries provided among them by communities of faith are flickers of light for some whose lives are mostly unrelieved darkness.

The church, at its best, is not a secure fortress of secure people who reach out to people who are insecure. Rather, the church is a community of pilgrims who recognize their own vulnerability and reach out to others as fellow travelers on life’s risky pilgrimage.

Grace Cathedral is blessed by your new dean, The Rev. Canon Dr. Jane Shaw. She herself is a pilgrim, uprooting her familiar life at New College, Oxford, to come among you as a pastor, preacher, leader and teacher. I think she will be

encouraged by your welcome and together, Dean and Cathedral family, you will move into the next steps of your pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, after our last Sunday with you on September 26, we will go to New York City where I will serve as interim dean of the General Theological Seminary. I’ve had a long-standing interest in theological education because the formation of leaders and coaches for the Christian pilgrimage is so important to the health of the church. It will be a privilege to work with faculty and students in the middle of Manhattan to find ways our common pilgrimage may be strengthened.

Thank you for your faithfulness and may God bless you in the promising future of Grace Cathedral.

Peter James Lee

The Next Steps of Your Pilgrimage

Volume 4 • Number 1Fall/Pentecost 2010

The Voice of The Grace caThedral communiTy

CatheDRaLs anD my FaIth 4Essay by our new dean

ORGan ChambeR ROOF RePaIR 6Organ pipes restored, too.

Grace Cathedral is blessed by a new dean

the meChanICs OF mORaLIty 5Fall Film Series

mODeRn Day PILGRIm 6Anthony Turney journeys on Camino

graceThe Voice of The Grace caThedral communiTy

Facing the Issue

The Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee has thoroughly enjoyed serving as Grace Cathedral’s interim dean, and says it has been a special way to culminate his more than 40-year career as an Episcopal cleric.

“Everyone has been very gracious and welcoming,” said Bishop Lee. “As an itinerant bishop for 25 years, it has been a wonderful blessing to be in the same place each Sunday for a year with the same folks.”

“And I haven’t had to worry about confirmations,” he said with a chuckle.

Bishop Lee assumed this role on St. Francis Day, 2009 and preached for the first time amidst dogs on leashes, rabbits in crates, and cats being their aloof selves.

Bishop Lee recognized the importance of this day for both the cathedral and the city of San Francisco, in part, as the owner of a Chesapeake Bay retriever, Maisy.

Since that day, he’s come to appreciate the richness of the worship life, particularly the liturgical music. Sitting in the dean’s stall on Sunday mornings, he marvels in the architecture and “the glory of the stained glass.” Looking out on the congregation gathered, he values the diversity of people who call Grace Cathedral home.

Bishop Lee and his wife, Kristy, were the first occupants of the new dean’s residence, located at 82 Jordan St., in

the Jordan Park neighborhood of San Francisco.

In early August, Bishop Lee accepted the position of interim dean of General Theological Seminary (GTS) where he will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the seminary, including oversight of its academic programs. GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) and the oldest existing seminary in the Anglican Communion. The Lees will live on campus, which is located in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood.

This new opportunity is one central to his lifelong ministry. Bishop Lee has served on the Board of Trustees of two Episcopal seminaries, as chair of the Virginia Theological Seminary’s board of trustees and as a member of the board of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.

Eventually, the Lees expect to return to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the town where Bishop Lee served as the rector of Chapel of the Cross, from 1971 to 1984. Bishop Lee looks forward to spending time with his grandchildren, three of whom live in nearby Durham, North Carolina.

Bishop Lee will preach for the last time as our interim dean on Sunday, Septem-ber 26. Be sure to thank Bishop Lee and Kristy for their year of service to us.

2

The autumn traditionally is a time of renewal and a season for new begin-nings, and this fall is no exception at Grace Cathedral. Looking around the close, we see life in transition, jour-neys undertaken and cathedral mile-stones celebrated.

