For Sunday September 10, 2023
About the Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Louise Macatee was the former Director of Counseling at Campbell Hall, an Episcopal school in the Diocese of Los Angeles, where she served students and faculty for 28 years. She holds an M.Div. and D.Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as an MA in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Counseling from Pepperdine University. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an ordained Episcopal priest.
Description of the Class: The structure of the course reflects three main components that map out a path of healing for seekers after wholeness. The components have yielded data that reflect on experiences that have worked to help those who have suffered wounds of all kinds, and they serve to help facilitate the healing that only Christ can bring. These components or dimensions each offer solace and strength as Jesus’ promise of liberation is more clearly and fully realized in a person’s life. These components reflect the quest for wholeness of Holocaust survivors, persons suffering traumatic loss of a loved one, and those who grew up in a home defined by parental addiction/alcoholism, mental illness, or abuse, to name only a few of the wounds that bind and diminish us. The three areas of work that have held growth for those and any who have suffered damage and carry wounds are Mourning, Meaning, and Hope. It is through the road of each of these that we hope to grow more in personal self-reflection and spiritual awareness, while enlarging our understanding of others and their needs and pain. From Jesus to Gloria Steinem, come learn about how Christ calls all of us to deeper healing.
Final Call! Hiking Club News
The Parish Life Hiking Club has planned an off-season summer hike for September 16, in the Oak Glen Preserve, only about 40 miles west of Palm Springs in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. (Hikers, meet at Oak Glen at 9:00 AM.)The Oak Glen Preserve sits in a tranquil canyon filled with apple orchards, shady green forests, babbling brooks and steep mountain slopes. It’s a great nearby getaway from the hot desert summer. We will be hiking the scenic Preserve Loop through the Preserve’s many diverse ecosystems. The trail meanders through curated gardens, beneath towering conifers, past a pretty little lake and then in and out of a shady oak forest as it descends through the chaparral to a pleasant hollow, before climbing again to a beautiful shady meadow. Deer and other wildlife can sometimes be spotted along the trail.
The trail is about 2.5 miles long in total and links several smaller trails within the Oak Glen Preserve. It is officially ranked as “Easy,” and should be safely within the skill set of our group. The trail is well-marked and in good condition, with an easy grade most of the way. There are one or two segments with sharper descents and climbs, including one or two portions with stairs. The total elevation change across the entire trail is about 500 feet. There are two areas of sharper descent or ascent, but they should be doable by any who’ve hiked with us previously. This is a dog-friendly trail. Dogs on-leash are welcome. Please review the trail description and make sure it is right for your furry friend (it may be an ambitious trek for smaller dogs). You’ll want to carry a dish of some sort so your dog can pause to drink.
What to Bring – Proper footgear is important. You should wear solid, comfortable walking shoes with a grippy rubber sole that has tread and good traction. Also don’t forget the usual hiking standards: ample water, sunscreen, and a hat – bug spray is also a good idea. While this area will feel like paradise compared to August heat in Palm Springs, it will still be objectivelywarm, so dress lightly and prepare for occasional areas of full sun. Anyone needing additional balance or stability should consider bringing a walking stick or trekking pole.
There should be ample time after the hike to share a quick repast, linger among wildflowers, and visit the nearby apple stand for some tasty fresh cider. We would like to host a late-morning picnic for this hike similar to what we did in Idyllwild last summer. We welcome volunteers willing to help organize this aspect of the trip and/or bring some sort of potluck item. For more information or to sign up for the hike, please contact Chris Kelly at
Chris Kelly
An Update On Our Budget & Staffing
Dear Beloveds,
As we prepare for the return to our busy Fall schedule, we have been hard at work in planning for the next calendar year of the church. One part of that preparation has been assessing the personnel budget. The average non-profit spends 60-80% of its operating expenses on staffing. We noticed that if we keep our staffing model as it is (including our new parish administrator), our personnel budget would be 73% of the operating budget. Unfortunately, due to inflation and a much-needed increase to our facilities portion of the budget, we cannot handle an additional 8% in the personnel category. As we look at our budget projections for 2024, we noticed that in order to meet a balanced budget, our personnel expenses need to be 65% of the budget. With no full-time staff currently, this means we must face some difficult realities as a parish.
Join our E-Mail List
You’ll find this invitation on the front page and many pages throughout our website. It’s intended for anyone who wants to receive communications from St. Paul’s via email. This includes The Abundant Life weekly, online newsletter.
If you suspect you’re not receiving all our weekly news and announcements, go to this subscription sign-up box and enter your email address. If you’re already properly registered on our distribution list, you will get a message confirming this. If you’re not, the system will accept your email address and ask you to validate your request. You should then be set to receive future email communications from St. Paul’s. And a reminder to all of us, as a rule, it’s always a good idea to check our spam/junk folders when looking for missing email.
St Paul’s Book Club
The next Book Club meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at 2 PM via Zoom. Meeting information will follow later. For October, Book Club has selected The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. A stunning and magisterial novel of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret.
