The Pathfinder: April 10th, 2025
Saying Goodbye
I thought of happiness, how it is woven
Out of the silence in the empty house each day
And how it is not sudden and it is not given
But is creation itself like the growth of a tree.
No one has seen it happen, but inside the bark
Another circle is growing in the expanding ring.
No one has heard the root go deeper in the dark,
But the tree is lifted by this inward work
And its plumes shine, and its leaves are glittering.
I have been working and living alongside these words by May Sarton from her poem “The Work of Happiness” for many months now. They seem all the more apt now because the end of my time here at All Souls is imminent, and I’m in awe of the silent (and sometimes not-so-silent) growth and movement I’ve witnessed as I reflect on these nearly 10 years with you all.
Phil offered me this job just two days before my wedding, and I showed up to my first staff meeting just three days after said wedding. I remember in one of my final interviews with Phil we aired our worries––he was concerned that I wouldn’t find spiritual satisfaction here, and I was worried that I wasn’t up to the task of this job, that it was beyond my capabilities. It has come as a surprise (a pleasant one) to both of us that neither of these concerns were ever true.
As most of you know, before I started working here, I was waiting tables at Tacolicious, a brand new (at that time) and wild restaurant in the Mission. It was a place infamous in the restaurant scene at the time for partying. I wasn’t fully living into that scene, but it was the world I was living in and among at the time. I had a Masters in Theology, but it was from an evangelical seminary, and I had never worked in a church before, but instead had experience with a para-church missionary organization called Campus Crusade for Christ.
I remember just after I got hired, a woman wearing a collar (who it turns out Phil knew) came into Tacolicious for lunch. She got seated in my section so after greeting the table, I told her that I had just been hired by people who also wore collars (I genuinely didn’t know anything about denominations who had collar-wearing pastors), and sent a round of tequila shots to the table. I learned that the woman knew Phil and so we took a selfie of us taking the shots and she texted it to Phil with the text “I just met your new hire!”. Giddyup, All Souls.
I had been hired half time and given a year and a half window to have the job, after which the job would likely sunset due to budget restraints. But, I took it anyway, thinking that while it wasn’t perfect, it might get me where I needed to go.
And then and very quickly, I just got totally taken by you all, and by this work, and by the staff––Joy Shih Ng, Christopher Putnam, Liz Tichenor, Jess Powell, Nettie Pinell, Jamie Apgar, Maggie Foote, Whitney Wilson, Annie Rovzar, Dent Davidson, Emily Boring, Diana Markley, Matt Wolka, Scott Garriott, Lassandro Wilson, and of course, Phil Brochard.
I remember a wild year or so when Joy first retired and we didn’t have an admin and so I stepped into the role and was made full time. I remember sprinting down the hallway in the undercroft, back and forth from Joy’s old office, trying to make and print bulletins in addition to doing my own work of kinship and welcome. I would run to use the bathroom and then run back to my office. There were tears and laughter, and some deep frustrations and immense joy in those years as I was sorting out myself, this work, and my own call. In it all, you all were very generous with my missteps and mistakes (I can remember a time, very early on, when I dropped the plate while stepping in as an usher and not only did the metal hit that concrete floor with as loud a clang as possible, but money and coins then also went flying under pews where I then had to crawl on my knees to pick them up all).
And then Covid hit and this job, and I think our community, took on a different flavor. We had to learn a totally new way to be together, and we as the staff had to build this new way even while we were living it. Our staff meetings, which were once just two hours each week, were now stretching to three hours with some afternoon follow-up each week. It was just so hard. But, we started the Soulcast, so there was always that :).
Once Covid was through, and the intensity of All Souls staff life had a little breather, I realized I was feeling a pull in other directions, but my next steps were extremely cloudy. I had entered the discernment process to discern if the priesthood was something I should consider, but was doing it more out of due diligence than desire. But Covid pushed me to start the Sunday Night Service, which was a project I had in my heart for many years, arguably even before I came to All Souls. And it turned out that this Sunday Night Service was the seed of what would be next for me.
I could probably write a novel about all the stories of the last decade, and I could go on and on about the things that happened, the conversations that changed me, the ways you all have helped me grow up, but there is not enough space or time to write all that down. So I’ll stop here and just say, in case I haven’t yet or it hasn’t been clear enough, I am so unbelievably, wildly grateful for you all. You have shaped who I have become and left an imprint on me that will likely carry me through my lifetime. Your generosity, spirit, truth-telling, your faults, and faithfulness have inspired me to believe that this whole church thing is really worth doing.
