Project Details

SF Night Ministry Thanksgiving for Fifty Years of Service

Category: Religion2014-11-16  
logoSan Francisco Night Ministry 50th Anniversary Grand Festivities On November 16, 2014, a festive and innovative Commemoration Service of Thanksgiving featured author Anne Lamott as guest speaker. Choral ensemble Volti offered musical accompaniment and the interpretive dance group Wing It filled Grace Cathedral expressing gratitude for 50 years of this unique ministry. Congregants of Open Cathedral -- Civic Center, almost all of whom are homeless, were bussed up to Grace for the service. They weren't mere spectators. Rather, they blessed the Night Ministers who care for them, and then those Ministers blessed the Bishops and other higher-ups in attendance. This was a nice reversal to the usual top-down order of such blessings. The congregation was also blessed.

Author Anne Lamott spoke to the three themes structuring the program: Chaos, Night Shift, and Dawn. To symbolize the Night Ministry's motto, "Lighten the darkness, rekindle the hope," everyone sang, "This Little Light of Mine" and turned on mini flashlights that they received.

At the banquet at Delancey Street, proclamations and good wishes were shared including a proclamation by San Francisco Mayer Ed Lee of Night Ministry Day in San Francisco, a congratulatory letter from Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and a proclamation from the California State Senate from State Sen. Mark Leno.
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Venue: Grace Cathedral
Organization: San Francisco Night Ministry

Videos

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Wing It! performing at Grace Cathedral2014-11-16Dance
Volti singers performing at Grace Cathedral2014-11-16Music
SF Night Ministry 50 years of service complete2014-11-16Religion