Ministries & Outreach - Annual Reports
Peace and Justice Committee
Our mission is to inspire the people of the cathedral to embrace our suffering brothers and sisters, who are the face of Christ in the world. We carry out this mission through education, outreach, and advocacy. In 2006, the committee was involved in the following:
We held our first annual day-long retreat in February at All Soul’s Episcopal Church in Point Loma. There, we formally defined our mission and established our priorities for the year.
We participated in an ecumenical service promoting peace in March. The standing-room only service was followed by the Clergy March for Peace, where we walked in silence from the cathedral to Balboa Park.
We organized a relief effort to El Salvador in April, in cooperation with Episcopal Relief and Development. A professional video documentary about the trip has been produced and is making the rounds through the diocese.
We sponsored a conference on stem cell research at the University of California San Diego in May. The Very Rev. Scott Richardson served as a facilitator at the event.
We participated in the annual Gay Pride parade in July alongside our Integrity chapter. Events included a Friday night rally, walking in the parade on Saturday, hosting a hospitality table, and joining with other faiths to staff a spirituality tent in the park.
We held our second annual Election Night forum, with wine, dessert, and discussion of the many initiatives on the November ballot.
We co-hosted a presentation by Rabbi Michael Lerner, author of The Left Hand of God, in November, working with the Network for Spiritual Progressives.
We organized a forum on immigration with a panel of speakers including Bishop James Mathes, with special attention to whether Chapter should adopt Immigration Resolution A017, which has already been passed by the National Church.
We planned a much expanded Alternative Christmas Expo with gift offerings from ERD, Heifer international, Dorcas House, and a variety of fair trade vendors.
In 2007 we hope to host two relief efforts – one returning to El Salvador, and another to the Gulf Coast – and to continue the work we have begun in other areas.
Alpha Project & Uptown: Old Neighbors, New Partners
UPTOWN is St. Paul’s Cathedral’s response to homelessness and poverty in our neighborhoods. To better serve this segment of our community, UPTOWN merged with Alpha Project last year. Although the two organizations merged, Alpha Project continues to operate UPTOWN as an autonomous unit and has preserved the interdenominational, faith-based aspect that has been the historical foundation of this organization.
Although Alpha Project heavily subsidizes UPTOWN at the present time, for this ministry to continue, UPTOWN needs to be financially self-sufficient. As such, donations are desperately needed to ensure our direct outreach to the homeless and impoverished community continue.
One of the great benefits of the merger is that UPTOWN’s programs have been dramatically expanded through access to the comprehensive array of award-winning services offered through Alpha Project. These services include:
End-of-Life Outreach through the Living with Dignity program. Nearly 200 people each year die in parking lots, dumpsters, alleyways, sidewalks, and streets in San Diego. UPTOWN’s goal is to eliminate this tragedy in our county. Living with Dignity was featured on Channel 4’s San Diego Insider TV series earlier this year.
Special Needs Housing through Hotel Metro, a 193-unit housing program for homeless persons with special needs, such as HIV/AIDS, severe mental illness, and physical disabilities. Hotel Metro provides housing for persons in the Living with Dignity program.
Residential Drug and Alcohol Treatment at Casa Raphael and Casa Base, a 98-unit inpatient treatment facility located in Vista.
Immediate Employment Opportunities through Take Back the Streets, which directly employs sober, formerly-homeless men and women to maintain and improve blighted neighborhoods.
Winter Shelter Alpha Project operates the City of San Diego’s winter shelter, which provides overnight shelter to 200 persons per night during the colder months.
HIV/AIDS Outreach HIV/AIDS testing and counseling is offered on-site at the UPTOWN office.
Permanent Affordable Housing. Alpha Project owns over 700 units of affordable housing in five complexes.
For more information, please contact Kyla Winters or Amy Gonyeau at (619) 542-1877, or visit www.alphaproject.org. UPTOWN is located at 4101-B 30th Street, San Diego, CA 92101 and can be reached at (619) 281-8411.
DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE IN MOST CASES AND GREATLY NEEDED!
Integrity
Integrity is a justice and advocacy ministry for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) issues in the Episcopal Church. Integrity seeks justice and dignity for all persons, particularly for those facing oppression within the Episcopal faith community due to their sexual orientation.
As a diocesan chapter, Integrity San Diego is affiliated with both the national Integrity organization and St. Paul's Cathedral. We are engaged in the ministry of community service, peace and justice education and advocacy, social connection, and spiritual development and formation.
Our monthly meetings start with a celebration of the Eucharist, usually held at St. Paul's Cathedral, and continue with a fellowship gathering at a social venue in the local community.
We meet weekly at a member's private home for spiritual formation in the context of contemplative meditation and prayerful reflection upon the weekly Eucharistic readings, integrating their meaning and purpose into our individual and collective spiritual journeys.
In the fall, we held an all-day retreat at La Providencia Spiritual Renewal Center in Alpine, which focused upon faith formation and development, ministerial visioning, and the deepening of our shared relationships through worship and fellowship.
We have offered service ministry to the cathedral parish community through the support of events such as the Eater Vigil fellowship hour.