My last Sunday with you is April 27th, and it seems we’ll have a little gathering in the Parish Hall following the service. If you’re around, I hope you come by, if for no other reason than to just watch me weep (but really). Going forward, you can find me at St. Lucy’s, where you are all welcome to come by and say hi on a Sunday evening. And, just to wrap up everything here with a bow, it looks like I’ll be ordained to the Transitional Diaconate this December and to the priesthood in June of 2026.
It’s always a dangerous game to give something your whole heart, and I’m not mad that I did it, but man it hurts. Thank you for everything.
–Emily Hansen Curran
Associate Search Update
If you’re still able to read this note through your tears, good on you. I just wanted to give a quick update for the search for our new Associate for Welcome and Kinship.
The search team, chaired by Cathy Goshorn and Dan Hardy, with Erin Horne, Sarah Crawford, Deirdre Nurre, Brian Beachler, Toni Martinez-Borgfeldt, and Annie Hayes has done faithful and discerning work that will soon bear fruit.
The twenty-three candidates that first applied for this position have been distilled into three finalists, all of whom I have interviewed with this week. Each of the finalists are skilled, mature, and faithful leaders. I am grateful to have such a strong group to discern with as I soon make an offer to one of them join our staff.
To be clear, there is no replacing Emily Hansen Curran. She’s one of a kind. And, she has built a strong foundation that someone will be able to build upon to help us welcome people into this parish and knit us more closely together in the Spirit.
My hope is that this person will join us somewhere in late May to early June and work closely with our Welcome, Kinship, and Parish Life teams. Until then, please keep praying, for Emily, Megan, Simone, and Sal, and for those who are yet to join.
Peace,
-Phil+
Building Interfaith Bridges Concert
Please join the All Souls Parish Choir along with musical and liturgical groups from St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church and Congregation Beth El in a festive afternoon of shared singing and celebration.
A bit of history - our congregations traditionally held a musical event together on the Friday after Thanksgiving each year, but the pandemic put that practice on pause. We look forward to reconnecting with our interfaith neighbors!
The concert will be held on Sunday, April 27 at 3 pm at Congregation Beth El - Main Sanctuary, 1301 Oxford Street, Berkeley, 94709 - Parking on Oxford or Spruce St. Hope to see you there!
-Matt Wolka, Associate for Music
Holy Week 2025 Schedule
Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter Sunday, where we follow the path of Christians who for centuries upon centuries have been gathering together to retrace these last steps of the Christ.
While the week’s services are meant to be experienced as one service spread out over several days, please join for any or all that you are able. Here is the schedule for the week. Live-streamed services are indicated with *.
Maundy Thursday
6p Agape Meal, featuring feasting, prayer and song— Please RSVP here!
7:30p Eucharist, with the Washing of Feet, Stripping of the Altar, and Procession to the Altar of Repose*
9:00p All Night Prayer Vigil
Good Friday
12-3 Contemplative Service (with poetry, silence, song, and prayers)
4-5p Holy Week for Kids (interactive service with prayer stations)
7:30p Liturgy with reading of the Passion Gospel, and Veneration of the Cross*
Holy Saturday
9:30a Holy Saturday liturgy
8p The Great Vigil of Easter, with lighting of the New Fire, and the First Eucharist of Easter* (don’t forget to bring your bells!)
Easter Sunday
9:00a Sung Eucharist
10:15 Easter egg hunt for children 5th grade and younger
11:15a Sung Eucharist
(Note: There will be no 8a Chapel service on Easter Sunday)
– The All Souls Staff
April 5th Rallies
One of the strange things about being an alive American Christian right now is that while the pulse of rage and confusion is constant both around and within me, daily life also still marches on.
One minute I’m deep in prayer and contemplation looking for guidance and to be grounded by the word and presence of God; the next, I’m on the Sports Engine app of my phone solving the logistical puzzle that is the next four evenings of six games of softball for two kids across five different Berkeley ball fields.
Because the spring has been a blur, I don’t remember when or how I learned about the Hands Off protests happening across the nation, but at some point I put April 5th in my Google Calendar with a question mark. When it came around, I mentioned it to the girls and Terry and asked if they wanted to go and they did. So on a Saturday morning - post-sleepovers, squeezed between swimming and softball - I returned to my roots and got on my living room floor to make protest signs out of cardboard boxes. This time, instead of specific sentiments of dissent against the Iraq War, or restrictions on reproductive health in the small, rural Missouri town I lived in during college, or the picket line signs supporting my mom who was fighting to form a nurse’s union in the 90s, I was drawn to larger messages: “Defend Democracy,” “Diversity Makes Us Strong” and “Hate Never Made America Great.”