Over the past few months, we’ve announced the Rev. Cn. Dr. Jane Shaw as our new dean; familiar faces at the cathedral traveled on pilgrimages and the Ghiberti Doors greeted thousands of visitors, each on their own personal journeys; and the western half of the cathedral’s roof is now fully repaired, an undertaking that began 30 years ago.

In this edition of grace, Dr. Shaw shares an autobiographical perspec-tive on cathedrals and tells us why they are more important than ever.

Bishop Peter James Lee, who has served as interim dean since October 2009, offers a gracious good-bye to Grace Cathedral and shares with us a preview of his life ahead.

The Rev. Cn. Mark Stanger, the Ven. Anthony Turney and Congregation Associate Mary Wood provide first-hand insights into transforming jour-neys to the Holy Land, along the Camino and at a CREDO conference in Florida respectively.

As you consider the messages shared on our pages, we invite you to begin or continue your spiritual journey at Grace Cathedral.

If you have any thoughts to share, please send them to editor@gracecathedral.org.

Farewell to Our Interim Dean, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee

Help Us Go GreenHelp us reduce our use of paper and lower the costs of this publication by

signing up now for electronic delivery of grace magazine. Just send an

email to editor@gracecathedral.org with “Go Green” in the subject line.

Don’t forget to include your complete mailing address so we update the

correct record in our database! When new editions are available for down-

load, we will send you an email with the link. Thank you!

33

Our Ancient Faith Our New Life in Christ — Fall 2010In the season leading up to the Feast of All Saints, come together with a group of people exploring the meaning of the Christian life as expressed in the Episcopal Church and Grace Cathedral.

SundayS,

ThrouGh

ocTober 24

12:40-1:40 p.m.

chapTer houSe

dininG room

Sunday Evenings at Grace CathedralJoin other seekers for reflection and conversation, then gather for singing, silence, prayer and communion at the Contemplative Eucharist.

SundayS, ThrouGh noVember 21

4:30 – 5:30 p.m., chapTer room

6 p.m. conTemplaTiVe euchariST on

The labyrinTh

September: An Altar in the WorldA discussion of Barbara Brown Taylor’s book, in which the popular preacher shares her encounters with the holy beyond the walls of the church.

October: Scripture Study: The Book of RuthFilled with economic hardship and complicated relationships, the story of Ruth still speaks to us. We’ll study together using an illustrated translation by Duke Divinity School professor Ellen F. Davis.

November: StorycatcherOur fast-paced, tech-rich society leaves little space to share and honor our rich life stories. We’ll use Christina Baldwin’s “Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story,” to practice opening our lives to one another.

The program continues during Advent.

Formation

ChRIstmas COnCeRts anD mORe at GRaCe CatheDRaL

Tickets on Sale Now!

A Holiday Family Sing-Along SaTS., december 11 and 18, 11 a.m.

Fun for the entire family! Raise your voice with the Pacific Boychoir in a pro-gram of favorite holiday carols and yuletide songs.

A Cathedral ChristmasSaTS., december 11 and 18, 3 p.m.

SunS., december 12 and 19, 3 p.m.

mon., december 20, 7 p.m.

Join the Choir of Men and Boys for this beloved San Francisco tradition! Accompa-nied by a full orches-tra, the choir will pres-ent sacred masterpieces and seasonal classics.

Handel’s Messiah, with American Bach SoloistsThurS. and fri., december 16 & 17,

7:30 p.m.

Conductor Jeffrey Thomas leads the celebrated American Bach Soloists in this annual Bay Area favorite.

Tickets: americanbach.org or 415.621.7900

A Brass & Organ ChristmasTueS., december 21, 7 p.m.

Experience the Bay Area’s finest brass musicians in Grace Cathedral’s unparalleled acoustics. A musi-cal highlight of the year, and the finale to the Christmas at Grace Cathedral 2010 series!

