From the Rector

A Parish That Teaches

Like many priests and pastors and rabbis, as part of my process towards ordination I served as a chaplain in a hospital for a ten week period called Clinical Pastoral Education, or CPE. CPE, as part of the ordination process, has several purposes. One is to place the potential religious leader in a demanding environment and take part in an intensive group process of reflection in order that they learn more about themselves in this setting before they enter into ordained ministry.

And another is to have them begin their lives as pastors by pastoring, even if they don’t feel ready. Especially if they don’t feel ready. So it was that I began making pastoral calls in a teaching hospital in New York City, Columbia Presbyterian. After getting over the terror of entering a patient’s room, or the ER, or the morgue, over time I began to learn how to enter into conversations, when to leave silences, and when to leave the room. This kind of hands-on experience is essential for learning.

For as long as the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) has been in Berkeley, All Souls Parish has served as a teaching hospital of sorts for seminarians. Course work is fundamental to the preparation of those called to be priests. And, it is really helpful to be able to test that learning with real people, seeing how that knowledge works out in the wash. Learning about homiletics with your professor and classmates in chapel is important, but how does that sermon play out with real, live people on a Sunday morning?

The longer that I’ve served at All Souls, the more that I’ve come to appreciate one of the charisms, or spiritual gifts, that this congregation has. It is the charism of shepherding the ones who are learning to shepherd. We are a parish that teaches. We have been for decades and decades, and it forms a critical part of our identity now.

Just in the time that I have been Rector at All Souls we have served as the site for field education in one form or another for 19 seminarians. They have come from communities as far away as Alaska and New Hampshire and North Carolina and now Cuernavaca, and as close as the other side of campus. They have preached with us, pastored with us, taught with us, challenged us, led us in unexpected directions, and time and time again, given us hope for the Church to come.

On a personal note, it’s one of the great joys of this particular call to serve as a field ed supervisor. I am privileged to take part in their formation, love learning alongside them and sharing with them the joy of being a parish priest, especially in a parish like All Souls. And then I get to follow along as they head to wild adventures all over the country and other parts of the Anglican Communion. And sometimes, these seminarians even return.

This is what happened with one of our seminarians from the Diocese of New Hampshire, Liz Tichenor. Liz had served as seminarian with us for two years, then was ordained here during her M.A. After serving in the Diocese of Nevada, when Kristin Krantz left for Maryland, we called Liz to serve as Associate Rector, which she did for five wild, joyful, and meaningful years. Along way we, as a parish, taught Liz some things about being a priest. And Liz taught us some things about being a Christian community.

Then, in the fall of 2019 (do you remember that far back?), Liz accepted a call to serve as the Rector of Church of the Resurrection in Pleasant Hill. And finally, since COViD restrictions now allow, this Saturday, October 2nd, at 11am, there will officially be the Celebration of a New(ish) Ministry.

So come one, and come all. Join me in celebrating and supporting Liz and the Church of the Resurrection, as they find new life together. And give thanks for one of our own, who learned with us and is now teaching and guiding others in the Way.

Peace,
Phil+

Meet Our New Seminarian

Michael Drell

The road that brought me to Berkeley, CDSP, and All Souls is a long and windy one. I was born in Washington, DC and grew up in the neighborhood of the National Cathedral. I left for university in the UK. After working for several years in the supported housing sector, I moved to Australia, where I worked with families in refugee resettlement and in community detention with asylum seekers. I also completed a post-graduate certificate in counseling and have worked in Child and Family Services, community mental health settings, and schools, as well as wilderness therapy camps and equine assisted psychotherapy sessions engaging horses in therapeutic relationships with human clients.

In 2012, I left office work completely to devote my time to horse care and especially hoof pathologies and healing. This work and study brought me to Italy, the US, and New Zealand as well as periods of time back in Australia. Working with horses and people around healing and movement enriched my faith enormously and I was particularly inspired by a priest in New South Wales who encouraged my discernment for Holy Orders. During this discernment period, I travelled to Mexico to spend time with my yoga teacher. There were countless immediate welcomes in Mexico and I soon found my home parish, St. Michael and All Angels, where the mostly ex-pat congregation worships in English. This solidified my plans to stay in Morelos.

Providence and discernment led me to attend seminary at CDSP and I made the move to California last December. Of all the parishes I looked at for my internship, All Souls stood out for me as a congregation with an authentic and rich commitment to worship, service, and community building. There was a palpable vitality evident even several months ago online when I first ‘attended’. I am feeling blessed and excited to be here amongst you for the next two years and very much looking forward to learning and offering as much as possible.

