Email Blast

Our new rector, Father Seth Raymond, recently sat down with Adult Formation director Dana Fritz for a short interview on his faith journey, his favorite hobbies, as well as the things he loves about Wisconsin! If you would like to get to learn more about Seth, this video is a great introduction. It can be found on the parish Facebook page.

Music for Easter Day, April 9, will include two monumental organ works:

Fanfare by the early 20th century British composer Percy Whitlock and

Grand Chœur Dialogué by the French Romantic composer Eugène Gigout.

Choral music includes music from the 16th and 20th centuries:

Victimae Paschali laudes (Christians, to the Pascal Victim) by Tomas Luis de Vittoria.

Sing we merrily by Sidney Campbell.

On the Second Sunday of Easter, April 16,

Trumpeter Lucas Connelly and Organist Tedd King will offer music of the Baroque for our festive voluntaries. The choir will sing Canadian composer Healy Willan’s O Sacred Feast.

On the Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 30, the William Baker Festival Singers of Kansas City, MO, will be touring in the area. They were directed to St. Paul’s as a place to worship on Sunday. The 30 voice choir will offer music before and during the service. Tedd King will play the Toccata from the 5th Symphony by Charles Widor for the closing voluntary.

At St. Paul’s every Sunday of Easter will be filled with the joy of the resurrection!

Canon Kucharski

I hope you are all excited about the start of spring, and the promise of the Easter season! Once again, it is time for the new Adult Forum schedule. It is as follows:

April 2: The Passion at the Margins

For centuries, the Passion has touched millions of lives, and has been interpreted in a variety of ways. Studying the different ways of interpreting this event often leads to a deepening of one’s faith. Join us as we look at how people from the margins-such as members of the LGBT+ community and the disabled-discuss the Passion, as well as what we can learn from these viewpoints

April 16: Difficulties in a Diagnosis

In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, Adult Forum will look at the struggles of receiving an Autism diagnosis. Many times, it is difficult for racial minorities and women to receive a diagnosis, despite their persistence. This is in part because of harmful stereotypes and lack of access to resources. Join us as we explore the difficulties in receiving an Autism diagnosis, as well as how some people have overcome these obstacles to acquire the resources they need.

If you have any questions, please contact Dana Fritz at dfritz404@gmail.com. I hope to see you all at Adult Forum!

Fr. Seth Raymond will begin his ministry as Rector of St. Paul’s on Palm Sunday, April 2. Join Fr. Seth and participate in Christ’s confrontation with Rome, the New Commandment and Last Supper, the cross and crucifixion, the tomb, and his victory over death.

St. Paul’s is located at 914 E Knapp St in Milwaukee, and limited parking is available in the lot behind the church at 1324 N Marshall St. If you’re able-bodied, we ask that you leave the parking spaces for those who need the proximity of the lot, and find nearby street parking.

Palm Sunday, April 2 at 10 a.m.
Blessings and Procession of Palms, Matthew’s Passion Gospel, and Holy Eucharist

Maundy Thursday, April 6 at 7 p.m.
Washing of Feet, the New Commandment, and the Last Supper

Good Friday, April 7 at Noon
John’s Passion Gospel, Solemn Prayer, and Veneration of the Cross

Holy Saturday, April 8 at 9 a.m.
Brief Informal Prayer and Blessing of the Altar Guild as we grieve the death of Jesus

The Great Vigil of Easter, April 8 at 7 p.m.
Joint Worship of St. Paul’s and All Saints’ Cathedral
Proclaiming and Celebrating Christ’s Resurrection from the Dead
at All Saints’ Cathedral, one block south of St. Paul’s,
at 818 E Juneau Ave in Milwaukee.

Easter Day, Sunday, April 9 at 10 a.m.
Proclaiming and Celebrating Christ’s Resurrection from the Dead

The Book Group’s remaining spring selections will be: Jesus’ Alternative Plan by Richard Rohr and Simply Jesus by N.T. Wright on Wednesday, April 19th and Wednesday, May 17th, respectively. All meetings are at 3:00 p.m. in the Community Room.

Dear Friends,

As I’ve mentioned in Sunday announcements, in email news, and on our website, the parking lot at Lincoln Center of the Arts no longer is available to St. Paul’s. The school facilities, including the parking lot, are rented weekly by MIX Church to accommodate the parking requirements of their own members. Increased attendance at their own services means they need full use of their lot. In prior months, the volunteers and leadership at MIX have been more than generous to allow us to encourage our members to park in the Lincoln Center lot, and they’ve been patient as their congregation has grown. Now they send their own members in search of street parking on Sunday mornings while our members claim the spaces that MIX is paying for and needs.

