eConnections - May 10, 2026

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eConnections
The Weekend of the Sixth Sunday of Easter
(Year A, 6 Easter)

May 10, 2026

The Dean's List

The Labyrinth
This past Wednesday, 3 Sons Landscaping completed installation of the labyrinth at the Cathedral of Saint James. Follow this link to the video they posted on their Facebook page about this project. ChatGPT and I produced a document on what a labyrinth is with suggestions for its use that is available which you may be able to view here and can definitely view on the information table at the Cathedral. We will work on turning it into a brochure that is readily available onsite and online.

A quick thought from me. I was, admittedly, rather ambivalent about this project when it was proposed. There are actually several labyrinths in and around South Bend, none of which seem to get particularly heavy use. I also knew how much the purchase and installation of the labyrinth would cost, which gave me pause. But...in a classic adventure in missing the point, what we have actually done at the Cathedral with this exceptionally beautiful, prayerful installation in the midst of a dedicated garden is extend the ministry of the Church to the City and, conversely, bring the City to the Church in a most accessible way. Our labyrinth and garden are now a feature of downtown South Bend; they are a landmark that speaks deeply to who we are and who we aspire to be as a community of faith. So...I stand corrected, and gladly so.

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SMH News
St. Margaret's House recently received fantastic news on two fronts: 1) Local fundraising exceeded the $7M mark, demonstrating tremendous community support for their amazing work. Remaining is a potential $1.5M Lilly grant. Please pray for persuasion and generosity. And 2) Recent Phase II environmental testing of the land surround SMH revealed no significant contamination issues that will require further action, so construction can commence as soon as TJ Construction can get here.

Speaking of...

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The Dean-iversary
As my father passed recently from this world into blessed memory, I had occasion to begin reflecting on my own place in the mortal succession of all things. Please keep reading; I promise this is not morose. As of May 1, I have been serving as Dean of the Cathedral of Saint James for eighteen years. Given that Episcopal priests are called by a congregation (with the consent of the bishop) and can serve indefinitely (at the pleasure of the bishop), eighteen years is not unheard of. That said, the median tenure for a rector in the Episcopal Church is five to seven years and a long tenure is anything beyond ten years, so eighteen years is getting to be long-term times two (or long-term squared, I suppose, depending upon how things are going).

At some point during the past year I became not only the longest serving dean, but the longest serving priest in the history of Saint James, South Bend, surpassing Dean Bob Bizzaro's seventeen year mark from 1975 to 1992. I am honored to be in his company; he was a wonderful priest and human being. What I know, as he knew, and you you know, is that getting to this point requires as much grace and forgiveness as skill and competence. Walking in love as Christ loves us is an ever-renewing, ever-evolving call and challenge for both priest and people. In every generation, our work as Christians - through prayer, Sacrament, Scripture, and fellowship - is to discern and respond whatever the God of Love - the God who is Love - requires of us in the threefold calling of justice, mercy, and humility with respect to humanity and all Creation. It's a tall order, but it is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, so we do our best and pray for the prosperity of the next generation.

So I have been thinking about succession. My father was Earl Gene Grantz (1935-2026). My mother was Janet Clare (Glenn) Grantz (1937-2025). One year ago we were all gathering for a big family celebration. As an old song goes: "Time is filled with swift transition."

Dad's parents were Florence Elma (Fennell) and Stanley Earl Grantz. Mom's parents were Alma Ruth (Stivason) and Clair Paul Glenn. Those are the ones I knew. I can go back one more generation without looking up the names, but that makes for a long and not-so-interesting list.

And then there is this succession of Rectors, Vicars, and Deans at Saint James that begins with Fr. Richard Brass 159 years ago in a set of circumstances I cannot even begin to imagine.

Rectors & Vicars
Richard Brass, 1867
George Patterson Schetky, 1868-1869
Frank Mark Gregg, 1870
William Richmond, 1879-1877
Alfred Thomas Perkins, 1877-1879
Francis B. Dunham, 1881-1884
John Plummer Derwent Llwyd, 1885
Frederick Towers, 1885-1887
Frederick Thompson, 1887-1890
Augustine Prentiss, 1891-1892
DeLou Burke, 1883-1896
William Charles Hengen, 1897-1898
Francis Milton Banfil, 1898-1909
Walter Simon Howard, 1910-1912
Bishop John Hazen White, 1912-1920
Howard Russell White (vicar), 1912-1920
Robert James Long, 1920-1923
John Maurice Francis, 1923-1928
Lawrence Cecil Ferguson, 1928-1942
Don Herbst Copeland, 1943-1953
William Paul Barnds, 1953-1956

Deans beginning January 1957
Robert Frank Royster, 1956-1969
Robert Ayres MacGill, 1970-1975
Robert Bizzaro, 1975-1992
Frederick Earl Mann, 1993-2004
Martin Irving Yabroff, 2004-2007
Brian Glenn Grantz, 2008-

The years on the timeline give us clues about what was going on: Fr. DeLou Burke was oversaw construction of our current building and was the first priest to serve in it. Fr. Howard Russell White served as vicar under Bishop John Hazen White's rectorate during both The Great War and the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919. Fr. Lawrence Cecil Ferguson served through both the stock market crash of 1929 and the first years of World War II. Dean Robert Frank Royster served as the first Dean of the Cathedral of Saint James, through the economic distress of the Studebaker closure, and the civil unrest of the 1960s.