New Year’s Eve: Phantom of the Operafri., december 31, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Celebrate the New Year with Grace Cathedral’s annual New Year’s Eve film, this year screen-ing the 1925 classic, Phantom of the Opera. Internationally acclaimed organist Doro-thy Papadakos will accompany the film on our Aeolian-Skinner organ.

For ticket information, visit cityboxoffice.com

4

Cathedrals have been important to me from an early age. As a child I lived within a stone’s throw of Norwich Cathedral in the east of England. A fine Norman building dating from the 11th century, built in a beautiful light stone transported by boat from France, its spire dominated the skyline. As a building it was part of the fabric of my daily life. The cathedral close was our thoroughfare from home to the center of Norwich; the cathedral was where I learned to play the organ. Two of my childhood friends lived in the close. The father of one was the headmaster of the choir school and the father of the other was the dean of the cathedral – and as a scholar and priest that dean exercised a profound influence on my own vocation. When the Movement for the Ordination of Women was begun in 1979, I was sixteen and already had a sense of calling to the priesthood: I immediately joined the Norwich branch, which met at the cathedral and was spearheaded by the cathedral’s deaconess.

In adult life, two cathedrals have been especially important to me. In Oxford, Christ Church Cathedral has been a center of my priestly life. I was ordained there and, as an honorary chaplain and later honorary canon, have been on the staff there. The unusualness of the cathedral in Oxford is that it is part of Christ Church, one of the colleges of Oxford University.

The other cathedral that has become significant to me in recent years is Salisbury Cathedral, having been appointed Canon Theologian there in 2007. This is another beautiful medieval cathedral, built in the 13th century, with a spire you can see from miles around, and a close that epitomizes what an English cathedral close is, with its elegant houses and large green. Here, both the

dean, the Very Rev. June Osborne, and the bishop, the Rt. Rev. David Stancliffe, have been important mentors to me. Being a part of the Salisbury team, which is so vibrant and healthy, with excellent relations between cathedral and diocese, has been vital to my own priestly formation and understanding of what cathedral life can be like at its very best.

Spending a semester as a Visiting Professor at UC Berkeley in the spring semester of 2009, on sabbatical from taking daily services, I found my way to Grace Cathedral many Sunday mornings and sat quietly on the back row, absorbing into my bones the deep spirituality and profound beauty of the place. I bathed in the delight of being a worshipper, resting in the knowledge that the liturgy, preaching and music would be excellent, and I could just be a passenger for a while.

I believe that cathedrals are, in our time, at the cutting edge of mission. This was not always the case. In 19th-century England, cathedrals were moribund and run-down, and many people questioned what they were for. In the first part of the 20th century, when the famous R. W. Inge was Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, he found the liturgy so boring that he read a book in his stall during services. Eric Symes Abbott, Dean of Westminster Abbey in the mid 20th century, was an important figure in the revival of English cathedrals. Abbot saw cathedrals as places where all questioning men and women, irrespective of faith, would ‘see Jesus’.

Grace Cathedral’s first Dean, James Wilmer Gresham, helped forge a vision of what cathedrals could be in the Episcopal Church in the early to mid 20th century. He was a deeply pastoral man, known throughout San Francisco, who placed a great emphasis on the love of God and

Cathedrals and My Faith held healing services in the cathedral. His ministry of presence was vital in establishing the role of the cathedral in the city, which enabled Grace Cathedral’s vision of itself as a house of prayer for all people to emerge and flourish.

Cathedrals are growing, and for many reasons. Their emphasis on excellence in liturgy and music makes an appeal to the senses, and draws people into the glory of God. Cathedrals give people the opportunity to experience the divine in an ‘ineffable’ or ‘mystical’ sense through aesthetics. They also provide spaces in which people can be anonymous and explore their religious impulses and longing for faith privately (yet in community), for as long as they need to do so. Cathedrals encourage people to have an open and enquiring mind on doctrinal matters, while enabling them to experience faith through religious practice and liturgy. They provide sanctuary for people who wander into them, often only half aware of their longing for God, and they provide a sense of home for so many of us who find them to be a place where we can rest in God.