As you know, St. Paul’s historically has been quick to tow cars from our limited lot when the shoe is on the other foot. By contrast, MIX has patiently turned the other cheek out of respect and compassion for us. I’m grateful for their hospitality and kindness, and call on all of us to return their Christ-like generosity. I’m parking on the street on Sundays now to create more space in our own lot. I’m asking you to do the same: If you’re young and able-bodied, please find street parking for yourself, even if you see that there are available spots in our lot. But either way, parking at the school is not an option.

St. Paul’s members once walked to church in great numbers, but demographics have changed. Since 1883, St. Paul’s never has addressed our lack of parking. MIX did not create that situation. Please join me in thanking MIX for their flexibility when they had excess capacity. And let’s rejoice in their ministry success that’s bringing large numbers of young Milwaukeeans to Jesus.

Faithfully yours,
Lane✠

From Bill Fry, Senior Warden; and Pat Luebke, Search Committee Chair

The Vestry and Rector Search Committee are pleased to announce the election of the Rev. Seth Raymond as the twenty-first Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Milwaukee.

Seth comes to St. Paul’s from a dual ministry as director of the Hospitality Center and Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Racine. He also served previously as Assistant Rector at Christ Church Whitefish Bay.

Seth’s journey has been varied, including work with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, teenage girls with behavioral disorders, and as an Episcopal missionary in Taiwan. 

A lifelong learner, Seth has degrees in Sociology, Music Education, Theology, and Nonprofit Management.  His broad experiences living and working with those who are the most vulnerable deeply inform his commitment to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who is God with Us. 

In addition to the typical resume items, he continues to play cello as time allows, sweat out the small stuff by cycling or cross-country skiing, and enjoys spending as much time as possible with his wife Lara and children Miriam (10), Hannah (soon to be 8), and Andrew (1).

Provisional Bishop Jeffrey Lee said, “I am grateful to the Search Committee and the Vestry for their faithful, thorough and prayerful work. I join with you all in welcoming Seth as your next Rector. You have called a strong, loving, and wise priest to lead you in witnessing to God’s love.”

Seth begins his ministry at St. Paul’s on Palm Sunday, April 2, at 10 a.m. Please keep Seth, his family, St. Luke’s Racine, and the Hospitality Center in your prayers. You can reach out and welcome Seth at seth@stpaulsmilwaukee.org.

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The Rectors of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Milwaukee

1. The Rev. John Noble, 1838
2. The Rev. Lemuel Beach Hull, 1838-1843
3. The Rev. R. B. Claxton, 1844-1945
4. The Rev. Benjamin Ackerly, 1845-1852
5. The Rev. Dr. William Arnett, D.D., 1853-1856
6. The Rev. James C. Richmond, 1857-1859
7. The Rev. William Ashley Bliss, 1859-1876
8. The Rev. Dr. John Fulton, D.D., 1876-1880
9. The Rev. Charles Stanley Lester, 1880-1902
10. The Rev. William Austin Smith, 1902-1910
11. The Rev. Dr. Holmes Whitmore, D.D., 1910-1944
12. The Rev. G. Stoddard Patterson, 1944-1956
    Minister-in-Residence, 1956-1971
13. The Rev. Gordon Rhodes Olston, 1959-1970
14. The Rev. Murray Trelease, 1972-1980
15. The Rev. Anthony C. Thurston, 1981-1986
16. The Rev. Richard Thieme, 1987-1993
17. The Rev. Gale Davis-Morris, 1994-1998
    The Rev. Virgil Robinson (Interim), 1998-2002
18. The Rev. Dr. Amy Elizabeth Richter, 2002-2007
19. The Rev. Dr. Charles Steven Teague, D.D., 2008-2017
20. The Rev. Warren Bradley Toebben, 2017-2021
    The Rev. Lane Goodwin Hensley (Interim), 2021-2023
21. The Rev. Seth Allen Raymond

All Saints’ Cathedral invites anyone interested to participate in their virtual Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings at 5:30 p.m. in Lent, beginning on Friday, February 24. Click here to learn more and join the Zoom. All are welcome!

**please note, a previous post incorrectly stated that the Stations of the Cross would be offered in-person at the Cathedral. This year Stations of the Cross are online only at ASC. Apologies for any confusion!

One of the casualties of the Covid pandemic was our practice of using the season of Lent as a reminder of the need to support the less fortunate members of our community. For many years that was achieved by observing a Lenten Discipline – specifically, by making donations to the St. Paul’s Outreach Endowment.

Accordingly, during Lent 2023 you are invited to donate $20, $40, $80 or some other multiple of the 40 days of Lent to the Outreach Endowment. If you use a check to make a gift, please print “Lenten Outreach” on the MEMO line. If you use the Make-A-Gift option on the St. Paul’s website, please type “Lenten Outreach’ on the NOTE line.

In 2022 the Outreach Endowment generated income of $12,711 which the Outreach Committee will distribute to needy charities in 2023. The endowment principal is not invaded but annual distributions increase as the endowment principal grows.