Someday not so long from now there will be an end date beside my name, too, and the beginning date for the next person in line. And perhaps someone a long time from now may offer a word or two about what happened here between 2008 and 2027 (presumably).

Also, I am quite aware of my place at the bottom of a very long list of men. That, in and of itself, tells a story about our own church, the Episcopal Church, and a much, much broader struggle for equality. Also also, a list of Rectors, Vicars, and Deans does not even begin to tell the story of our church (or any church). A minimum starting point - If anyone would like to dig back through our records - would be to compile a list of Senior and Junior Wardens whose leadership is integral to our story.

All of that said, I am grateful to be your priest and pastor. What a long, strange trip its been, but even moreso how blessed and wonderful.

Blessings,
Brian

Worship

Diocese of Northern Indiana

Fellowship

Formation & Spirituality

Outreach & Evangelism

Cathedral Calendar

Saturday, May 9
No Events Scheduled

Sunday, May 10
The Sixth Sunday of Easter
Youth Sunday & Mother's Day

8:00 am
Holy Eucharist, Rite One
9:00 am
Intercessory Prayer
9:15 am
Adult Forum
10:30 am
Youth Sunday Eucharist: Rite Two
11:45 am
Intercessory Prayer
Hospitality
12:30 pm
Fellowship of St. John

Monday, May 11 Johann Arndt & Jacob Boehme
Cathedral Office: Closed
Clergy at EDNIN Spring Clergy Conference

6:00 pm
Education for Ministry (EFM)

Tuesday, May 12
Cathedral Office: 9 am - 1:30 pm
Clergy at EDNIN Spring Clergy Conference

5:30 pm
Finance Committee

Wednesday, May 13 Frances Perkins
Cathedral Office: 9 am - 1:30 pm
Clergy at EDNIN Spring Clergy Conference

7:00 pm
Choir Rehearsal

Thursday, May 14
Ascension Day
Cathedral Office: 9 am - 1:30 pm

5:30 pm
Cathedral Executive Committee
7:00 pm
Ascension Day Eucharist

Friday, May 15 Pachomius of Tabenissi
Cathedral Office: 9 am - 1:30 pm

12:05 pm
Holy Eucharist
1:00 pm
Community Lunch at Grill 362

Saturday, May 16 Gregory of Nazianzus
Cathedral Office: Closed

9:00 am
EDNIN Commission on Ministry

Sunday, May 17
The Seventh Sunday of Easter

8:00 am
Holy Eucharist: Rite One
9:15 am
Through the Years
10:30 am
Holy Eucharist: Rite Two
11:45 am
Hospitality Hour
Youth Group
12:30 pm
Ecumenical Bible Study

Ministry Schedule

Sunday, May 10
Year A: The Sixth Sunday of Easter

8:00 am
Lector
Kate Lee

Lay Minister
Mary Young-Marcks

10:30 am
Lectors
Ainsley Gray & Aley Vitale-Richards

Eucharistic Ministers
Bear Kallenberg, Aley-Vitale Richards

Ushers
Kay Klopfenstein, Reg Klopfenstein

Greeters
Alaina Gray, Adalena Helfrich

Acolytes
Jack Laney, Cynthia Katsarelis, Volunteer Needed

Hospitality
Adalena Helfrich & Saint James Youth Group

Linen Care
Deborah Drendall

Sacristan
Cindy Foley

Wednesday, May 13
Counters
Sue Lowe, Betsy VanderBurg

Friday, May 15
Folder
Peg Swadener

Cathedral Prayer List

Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Anniversaries & Birthdays

05/12  Tony Molnar
05/13  Alex Okanlami
05/14  Tim Bays
05/14  Celeste Hilliard

For Your Prayers

☩ In Thanksgiving...

For the gift of motherhood in all its diversity and for all those who have filled the role of a mother in our lives. We also pray for those whose mothers have departed this life and for those whose journey through motherhood has been marked by pain and loss.

For Bishop Doug Sparks, in gratitude for his years of leadership and heart for this Diocese; may his upcoming retirement be a season of rest and blessing. We also pray for the Diocese of Northern Indiana, that as we begin the transition to new leadership, we may follow where God’s Spirit leads.

☩ Requiescat in Pace
For those who have departed this life, and for their families mourning their loss:

·         Dorothea Felix, mother of Jim Felix (friend of Clay Berkley and Tina Velthuizen)
·         Earl Gene Grantz, father of Dean Brian Grantz and for the entire Grantz Family.
·         Dottie Balok (friend and fomer parishioner of Tina Velthuizen’s).

