Trinity Times

April 2022

A Message from our Presiding Bishop:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I greet you in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus

Christ.

I am writing to you as we look ahead to Holy Week,

with its focus on our Lord’s sacrificial offering of love
on the cross.

The Good Friday Offering of our Church is one way

to help connect the love of Christ on the cross with
our support of the ongoing ministry of love and com-
passion carried out by our Anglican sisters and brothers throughout the Province of Jerusalem
and the Middle East.

Whether funding a hospital in Gaza or the West Bank, or an eye clinic in Aden, or wom-
en’s programs, or summer camps and leadership training for young people, the Good Friday Of-
fering is making a difference in the lives of so many. I have witnessed this Jesus-inspired compas-
sion and commitment at work with my own eyes. I believe our partnership with those who keep
Inside this issue: the faith of Jesus alive in the region, where our Lord walked and began his movement, is a signifi-
cant aspect of our work as part of the church catholic.
Our Holy Week 3
& Easter Worship I hope you will participate in this effort.

Thank you for considering this important witness to the love of Jesus across our Church.
Easter traditions 5
explained May God bless you and keep you always. I remain

Christianity & 7 Your brother in Christ,

Buddhism
The Most Rev. Michael Curry
Welcome Samuel 8 Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church
Richards to our
Vestry!

Reserve your 10 Please find Good Friday Offering envelopes on the literature
Sunday altar table in the main hallway. All donations received on Good
flowers for 2022! Friday will be sent to the Episcopal Church’s Domestic and
Foreign Missionary Society.
 Women’s History Month

Dear Friends,

As we culminate our March celebration of Women’s History Month we give thanks

for all God’s blessings. We prayerfully take some time to consider the many women, chil-
dren and families displaced by the invasion in Ukraine. The visuals of so many families dis-
placed is one of our greatest human tragedies. I am grateful that our parishioners have made
every effort to assist our sisters and brothers with donations of needed items to St. George
Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Allentown.

During Women’s History month we especially stop and take note of so many in-
credible women and their contributions to our everyday life. As recent as last week we
mourned the passing of former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright - the first woman to
hold that position in the USA.

At Trinity Cathedral and in our Diocese, I’m grateful

for the countless women who have been outstanding leaders
and role models. Recently I had the honor and privilege of
attending the swearing in of our dear sister, Suzette D. Price,
Esq. as the Deputy County Clerk for Mercer County. We wish
Suzette every success in this very significant role in the steward-
ship of our County.

I want to take this opportunity to thank our Women’s

History Month preachers: Deacon Carol Gilbert, Deacon Car-
ol Rodgers, Kimme Carlos and Deacon Gerry Welch. Our
Lenten program was once more facilitated by Dr. Janet Weath-
ers for the third year running. I am extremely grateful to Janet, who has done an outstanding job listening, researching and
presenting material which has greatly enhanced our common life. This year she co-opted Kimme Carlos to co-facilitate. On
Wednesday, March 23rd, at our Lenten presentation we were honored to have Barbara Fryar share her family history, grow-
ing up during the civil rights movement. A very moving and inspirational sharing; thanks, Barbara.

Faithfully,

Dean John+

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 Tenebrae – The Service of Darkness – Returns
to Trinity Cathedral
Wednesday, April 13 at 7:30 pm

Sometimes, the judicious use of low-tech dramatic elements – turning

off lights, a chant, or a slammed door – make a religious service resonate
deeply in those in attendance. Such is the case of Tenebrae, an ancient service that captures the despair of the death of
Christ in a direct, moving manner.

Also known as the Service of Darkness, the name Tenebrae means darkness or shadows, and has for centuries
referred to the early morning offices of Matins and Lauds of the last three days of Holy Week. Carefully woven together,
the readings and psalms recreate the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of the events of the seizure and crucifixion of
Christ as foreshadowed in the Old Testament and described in the New Testament. The story, however, is left unfinished
and unresolved until Easter.