Lent is a time for reverence and devotion with a focus specifically on prayer, fasting, and giving. We will be renewing and refocusing our preparation for Easter each week, Wednesday evenings, in Lent by gathering for a Lenten Soup supper. Complete with 2 different soups, bread, followship, and Lenten reflections.

When: Wednesdays in Lent starting at 6p
Where: We will be gathering in the community room for a soup supper.
What: The evening will include soup, bread, fellowship, and Lenten reflections.
For how long: We will meet weekly from March 1st through April 5th
Who: A rotating quartet of volunteers will host each week. All are welcome to attend and partake.

Interested in hosting? There will be a signup this Sunday to register. Options for hosting each week include providing: soup (2 spots), bread (1 spot), or reflections (1 spot).

Further inquiries can be directed to Michael Nelson & Nicole Hanlon. Emails are mnelsoneng@gmail.com and nhanlon01@gmail.com. Preferred phone numbers can be found in the directory.

March 22, 2023 update: The Outreach Committee has authorized a $2,500 donation to Episcopal Relief for earthquake relief in Turkey and Syria.

As I write this, the death toll in Turkey has exceeded 20,000, and many who survived have lost family, friends, homes, and communities with none of the safety nets we have in the United States. In partnership with other Christian relief agencies, Episcopal Relief and Development is leaping into the breach. If money is fungible, does the agency itself matter? In two important ways, yes it does.

First, your generous gifts go where you expect them to go, and do what you expect them to do. Charity Navigator gives ERD a four-star rating, Charity Watch gives ERD “Top Rated” status and an A rating, and the Better Business Bureau’s give.org site gives ERD its highest rating in each of its 20 categories. For more than 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.

Second, even for those who don’t share our faith and don’t know our names know the name of Jesus. And giving in Jesus’ name bears witness to the truth that we give because we have received so generously from our God. Scripture teaches us, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth” Isaiah 12:4 and “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” John 14:13. “We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Cor. 4:5

That’s why Becky and I will be giving to Episcopal Relief and Development … again. Will you join us?

It’s easy to get your news and information published to the parish. Here’s how to do it:

The primary news vehicle now is the website, which in turn provides the content for weekly email updates to the entire parish community. To get your content published, write it up as a news story with as little formatting as possible – just the text – and email it to us at info@stpaulsmilwaukee.org. Tips for an effective announcement:

• Use news format: That means standard prose in paragraph form and complete sentences. Imagine that what you’re writing will be published as a new story (not a display ad) in a newspaper. A news story is not the same as a poster or flier, and posters and fliers are ineffective as website content.
• Don’t bury the lead: Get to the point. Remember that people skim these stories, and if you don’t get their attention with actual information in the first sentence, they won’t read your message. A bad “news story” begins with old church newsletter saws like “Got the winter blues and want some have some fun Milwaukee style? Come one, come all! Get your dancing shoes on! The entire parish invites you to …” Ugh! just tell us what you want us to know!
• Write in the third person. Assume that the reader doesn’t know who you are.
• Headline: You should write a headline for your story. A good headline is short, uses active voice, and is informative. Examples of bad headlines: “Treasurer’s report”, “Service to be held”, “Bad news to report” or “Just a reminder”. Good examples: “Adult formation resumes for February”, “Prison ministry seeks members”, or “Evensong features Bruce Springsteen”.
• Photo: Our website automatically crops photos to a standard shape, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, horizontal. And in some cases, it crops even more, to 19:6 horizontal. Remember that when you’re submitting photos. If your photo is vertical, make sure there is enough room on either side that it can be cropped to horizontal. If you are able to crop it yourself, that’s very helpful. Keep the subject of your photo in the very center for best results.
• Copyright issues: Copyright holders routinely scan websites, including those of churches, looking for copyright violations. Make sure you don’t submit copyrighted materials, including photos, unless you have permission to publish it on the website. If that’s the case, please make sure to include copyright info (e.g., “Photo by Lee Matz, © 2018. All rights reserved. Used by permission.”)
• Contact info: Wherever possible, include contact information with your story. If you list a person’s name as the contact person, make sure you also provide an email address or phone number. Check out, for example, the last bullet point below. But also consider this:
• Privacy: Remember that our website is public. Don’t publish an email address, phone number, or any other personal information unless you have the subject’s permission.
• Embargo and expire: It’s a great idea to send news items well ahead of the dates you want it published. It’s very helpful if you give us a start and stop date for news items. Our software can honor those dates automatically, so you can be extremely precise. For example, you can have a message appear automatically at 3 a.m. if you like, and especially helpful for events, your news item can expire at a precise time. So a music event might be set to expire one hour after it starts. That helps us make sure our website is as fresh as possible.
• Questions: Contact us at info@stpaulsmilwaukee.org!