Cathedrals will always be places of both anonymity and community, and they are called to hold that tension and ambiguity. The trick for those of us who are clergy, lay leaders and regular members of the cathedral congregation is not only to welcome strangers to share the beauty of our space, but to be there for visitors when they take the step of wanting to become a disciple and join the body.

Cathedrals have always been central to the practice of my faith. It is my great privilege and delight to be coming to serve at Grace Cathedral as Dean.

The Rev. Cn. Dr. Jane Shaw

PROFILe

installation of our new dean

saVe the Date

noVember 6-7, 2010*

Join us for the installation the Very Rev. Dr. Jane Shaw as the eighth dean of Grace Cathedral.

Details of all services may be found on our website, gracecathedral.org.

*Dates confirmed as of this publication’s deadline. Due to

possible immigration issues, events may be moved to a later date. Watch our website for the latest information.

noVember

Su mo Tu We Th fr Sa

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 2728 29 30

5

With the election of the Rev. Cn.

Dr. Jane Shaw to be the eighth dean

of Grace Cathedral, the momentum

is building for the New Beginnings

campaign. We have raised more

than $240,000 toward a goal of

$500,000!

The purpose of this fund is to

ensure that our new dean has the

freedom to listen and learn as she

works with us to grow the ministry

and mission of Grace Cathedral.

Providing a firm financial founda-

New Beginnings: The Fund to Empower the Next Dean

news briefs Bayview Mission now offers childcare classes to neighborhood residents who are primary infant caregivers. Nursing and nutrition information is shared and health assessments performed. Participants go home with diapers, formula, bottles and clothing. Contact: The Rev. Nina Pickerrell, nina@gracecathedral.org or 415-749-6391.

The Guild of St. Martin is in need of docents to welcome visitors to Grace Cathedral, and share with them its color- ful history, soaring architecture and the magnificent stained glass windows and murals. Contact: Michael Cooke, head docent, mikewarks@comcast.net or 415-749-6348.

We are busily working on a new version of GraceCathedral.org. This new site will be built using Web 2.0 tools that will give us much more flexibility than our current site. We’ll keep you informed via our weekly e-mail about actual launch date.

tion for the cathedral is an impor-

tant way to affirm Dr. Shaw’s

calling as dean.

To learn how you might participate

in this important effort, please

contact Richard W. Felton, Interim

Director of Development at

415-749-6313 or

rickf@gracecathedral.org.

Vienna Boys Choir at Grace CathedralGrace Cathedral proudly presents the Vienna Boys Choir in concert on February 10, 2011 at 8 p.m. This exclusive San Francisco engagement pairs the 500-year-old tradition of the Vienna Boys Choir with the glorious acoustics and unparalleled ambiance of Grace Cathedral, and is not to be missed.

This performance raises funds for the Ghiberti Foundation, the arts and culture foundation at Grace Cathedral. Tickets will be available November 29, 2010 through City Box Office. For special presale information, please join our email list at gracecathedral.org.

SepTember 12 Personal Velocity (2002)86 mins. Rated R

ocTober 10 Safe (1995) 119 mins. Rated R

noVember 14 Heaven (2002) 97 mins. Rated R

december 12 Wit (2001) 99 mins. Rated PG-13

The Mechanics of MortalitySundayS, 7 p.m., GreSham hall

Free Admission

FILm seRIes

66

For more than 1,200 years, literally millions of souls have trekked 500 miles across northern Spain, their eyes always set on the western horizon that ultimately led them to the city of Santiago de Compostela. Once there, these pilgrims would find their way through the city’s cobbled streets to its cathedral, then climb the massive stairs to go through the Portico de Gloria – the Gates of Glory. Inside, they would walk through the nave to the high altar and there literally embrace the huge, richly-gilded statute of St. James before descending into the crypt to pray before the silver casket containing the remains of the saint. To this day, pilgrims follow the same ancient routes, participate in the same rituals and get the same sore muscles and blistered feet.

