Sunday, February 21, 2021 -- The First Sunday of Lent

ON THE COVER   "I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth." The Sacrifice of Noah. Detail of the Ceremonial Bronze Doors, St. James Cathedral. Ulrich Henn, artist.
 
MUSIC AND COVID-19 Per the latest guidance from the State of Washington, we are once again permitted to have a small ensemble instead of a single cantor. This will allow us to have choral music at 10:00am and 12 Noon Masses each Sunday. In keeping with State guidelines, the singers will wear surgical-grade masks and will observe added social distance of 9'-12' between each other and the assembly.
 
WEEKDAY MASSES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Each day from Monday through Saturday, an 8:00am Mass is celebrated in the Cathedral. All are welcome to attend without prior registration.
 
SATURDAY CONFESSIONS are heard immediately following the 8:00am Mass on Saturday mornings, from 8:30am to 9:30am. During Lent, confessions will also be heard following the 8:00am Mass on Wednesday mornings, beginning Wednesday, February 20.
 
ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT Beginning with the first Friday in Lent, February 19, we will have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament following the 8:00am Mass, continuing until 1:00pm, with Holy Hour beginning at 12 Noon. All are welcome. (We no longer have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on Tuesdays.)
 
interested in having your child attend a Catholic Elementary or High School? St. James Cathedral can help! Our Rainbow Schools program (for St. George, St. Therese, St. Joseph, and Holy Family Bilingual Schools) and the Simperman Scholars program (for Holy Names Academy, Bishop Blanchet, O'Dea, and Kennedy Catholic High Schools) have scholarships available for qualifying Cathedral families, and in-parish rates apply for all parishioners. Contact Theresa Van de Ven at 206-619-4660 or tvandeven@stjames-cathedral.org for details and an application packet. All information must be submitted by April 30, 2021.
 
ST VINCENT DE PAUL THANKS YOU A homeless young woman called the SVdP Helpline (206-472-3971) as she was about to move into an apartment where the monthly rent was high. Expecting a baby in a few months, she was lucky to have a part-time job, but it did not pay enough to meet all her expenses. She used her federal stimulus payment, part of her savings and help from a family member to pay enough so the landlord would let her move in. But she had little money left to pay the security deposit. Thanks to your donations, we paid enough on the deposit to ease her financial stress. As a result, when the baby was born, she was able to bring her new son to a home of their own. Along the way, we also referred her to pregnancy support ministries and other relevant governmental and charitable programs, including those for new mothers. Your donations and prayers for those we help are greatly appreciated! Information, Jo Ann Wiesner, 206-291-4012 or wiesnerjo@gmail.com.
 
OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE PANDEMIC Catholic Community Services/Catholic Housing Services (CCS/CHS) has asked the Cathedral to provide meals for their day centers and shelters. Unopened store-bought casseroles and unopened sandwich-ingredients (bread, deli meat, vegetables and condiments) are greatly appreciated. In addition, toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrushes, soaps and shampoos, feminine hygiene products), canned ready-to-eat meals (ie soup or chili), cup of noodles, easy mac & cheese, K-cup coffee, cocoa and tea, individual servings of chips, crackers, granola bars and cereals have been requested. Deliver food to Cathedral Hall (803 Terry Ave.), Tuesdays, 9am to 11am. Information, Patrick Barredo, pbarredo@stjames-cathedral.org.
 
Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl: hunger in our world The CRS Rice Bowl during the season of Lent gives us a wonderful opportunity to reflect and make room in our hearts to welcome the stranger. Through our prayer, we encounter Jesus, who is present in the face of every member of our human family. When we fast, we encounter the obstacles that stop us from fully loving God and our neighbor. When we give alms through the CRS Rice Bowl, we share what we have with others. This Lent, the CRS Rice Bowl takes us to three countries -- Madagascar, El Salvador and Timor-Leste. When you give to the Rice Bowl, CRS can help people and communities around the world, and in our own community, find solutions to hunger and malnutrition. Rice Bowls are available at the entrances to the Cathedral. If you cannot come to the Cathedral, send an email to Joyce Mork-O'Brien (jamob14@comcast.net) with your address and one will be sent to you.
 
Celebrating Black Catholics during Black History Month Servant of God Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange (1784-1882) was the foundress and first Superior General of the Oblate Sisters of Providence (1829-1832), the first religious congregation of African American women in the history of the Catholic Church. Their goal was to educate and evangelize to African Americans. They educated youth and provided a home for orphans. They nursed the terminally ill during the cholera epidemic of 1832, sheltered the elderly, and served as domestics at St. Mary's Seminary. Mother Mary Lange practiced faith to an extraordinary degree. It was her deep faith – in close union with Jesus – which enabled her to persevere against all odds. She lived through disappointment and opposition until God called her home in 1882 at the St. Frances Convent in Baltimore, Maryland.
 
CARE CALLS MINISTRY St. James Cathedral Mental Health and Wellness Ministry (MHWM) has initiated a new ministry to help alleviate loneliness and establish connections with parishioners who may be isolated or lonely. Care Calls is outreach to people who live alone or have little connection with people. Volunteers phone identified parishioners on a regular basis to offer listening and companionship. Calls will connect people who are lonely to people who have time to listen and chat. The volunteers who become callers are individuals who understand the call of Christ to care for our brothers and sisters and want to make a difference in someone's life. Care Callers are volunteer phone friends, serving others because their hearts are in the right place. In doing so, they may even fill a void in their own lives. Please let us know of someone you think would benefit from and be open to receiving a regularly scheduled Care Call from a MHWM volunteer. If you are interested in becoming a MHWM volunteer and joining Care Calls ministry, or would like more information, contact Nancy Granger, 206-382-4269 or ngranger@stjames-cathedral.org.
 
St. james cathedral on social media Be sure to follow the Cathedral on social media for up-to-date information about ongoing events in the life of the Cathedral! On Instagram: @stjamescathedral. On Facebook and Twitter: @stjamesseattle. Did you know the Cathedral has a podcast? Just search "St. James Cathedral, Seattle" on Apple podcasts. And of course, you can always visit the Cathedral website www.stjames-cathedral.org for up to date information on Cathedral happenings, or to sign up for our weekly e-bulletin.

MUSICAL PRAYER FRIDAY, February 26 at 6:30pm: This week, Paul Taub, flute and Joseph Adam, organ, offer a program of music by Jehan Alain, Alan Hovhaness, and the 18th-century Venetian composer Anna Bon. You can find the livestream at vimeo.com/stjamescathedral or facebook.com/stjamesseattle. For a complete archive of 40+ musical offerings since the pandemic began, visit www.stjames-cathedral.org/music .   

PARISH REMEMBRANCE  Throughout the year, because we are the Cathedral Church, we remember in prayer at Mass and Vespers each of the parishes and missions of the Archdiocese of Seattle on a Sunday near their feast day. This week we pray for the parish of St. Peter in Seattle and St. Peter Mission in Deming, Suquamish, Tenino.