History of the Alleluia Booklet

In 1998 our 25th Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold preached about St. Francis of Assisi at his investiture. He spoke of rebuilding the church and the call we all have to do so. He spoke of the need for renewing, repairing and reconciliation.

After this moving sermon The Rev. Canon Howard R. Anderson, PhD Warden of Cathedral College, then Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Duluth, Minnesota and member of The Standing Commission on Stewardship and Development dreamt up the Alleluia Booklet as an exciting way to rebuild the church.

The Alleluia Booklet was created to provide a tangible way to celebrate the season of resurrection, the Easter Season, as a community. Meditations about small and large resurrections would be shared for each day of the Easter Season and at the end of the season, on Pentecost, people would give money in thanks to help rebuild the church.

Churches would use that money to work beyond their doors and toward our mission as a larger church. St.Paul's and a handful of churches around the country have used the Alleluia Booklet in the years since.

Our 26th Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, and the General Convention of the Episcopal Church have called all of us to work toward Peace and Justice and to focus on the Millennium Development Goals as our top budget priority.

In the spirit of rebuilding our church, something The Garden takes on each day as we are a congregation that has been resurrected in an old building with new ideas and money from the sale of The Church of the Resurrection, Spring Lake Park, Minnesota we invite you to participate in our Easter Season journey by joining us in 50 alleluias or meditations about resurrection.

General Convention calls upon us to set aside the Sunday after Pentecost as a day for fasting and giving toward global reconciliation and the Millennium Development Goals.

At the end of the Easter Season we ask that you give in communion with all of us here at the Garden.