While on retreat, at a CREDO confer-ence in June 2009, I decided that within a year I would join this steady stream of humanity and walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. On April 30, after a year of planning and training walks, I set out from St. Jean Pied de Port in the French Pyrenees (one of the traditional starting points for the Camino), and headed westward towards Santiago, 500 miles away. A month later, I arrived, climbed that great staircase in front of the cathedral and walked through its massive doors.

In 31 days I had walked across a constantly changing landscape of rolling hills, snow-capped mountains, flat “mesetas” stretching out for miles; cities, villages, hamlets and farms. I’d worshipped in ancient churches and shared bread, chorizo and wine with folks from every corner of the globe. I’d slogged (and I mean slogged) through ankle deep mud, snowstorms, torrential rain, and scorching sun. I’d stumbled, got discouraged and disheartened and every now and then I got lost. I also laughed a lot. In short, I experienced my Camino.

Folks have asked me why did I do it and how was I changed by the experience. So far, the answers elude me, but two lines from an old hymn come to mind, “And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago, most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know.” While these lines refer to heaven, they also capture the call we all have to undertake the Camino that is common to us all. We are all pilgrims heading for that other country, heard of long ago. This past May, for me, that other country was to be found in Spain and the road to Santiago.

The Ven. Anthony Turney, Archdeacon

6

Modern Day Pilgrim Follows the Centuries-Old Camino Tradition

PILGRImaGe

Requiem EucharistThe month of November, especially

the Feast of All Faithful Departed, is

by custom a time to pray for and

honor those who have gone before

us. Grace Cathedral will celebrate a

requiem on Sunday, November 14,

11 a.m. to honor the memory of those

special to us, who have died. The

Choir of Men and Boys, orchestra

and soloists will offer the Mozart

Requiem as the musical cornerstone

of the service.

Contributions in memory of your

departed loved ones are welcomed.

The names of the departed will be

printed in the service leaflet. Please

make these submissions by Monday,

November 1.

For more information, please

contact Richard W. Felton, Interim

Director of Development, at

rickf@gracecatheral.org.

The western half of Grace Cathe-

dral’s roof is fully repaired now with

the completion of this summer’s

organ chamber roof renovation

project. While small in size, the or-

gan chamber roof plays the critical

role of safely housing the 7,466

pipes of our Aeolian-Skinner organ.

Before roof construction began,

the pipes were removed for clean-

ing and repair, and are expected to

be reinstalled by December. The

entire project costs $1.5 million.

If you would like to support the

organ chamber roof repair and

organ pipe renovation project,

please contact Richard W. Felton,

Interim Director of Development,

at rickf@gracecathedral.org.

organ chamber roof undergoes renovation

Grace Cathedral and Diocese of California pilgrims journeyed throughout Israel-Palestine during May, led by the Rev. Cn. Mark Stanger and local Arab Christian guide Iyad Qumri. From St. George’s Pilgrim Guest House in Jerusalem, the pilgrims visited, studied and prayed at shrines marking New Testament events in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Rising early one day, a short bus ride took them to the Judean wilderness to watch the sun rise over the Jordan and mountains of Moab. Bedouins came to welcome the group and enjoy the shared stillness of the first light over the contours of the desert landscape. An outdoor breakfast in the desert oasis of Jericho was a special treat.

The bustle of Arab East Jerusalem and of the Old City immersed the pilgrims in the local culture. A day trip into the West Bank offered a visit to the school in Ramallah sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese, as well as to the beautiful Greek Orthodox Church over Jacob’s Well in Nablus, far from the route of other groups. Lunch in the tiny Arab village of Ain Arik offered another splendid taste of local hospitality.

