Dean's Message for October 15, 2026

Author:
October 15, 2026

Beloveds,

What does it mean to care faithfully for what God has entrusted to us?

That question is at the heart of our Living a Faithful Life journey this October. As we continue exploring the practice of CARE, we are reminded that care is more than something we feel. It is something we do. It asks us to notice, to listen, to show up, and sometimes simply to be present with one another. On Sunday, October 25, we will commission our new Prayer Team Ministry, another meaningful expression of our commitment to caring for one another. Beginning that day, members of our Cathedral community will be available during Communion to listen, pray with us, and help us bring whatever we are carrying before God.

Last Sunday's Living a Faithful Life Card invited us to consider a simple but meaningful practice of care: noticing someone who is missing. Who haven't we seen in a while? Who might need a phone call, a word of encouragement, or simply the reassurance that they are remembered and loved? In the busyness of our lives, it can be easy to overlook the quiet absence of another. Yet so often, the practice of care begins when we slow down enough to notice, reach out, and truly listen.

These may seem like small gestures, but they are at the heart of what it means to live faithfully in community. We belong to one another, and when we make room for connection, compassion, and genuine presence, we make room for God's love to be known.

This Sunday, our 23rd Annual Cathedral Health Fair offers a wonderful opportunity to put this practice of care into action, tending to our own well-being and encouraging one another to do the same. Caring for ourselves and one another is part of the faithful life we share, and I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity to connect, learn, and be supported by our Cathedral community.

In the days ahead, there are some wonderful opportunities to put this practice of care into action. Next Wednesday 10/21, we begin our Embodied Practices series with an evening of Gentle Movement, inviting us to slow down, be present, and discover how caring for our bodies can itself become a form of prayer. On Thursday 10/22, our Beloved Cathedral Circle gathers for fellowship and connection, while Saturday 10/24 brings the Brotherhood of St. Andrew Breakfast and the inaugural gathering of our Widows Cathedral Circle, a new space for friendship, companionship, and mutual support.

Each of these gatherings offers something different, yet all remind us of a simple truth: care begins when we make room for one another. Whether we come seeking connection, offering encouragement, or simply sharing in community, we are practicing the kind of faithful life God calls us to live.

And as we continue our stewardship campaign, I hope we will recognize how closely stewardship and care are connected. The gifts of our time, talents, and treasure are all ways we tend what God has placed in our hands. Our generosity sustains not only the ministries and sacred spaces of this Cathedral, but also the relationships and community through which God's love becomes known.

My invitation to you this week is simple: Notice where care is needed, and consider how God might be calling you to respond. Perhaps that means reaching out to someone, joining a gathering for the first time, offering a helping hand, or allowing yourself to receive the care of this community.
These are the everyday practices through which we live a faithful life. And together, they help make St. Paul's a place where God's love is not only proclaimed, but experienced.

Grace and peace,

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

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