Join the Cathedral Choir in singing some of the great hymns of the church extolling the saintly life of Francis of Assisi. There will be a litany for creation care and you’ll also hear some of the stories and history behind the three hymns in our hymnal attributed to St. Francis.

The freewill offering will be given to Florida Resurrection House to support their innovative approach to breaking the generational cycle of poverty in families through trauma-informed care.

The singing will be followed by a festive reception with hors d'oeuvres and wine with raffles for prizes also benefiting Resurrection House. So far, donations include tickets to local theater and the Florida Orchestra, wine, a charcuterie basket, gift cards to local businesses and restaurants, and more! Purchase raffle tickets following the service on Sundays, September 22 and 29, and during the event.

Canon for Music Dwight Thomas will start off a live auction where you can bid to have your favorite hymn sung in the month of your choice*, or to ban a not-so-favorite hymn for a year.

This will be an evening with extraordinary music, a time to connect with others, and win some great prizes, all for a good cause. Please invite others.

*Dwight wants to be sure to include that terms and conditions apply -- no Christmas in July!

Register online at spcathedral.org/oktoberfest.

It’s almost that time of year! Oktoberfest returns Friday, September 27, with our annual festive dinner in Harvard Hall to celebrate the bounty of this year and mark the start of our 2025 Faith Filled Commitment Campaign.

You can look forward to brats in pretzel rolls, German potato salad, sauerkraut, apple strudel, and beer, wine, apple cider, and soft drinks. We’ll also have a children’s menu, and child care will be provided upon request. There’s no charge for Oktoberfest, but we do need an accurate count, so please register online or in person in Harvard Hall during coffee hour. No tickets will be available at the door.

We’ll have our annual trivia contest (winner gets a Cathedral tote bag), so start brushing up on your knowledge of Religions of the World. Oktoberfest is a fun night to get together as the Cathedral family, begin the busy fall program year, and celebrate all that we have accomplished together. The Faith Filled Commitment Campaign is the time each fall when we invite everyone to make a financial commitment to the Cathedral for the coming year. Our theme this year is “Walk in Love,” reminding us that we have been blessed by God with all the gifts of Creation and our lives and our response to that generosity are rooted in abundance. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Leo Sowerby (1895-1968) was an American composer, organist, and teacher whose organ and choral works provide a transition between 19th- and 20th-century American church music styles. Sowerby studied in Chicago and in Rome as the first American winner of the Prix de Rome. He taught composition and theory at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago from 1925 to 1962 and was organist at St. James Church (now Cathedral) there from 1927 to 1962. He became director in 1962 of the College of Church Musicians in Washington, D.C., where he also was associated with the National Cathedral.

Sowerby combined a fine melodic talent with a use of modern harmonies. His Canticle of the Sun for chorus and orchestra (1944), based on Matthew Arnold’s translation of a canticle by St. Francis, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1946.

His orchestral works include tone poems and four symphonies. He also wrote chamber music; concerti for piano, cello, and organ; numerous choral and organ works; and for bandleader Paul Whiteman’s orchestra, two symphonic jazz pieces entitled Synconata (1924) and Monotony (1925).

The inspiration and driving mission behind Neon Dreams Arcade is to bring the true arcade experience back to our community. Located in Largo, you can pay $15 to play as many arcade games for as long as you want! Come join us for a fun and competitive afternoon. Contact Hillary Peete to let us know you’re coming.