Tag Archives: Cathedral of Hope

Cathedral to hold ‘Service of Healing and Prayer’ after Hudson’s resignation

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The Rev. Jo Hudson

The Rev. Jo Hudson

The Cathedral of Hope will hold a “Service of Healing and Prayer” tonight in the wake of the resignation of the Rev. Jo Hudson, who has served as senior pastor for the last nine years.

Hudson announced her resignation at the 11 a.m. service on Sunday. The board sent an emergency email on Sunday afternoon to the congregation because the announcement had not been made to people who attended the 9 a.m. service.

The Rev. Alejandro de la Torre, who headed the Cathedral’s Latino ministry, resigned as well. His resignation was expected. He will be leaving to take care of his elderly mother in Mexico. Rachael Sandifer, the Cathedral’s executive director, resigned earlier this month.

The service of healing will be held in the peace chapel and the announcement was sent to members Wednesday by Cathedral member Ferrell Drum and Anita Haddy, the church’s coordinator for ministry development. The announcement stated:

“The recent announcement of the resignation of Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson has stirred a deeply emotional response for members of the congregation. At a time like this, quiet reflection can help heal the raw emotions being experienced.

“A Service of Healing and Prayer is planned for Thursday, April 25, at 6 p.m. in the Interfaith Peace Chapel. You are invited to attend and encouraged to invite those you know who may benefit from this service so they can attend.”

—  David Taffet

Easter week (and Passover) schedules for some local congregations

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EasterCathedral of Hope

5910 Cedar Springs Road

“We are getting ready for Holy Week, where we will feature most of our traditional services, plus a new contemporary Easter service on Saturday evening at 5,” said CoH spokesman Phoebe Sexton. “I’m really excited about the Saturday service (called “Easter Extra”); it will feature Angie Landers (recent Voice of Pride winner), Scott Ayers, our own Voices of Hope and Gospel Choir, plus Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson and Rev. Dr. Dawson B. Taylor will preach in a new format. (The service will still be between an hour and an hour and 15 minutes.) We hope to offer an option to those with busy Easter Sundays, either with family, Easter in the Park or something else (there are some pretty fabulous brunch options out there.)”

Schedule:

March 24 — Palm Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m.
The Way of the Heart: “Unceasing”
Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson, preaching
Our indoor labyrinth will be set up for walking and meditation in the Interfaith Peace Chapel from Sunday afternoon to Tuesday evening (I can get you specific hours later today).

March 27 — 5 p.m.
Community Dinner ($10 at the door, $7.50 if you register online at http://www2.cathedralofhope.com/lenten-suppers — the food is amazing)

March 27 — 7:15 p.m.
Service of Anointing and Healing
Christian Clichés: “If You Have Enough Faith…”
Minister Todd Scoggins, preaching

March 28 — Holy Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
The Way of the Heart: “The Servants’ Entrance”
Rev. Dr. Dawson B. Taylor, preaching

March 29 — Good Friday at 7:15 p.m.
Featuring the Cathedral of Hope Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra

March 30 — Holy Saturday at 5 p.m.
Easter Extra: A Contemporary Easter Worship Service
Featuring Angie Landers, Scott Ayers, Voices of Hope and the CoH Gospel Choir
Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson and Rev. Dr. Dawson B. Taylor, preaching

March 30 — 7 p.m.
Congregacion Latina Easter Vigil

March 31 — Easter Sunday at 9 & 11 a.m.
Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson, preaching

March 31 — 1 p.m.
Congregacion Latina in the main sanctuary

Celebration Community Church

March 24 — Palm Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m.
Since we have many denominations represented at Celebration Community Church, we thought we would share a bit of background. The symbolism of Palm Sunday, is expressed in Zachariah 9:9 — “See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The riding of a donkey, based on ancient Eastern tradition, is considered as coming in peace, whereas riding a horse was considered wanting to come in waging a war. Therefore, Jesus wanted to symbolize he was coming as the Prince of Peace. Palm branches, in ancient times, represented goodness and victory. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds lined his entry with palm branches. On Palm Sunday, we distribute palm branches and enter the church waving them as we remember His triumphal entrance.

March 29 — Tenebrae Service at 7 p.m.
Be sure to join us for Celebration’s annual Tenebrae service. This very moving step in the procession to Easter is one of our most meaningful services. Tenebrae is Latin for “darkness” or “shadows”. As you arrive for the service, the sanctuary is joyfully alight; however, as the service progresses, the lights are extinguished until total darkness envelops us. The service will be presented by Reverend West and the Music Department. Tenebrae is on Good Friday, March 29th beginning at 7:00 pm.

March 31 — Easter Sunday
Sunrise Service at 6 a.m.
Breakfast at 7 a.m.
Services at 9 and 11 am
Our Easter season tradition continues at Celebration Community Church on Easter Sunday, March 31st. Be here to worship at our Sunrise Service beginning at 6 am, in the Rose Garden (weather permitting) followed by Easter breakfast in the Fellowship Hall at 7am. Our 9 am and 11 am services will be identical and we hope you can join us for one or all three services. We look forward to seeing you during this Easter season.

