Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Bartholomew. This is probably one of the lesser known Apostles, but there are many Episcopal churches that bear his name. Nothing is really said of him in scripture apart from his being named one of the twelve Apostles in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. “His name means ‘Son of Tolmai,’ and he is sometimes identified with Nathanael, the friend of Philip, the ‘Israelite without guile’ in John’s Gospel, to whom Jesus promised the vision of angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (Lesser Feasts and Fasts, p. 364) Even though we don’t know much about him except his name, we still celebrate his being an apostle and witness for Christ.

Speaking of names and not knowing much about them, I encourage all of you to sign up and join one of the upcoming Dialogues with the candidates for our next Diocesan Bishop. All we know so far is what we see in their introductory videos and read in their submitted printed material. The “Walk About Week” is a time to get to meet them and hear from them personally. The way Bishop elections work in the Episcopal Church is that only diocesan clergy and convention lay delegates get to vote, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to know what everyone else thinks. Please come to one of the Dialogues the week of September 16–20 to hear from the candidates, then let us, clergy and delegates, know what you think so we can make an informed decision when we vote. Our convention lay delegates from the Cathedral are: Sara Copeland, Ric Sweeting, Janet Sweeting, Connie Boyd, Christine Morrison, Chris Morrison, Curtis Hamilton, and Joyce Morrow. We are currently seeking someone to serve as an alternate. The Dialogues will be held Sept. 16 at Grace, Carthage; Sept. 17 at Christ Church, Springfield; September 18 at St. Anne’s, Lee’s Summit; Sept. 19 at the Cathedral; and September 20 at Church of the Redeemer, Kansas City (Parkville). Please visit the diocesan website diowestmo.org for more information and to RSVP to a Dialogue session. The election will take place at the Diocesan Convention on November 9.

Don’t forget our coffee hours this Sunday with information and tours of Pete’s Garden, and an ice cream social provided by the Cathedral Outreach Ministries. Also, following the 10:30 service will be our Fall Planting Day. Bring gloves, tools, and help us spruce up the gardens for Fall. Later that afternoon, at 2 p.m., will be the final Summer Music Series concert at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for the nation, and the world.

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