New members are always welcome at Book Club. For more information, please contact Alan Zimmerman at
Sunday’s Altar Flowers
“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom . . .” Isaiah 35:1-2
This week’s Altar Flowers are sponsored by Br. John Westaway, in loving memory of his mother, Norma Westaway, and his late partner, Dr. Robert J. Marko.
If you would like to sponsor altar flowers for a future Sunday honoring a special person or event, you’ll find the sign-up book in the Narthex, or you can call the Parish Office at 760.320.7488 to reserve your sponsorship date(s).
Mid-week Services
Mid-week ServicesYou are invited to the church on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM each week for contemplative Eucharist/Evening Prayer. The church will be open the hour prior (5:00-6:00 PM) for silent, personal prayer. Come and rest.
Prayers of the Church
For the Anglican Communion, and for the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby; for the Church of Ireland, The Most Reverend Francis John McDowell, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.
For the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming, The Right Reverend Paul-Gordon Chandler, Bishop.
For the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, The Right Reverend Dr. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop; for the clergy and people of St. Mark’s, San Diego; for our Ecumenical partnerships on the International Day of Peace, September 21.
For those commended to our prayers: Mary Ann Lee, Ed, Kenn Catterlin, John Hatton, John & Sheena Wilson, Johnny Maiden, Carson Tullio, David Maiden, Lorrie Nichols, Kristy Nida, Glen Noteboom, José, Margherita & Judith Roa, Jake Williams, Sandy & Joe Williams, Wendy Vicory, Bonnie, Ken Van Horn, Christian Waltaian, Adele Kelley, Sebastian Hall, The Rev. Dr. Sonia Waters, John Hines, Diane & Chuck Hines, Ken Van Horn, Dan Drinan, Ted Guice, Jerry Di Noto, Solveig Peck, Robert Patnode, Don Orsbern, Tish & Eliott Kahn, Terry Garrity, Rus Butler, Joe Christopher, Amelia Grinstead, Chloe Grace Wilson Barton, Marilyn De Silva Currie, Donald Chase, Greg Gowdy, A.J. Miller, Tom Lutgen; pray for all those for whom no prayers have been said.
For those who have died: Nora Bain, Dana Gwinn, Lisa Hollis, Clay Hall, Brian Nealy, Gary Nutt, Antonietta Colucii, Anna Q., Joshua Jones, Stanley Rule, Shawna Roberts, John Budovec, Jack Pellum, Grady Harrison.
In Memoriam – A service to celebrate the life of Dennis DeLay will be held at St. Paul’s Monday, September 25, at 6:00 PM. Denny passed away April 13, 2023.
Rest eternal grant to these, your servants, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
For those with birthdays: September 11: Michael Stein-Steele; September 12: Jim Franklin, Tammy Franklin, Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija; September 13: Kitty Kieley Hayes, Marie Ratnam, Steven Michael Chacon, Stan Bisho, Joyce Oneko; September 15: Michael Rowley; September 16: Jim Whitten, William LaVoie, Alan Hampson.
For those celebrating anniversaries: September 10: Jacqueline & Jerry Gerard; September 13: Stan Bisho & Craig Coleman.
For those for whom flowers have been donated: Today’s Altar Flowers are sponsored by Br. John Westaway, in loving memory of his mother, Norma Westaway, and his late partner, Dr. Robert J. Marko.
Send us your Prayer Requests via email — You may request prayers, “For those commended to our prayers” or “For those who have died,” by sending requests to Weekly print deadline is Wednesday noon.
For next Sunday’s Lectionary readings, go to www.lectionarypage.net and click on September 17, 2023, The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost.
Upcoming Meetings & Events at St Paul’s
- Wednesday, September 13 – 4:30 PM – Latino Ministry Committee meeting – Library.
- Saturday, September 16 – 9:00 AM – Parish Life Hiking Club – Oak Glen Preserve.
- Sunday, September 24 – 9:00 AM – Newcomers’ Class – Library.
- Sunday, October 8 – St. Francis of Assisi (transferred) – 8:00 AM – Dog Mass, outside – 10:30 AM – Regular Mass – Pet Blessing 4:00 – 5:00 PM – Memorial Garden.
- Sunday, October 15 – 10:30 AM – ONE SERVICE – Welcome Back Sunday – SAVE THE TIME & DATE!
Sunday Service LiveStreaming
We are livestreaming our 10:30 AM Sunday Eucharist every week. The livestream project was made possible through a generous gift from a “snowbird” member from Philadelphia who wintered in Palm Springs for many years and worshiped at St. Paul’s every Sunday. You can view the livestream on our Home Page, YouTube Channel, and Facebook Page.
Missed a service? Or want to rewatch a liturgy? All our past services are available to watch either on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/StPaulintheDesert or on our Facebook timeline: https://www.facebook.com/stpaulinthedesert