May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace and may light perpetual shine upon them.

☩ For Those Serving in the Armed Forces at Home and Abroad

·         Loren Bates (Tina Velthuizen’s great-nephew)
·         Colin Woodruf (Nan Noecker’s grandson)
·         Cade Dorsch (Jo Dorsch’s grandson)
·         Brittany San Felipe (Erica Vitale's stepdaughter and wife of Chezka San Felipe)
·         John Jarrett (Erica's Vitale’s stepson, and husband of Ines Dutra)
·         Kristoff Richards (Extended Family of Erica Vitale)
·         Nathan Whitfield (Al and Norris Whitfield's son)
·         Will Cook (Brian and Tamisyn's Godson)
·         Nick Reardon ("Nephew" of the Grantzes)
·         Graham Sparks (Bishop Doug and Dana Sparks’ Son)
·         Riley Suter (friend of Jesse Grantz)

☩ For Those in Need of Healing & Recovery
For those facing illness, surgery, or physical distress:

·         Trudy (guest of St. Margaret’s House)
·         Pamela Lax
·         Scott Bianchini (husband of Canon Carol Bianchini)
·         Stephen Foley
·         Ed Carlson (for Gretchen, his wife; and for Joni Carlson)
·         Candy McCarthy (Joann Dorsch’s daughter)
·         Helene Dauerty
·         Rebecca Maloy (recovering from surgery) and for Cynthia Katsarelis.
·         Joshua Henderson (Chris Henderson’s brother)
·         Mary Brooks
·         Kevin Renfro (our guest trumpeter)
·         Tim Lane, (son-in-law of Karen Slack, recovering from shoulder surgery)
·         Joni Carlson (continuing treatment)
·         James Ellar (high school classmate of Mike Jaworski, cancer recurrence)
·         Gideon and his family (healing)
·         Olivia (leukemia) and for her family
·         Robin & Laurie (healing from health issues)

☩ For Strength, Guidance, & Comfort
For those seeking spiritual support and peace:

Tara (for support following a devastating fire)
Candy Kieta (former co-worker of Randy Colburn-Hochstetler)
Nadine Collier & the Collier Family
Bill Young (Catherine Craker’s Father) and for the entire Craker and Young families.
Marci Ullery (friend of Patty Hans)
Patty Hans
Derek (guidance)
Billy Hans (health & guidance)
Joseph Hilliard (strength & guidance)
Joyce (strength & guidance)
Marshall Moore (strength & guidance)

☩ General Intercessions
For friends, family, and members of the community:

Mary Beth Wright
"AC" who is in a difficult domestic situation.
The Anderson Family
Cherryl Andries
The Ashby Family: Shaun, Shirley, and Roland
Richard Bitner
Alissa Broussara
Mary M. Burman
Al Caparell; Tony Lemna; Mike; Denise & Demetrius
Cobie (Tina Velthuizen’s sister)
The Demler and Martindale families
Jo Dorsch
Anne Ford
Paula Fowler
Connor Gibbons
Julie Guiler (DeDe’s Stepdaughter)
Ron Gunn
Tim Haywood and Janice
Rick Hillard
Mike Jaworski and Lisa
The Jeter Family: Jamie, Mimi, Joely, Mia, and the entire family
Bill Jones and his family
Joan Machatton
Dan & Gail Mandell
Joyce Marchant
Fred & Kate Mast
Sharron McGowan
Michael (Diane Hoist’s son) and his family
Elaine Mick
Tony Molnar
Richard Murphy Jr. and Jill Bird
Daniel & Amy Petry (parents of Amanda Helfrich)
The Proffitt and Hillman families
Carolynn Raney
Sheila & family
Karen Slack
Kevin Smith
Alan Thompson
Mthr. Tina Velthuizen
Deb Walter (friend of Sherry Berkley)
Kitty Ward
Donnie Zigler

☩ For Those Preparing for Holy Orders

Nan Noecker (Diaconate)

☩ World, National, and Local Community Concerns

For all of those who, amid the joy of the Resurrection, still find themselves suffering grief and loss.
For lasting Peace in Iran, Israel, Lebanon, and all the Middle East and an end to armed conflicts in Ukraine and througout the world.
For an end to racism in all its forms, that discrimination and violence may end. We pray especially for people of many faiths whose communities are often targeted in hateful attacks, and we pray that those with bigotry in their hearts may come to see, know, and respect the diginity of all human beings.
In our Nation, currently torn by fear, oppression, and strife, may Christ bring peace, healing, and unity.
For the Episcopal Diocese of Western NY as they begin a search for their next Bishop and who offer their prayers for our diocese in our period of transition.

How may we pray for you? To add (or remove) a petition from the Cathedral Prayer List, please send an email to Deacon Clay Berkley. If you are requesting prayer for someone else, please make sure you have their permission to add their name and any details to the prayer list.

Cathedral Leadership

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Joe Anand-ObletonMay 21, 2026