The service is noted by a gradual extinguishing of candles and other lights in the church until only a single candle,
considered a symbol of Christ, remains. Toward the end of the services, this candle is hidden leaving the congregation in
total darkness, reflecting the apparent victory of the forces of evil. But just as the weight of darkness and silence engulfs the
cathedral, a strepitus ("loud noise") breaks the stillness, symbolizing the earthquake at Christ’s resurrection, the hidden can-
dle is restored to its place, and by its light all depart in silence.

Trinity Cathedral has conducted the service for more than 20 years under the leadership of Canon Paul Cooper,
who has done extensive research on the origins and variations of the service. Paul notes that “Tenebrae is one of the most
dramatic services held at the Cathedral. It begins with the congregation ensconced in the Cathedral’s chancel with the en-
tire Cathedral bathed in light keeping the darkness at bay. As the service progresses, lights and candles are extinguished so
that the chancel appears to be an island surrounded by darkness. The readings themselves underscore the precariousness
of our existence. Eventually, more candles are extinguished until only a single candle provides dim solace to the assembled.
When the last candle is removed, you really feel alone and abandoned. And then, after a period of uneasy silence, that in-
credible, deafening noise echoes through the Cathedral. It is definitely frightening and awesome.” Paul continues, “Many
people who attend Tenebrae tell us that it is one of their favorite services because it helps them mentally prepare for the
rest of Holy Week and the Easter celebration.”

Join us for Holy Week and Easter worship

April 11 & 12 - Monday & Tuesday of Holy Week: 7:00 pm

April 13 - Wednesday of Holy Week: Tenebrae at 7:30 pm
April 14 - Maundy Thursday: 12:00 pm and 7:30 pm
April 15 - Good Friday: 12:00 pm
April 16 - Holy Saturday: Easter Vigil at 7:00 pm
April 17 - Easter Day: Mass of the Resurrection at 10:00 am

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Trinity Clergy and parishioners were pleased
to attend the Ordination of John William
Conner to the Priesthood, at Church of the
Incarnation in Morrisville, Pennsylvania by
The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutierrez, Bishop
of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. John is the
Chaplain of the Society of Mary at Trinity
Cathedral and participates in the Rosary De-
votions Group at Trinity on Thursdays. Dean
John, Cn. Paul Cooper, Susan Remmers and
Erica Warner were in attendance to show
support for John.

“Therefore, Father, through Jesus Christ

your Son, give your Holy Spirit to John;
fill him with grace and power, and
make him a priest in your church.”

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 Eggs at Easter? What’s That All About?
by Rose Cooper

When our children were little, I often wondered what a bunny and
eggs had to do with the Resurrection. Perhaps you are wondering too?
Here are some reasons these symbols appear at this time of celebration!

In many pre-Christian societies eggs held associations with spring

and new life. Early Christians adapted these beliefs, making the egg a sym-
bol of the resurrection and the empty shell a metaphor for Jesus’ tomb.

In the medieval period eating eggs was forbidden during Lent, the
40-day period before Easter. On Easter Sunday the fast ended with feasting
and merriment, and eggs were considered an important part of these cele-
brations. The custom of the Easter egg hunt, however, comes from Germa-
ny. Some suggest that its origins date back to the late 16th century, when the
Protestant reformer Martin Luther organized egg hunts for his congrega-
tion. The men would hide the eggs for the women and children to find.
This was a nod to the story of the resurrection, in which the empty tomb
was discovered by women. In the German Lutheran tradition the Easter
egg hunt is linked to the Easter Bunny – or the Easter Hare, as he was origi-
nally known. Custom had it that the hare would bring a basket of brightly
painted eggs for all the children who had been good, and these would be
hidden around the house and garden for the children to find.

