Dear Friends,

​

Please join me for a book group on Zoom, as we read Tina Rathbone’s amazing book, The Asylum Seekers. At this time when our immigrant friends are suffering, let’s delve more deeply into their stories. We will meet Tuesday evenings at 7PM Pacific Time on September 2,9,16 and 23.

​

I hope you will join me for this rich discussion. Email me for the Zoom link at kcress@stjla.org​

​

Peace,

Kate+

The Asylum Seekers: A Chronicle of Life, Death, and Community at the Border

by Cristina Rathbone

---

Learn the human stories of what happens at the border.

​

A remarkable, decimating work of reporting by award-winning journalist and priest Cristina Rathbone about asylum seekers trapped at a port of entry to the US: the trauma they carry, the community they create, and the faith they maintain.

​

The Asylum Seekers offers a rare narrative account of the horror of the US-Mexico border. Borders run through author Cristina Rathbone too, whose mother was a Cuban refugee. So she travels to Juarez, unsure what to do but determined to learn.

​

Weaving intimate portraits of individuals with broader stories about the community, reporting from the border as a whole, and reflections on the meaning of faith in a place of suffering, Rathbone tells the story of Mexican asylum seekers living in a makeshift tent camp at the foot of a bridge. Life in the camp is both hectic and harrowing. Families arrive. Families leave.

Families get through to the US. Families are returned from the US. Women weep, children squabble, and grown men sob over photographs of their murdered sons' mutilated bodies.

​

Here too, however, are beauty, and empathy, and hope. Over time, a leadership team emerges. The community begins to convene daily meetings, establish systems of distribution for donations, and start classes for the kids. Serving as an unofficial chaplain, Rathbone is there through it all: listening, receiving, assisting, and most of all learning about what authentic faith looks like under conditions such as these.

​

Written in the tradition of Solito and Rivermouth, The Asylum Seekers renders in startling, intimate detail the day-to-day lives of people who are determined to enter the US legally and who often suffer for it. The result is a fierce, poignant inquiry into the dignity of those who seek asylum--and into what we owe each other.

---

​

Pasadena’s All Saints Church selected to host consecration of next bishop diocesan

by Kate Cress | Aug 19, 2025 | News​

​

Dear Friends,

​

I am delighted to share great news with you. The Standing Committee has selected the location for the consecration of our eighth bishop diocesan on July 11, 2026: All Saints, Pasadena.

​

All Saints is the largest church in our diocese, with seating for 800 in the main sanctuary and an additional 400 in auxiliary spaces where the service will be livestreamed. And it is air-conditioned, a major plus in July!

​

All Saints also offers spacious areas for clergy vesting before the service and a reception afterward. It is close to hotels for out-of-town guests and there is ample nearby parking. It met or exceeded all our criteria as we considered numerous locations for the consecration.

​

All Saints’ priest-in-charge, the Rev. Tim Rich, says, “It is always a joy when the diocese comes together to see the rich tapestry of our composition. But it will be a particular privilege for All Saints to welcome the diocese for such a special occasion.”

​

I want to place the plans for the consecration of our next bishop in the context of the guidance of our Presiding Bishop, Sean Rowe. Bishop Rowe’s consecration was a modest event in the chapel at the Episcopal Church Center in New York City rather than a major (and very expensive) event at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Modeling fiscal responsibility and good use of resources, our Presiding Bishop encourages dioceses to hold their consecrations in churches rather than in alternate venues at greater cost. He urges electing dioceses to focus their energy and resources on new initiatives of mission and ministry with their new bishop rather than on a single day’s celebration. Our current bishop, John Harvey Taylor, joins the Standing Committee in bearing these thoughts in mind as we plan a gracious, memorable, and sacred event for our new bishop.

​

There is much work to be done in the next 11 months, and many details to be worked out, but let me share some highlights:

• A ticketing plan for those who wish to attend the service in person will be announced closer to the consecration date.
• The service will be livestreamed, and we will encourage the option of watch parties around the diocese for those who, perhaps due to challenges of distance or mobility, are unable attend in person. This is another learning from our Presiding Bishop’s consecration, when Episcopalians around the world gathered locally to worship and rejoice together. We want to bring the entire diocese together to share in the festivities and underscore that our diocese extends beyond the city of Los Angeles.
• Our Transitions Committee, currently planning the candidate meet-and-greets around the diocese the week of October 20, will handle the hospitality aspects of the consecration weekend.
• A Consecration Committee will be formed soon to plan the liturgical aspects of the consecration.

​

We will work closely with the Presiding Bishop’s office as we plan the consecration service, and we will want our bishop-elect to be as involved as possible in all aspects of the weekend.

​

Meanwhile, please watch for the announcement of the slate of candidates in mid-September; plan to attend the meet-and-greets the week of October 20; and prepare for the election of our next bishop by Diocesan Convention the weekend of November 7-8. An exciting time for the whole diocese awaits as we prepare to begin a new ministry with our bishop-elect.

​

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Dr. Kate Cress

President of the Standing Committee

---

Flower Power

Here at St. James, we love flowers at the altar. However, typically we only have flowers when one of you makes a special dedication. For instance, if someone you love is celebrating a birthday or baptism, or you are having an anniversary, or want to remember a dear one who has passed, you can dedicate flowers and have the dedication appear in that Sunday's bulletin. The current price of flowers is $175. Individuals are also encouraged to band together to support the flowers for a particular weekend. So, if you are part of a group here at St. James, you might like to donate flowers collectively in celebration of your ministry.

​

Another idea is to support flowers for very special occasions, such as St Michael and All Angels at the end of September, or All Saints Day the first Sunday in November. These special occasions are a great opportunity to dedicate flowers and make the church look amazing.

​

If you would like to dedicate flowers, please email the office at lazeltine@stjla.org​

​

Thank you!

---

Wild Grapes in a Beautiful Vineyard The Rev. Jon Feuss Listen to Sermon

---

Even More Episcopal News

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I love hearing about everything that’s going on at St. James’, but how do I learn about everything that’s going on throughout the diocese?” If so, your prayers have been answered. Click below to subscribe to the Diocesan newsletter.

Subscribe to The Episcopal News

---