Our participation in the Gay Pride parade and festival included:
Actively marching in the parade as a visible presence of support and advocacy for the LGBT Episcopal community.
Collaboration with various LGBT supportive local faith communities in the creation, formation and establishment of an interfaith pavilion at the Gay Pride Festival. This was a significant step for Integrity San Diego's broader ecumenical connection and furthering of interfaith relationships within San Diego.
Organization and staffing support of St. Paul's Cathedral's refreshment stand and hospitality booth.
We look forward to deepening our mission through continued ministerial involvement in Peace and Justice concerns and issues within the parochial, diocesan, and San Diego communities, as well as sustaining the furthering the growth and dedication of our spiritual formation and fellowship activities.
Pastoral Care
PASTORAL CARE is the ministry of congregational members, lay and clergy, in response to baptismal and confirmation vows, the Cathedral’s Mission Statement, and God’s grace through Christ in our lives to lovingly reach out to Christ in our neighbors. All persons involved are properly trained, credentialed and covered by liability insurance as required.
A Pastoral Care Committee is called together monthly by our Dean to bring together those clergy and support staff involved in visiting and caring for our people. We are indebted to former Dean Jim Carroll, Fr. Milton Collins, Nan Slavin and the Rev. Dorothy Curry for their attention to pastoral care of our parishioners.
Cathedral Visitors provides lay visitors to members who are not physically able to attend services, Visitors are assigned to an individual member with the expectation of visiting them at least once a month as a friend and representative from the Cathedral.
CATHEDRAL WELLNESS COMMITTEE (formerly known as the Cathedral Health Cabinet) is led by Brad Albright, Chairperson. The mission of this group is to assess the health needs of the Cathedral community and address those needs by offering education, clinics (the monthly Blood Pressure clinic, Mobile Health Unit) and serve in an advisory/support basis for Nan Slavin, RN, our Cathedral Nurse (see Nan’s Annual Report). This committee is planning a two day conference at the Cathedral, featuring J. Philip Newel, noted author and teacher in the area of Celtic Spirituality and abundant living. Scheduled for February, 2008.
“Wellness” recognizes a holistic approach to include body, mind and spirit in an integral manner that brings well-being to people. It goes beyond the usual concept of “fixing” things and focuses on dynamics that support overall attitude toward life, self and relationships.
In July, the Cathedral invited the San Diego Health and Faith Alliance to provide the services of its Mobile Health Clinic at the Cathedral on alternate Thursday mornings. The 41 ft. unit includes two examining rooms, and parks in the Cathedral’s Olive St. parking lot. Services include examination, immunizations, pharmacy, physicians, nurses, pastoral care counseling on a regular basis free to the uninsured. A number of Cathedral members (from both the English and Spanish speaking congregations) as well as persons from the Park West area are benefiting from this service. For more information, see Dr. Bart Smoot, MD, or Canon Walcutt for referrals.
San Diego Pastoral Counseling Center at St. Paul’s Cathedral (“SDPCC/SPC”) provides trained/licensed counselors The Rev. Pam Daniel; Joe Mayer, LCSW; Nan Slavin, RN, MA, MS, and Dr. James Ewing, Ph.D. “Pastoral Counseling” helps clients by working toward diagnosis and treatment by also focusing on clients’ own spiritual resources. The majority of clients are members of the cathedral. A minimum fee is asked. Marriage preparation, individual and couple counseling, domestic abuse counseling, spiritual direction, grief support groups as well as educational workshops all are part of the center’s offering to both the Spanish and English speaking congregations. The Pastoral Counseling Center continues to sponsor at the Cathedral a Saturday film series on “trauma”, as well as a support group, “Face To Face.”
The Rev. Gerald (Gerry) Walcutt, Canon for Pastoral Care
Cathedral Collectibles
The mission of Cathedral Collectibles is to provide financial resources for the ministries of St. Paul's Cathedral. We work to achieve this while being a presence in the community and the city. We are an agency for assisting homeless and low income individuals as well as serving as a major source for recycling usable items. Our ministry is carried out by volunteers both from St. Paul's and the community.
During 2006, we have been able to provide approximately $20,000 in profits to support Cathedral Ministries and the community.
Client Assistance: Through the Uptown Faith Community Service Center and the Alpha Project the Cathedral and St. Paul's Collectibles have assisted 110 clients with clothing for job interviews and assistance for a resale value of $5,929.
The shop donates unsuitable merchandise weekly to St. Vincent de Paul Village for an estimated resale value of $21,000.
Volunteers: Cathedral Collectibles currently has 18 volunteers and a manager who give approximately 104 hours weekly. The volunteers prepare, display, and sell all merchandise at the shop.
Internet Sales: Most sales this year were made through San Diego Craigslist contacts. This has been a good source for contacting the public with high-end merchandise.
The Cathedral Chapter has established a Shop Oversight Committee with Stephen Velez-Confer as Chair. This committee assists in the development of new approaches to increase product lines and profit for the future of the shop.
Respectfully submitted,
John Burkholder,
Manager, St. Paul's Cathedral Collectibles