The early Christians of Mesopotamia began the custom of dyeing

Easter eggs. Originally, Christians dyed eggs red to represent the blood of
Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross. Over time, this tradition spread
throughout eastern Orthodox churches and eventually made its way to
Catholic and Protestant churches in Europe. Early Christian missionaries dyed the eggs different colors to represent differ-
ent aspects of the Easter story. They used yellow to represent the resurrection, blue to represent love, and red to represent
the blood of Christ. Sometimes, the missionaries would paint biblical scenes on the eggs and
hide them. This is one of the earliest forms of the Easter egg hunt.

Every year, the White House hosts their annual Easter Egg Roll. Egg rolling is a sym-
bolic reenactment of the stone rolling away from Christ’s
tomb. At the White House, children are invited to roll their
eggs across the lawn. At the end of the event, the children re-
ceive a commemorative wooden egg.

Having its roots in the Greek Orthodox tradition,

children across Europe and eastern countries play egg tap-
ping. In its early days, red eggs were cracked together when
people exchanged Easter greetings. Eventually, it evolved into
a competitive game for children. The children are given hard-
boiled eggs, and they hit each other’s eggs against one another.
The winner is the child that has an intact egg at the end.

Not sure I want to imagine the mess this last tradition created! But I learned a lot
researching my question - hope you enjoyed learning about why the bunny and eggs are
part of the season!

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 Easter Feasts for our Food Pantry
The Cathedral Food Pantry is gratefully accepting donations of hams, vegeta-
bles, and Easter candy to distribute to the many families who rely on our Pan-
try. Our April dates will be the 2nd and the 16th (the 1st and 3rd Saturdays this
month, to accommodate Easter). Easter items will be given out on April 16th, so
please have them here by Thursday the 14th. You can bring them to church on
Sunday or call to make arrangements with the Cathedral office.

Cathedral Easter Egg Hunt Returns!

Weather permitting, the Egg Hunt will return on Easter Sunday, April 17th
following the 10 o’clock service! The Cathedral’s egg hunt is for children 1-12 years
of age. The littlest ones (1-3 years) will hunt in the Memorial Garden and ages 4-12
will hunt on the West State Street lawn. Parishioners and visiting family and friends
are welcome to attend.

Can you help us prepare for the Egg Hunt? We are looking for: Easter eggs
(all sizes and colors), fillers (treats, small prizes, etc.) and small baskets with handles
(for the little ones who may have forgotten on the day). Please drop off any contribu-
tions at the Cathedral, with enough time for us to prepare for the hunt! Any ques-
tions? Please call Rose Cooper at (609) 575-5942 or E-mail at g.r.c@att.net.

Greetings!

I invite you to join me for Trinity Episcopal Cathe-

dral's A Sound Mind: An Online Emotional Well-
ness Group, as we read through Max Lucado's pow-
erful book, Anxious for Nothing: Find Calm in a
Chaotic World. Don't have the book? Join us any-
way as I lead us through Lucado's strategy for man-
aging anxiety and stress using Philippians 4:4-8, Re-
joice in the Lord always! Register using the Zoom
link found on our website
(www.TrinityCathedralNJ.org) and be sure to join us
every Thursday evening at 6:00 pm.

All are welcome.

Please share with your family and friends.

- Kimme Carlos

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 Christianity and Buddhism

by Dr. Phil G. Lewis

Many of us find great comfort and reasonableness in Buddhism. And certainly, Christianity,
viewed from the vantage point of watching some Christians operating in the world, often
leaves a lot to be desired. After all, no less than a pope, in this case Pope Nicolas V in 1455
(https://ldhi.library.cofc.edu/exhibits/show/african_laborers_for_a_new_emp/
pope_nicolas_v_and_the_portugu) argued in support of slavery and issued a series of papal
bulls that granted Portugal the right to enslave sub-Saharan Africans. He and other Church
leaders argued that slavery served as a Christianizing influence against “barbarous” behavior
among pagans. Such notwithstanding, Afonso, king of the Congo in 1509, bolstered in his
convictions by a wondrous act of divine aid, not unlike that of Constantine’s, did everything
he could to shift his kingdom toward Christianity. He encouraged the founding of confrater-
nities, as well as missionary schools that instructed the Congolese aristocracy in Christian
doctrine and in Latin. His son was ordained a bishop by Pope Leo X. Afonso did so much
to advance Christianity during his reign that a contemporary Portuguese historian dubbed
him “the Apostle of Congo.” https://fssp.com/afonso-i-the-constantine-of-the-congo/

