Blog & Newsroom

Read the Archangel on mobile or desktop computers by flipping through the pages above, or clicking the link through to our online newsstand, issuu.com.

The last full day has come and gone! This morning we had the great opportunity to worship at one of the local Catholic Churches of Cochabamba, Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Today might have been the best day yet! We began the morning with a trip to one of Cochabamba’s largest parks with the children of Casa Esperanza, including the four new girls who joined the family only yesterday.

For those of you who have engaged in overseas missions, you will understand that a theme of a mission given to us by God is “hold your plans lightly”. That was certainly the case today in Bolivia!

This morning we got to hear from Douglas, one of the ministers at Amistad, as he shared this passage and a devotional to the children of the Amistad Program for Families.

Today was an absolutely beautiful day for our team in so many ways. We started with breakfast filled with all sorts of local breads, fruit and cereals to get us ready for the kids at Amistad.

4 flights, 2 customs screenings, 16 checked bags, and 26 hours later, we have made it to Cochabamba, Bolivia!

Serving as a Sunday School Teacher is an invaluable way to impact the lives of our youth. By volunteering, you not only get the opportunity to know and care for the youth of our church, but in serving, you also demonstrate to them the importance of service in your life of faith. By no means should you feel you need to have all the answers. All you need is a willingness to share your time.

The new Associate for Pastoral Care supports and assists the ministries and operations of the Department of Pastoral Care, which currently includes Engagement ministries. This involves working under the direction of the current Associate for Pastoral Care to ensure the ministries and operations of the department are aligned with the core focus and priorities of the organization. This role develops collaborative initiatives and relationships with staff and volunteers in other ministries and departments and shares in the sacerdotal ministries of the clergy of Saint Michael. We expect the new Associate for Pastoral Care will assume leadership of the Pastoral Care department when the current Associate for Pastoral Care retires in summer 2025.

Every day we are making significant progress on Saint Michael’s unprecedented Building our Future construction project. We are about to embark on the last stretch of Phase 1, and it’s important that you know what to expect, so together, we can continue in community worship and have fellowship with one another.

On Monday, June 24, we were honored to welcome the Rev. Dr. George Mason for a timely and thought-provoking discussion at Pub Theology 2024.

In this pivotal election year, Dr. Mason led us in a reflective exploration of the role Christianity has played and should play in the realm of politics. From navigating contentious issues to grappling with the concept of Christian nationalism, we dove into the complexities and challenges of faith-based engagement in the public sphere.

The staff and I are continually impressed by the character, gifts, skills, and abilities of Saint Michael’s lay leaders. They bring their very best passion and intellect to the work of the church, ensuring that finances are sound, operations are smooth, and ministries are effective. We are very grateful for those who have been called to leadership in this community.

I recently returned from our latest mission to Tela, Honduras, where once again I was amazed at how Saint Michael has actually constructed a large part of the infrastructure for the barrio public schools we visit, including classrooms, play yards, a water pump and outdoor restroom facilities. These structures are used every day by hundreds of children who are in kindergarten through 6th grade.

Youth Mission Week was a great success this year! We were delighted to return to Stephen C. Foster Elementary School for a second year where we hosted a week-long camp for K-5th graders from Foster Elementary and the Bachman Lake community.

One of the challenges we often experience in the life of faith has to do with our need for a clear vision of what growing in faith looks like. We can be inclined to think of faith as a feeling or an idea rather than as a behavior: this can frustrate our attempts to become mature Christians because it makes it hard to recognize how we may be called to grow in specific, concrete ways. The call to grow as a mature disciple of Jesus invites us to reflect on where it is Jesus calls us to go and how we’re going to get there.

The words of Psalm 34:19 saved my life. They mysteriously appeared in the form of a 2"x1” card placed on my desk in the fall of 2021. After asking several people who I suspected might have left it for me, I can only guess where it came from.

What are we going to give up for Lent? Always a challenging question—chocolate or alcohol?

But why not take something on? Like going to church on Wednesday evenings?