Springtime in Galilee let the group enjoy lush green vistas and more local color

from Grace to the Galilee

CreditsDesign by Kathleen Cunningham Design.page 3 Choir Boys/Courtesy photo. Bay Brass/Courtesy the artists. Phantom/Theatrical still. page 4 Jane Shaw/Robert Taylor. page 5 Film Series/Theatrical posters. Vienna Boy Choir/ Lukas Beck. page 6 Anthony Turney/Courtesy photo. Or-gan Chamber/Bill Edmunds. page 7 Mark Stanger/Sherre Henley. Mary Wood/Abby McKee.

7

in Nazareth, Nain, Capernaum, Mount Tabor, and the ruins of Sepphoris. Renewing baptismal promises in the Jordan’s waters and eating St. Peter’s fish before a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee were memorable delights. The French Roman Catholic Soeurs de Nazareth pilgrim house was a welcome home during the three-night stay.

Back in Jerusalem, an evening with an Israeli government official offered challenging insights into the complexity of attitudes there. The pilgrimage culminated with walking and praying the Stations of the Cross in the crowded byways of the Old City in the early morning hours.

Meanwhile, Canon Stanger returned to Jerusalem for two weeks in July as a volunteer course leader and lecturer for 26 enrollees in the St. George’s College “Palestine of Jesus” course. And Jerusalem will beckon again soon. He was awarded a grant from the Louisville Institute that will fund a three-month sabbatical, beginning November 10. This unique opportunity will allow Canon Stanger a chance to delve more deeply into the spiritual, liturgical, historical and archaeological riches of the Land of the Holy One.

The Rev. Cn. Mark E. Stanger, Canon Precentor

The next pilgrimage is slated for May, 2012. For more information, contact Mark Stanger, marks@gracecathedral.org.

In June, Mary

Wood, Grace

Cathedral’s

Associate for

Congregational

Life and Wed-

ding Administra-

tor, experienced

personal, professional and spiritual

renewal when she participated in

an eight-day CREDO conference.

The Latin word, CREDO, literally

translated, means “I give my

heart.” In an attempt to ensure the

continued growth and vitality of

God’s people, the Church Pension

Fund has developed a successful

program that encourages partici-

pants to examine their life and

ministry in the context of their

faith, their relationships, and com-

munity. I was privileged to attend

a CREDO conference held at the

Cerveny Conference Center in

northern Florida early this summer,

where I engaged in learning, prayer,

and fellowship with Episcopal col-

leagues from around the country.

Collaboratively, guided by a stellar

faculty, we addressed four signifi-

cant areas of our lives—spiritual,

vocational, health, and financial. It

was with joy that I reaffirmed my

vocation as a lay employee of the

church. Along with being pro-

foundly grateful for this opportu-

nity, I’m energized for the work that

lies ahead as our cathedral commu-

nity enters a new era.

Cathedral Staff Member Reaffirms Vocation

PILGRImaGe

The Voice of The Grace caThedral communiTy

grace

1100 California StreetSan Francisco, California 94108www.GraceCathedral.org

Save the date! Carnaval at Grace cathedral march 3, 2011

Celebrate Carnaval, that iconic party before Lent, within the sacred walls of Grace Cathedral. Join our new dean, Dr. Jane Shaw, our Board of Trustees, and local civic and cultural leaders for an evening of dinner and dancing.

Cocktails at 6:30 p.m., dinner seating at 7:15 p.m.

For more information call Abby McKee, Community Events Manager, at 415-749-6355 or visit gracecathedral.org.

Your Gift Matters!Give today to help us fulfill our mis-

sion and ministry. Your support

enables us to offer inspiring wor-

ship, comprehensive services to

those in need, creative and educa-

tional programs for youth and fam-

ilies, and provide a lively forum

for the arts, culture and public

conversation.

Your tax-deductible gift will

nourish the growth of our

programs and nurture the spirit

of the Bay Area. You can make a

gift by using our donation form.

Click Giving to Grace cathedral

to begin.

Grace Cathedral is a 501(c) 3 non-

profit organization. Contributions

to the Cathedral are tax-deductible

to the full extent of the law.

Thank you for your support!