A message from your Vestry Warden

“Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.”

We sang this song a few weeks ago - and it is surely something we know to be true. St. Catherine’s is a very special place: a place that draws us closer to God, forms us, connects us, and offers steadiness in an often‑unsettled world.

In recent months, we have been living in a season of transition. Mother Sarah was called into new ministry as a bishop, and we give thanks for her faithful leadership and the ways her ministry shaped this community. Soon, Deacon Shannon will begin a new chapter in her own journey. These moments invite both gratitude and trust - trust that God continues to walk hand-in-hand with St. Catherine’s and with each of us.

During this interim time, your Vestry has been hard at work, tending to our parish life with prayer, thoughtfulness, and care. Alongside that work, your Wardens and Treasurer have made thoughtful decisions to bring some finance responsibilities in‑house through a part‑time Finance Manager. This step helps strengthen our day‑to‑day stewardship and allows important systems and practices to settle, so that we are well prepared to confidently welcome and support the next rector God is calling to serve among us. These foundational pieces are an important part of the preparation that takes place before a search process officially begins.

At the same time, we are starting to look ahead together. Our next steps will include a parish‑wide survey, followed by the formation of a search committee. In the meantime, your vestry will continue to host forums and listening sessions, creating space to hear from one another, ask questions, and discern together where the Holy Spirit may be leading us.

In this season, it is so important that we continue to gather both on Sundays and throughout the week. These moments continue to give us the space to pray, to listen, and to walk alongside one another in community. I admit, these seasons can feel tender, even stretching at times. And still, as Ephesians 3:20 reminds us, God is able to do far more than all we can ask or imagine. The same God who sustained our beloved St. Catherine’s through many, many seasons is present with us now.

So I offer us a simple invitation: stay engaged, stay curious, stay hopeful, and stay faithful. Introduce yourself to someone you don’t yet know. Welcome a newcomer. Join a ministry, a Bible study, or an adult formation class. Consider attending a “First Sunday Forum”, hosted by your Vestry on the first Sunday of every month, as a way to stay connected and grounded.

This is the root of who we are at St. Cat’s - a resurrection people, trusting God’s abiding presence, caring for one another, and walking together faithfully, into what is still unfolding among us.