Our Lady of Consolation Old Catholic Church

Interfaith Peace Chapel
5910 Cedar Springs Road

March 24 — Palm Sunday at 10–11 a.m.

March 28 — Holy Thursday at 7–8 p.m.

March 29 — Good Friday at 6:30–7:30 p.m. with Stations

March 30 — Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil at 7–9 p.m.

March 31 — Easter Sunday at 9–10 a.m. in the downstairs chapel

Congregation Beth El Binah

March 26 — Second day Passover Seder
Community seder led by Rabbi Steve Fisch at Resource Center Dallas on March 26 at 6:30 p.m. $45 for members and $65 for non-members. Email to make a reservation because the event is catered

—  David Taffet

WATCH: Cathedral of Hope wins Telly Award for ‘Dates of Change’

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Screen shot 2013-03-06 at 9.36.03 AM

Cathedral of Hope was named a winner in the 34th annual Telly Awards for a video in which church members describe how their life changed on the date they began attending the church.

“Dates of Change,” a video produced by Jerry King and David Mehl of the Cathedral’s TV ministry, was named a Bronze winner in the 2013 contest, which attracted nearly 11,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries.

The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 and is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs, video and film productions and online commercials, video and films. Each year awards are given in both silver and bronze categories.

“Cathedral of Hope’s television ministry accomplishment illustrates their creativity, skill and dedication to their craft and serves as a testament to great film and video production,” said Linda Day, executive director of the Telly Awards.

Telly Awards are given by the body of the academy and are judged by past Silver award winners within the industry. Entries do not compete against each other, but rather they are judged based upon a “high standard of merit.”

Watch the video below.

Continue reading “WATCH: Cathedral of Hope wins Telly Award for ‘Dates of Change’” »

—  David Taffet

End of Mayan calendar means final SolstiCelebration at Cathedral of Hope

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Is the 2012 winter solstice, the final date on the Mayan calendar, the end of it all or a launching point for transformation?

Earth Rhythms, organizers of Winter SolstiCelebration, say it’s both.

The tradition comes to an end, according to organizer Amy Martin, with the 20th and final Winter SolstiCelebration and Tranformation, celebrating the regenerative power of darkness and the redemptive grace of light, at Cathedral of Hope on Friday. SolstiCelebrators spanning all 20 years of the event return to Dallas from around the country to explore how the idea of transformation has shaped their own lives and the course of man, with song, ritual, dance, magic, music, poetry, ceremony, circus arts, meditation, storytelling and conscious movement.

The event began 20 years ago with about 100 people gathered for the solstice in a rented building on White Rock Lake. Recent events have drawn closer to 1,000 people from a variety of faiths. It will end as it began two decades ago, with the beat of the drum and the words of a poet.

Bring a flashlight to participate in the ceremony.

Organizers ask everyone to bring a canned food item for the Resource Center Dallas Food Pantry and donations of warm winter clothing.

Cathedral of Hope, 5910 Cedar Springs Road. 7–9 p.m. Tickets $17 in advance, $20 at the door. 214-261-5599.

—  David Taffet

This week’s takeaways: Life+Style

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The most important thing you need to know this weekend is that there are only a few chances left to see On the Eve, and all shows are currently sold out. So if you can’t get on the waiting list, look for a reprise of this show next year. In other theater news, there are still numerous holiday-themed plays to choose from (A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life, Mother Goose, Bur-Less-Q Nutcracker, Cirque Dreams: Holidaze opening Tuesday at the Winspear), as well as a real Nutcracker over in Fort Worth.

The Turtle Creek Chorale continues its concert season, with another performance of Comfort & Joy in McKinney and the new show, Naughty & Nice, opening Thursday at the new City Performance Hall. You can also check out the CPH earlier, with the Women’s Chorus of Dallas doing their holiday show, Believe, there on Saturday.

On Wednesday, the Cathedral of Hope gets a jump-start on Christmas as well with their “Travelers’ Silent Night,” a worship service for congregants who won’t be in town on Dec. 24.

And of course there’s sad news, as well: Monica Greene is no longer owner of her eponymous restaurant at the ilume, which seems to be shuttered for the time being.

—  Arnold Wayne Jones

PHOTOS: Transgender Day of Remembrance at Cathedral of Hope

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A rose was placed in a basket for each transgender person remembered at Transgender Day of Remembrance. (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)

More than 100 gathered Sunday evening at the Cathedral of Hope to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Dallas City Councilwoman Delia Jasso presented a city declaration marking the day as Transgender Day of Remembrance in Dallas, and Black Trans Men Inc. founder Carter Davis was the featured speaker. Euless eighth-grader Hannah Walter spoke about why she is an ally.