The Rev. Greg Pickens, Associate for Pastoral Care at Saint Michael, is retiring from full-time ministry in July 2025. Fortunately, after retirement, he will continue to call Saint Michael home and share his gifts with “Joy! A Children’s Service.”

Dear Friends,

I write to you with the good news that the Rev. Christian Basel, who has served as Curate for three years, has been called to serve as the next Rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Cheyenne, WY!

Do you know a fellow parishioner who would be an excellent candidate to serve on the Vestry or as a Delegate to the annual Diocesan Convention? If so, please nominate him or her to serve.

The Women of Saint Michael Gifts Committee has announced grants totaling $712,000 to the following nonprofit organizations working with impoverished people locally and abroad. Funds were raised during the program year, August 2023 through May 2024, through WOSM events, fundraising opportunities, the Parish Party and the St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange. Over the past sixty years, the Gifts Committee has given back to the community grants totaling more than $12.3 million.

This year, we kick off the summer season with a fantastic Pentecost celebration! On Sunday, May 19, we will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost in an even more exciting way than usual, because this year, we will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the big capital project that will remake our campus.

Read the Archangel on mobile or desktop computers by flipping through the pages above, or clicking the link through to our online newsstand, issuu.com. There you can flip through the pages or even download your own PDF copy of this issue of the Archangel!

We are very pleased to announce that one of the world’s top choral conductors, Tom Hammond-Davies, has been named Director of Music at Saint Michael! Moving from Oxford, England, to Dallas, Hammond-Davies will assume his role on August 1.

Thank you for your support as we begin to see more evidence of construction on campus. These are tangible signs that we are building for the future, and all to the glory of God!

Honor a loved one by making an Easter Flower Memorial donation.

In this episode, a candid conversation about leadership and optimism with Klyde Warren Park President Kit Sawers. Hear about her transformative work in community development and diversity initiatives in Dallas, the innovative use of Klyde Warren Park during the pandemic and a discussion on the future of Dallas.

We have returned from our wonderful time in Tela re-entering again the space of our of 1st World problems. I have to say that, once again, the lessons we learn from our trips abroad clearly affect our perspective. The joy and love that the children, their mothers, the seniors and the hosts share with us is humbling, overwhelming, graceful and sustaining. The blessings of outreach ministry go both ways.

Whew--what a day! The majority of the team made the trip to the Citronella barrio.

Today was a wonderful day that started with rain and ended with sunshine!

Day 2 in the field in Tela Honduras and our team is in full swing.

We have arrived, and our greeting at the airport by our host group of high school seniors was wonderful!

In this inspiring episode, a deep dive into serving the future of North Texas with Dallas ISD Board Member Joe Carreon. Joe shares his journey from growing up in a blue-collar, predominantly Latino community in Northwest Dallas to shaping education policy at the White House to creating equitable opportunities to all Dallas youth.

Read the Archangel on mobile or desktop computers by flipping through the pages above, or clicking the link through to our online newsstand, issuu.com. There you can flip through the pages or even download your own PDF copy of this issue of the Archangel!

In this episode, Chris discusses life perspective with the Director of the George W. Bush Institute SMU Economic Growth Initiative, Cullum Clark. Cullum discusses how one life-altering moment led to a series of important changes in his life and shaped who he is today including Cullum’s brave decision to pursue a Ph.D. in economics decades after receiving his undergraduate degree.

In this episode, Chris sits down with former US Secretary of Education and CEO of Texas 2036, Margaret Spellings. Margaret is now leading the charge for a better tomorrow as President and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center. Prepare to be inspired as they delve into the crucial role of education in Texas' future, discussing data-driven solutions, bridging opportunity gaps, and empowering communities.

In part two of our conversation with Dallas Housing Authority Commissioner, Almas Muscatwalla, we delve deep into interfaith dialogue and the transformative changes that the DFW community has experienced over the last 20 years and what’s important in improving our approach to knowing our neighbors. Almas shares how each one of us can contribute to improving our growing, diverse community by working to become more inclusive.

