Pictured: Charles Darwin

St. James Church announces its International Dinner Series. In concert with our theme this semester of "Know the World," there will be a special themed dinner with entertainment once a month through June. It is open to members of St. James Church and friends. The dinners will be held in the Undercroft at 7:30 PM, with a cost of €10 per person. No reservation are necessary. 

Save the dates for International Dinners:

February 17, Thursday, 7:30 pm - Indian cuisine

March 17, Thursday, 7:30 pm - Mexican cuisine

April 14, Thursday, 7:30 pm - Jewish cuisine

May 19, Thursday, 7:30 pm - Greek cuisine

June 16, Thursday, 7:30 pm - African cuisine

Come and savor some of the food and cultures of our world!

Plan to attend the Annual Parish Meeting Sunday, March 6, beginning at 12:30. Come to hear reports on our many ministries and outreach programs as well as to elect new members of the Vestry.  We will adopt our 2011 parish budget.  After the meeting, join everyone for a free parish lunch in the Undercroft.  A nursery service will be provided.

February 3, 2011

David Kato paid the ultimate price for being gay in Uganda. A leader of Sexual Minorities Uganda, which seeks to change fellow citizens' minds about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people, he was murdered in his home in Mukono, Uganda, on January 26. He had been targeted as a "top homosexual" in a national newspaper last October. People around the world have been protesting, including today at the United Nations .

The fear and hatred that inspired David's killers are not confined to the uneducated. Recently, a lawmaker proposed legislation that would make homosexual sex a capital crime in certain cases. The churches in Uganda have been slow to act. In fact, reports from David Kato's funeral affirm that an Anglican priest loudly interrupted the service to condemn "ungodliness," which led to the villagers refusing to bury his body. His friends had to haul his body to the grave and inter him themselves.

It would be easy to point fingers at "those Ugandans" but we cannot exempt ourselves. Gay people continue to be targets of violence across Europe and Asia, as well as the Americas. It is not enough to insist on the rights of people to live free from fear and harassment, though that is necessary. We Christians need to go further.

Followers of Jesus are to work at living a new kind of life that allows us, among other things, to conquer our fear and hatred of "the Other" - whatever that Other is like. This must happen in order to honor the God who became one of us that we might become like God (2 Peter 1:3-9). Jesus, the supreme Other, came so that we would reject him in fear and loathing, and kill him. In his death and resurrection, Jesus overcame fear with joy, dissolved hatred with love, and conquered death with everlasting life, for you and me. Through the power of his Spirit, given in baptism, we can and we must give the Other not only justice but also love.

God does not fear, nor does God hate, people. Those who would call themselves Christian cannot do so, either, and still be "children of God" (1 John 4: 20-21) If we Christians cannot first live out this gospel imperative, then trying to address any questions about holiness of life or morality is foolishness, chasing after wind.

Bishop (Mgr) Pierre Whalon

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On February 27, the Santa Croce mission in Bologna will celebrate its 14th anniversary, beginning at 4:00 PM  Everyone is invited to attend.  Fr. Dunnam will drive and invites anyone interested to ride with him as long as there is room.  Let's caravan!  The fast train from the Santa Maria Novella stationeonly takes 37 minutes, as well.  Let's celebrate with Chiesa Santa Croce, via d'Azeglio, #84, Bologna.   

Contact:  Pru Crane  051 58 28 91

When:  March 25-27, 2011.  Friday 19:00 until Sunday 14:00

Where: to Rome, Italy and then on to Palazzola Center (website: www.palazzola.it ) One can travel to Fiumicino or Ciampino airports.

Cost: travel expenses and 120 euros for room and board.

How thirsty is your soul?  Where is your living God? If these questions resonate with you, come and drink; come and be. This retreat offers a peaceful space to rest in God's presence, and an invitation to journey with others on this sacred path. Our lives are so busy and God too often becomes a cry in crisis. The theme will be "Water". It is a mammoth topic and creativity is invited. We know how precious and life giving water is. We are also very much aware of the powerful and destructive force water can be. Come and present yourself to God in loving expectation and longing. God is waiting for you with open arms.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Clair+ at: crullmann2001@yahoo.com or +43 646720107 for a conversation.

The Rev. Clair F. Ullmann will be our leader this year.  Many of you know Clair+ through her activities in the Convocation.  Clair+ has been a spiritual director since 1989.  She studied spiritual direction at the Shalem Institute in Bethesda, Maryland and belongs to Spiritual Directors International as well as Spiritual Directors Europe. She is an experienced retreat leader.   Clair serves as an assisting priest at Church of the Ascension, Munich, Germany and as Vicar of the Chapel of the Holy Family in Mühlbach am Hochkönig, Austria. 

 Contact for registration forms and details:  The Rev. Clair and Rainer Ullmann,

Email: crullmann2001@yahoo.com  Tel: 0043 6467 20 107

St. James' Town House, in the heart of Florence, is the perfect place to stay with friends or family. We are centrally located near the train station, the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, and many other favorite places to visit. We accept reservations for a minimum of 1 week and a maximum of 3 months. Your stay with us is considered a donation to St. James Church. Contact us for availability and further information. Everyone is Welcome at St. James' Town House!

St. James' Town House is a three story apartment with its own entrance on via Bernardo Rucellai, next to the church rectory and part of the parish complex. It is a spacious 3-bedroom, 3-bath apartment, furnished with antiques, including a beautiful 1826 John Broadwood fortepiano, and overlooking the church and the rectory garden. It is fully equipped with linens for both bed and bath, along with kitchen supplies. There is satellite television that includes many English language programs, a washing machine, microwave oven, and iron. The bedrooms and living room are air conditioned. Off- street parking within the grounds of the church for one car.