Mosaic Song, a small chorus from Resounding Harmony, performed several times during the service.

The reading of names included 39 transgender people brutally murdered during the previous 12 months including Janette Tovar of Dallas. Tovar’s was the only death marked as having an arrest made in the murder.

A rose was placed in a basket at the front of the church for each name read.

More photos below.

Continue reading “PHOTOS: Transgender Day of Remembrance at Cathedral of Hope” »

—  David Taffet

COH members fund ‘Baritenor Project’

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If you sometimes hear strains of a better-than-expected hymn wafting through the air at the Cathedral of Hope, it’s probably not your imagination. Juan Rodriguez (baritone) and Aaron Alarcon (tenor) are both members of the COH … and both classically trained vocalists. Music is a passion for both.

But they are also equally passionate about the Little Blue Schools Project, a charity of the COH that seeks to better the community of Reynosa, Mexico, through its ministry. If only they could combine the two…

Of course, that’s exactly what they did. Rodriguez and Alarcon not only wanted to make music, they wanted to make it together, so they launched The Baritenor Project (drawn by combining their vocal ranges) to make a recording, proceeds of which are intended to benefit Little Blue Schools as well as the cathedral’s music ministry.

Getting launched took some money itself, though. That’s when the two began an online campaign through USAProjects.org, an online fundraising site akin to Kickstarter. Their goal was $6,500; last month, they closed the campaign having raised more than  $7,600.

Now of course comes the hard part: Recording the album. COH’s directed of television and media ministries, Jerry King, is working with the duo to secure the rights to the songs. They hope to begin recording soon.

—  Arnold Wayne Jones

Barney Frank visits Cathedral of Hope, addresses group from Youth First Texas

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Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, from left, the Rev. Jo Hudson and Rep. Barney Frank are shown at the Cathedral of Hope’s Interfaith Peace Chapel on Monday.

Retiring Rep. Barney Frank toured Cathedral of Hope and met with members of Youth First Texas for an hour-long discussion at the Interfaith Peace Chapel on Monday.

Frank was in town for a fundraiser for Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson.

“I’m not campaigning myself this year,” Frank said. “And Eddie Bernice Johnson is enormously respected in Congress.”

Frank predicted that within 20 years, there will be full LGBT equality. He said several things have changed recently paving the way. States that have passed marriage equality have seen no impact on anyone else’s marriage. The head of the Marine Corps who opposed the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” said he was wrong and that repeal had no negative impact the military. And younger people are less likely to oppose equality and their support should continue as they age.

He said that the anti-LGBT faction has tried to divide the African-American caucus to stop their support of LGBT equality.

But Rep. Johnson said, “We know what it’s like to be treated unfairly.”

Frank said the black caucus is better on LGBT issues than the gay members.

“Not the openly gay members,” he said, politely declining to name any of his colleagues as closeted.

Continue reading “Barney Frank visits Cathedral of Hope, addresses group from Youth First Texas” »

—  David Taffet

Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS holds makeup ride, distributes $90K

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Participants ride out from the parking lot behind Caven Enterprises on Sunday.

Lone Star Ride held a shortened makeup ride Sunday and then distributed $90,000 to its three beneficiaries at a party at TMC.

The original ride, scheduled for Sept. 29–30, was canceled because of two days of heavy rain.

The makeup ride included a 30-mile morning route that began and ended at TMC on Cedar Springs Road and circled White Rock Lake. Additional riders participated in an afternoon ride that left at noon and made a round trip to ride sponsor Microsoft’s headquarters in Las Colinas.

Riders returned to Oak Lawn by 2:30 p.m. Sunday after completing the 25-mile round trip. They met in the parking lot of Cathedral of Hope and at 3 p.m. rode down Cedar Springs Road together. A crowd outside of JR.’s Bar & Grill and TMC cheered the riders in.

At TMC, awards were given for biggest fundraising teams and individuals. Dallas Voice placed second and Slow Spokes won the team competition. Anything Goes, Hope Riders and Wells Fargo placed third through fifth.

Ralph Randall was the largest individual fundraiser. Les Borzy, a first-time Lone Star Rider, was second.

Checks totaling $90,000 were distributed to beneficiaries AIDS Services Dallas, AIDS Outreach Center and Resource Center Dallas.

More photos from the makeup ride after the jump.

Continue reading “Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS holds makeup ride, distributes $90K” »

—  David Taffet

The Rev. Jo Hudson sends message to CoH members about staff cuts

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The Rev. Jo Hudson

On Monday, Cathedral of Hope laid off 10 staff members, the equivalent of six full-time positions because of lower than expected income. Yesterday, the Rev. Jo Hudson sent members a letter explaining the reduction in force, which include voluntary pay cuts by senior staff.

A more detailed story will appear in Friday’s Dallas Voice.

Read the full letter below.

Continue reading “The Rev. Jo Hudson sends message to CoH members about staff cuts” »

—  David Taffet