In this episode, Chris shares in an optimistic conversation with Dallas Housing Authority Commissioner, Almas Muscatwalla. Almas reflects on how her faith as an Ismaili Muslim has influenced her work to create unity among all DFW communities. She also shares experiences as a Muslim American, especially post-9/11 and the responsibility of being an ambassador for Islam.

Read the Archangel on mobile or desktop computers by flipping through the pages above, or clicking the link through to our online newsstand, issuu.com. There you can flip through the pages or even download your own PDF copy of this issue of the Archangel!

In this episode, Chris engages in a candid conversation with the President of RedBird Development group, Peter Brodsky. Peter shares his personal struggle with lifelong anxiety and his personal interest in driving positive impacts on the South Dallas community through an opportunistic investment.

This slate has been ratified by the Vestry and will be voted upon at the Annual Meeting on October 22.

“Practically Fearless with Chris Girata” highlights leaders who overcome fears and obstacles to better the world around them. In this inaugural episode, Chris talks with President and CEO of The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center in Dallas, Texas - Dr. David Woody III. The two discuss the ongoing mission of The Bridge to serve the homeless, the challenges the Center faces and the personal challenges Dr. Woody has overcometo better help those in need. Visit bridgehrc.org for more information about The Bridge.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine! That is the theme of our week and that is what is going on all over Foster Elementary School!

Today was our first day of camp activities including rounds of arts and crafts, music, movie time, and sports. Father Christian Basel helped all the campers make a tie-dye T-shirt.

On Day 2, we met our campers!! We then loaded up in buses and headed to the Perot Museum!

This first year of ministry at Saint Michael has flown by as I have been introduced to our wonderful people and the beautiful ministries of this church! This quote from Desmond Tutu could have been written with you in mind. The Mission and Outreach ministry of Saint Michael is clearly a dynamic and fast-growing one thanks to the extraordinary support of our congregation, led by the Mission and Outreach Committee.

The Horizon Outreach Fund Makes Historic First Disbursement, Benefiting Bachman Lake Together

“Extending the grace of Saint Michael’s gift of the North Land beyond its doors in bold, life-changing and strategic ways is the mission of the Horizon Outreach Fund (HOF),” says HOF Chair Matthew Waller.

Where to begin! For those of you who have been blessed in the past to attend an international mission trip, you understand how in some ways such an experience can be beyond words. That certainly holds true for our ministry in Tela, Honduras.

Summer is just around the corner, and that means we are very close to the Feast of Pentecost. At Saint Michael, Pentecost has always been a big day with a true celebration—it is the birthday of the Church after all!

Read the Archangel on mobile or desktop computers by flipping through the pages above, or clicking the link through to our online newsstand, issuu.com. There you can flip through the pages or even download your own PDF copy of this issue of the Archangel!

In 2020, homeless shelters in North Texas and around the country were forced to reduce the number of people they served due to Covid-19. The pandemic stretched an already strained system, throwing more people into homelessness.

Praying with the Stations of the Cross is one of the great devotions of Christian tradition. Traditionally, fourteen images depicting Jesus Christ follow the route he took on the day of his crucifixion. Each image is accompanied by prayers and in a spiritual way reflects our joining in on that walk with Jesus, either done individually or as part of a group.

I got to spend the morning at Espiritu Santos School. Sally Schupp and Mary Elizabeth Schlier have created a wonderful week of Bible classes for all of the children in the school. The kids love the art and music. Tom Blackmon is gifted at leading Godly Play.

We went to a barrio called Citronella.

Today we celebrated Valentine's Day with our friends in Honduras--they love this celebration. I gave away hundreds of stickers to the Ninos. We also fit a huge line of people for glasses and of course did fluoride for the children.

We met the children of Espiritu Santos who treated us to a wonderful welcome program. We then divided into teams and started construction, vision screening, fluoride treatments and Christian education

On October 11, 2022, sixty leaders, volunteers, and friends of the various Pastoral Care ministries gathered to recognize recipients of the second annual Pastoral Care Awards.

Started the day with bilingual worship at Espiritu Santos led by Olga Barrera Head of School and Rector and myself. Olga was so appreciative of the team, some of whom have been coming for 18 years.

