Dean's Message for February 12, 2026

Author:
February 11, 2026
Beloveds,
Lent begins next week.

From the joy of Shrove Tuesday’s Pancake Supper and the Burning of the Palms, to the quiet gravity of Ash Wednesday, we enter a season that asks us to slow down and tell the truth. This year, we walk into Lent guided by a theme that is both simple and demanding: Hope That Tells the Truth.

Christian hope is not denial. It does not rush past suffering or pretend that everything is fine. Hope that tells the truth looks honestly at our frailty, our repentance, and our need for grace — and still trusts that God is present and at work. Lent is the season where that kind of hope is formed within us.

In the weeks ahead, we are offering intentional pathways to help shape that hope. Confirmation will meet on Sundays from February 22 through March 29 (12:30–2 p.m.), inviting participants to claim their faith with maturity and courage. During Formation Hour, three distinct offerings will create space for reflection, theological depth, and honest conversation (please note there will be no Dean’s Hour during Lent). These gatherings matter because faith grows best in community — when we wrestle, listen, and learn together.

You will also notice a meaningful change this year. Instead of weekly Wednesday Lenten Dinners, we are inviting the Cathedral community into small-group Lenten Book Studies throughout the city. In smaller circles of study and prayer, we have room to engage more deeply, speak more honestly, and practice hope together.

Whether you choose to journey and grow through our new Adult Formation offerings, walk the path of Confirmation, or gather in a Lenten book group, each opportunity is designed to draw you closer to Christ and to one another.

I encourage you to visit stpaulsokc.org/lent2026 to explore the full details and prayerfully discern where God may be inviting you this season.

Beloveds, Lent is not simply something we attend — it is something we undertake. May this be a season where our hope is not shallow or hurried, but truthful, courageous, and rooted in the steadfast love of God.

The Very Reverend Katie Churchwell
15th Dean, St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral
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