On the other hand, Buddhism is often viewed as calming, reasonable, and loving. This Lent
many of us are coming together with Janet Weathers, Kimme Carlos and others in a discus-
sion about the book “Brothers in the Beloved Community: The Friendship of Thich Nhat
Hanh and Martin Luther King, Jr.”; a book authored by an Episcopal Bishop, Marc Andrus.
So, is Buddhism a kinder, gentler version of Christianity?

It is here where we ought to speak to and quickly set aside the problem of the Crusades.
In America, we often think that to compare different views of the metaphysics such as Buddhism
and Christianity will ultimately lead to violence and hate. Yet, such need not be the case at all.
We will here and in subsequent discussions just try to lay out, examine the differences between
views and pray that reason and truth prevail.

The first thing to know is that Buddhism may be best thought of as a philosophy which
makes no statement about or belief in God. Buddhism is about right thinking and right acting that
will lead to release from pain and suffering. There is a good description of Buddhism here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjtWtakwsjw . Buddhism’s emphasis on right actions sounds very much like the Ten
Commandments and many of the teachings of Jesus. On the other hand, Christianity is about the understanding that God
exists, in a particularly hard to understand Trinity, and that we are saved to a much better life on the other side of death,
and most easily understand and live a good life on this side of death by accepting that God, in the Son, the Messiah, the
Christ accepts all who receive the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus. I am a Christian.

Since November 28th, Advent 1 the Cathedral has been offering communion with both Christ’s
Body and Blood. The consensus of public health studies to date show that there is no documenta-
ble risk of COVID19 transmission through the common cup. We understand individuals may
have different comfort levels as to how they receive communion. Following the teaching of our
Episcopal tradition, all persons may, but no person must, receive communion in both kinds to
receive the full spiritual benefits of communion. You may choose to receive only the host at this
time. Should you choose to receive the wine, one vessel will be offered for those who want to sip
the wine from the common cup. Another vessel will be offered for those who wish to receive by
intinction (the host dipped in the wine) Please note only the Chalice Administrator will intinct
the host. (Diocese of New Jersey revised protocols.)

The Very Rev. René John

The Rt. Rev. William Chip Stokes

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 Meet our New Vestry Member:
Samuel Richards!
Samuel is serving the remainder of the term of Wipson Jo-
seph, who is unable to serve due to illness . . .

1 Lowanda Martha Joseph Birthday

2 Kerry Heimann Birthday
2 Sunday Gustin Birthday
2 Abraham Miller Birthday
2 Peter D. Cooper Birthday
4 Elle Ahaghotu Birthday
8 John Gummere Birthday
8 Hannah Rose Sopko Birthday
11 Paul & Therese (Terry) Cooper Anniversary
12 Jeffrey H. Cooper Birthday
14 Ronald L. Stockham Birthday
18 Jah'mere Miller Birthday
19 Mark H. Chattin Birthday
21 Mason Dunn Birthday
21 Cheryl Nagy Birthday
My name is Samuel B. Richards. I was born in White 22 Benny Barksdale Birthday
Plains, Liberia, West Africa unto the union of Sampson P. 24 Rose Cooper Birthday
Richards and Sarah Pearce. I completed my elementary and 25 Leslye & Fatima Scipio Anniversary
high school education in Liberia and went on to obtain a BSc 27 Nancy C. Jackson Birthday
Degree in chemistry from the University of Liberia. I later trav- 27 Samuel B. Richards, II Birthday
eled to Romania where I obtained a Master degree in chemical 28 Frank Castellon Birthday
engineering from the Polytechnic Institute in Timisoara, Ro- 28 Malcolm Emmanuel Newman Birthday
mania. 28 Cyrus Ketter Birthday
28 Rachel Mathis Birthday
Upon returning to Liberia, I worked for the Liberia
Petroleum Refining Company. I am married to my lovely wife 29 David Monte Birthday
Anastasia Cooper Richards. We have been blessed with four 29 Jennifer Ahaghotu Birthday
loving children, Suobo A., Samuel B., Ifie V. and Aweon A. 30 Sewon Bestman Birthday
Richards, and five wonderful grandchildren, Tashia, Aiden,
Malia, Nolan and Wynter.
Please join in sharing good wishes
Due to the Liberia civil war, I moved to the US with
my family in 1990. Over the past years I worked for several for our fellow parishioners
pharmaceutical companies including Teva, Mutual and Ac-
tavis. I currently work as a Quality Control Supervisor at on their special day!
Akorn Pharmaceutical Inc in Somerset, NJ.