We then spent the afternoon organizing our materials for the work at the school and the barrios. Also had song practice to lead our songs for Christian Ed in Spanish.

We have had tropical storm type weather with rain and wind and waves. Supposed to clear tomorrow. We are having a wonderful time getting to know one another.

Warm welcome by Mtr. Olga and the seniors at Espiritu Santos. The hotel we are in is a small family-run hotel. They are fantastic hosts and so delighted to see the Saint Michael team again.

Read the Archangel on mobile or desktop computers by flipping through the pages above, or clicking the link through to our online newsstand, issuu.com. There you can flip through the pages or even download your own PDF copy of this issue of the Archangel!

Saint Michael and All Angels has been recognized by the American Red Cross as one of its Premier Blood Partners for 2023, a prestigious honor, for its support of the community and national blood supply.

Since my arrival at Saint Michael and All Angels, I have had the delightful task of learning about and visiting with many of our established partner ministries that serve children and their families, in Dallas and beyond...

North Dallas Shared Ministries sponsored their annual school supply and school uniform distribution at the beginning of August. Forty-eight Saint Michael parishioners volunteered, including youth, adults, clergy, and staff members, to set up, shop with clients, restock, and take inventory. NDSM provided 3,527 students with school supplies and 2,638 students with school uniforms, equipping them with the items needed to thrive in school. The students began school with the resources they need to be successful!

Many of you know me well enough to know that I love what I do, and I spend a lot of time doing it. Being a priest in the Church, specifically sharing ministry with you at Saint Michael, is a gift in my life.

The Winter 2022 Archangel is out now! Read the Archangel on mobile or desktop computers by flipping through the pages above, or clicking the link through to our online newsstand, issuu.com. There you can flip through the pages or even download your own PDF copy of this issue of the Archangel!

At the beginning of June, the Children and Family Ministry team hosted its annual Vacation Bible School program. Over 100 children got to travel back in time to explore Jerusalem Marketplace and discover what Jesus’ final week in the city was like.

Often during Sunday morning services, communicants stop at a small credence table on their way to communion to place a hand on a knitted or crocheted prayer shawl, joining with clergy to bless the handmade shawls that will be distributed to people who are ill, confined or grieving.

After much anticipation, I am delighted to finally be working with you as your new Associate for Mission and Outreach. These first couple of months have been a whirlwind of introductions, both with you here at Saint Michael and with our partners in ministry in the Dallas community and beyond.

Who exactly are the Women of Saint Michael and what do you have to do to join? It could not be simpler: all women who are members of our parish are automatically members of the Women of Saint Michael (WOSM).

Before Saint Michael and All Angel’s 85-year-old parishioner Marillyn Seeberger started taking college level classes, she volunteered at Saint Michael in outreach for a number of ministries. Spanning more than a decade, Marillyn spear-headed writing materials for the Pastoral Care Ministries and for the communications department.

For the second year in a row our youth ministry here at Saint Michael spent a week of their summer serving around Dallas with various ministry partners. Thirty-one youth signed up for the opportunity to serve our city while also building friendships with each other along the way.

Did you miss the bus? If you weren’t able to make the 75th Anniversary bus tour last February to view some of Saint Michael’s outreach projects, you missed the opportunity to visit St. Philip’s School and Community Center.

In what amounted to a re-start of a long standing strategy of the Men of Saint Michael, 125 of the group’s members and their guests gathered at the Park City Club for an inspiring conversation with Clark Hunt, Chairman of the Hunt Sports Group and CEO of FC Dallas and the Kansas City Chiefs, with Sunwest Communications owner and CEO Crayton Webb, facilitating. Mr. Hunt began his presentation with this powerful central theme, "My Christian faith is the most important thing to me. In terms of priorities, it is faith, family, and football—in that order."

Fresh starts are good for us. When we have the opportunity to renew ourselves—who we are and how we act—the results can be very exciting. I think we have that kind of moment at Saint Michael this year.