Entering the crowd at the North Berkeley BART station felt like returning to myself in a way. As I told the girls, it was a great first protest experience because there was a decent turnout for sure - several hundred people - but it was calm and manageable. They could work up their demonstration stamina from here. Then I caught myself: “But I hope you don’t have to keep protesting your whole lives.” Gracie asked if Donald Trump was going to be there. When I said no, she asked, “Well then why are we all here? What will it do?” I started to point out the different signs and shirts and buttons that people had. I told her there were other larger protests going on at the exact same time all across the country and that together, collectively, we were making a point. We crossed the parking lot and entered the thick of things along Sacramento Street. Some teenagers climbed up the elevator shaft with their signs. I pointed out the rainbow flag behind us that said, “Good Shepherd Episcopal Church” and reminded Nora and Gracie these were members of another Episcopal church in Berkeley, near their school. I repeated the chants that I heard and yelled loudly, nodding to those near me encouraging them to join in the chorus.
Ultimately, just showing up and being there with neighbors was a better response to Gracie than any speech I might have mustered. Why were we there? What would it do? My kids got to see community members expressing their inner thoughts, fears and anger in a positive, peaceful way. They got to feel how powerful it can be to literally use your voice to join a collective. It showed them that this kind of physical embodiment of one’s beliefs is important and worthwhile, not just as a civilian act but a religious one. Many lessons and rituals we share on Sundays are still abstract to my kids. Attending the Hands Off protest was not abstract. It was clear and visceral: use your voice, your body, your creativity, your privilege of public safety - whatever you have - use it to show the love you have for God and neighbors.
-Molly Nicol
Warmth: the quality, state or sensation of being warm, moderate and comfortable heat.
As I write this Thursday morning, all heating systems are being tested, and we have hot water! Hopefully Sunday morning will be warm in the sanctuary. The pictures attached show how intricate all these systems are, an exciting time. Just in case tests don’t go as planned, you might still want to wear a jacket! It should be pretty obvious if warmth has arrived!
More and more spaces are becoming available for initial use, however, work and organization are still in progress! Please obey all signage. If you have questions, comments or concerns about what you see, please contact Ann Myers @ annclairemyers@gmail.com for clarification. Thanks.
Egress continues through both Narthex doors and out the nave to the Jordan Courtyard.
–Ann Myers and the Property Committee
Announcements & Events
Happening This Week
SUNDAY
7:00 AM, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study, either in person in the Common Room or Click here to join by Zoom.
8:00 AM, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please access the Chapel through the copper doors on Cedar St.
10:30 AM, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here. Sunday School in the classroom downstairs.
7:00 PM, Youth Group - High School Small Group
WEDNESDAY
9:00 AM, Eucharist in the Jordan Court Community Room.
THURSDAY
6-7:15PM - Agape Meal
7:30PM-9PM - Maundy Thursday Service
4/17-4/18 9PM-9AM - Overnight Prayer Vigil
FRIDAY
12N-3PM - Three Hour Service
4PM - Holy Week for Children
7:30PM-9PM - Good Friday Service
SATURDAY
9:30AM-10AM - Holy Saturday Service
8PM-11PM - Easter Vigil
SUNDAY
9AM-10:30AM - Easter Sunday
10:15AM - Easter Egg Hunt
11:15-12:30PM - Easter Sunday with Baptisms
Worship with Us
BYOG (Bring Your Own Greens)
This coming Sunday, April 13th, is Palm Sunday. We invite you to bring branches, fronds, or other leafy foliage to participate in our Blessing of the Palms. If you have extra, bring some to share!
Maundy Thursday Prayer Vigil sign-ups
On Maundy Thursday, following a feast and a service of foot-washing, we strip the altar and process the reserved sacraments down to the Chapel on Cedar St. There, we pray with the body and blood of Christ through the night, just as the disciples were instructed to do when Jesus went into the garden to pray. We take turns holding vigil in hour-long shifts, from 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. (April 17th-18th). To sign up for a shift, add your name to this spreadsheet or talk to our Vestry chaplains, Jesse Kadjo, Sarah Bakker Kellogg, or Erin Horne.
Holy Week Needs:
Help us fold and assemble Triduum booklets at 10am next Wednesday, April 16th (after the 9am Eucharist). Email diana@allsoulsparish.org if you can come to the office to help.
Help set-up for the 6p Agape Meal––show up sometime between 4-6p in the Parish Hall.
Sign-up to hold vigil and pray through the night after the Maundy Thursday service.
Bring food/drinks to share for the reception following the Easter Vigil on Saturday!
Show up a little early on Saturday night to help set-up for the Vigil (arrive between 7-8p)
Learn with Us
ADULT FORMATION
COMING UP AFTER EASTER: April 27, May 4, 11
Love Thy Neighborhood: Allyship and Faith in Action
The Racial Justice Committee invites you to this workshop which will explore the critical role of allyship in working for racial justice. Grounded in Christian teachings and our baptismal covenant, we will discuss practical ways to be allies in our communities and examine how faith informs our actions.
Gather with Us
Save the Date! Maundy Thursday Agape Meal on April 17th
In this spirit, we will eat together for a Maundy Thursday Agape Meal––an ancient practice in the Christian church, recalling the meals Jesus shared with disciples during his ministry, and especially at the Last Supper before his crucifixion, and expressing the koinonia (community, sharing, fellowship) of the followers of Christ. The term agape comes from the Greek––a term for love in its broadest sense. The Agape Meal is another way of living out Jesus’ mandatum (Latin for “commandment,” as in Maundy Thursday) or commandment that we love one another with the same self-emptying love, mercy and forgiveness with which he has loved and still loves us.
As part of this service we will pray, sing a few songs, have some conversation, and we'll eat a light meal together. Our intention is for this to be a kid-friendly service, which you can attend as a stand-alone service on Maundy Thursday, or as preparation for the 7:30p Eucharistic service with foot washing. If you are able, please RSVP for this meal so that we know about how much food to bring. Click here to RSVP
CHILDREN & FAMILY
Sunday School (for kids pre-K through 5th grade) happens every week during the 10:30 service. Starting March 16th, we’re trying out a new way to begin our time together! Children will begin the service in the nave with their families (rather than going straight down to the classroom before the service). They’ll stay through the opening hymn and procession. Then, during the “Song of Praise” (about 5 min into the service), the kids will see a teacher holding a big wooden cross coming down the aisle. They’ll “follow the leader” as a group downstairs to the classroom. We hope that this change will help kids feel more involved with the congregation at the start of the service, and it will create an intentional transition into the start of class. Children will still return to church at the “Peace.”
Come join other All Soulsian families and kids in the courtyard after church. Please be mindful of fencing around the perimeter.
To sign up for our Children and Family newsletter, please email Emily B.
Invitation to Summer Camp!
Each year, St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco hosts a summer camp for kids and youth! Below, see an invitation from their leaders:
"This June 16–20, St. Gregory’s shall once more host our annual FOG Camp, and this year’s theme is none other than Theses & Thrones —a grand game of faith, strategy, and persuasion set amidst the English Reformation!
This camp shall immerse young minds in the great theological debates that shaped our tradition:
Sola Scriptura or Church Tradition?
Faith alone or faith and works?
Saints: icons of devotion or idolatry?
Eucharist: real presence or symbol?
Shall we worship in Latin or the tongue of the people?
Campers shall take up the mantle of one of four historic factions—Traditionalists, Henricians, Evangelicals, or Puritans—and engage in spirited debate, cunning persuasion, and strategic play to gain influence over the British Isles. Through this gamified journey, they shall deepen their understanding of history, theology, and the art of collaboration."
There is no cost to youth; donations appreciated. Register here. Reach out to Peter Levenstrong (peterlevenstrong@saintgregorys.org) with questions. This is a great way to meet youth across the diocese, and we hope that All Soulsians will attend!
YOUTH PROGRAM
Youth Group (for grades 6-12) happens on Sundays from 7-8:30pm. Generally, we alternate between an all-grades gathering, and a high school small group (~once a month).
This Sunday (April 13th) there will be an High School Small Group
Coming up!
April 20th: No Youth Group - Happy Easter!
April 27th: Pilgrimage to Grace Cathedral 12-6pm (see below for more details)
Download our Spring (March/April) 2025 calendar here. To join the weekly youth mailing list, email emilyb@allsoulsparish.org.
4th Annual Pilgrimage to Grace Cathedral
On April 27th, alongside folks from around the Diocese, our youth will venture by train, ferry, and foot to Grace Cathedral. All Soulsians of all ages are invited to join us! The route this year is abridged (~4 miles of walking rather than 9!). We’ll gather in the All Souls courtyard at 12:30, ride BART from downtown Berkeley to Oakland, take the ferry, and meet up with other churches to walk up the hill. Email Emily B for more info or to sign up.
Justice & Peace
BUILDING INTERFAITH BRIDGES invites you to TWO UPCOMING EVENTS:
APRIL 13th - Please join Building Interfaith Bridges for a Passover Seder at Congregation Beth El on Sunday, 4/13th @ 5p. Register here today! (Please note: registration closes on April 3, 2025)
Led by Rabbi Ira and Cantor Elaya, friends from the Building Interfaith Bridges partnership are invited to enjoy a festive and musical Passover celebration and a delicious kosher-for-Passover meal. The seder will include singing from our Beth El Chorus and will be accessible and meaningful for participants of all ages! Let all who are hungry come and eat! There is no Zoom option for the seder - we look forward to celebrating with you in person at Beth El! Event Details:
Day/Date/Time: Sunday April 13 @ 5p
Location: Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St.
Cost: $54/person
RSVP here: https://www.bethelberkeley.org/event/second-night-congregational-seder2.html
APRIL 27th at 3 pm
Please join the All Souls Parish Choir along with musical and liturgical groups from St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church and Congregation Beth El in a festive afternoon of shared singing and celebration.
The concert will be held on Sunday, April 27 at 3 pm at Congregation Beth El - Main Sanctuary, 1301 Oxford Street, Berkeley, 94709 - Parking on Oxford or Spruce St. Hope to see you there!
Serve with Us
FOOD BANK collection is active. Please bring non-perishable food on Sundays and use the baskets in the Narthex. We also need drivers to deliver food. If you want to help, e-mail Cathy G. (ogoshca@yahoo.com).
MEAL TRAIN delivers food to others. If you are in need of meals, or if you’d like to join this team to deliver to others, email Sarah (sarahoneto@gmail.com).
OPEN DOOR DINNER (ODD) will be happening THIS SUNDAY, April 13th. ODD consists of a group of All Soulsians and friends that make a warm jambalaya meal for anyone who is hungry on the second Sunday of the month. This is a meaningful way to connect with other volunteers while serving the community. If you are interested in joining this team, email Jennifer A. (akiyama.jennifer@gmail.com)
Undergraduate Street Medicine Outreach (USMO) is a Cal student group that organizes outreach events every Saturday to bring food and resources to homeless encampments in Berkeley. With the colder weather, they are especially seeking donations of the following items:
General hygiene products (toothbrushes/toothpaste, deodorant, soap, etc.)
Clothes/cold weather gear
Bottled water
Please bring these donations to the red bin in the Narthex. Email Beth Christensen (beth.christensen) for donation and other direct volunteer opportunities with USMO.
Open Door Dinner (ODD) happens on the second Sunday of every month. If you are able or interested in helping put the meal together or deliver some meals to the camps around Berkeley, please email Jennifer Akiyama.
Last but definitely not Least
BYOG (Bring Your Own Greens)
This coming Sunday, April 13th, is Palm Sunday! We invite you to bring branches, fronds, or other leafy foliage to participate in our Blessing of the Palms. If you have extra, bring some to share!
Help Us Fill Easter Eggs!
It’s almost that time of year again! On Easter Sunday, we have an egg hunt for children between our two services (around 10:15). Please help us fill these eggs with goodies! Three easy steps:
Pick up some empty eggs in the narthex after church.
Take them home and fill them with candy, stickers, toys, etc.
Drop off the filled eggs in the narthex any Sunday, or during Holy Week.
(Bonus: Return any empty eggs you might have kept from last year!)
Contact Emily B with questions.
Lent 2025 Playlist is on Spotify. Matt Wolka invites you to click here to check it out.
The inaugural Robert N. Bellah Lecture on Religion and Public Life was held on April 9th. The inaugural address, “Following Our North Star in Tumultuous Times” was given by the Right Rev. Mariann Budde. You can access the livestream here: https://bit.ly/bellahlecture.
Upcoming Poetry Events in El Cerrito: SAVE THE DATES May 2 & 3 for a two-day youth poetry festival with all kinds of fun poetry activities. Haiku booth, zine booth, record a poem on the radio booth, poetry scavenger hunt, taco truck and more! All are welcome.
Tess Taylor
2024 Contribution Statements: They are already prepared and ready for download on Realm. You'll see a blue button that says "2024 Contribution Statement" on your Home Profile Page, and also on your Giving Page. If you aren't registered yet on Realm, or if you have trouble, just email, text or call Maggie Cooke, Giving Secretary, and she will have an email out to you (or a hard copy mailed if required) within an hour or so. Don't hesitate to ask... but it's a great feature of Realm to see your Giving at any time.
Maggie Cooke, Giving Secretary