I attended St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Newark,

NJ and St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Burlington, NJ with
my family before joining Trinity Cathedral. I currently serve as
Treasurer of the African Festival Committee at Trinity.

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Come out and celebrate First Fridays in Tren-
ton! Each location will showcase work from a
variety of artists! Then join folks at Passage
Theatre for an artists' roundtable discussion at
6:15pm.
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 Altar Flower Memorials 2022

Name: ____________________________________

Address: ____________________________________ Amount enclosed: ____________

Phone #: ____________________________________ (Suggested donation for Cathedral altar

E-mail: ____________________________________ is $75.00.)

Please indicate the Sunday(s) in 2022 for which you wish to give the altar flowers by circling one or more of
the dates below:

January 2 9 16 23 30

February 6 13 20 27

March (Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 2nd; no altar flowers during Lent.)

April   17* 24 (*Easter is April 17th)

May 1 8 15 22 29

June 5 12 19 26

July 3 10 17 24 31

August 7 14 21 28

September 4 11 18 25

October 2 9 16 23 30

November 6 13 20 

December (Advent begins on Sunday, November 27; no altar flowers during Advent.)

Please make checks payable to Trinity Cathedral, with Flower Guild in the memo line. Return this form to the
Cathedral office or place in the offering plate. Please indicate intent below:

____ In loving memory of ____ In honor of ____ In thanksgiving for

Please print: __________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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Of The Diocese of New Jersey
801 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08618

Phone: (609) 392-3805

Fax: (609) 392-2305
www.TrinityCathedralNJ.org

Our Vision:

A visible agent of God’s love, joyfully embracing all people.

Our Mission:

God is here. Jesus loves you.

We are a welcoming, diverse community sharing God’s love, spreading the
Gospel and caring for all people and God’s Creation. Come join us.

CATHEDRAL CLERGY CATHEDRAL STAFF

Our Current Worship Schedule:

The Rt. Rev. William H. Stokes, Bishop Patrice A. D’Angelo, Administrator

Sundays: 10:00 am
In-person and livestreamed
Please see our website
for information on how to join us!
The Very Rev. René Rory John, Dean
The Rev. Cn. Dr. Noel J. Amadi, Priest Associate
The Rev. Dr. Peter Bridge, Priest Associate
The Rev. Cn. Bruce Montgomery, Priest Associate
The Rev. Chris Cox, Deacon
The Rev. Carol Gilbert, Deacon
Dr. Kerry Heimann, Director of Music
Fay Manicke, Associate Director of Music
Al Shaw, Sexton
Michael “PJ” Pettyjohn, Associate Sexton
THE ACADEMY PRE-SCHOOL STAFF
The Rev. Lynn H. Johnson, Administrator
Tossa Thorpe, Administrative Assistant

For a comprehensive list of Cathedral events and meetings, go to http://www.TrinityCathedralNJ.org/Calendar.html

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