This past year has been a pleasure and privilege as we look back. Now, it’s time we pivot forward as we become the church we are called to be in the future. Our journey forward will take courage, conviction, and commitment, but we have everything we need. We know that Jesus is with us, giving us strength for all that we hope to do and who we hope to become. Together, we can move confidently into a future that is bright and hopeful, and as we do, spread the Good News to all we meet.

For those that may not be aware of this significant ministry, Saint Michael is an active partner in the Meals on Wheels (MOW) delivery program here in Dallas which is operated by VNA, the Visiting Nurses Association. I’d like to share a bit about MOW, and what it can do for those in need—but also what it can do for you.

We are people who live very busy lives. And while we might sigh heavily as we tell people how busy we are, we often wear our busyness like a badge of honor. We determine how well we’re ‘doing’ life by the fullness of our calendar; by the number of experiences we’ve lined up; by the number of nights we’re not home without plans. And the world around us seems determined to affirm that value system. We are regularly reminded of the need to check in with others on social media, of the new hobbies and skills we should be developing, of baseline acquisitions necessary for a happier life.

Our trip is primarily a Christian pilgrimage, tracing the footsteps of Christ. However, we occasionally step off that Christian path to have a little fun. On day seven, we stepped off the path and took a quick trip to Jordan to visit Petra. Jordan is directly east of Israel and has had a cooperative, diplomatic relationship for more than fifty years.

Day five began with a visit to Christ Anglican School in Nazareth. This school is part of the Diocese of Jerusalem, the same diocese at St. George’s, the church we attended on Sunday morning.

Today we departed Jerusalem on our way to Galilee. The trip to Galilee included stops in Caesarea (Maritima) and Haifa.

Day three began with a walk to the Temple Mount. One of the holiest sites for Jews and Muslims, the Temple Mount is perhaps the most contested property on the planet. Today, this holy site features the iconic Dome of the Rock and the more simple Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Before we get to the official tour, I want to make a quick and important note: The Christian sites we visit are ones that have—on the whole—been identified for around 1600 years. All you math sleuths will see that there is a 400ish-year gap between Jesus’s life and these sites.

Our 2022 Saint Michael Family Holy Land Pilgrimage is off! Thirty-nine pilgrims safely arrived in Israel and settled in for a night of jet-lagged rest. This pilgrimage is the second family pilgrimage for Saint Michael, the first taking place in 2019. Originally scheduled to be March 2021, these pilgrims registered for this trip two weeks before the mass quarantine of 2020, so they have anticipated this trip for two years. I know it will be worth the wait!

In this issue of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church's magazine, we progress from Advent to Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, and then the resurrection of our Lord on Easter Day.

Winter is coming! Check out our latest issue of the Archangel magazine and get ready for Advent 2021.

The crew spent one final day enjoying Santiago after the end of their long journey. Read about their adventures from Anne Crawford and Debbie Jenevein. Buen Camino!

Today, our pilgrims arrived at their destination! Read more from Paula Calise and Nancy Wilbur.

Much of today's hike was spent reflecting on those who have walked the Camino before, and the everyday saint and travelers that our pilgrims meet along the way. Read more from Suzanne Lipscomb and Judy Conner.

Today's walk, through a variety of environments, was a reminder of the change and unpredictability of life. Read more from Leslie DeCillis.

Today's 19km walk was highlighted by Eucharist behind the church of San Xulian. Read more from Monique Black and Kathy Yeaman.

Read more about today's adventures while hiking 12 miles from Portomarín to Lestedo from Margaret Spellings.

Today the ladies began their journey, hiking 14 miles from Sarria to Portomarín. Read more from Susan Barnicoat and Missy Barras.

The crew traveled by bus to Sarria, where they'll begin the hike. Read more from Sissy Massad.

The group spent the day exploring Madrid. Read more from Mary Lessmann.

See all of Saint Michael's Lenten offerings in the latest edition of the Archangel magazine.

The Easter edition of our bi-monthly magazine is available now! Read about online worship during COVID-19, get a sneak peek of our 75th anniversary celebration, and more!