-Michael Drell

Save the Dates

(*see “Other News and Notes” for more info on events)

October 3: Blessing of the Animals

October 24: All-Church Stewardship Celebration

November 7: Sunday Night Service Official Launch

Weekly Worship

Sunday Mornings:

Join us at 9am in the courtyard, in-person. At this service masks are not required.

Or (and!) join us indoors for the 11:15 service or on the live stream at 11:15a, which can be accessed through our website or by tuning into our All Souls Episcopal Parish Facebook page. Click here to watch on Sunday morning. At our 11:15 service, masks are required.

Wednesday 9am Service

Join the Zoom call here, or join us in person in the Nave at 9a. Password: 520218. Masks are required for this service as it is indoors.

Mask Mandate

Due to the new CDC mask mandate, masks are required for all indoor gatherings regardless of vaccination status.

Adult Formation

Adult Formation Class this Sunday

We have four class offerings:

  • Reading Between the Lines Bible Study @ 7:30a. Contact Kate Murphy, kmurphy2209@gmail.com to join that Zoom call.
  • Reading Between the Lines Bible Study at 10:10 in the Chapel (and on Zoom). Contact Daniel Prechtel for the Zoom link, dprechtel1@gmail.com
  • Repairing the Breach: Addressing Racism Locally on Zoom (click here) and in the Parish Hall
  • A Practice of Prayer in the Common Room (and on Zoom)

Children, Family & Youth News

Children’s Ministry

Sunday School meets on Sundays at 10:10am for children in Pre-K through 5th grade! Read the Family Bulletin for more information! If you’d like to receive updates about this, but do not subscribe to the Family Bulletin, please email Maggie Foote (maggie@allsoulsparish.org) for more information.

Join us this Sunday at 3:00pm for a Family Hike! We’ll meet at Inspiration Point at 3:00pm, and we’ll start hiking at 3:15! Hope to see you there!

Youth Ministry

Youth Group continues Wednesday, October 6th at 7:00pm! Also, each Sunday at 10:10am, stop by Maggie’s office for a donut and a check-in with one of our youth leaders. If you are (or have) a young person between 6-12 grade, and are not a part of the google group for youth group updates, please email Maggie Foote (maggie@allsoulsparish.org) for more information and to get added to the list!

Other News & Notes

Soulcast: Our Weekly Video Announcements

Check out Season 4: Episode 11 of the Soulcast!

Giving to All Souls via our mobile app

The platform we have been using for mobile app donations is changing from Give+ to Vanco Mobile Faith Engagement. You can find this (Vanco Mobile Faith Engagement) in your app store, and login with the same login you had with Give+. Once logged in, search for “All Souls Episcopal Parish” and it comes right up.

Stephen Ministry: Christ Caring for People through People

That’s the motto of Stephen Ministry. The Stephen Minister’s role is to bring God’s love into the lives of people who are going through a difficult time or experiencing a crisis. What do Stephen Ministers do? They listen, care, support, encourage, and pray with and for a person who is hurting. And in the midst of this confidential, one-to-one, caring relationship, God’s healing love comes pouring through.

If someone you know is facing a crisis—large or small—and could benefit from the caring presence of a Stephen Minister, talk to Rev. Maggie Foote (maggie@allsoulsparish.org) or Stephen Ministry Leader Madeline Feely (madelinefeeley@gmail.com).  Our Stephen Ministers are ready to care for you!

Ongoing Canned Food Drive

You can always bring food on Sundays and place it in the “Berkeley Food Pantry” basket in the Narthex (or in the courtyard for the 9am service).

Meal Train

If you are able to help provide some meals for parishioners in need, please contact Cathy Goshorn to help out! We are in great need at this time to help care for each other––please consider helping other All Soulsians in need by providing meals or gift cards for meals. You can reach Cathy at ogoshca@yahoo.com.

Rain and Air Quality Index Protocol for In-person Events

In the case of rain, the 9:00am worship will move indoors to the sanctuary.

Following the lead of local school districts, All Souls has outlined the following protocol for high Air Quality Index:

When the Air Quality Index exceeds 150, all in-person events will be canceled at the church. Due to the need to have windows open to increase ventilation for Covid-safety, it is unsafe for us to be inside the church without ventilation, and it is unsafe for the windows to be open, which leaves us with only online options.

In the case of AQI higher than 150: