Jul 23, 2025 | #Stories
Creating a Sustainability Program For The Performance Of Organ Music
[ALBANY, CA, JULY 15, 2025] – Calliope: East Bay Music & Arts (Calliope: EBMA) announces the launch of the Dr. Richard Cushman Organ Scholarship Program, which subsidizes the training of the next generation of organists to ensure that the beautiful instruments and expansive repertoire continue to be played into the future. Inspired by Dr. Richard Cushman’s legacy and sudden passing, Calliope: EBMA began work with St. Alban’s Episcopal Church’s leadership on the creation of this special organ scholarship program: one where rising young keyboard musicians can study with the highly qualified organist, Arthur Omura, a former student of Dr. Cushman, to become accomplished organists.
Calliope: EBMA is a secular nonprofit arts organization with the mission of “building community and advancing social justice through the arts”, and has the unique advantage of being housed at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church. St. Alban’s, with aesthetically beautiful, welcoming spaces and gorgeous acoustics, is also home to a very fine historic pipe organ; a 1914 Hook and Hastings instrument which was originally designed and built for the Sisters of the Presentation Convent in San Francisco.
St. Alban’s beloved longtime organist, the late Dr. Richard Cushman, had a lifetime passion both for organ music and for teaching, and was dedicated to keeping organ music alive as an art form by training young organists in the discipline. When he died unexpectedly in December of 2024 he had just started working with two new students.
Dr. Cushman, described by a former student as “a civilized man in uncivilized times”, was universally beloved by all who had the opportunity to spend time with him either creating music, discussing literature, or attending one of his afternoon teas.
The program instructor, Arthur Omura, grew up attending St. Alban’s Church Services and studied organ with Dr. Richard Cushman as a teen. Mr. Omura has advanced degrees in keyboard music from the University of Southern California; in addition to the organ, he is also an accomplished pianist and harpsichordist, with a fine hand in servicing the latter. He built his first harpsichord in a classroom at St. Alban’s.
We are thrilled to also present the 2025 recipients of the scholarship: Armen Phelps, a calculus teacher at Cristo Rey De La Salle High School; Nico Cardenas, local high school senior; and Eileen Chen, a Ph.D student at the University of California, Berkeley.
Details of the Program:
- Program Capacity: At this time, there is space for a maximum of two students at a time.
- Finances: In order to emphasize the value of the lessons, students are expected to contribute a portion of the lesson cost, according to their means, with Calliope offsetting the balance.
- Geographic reach: Students should be current residents of Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Kensington, Richmond, Oakland, or Alameda.
- Age of Participants: Playing the organ requires sufficient height to reach all of the components. At this time, the minimum age of participants is 15; however, the application has a section where a student of 13 or 14 may petition to take part in the program (space permitting).
- Maximum Length of program participation per student: The maximum length of participation in the program is three years. As a general concept, each year will have a theme: year one – introduction to basic technique; year two – getting to know the repertoire; year three – journeyperson – able to play for church services and/or concerts.
- Agreements: After being accepted into the program (should capacity permit), students (or their parents, if they are under the age of 18) must complete an agreement regarding expectations surrounding behavior, practice, payment, and the like.
Even though all spots are currently filled, we are accepting applications on a rolling basis and will accept new students as slots become available. Please visit https://www.calliope-ebma.org/dr-richard-cushman-organ-scholarship to complete an application.
For further information regarding Calliope: EBMA, the 2025-2026 Concert Season, or the Dr. Richard Cushman Organ Scholarship Program, please reach out to Christine Staples and Tiffany Fajardo by email at [email protected] or see below for phone numbers and website.
Tiffany Fajardo
Executive Director
(510) 586-8324
https://www.calliope-ebma.org/
Christine Staples
Board President
(510) 872-0764
https://www.calliope-ebma.org/
ABOUT CALLIOPE: EBMA
Calliope: EBMA is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to building community and advancing social justice through the arts. Based at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Albany, CA, we offer an eclectic monthly concert series—from classical to global music—with affordable ticket options and livestream access.
We provide rental spaces for performances, rehearsals, and lessons, as well as gallery walls for local artists. Committed to fair pay for musicians, we also support arts accessibility for all.
Founded through a collaboration of St. Alban’s members, local musicians, and community partners, Calliope honors its namesake—the Greek muse of eloquence and epic poetry, gifted with a beautiful voice—while fostering creativity in the East Bay.
Learn more at our website—and yes, it’s pronounced “call-EYE-oh-pee”! ??
Jun 5, 2025 | #Stories
Story by Sara Hayden, Senior Warden; Photos by Sara Hayden and Ken Myers
On Sunday, June 1, Holy Family Episcopal Church in Half Moon Bay observed its annual tradition of cheering on cyclists participating in the AIDS/LifeCycle fundraiser.
Each year, congregation members eagerly await the parade of cyclists along Highway 1, for whom they bang percussion instruments, blow bubbles, and offer shouts of encouragement. In return, cyclists show their appreciation with lots of smiles, waves, and bike horn beeps.
This year was the first time Holy Family held its Sunday service outside for the early morning event. Parishioners’ noisemakers peppered the service with jubilant interruptions.
Nine riders took part in Holy Family’s Communion-to-Go—more than double last year’s four.
AIDS/LifeCycle covers 545 miles in seven days, beginning in San Francisco and ending in Santa Monica. This year marks the last time this event will be held. However, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation will begin hosting an annual three-day cycling event in spring 2026. The route will alternate between North, South, and East bays, so Holy Family will continue its traditional support on the years the ride passes through Half Moon Bay.
Jun 3, 2025 | #DidYouKnow, #Press&BishopStatements, #PublicServiceAnnouncement, #Stories
A message from the Rev. Canon Sierra Reyes, Canon to the Ordinary
The Diocese of California is delighted to share news of a significant new venture: the Standing Committee and Bishop’s endorsement of St. Lucy’s, East Bay, a unique specialized mission. This exciting development embodies our hope to cultivate diverse and dynamic expressions of faith that resonate with the evolving spiritual landscape of our communities.
What is a Specialized Mission?
Within the Episcopal Diocese of California, a specialized mission is a new congregation established with the specific purpose of ministering to a particular group of people or to address a unique missional need. This canonical framework provides the flexibility for innovative church planting and outreach efforts.
St. Lucy’s aims to build a community of faith for those who have become disenchanted from organized religion or are exploring faith for the very first time. Emily Hansen Curran, the church planter of St. Lucy’s, articulates her profound conviction: “It is my deep belief that there are people out there who have left the more conservative traditions of Christianity and who are looking for what could be next or how they could possibly have faith again.”
Bishop Austin K. Rios emphasized how this new mission highlights the creativity that can be found in our canonical structure: “Our governance structure within the Diocese of California is designed to be both robust and adaptable, creating fertile ground for the emergence of ‘fresh expressions’ of faith like St. Lucy’s. This new mission powerfully demonstrates our commitment to meeting all people where they are, inviting them into the transformative love of God.”
St. Lucy’s will cultivate a worship experience, emphasizing mystery, shared leadership, and a formational journey that offers opportunities for both learning and profound transformation. The mission plans to hold its services at St. Paul’s, Oakland on Sunday evenings, a thoughtful timing chosen to avoid any interference with existing congregations and to specifically welcome a demographic often not reached by current church offerings. As Emily Hansen Curran highlights, the goal is “to offer a church community and worshiping experience very different from what is currently on offer by any Episcopal churches in the area in the hopes of speaking to a different demographic.”
We invite all members of the Diocese of California to hold Emily Hansen Curran, the leadership team, and the entire community of St. Lucy’s in your prayers as they embark on this vital new ministry.
For more information about this exciting new community, please visit the St. Lucy’s website: https://www.stlucyschurch.org/
Should you have any questions regarding the missions of the Diocese of California, please contact Canon to the Ordinary, J. Sierra Reyes, at [email protected].
May 21, 2025 | #Stories
“Obi Austin” Welcomed as a Jedi Bishop at Bishop’s Visitation on the “Feast Day of Star Wars” at St. Peter’s in Redwood City
May the Fourth be with you: and also with you.
On Sunday, May 4th, at Bishop Austin’s visit to St. Peter’s in Redwood City, there was much to celebrate. It was the one-year anniversary of the bishop’s ordination to the episcopacy; of the first time he celebrated the Eucharist as bishop, on May 4th which was at St. Peter’s; and of the announcement of St. Peter’s Priest-in-Charge, the Rev. Dr. Pamela Stevens. To capture the many milestones of the day and honor its commitment to humor as an evangelistic method, St. Peter’s drew from the date: May the Fourth, National Star Wars Day. Recalling the Mos Eisley cantina scene from the original Star Wars movie, in which a bustling and diverse gathering across all species gathers around tables together to upbeat music, St. Peter’s shared its diversity with the bishop, archdeacons, and Malaeh Rios.
St. Peter’s Interfaith youth chorus offered music and received a blessing for its July mission trip. Youth and young adult members of El Buen Pastor received a blessing for their June pilgrimage. Crossover members of both St. Peter’s and the STKK Tongan church that meets in its sanctuary presented Bishop Austin and Archdeacon Miguel with floral lei. Bishop Austin received a new member and reaffirmed the baptismal vows of more than a dozen members of St. Peter’s and El Buen Pastor.
For coffee hour, the parish leaders saw Star Wars Day as an unofficial “Feast of Star Wars” and chose it as the theme for a coffee-hour galactic cantina, complete with cupcake and cake toppers that envision Obi Austin as a Jedi Bishop, and a themed sefie spot.
During the service, an interfaith chorus of 20 youth singers who call themselves Stellamos and make their musical home at St. Peter’s, offered special music. The group received an Episcopal blessing on its mission trip to organize a music camp for Indigenous Hawai’ian children at an Episcopal Church on the Island of Kau’I in July. El Buen Pastor’s Youth and Young Adult pilgrimage group also received a blessing for its planned trip to the UK and Spain in June. A group of people who are members of both St. Peter’s and the Siasi Tonga congregation that worships in its sanctuary honored Bishop Austin and Archdeacon Miguel with floral lei. “Obi, an affectionate form of the Spanish word for bishop, obispo, provided the perfect tie-in to capture the humor and inclusive welcome of St. Peter’s at a delicious meal in the parish hall, where cupcake toppers and a cake topper featured a vision of Obi Austin as a Jedi Bishop.
The parish lawn sign program heralded messages of love from 1 Corinthians 13 and also the Feast Day of Star Wars. The parish lawn sign program, which draws from its wide pedestrian audience as part of its evangelism effort, included a Star Wars Theme. Messages included “A long time ago, in a Galilee far far away…people were bold to respect the dignity of all of God’s creation” and “Jedi Bishop: The Force be with you. Jedi Episcopalian: And also with you.”
May 21, 2025 | #Stories
LAFAYETTE, CA – June 14, 2025 — A new kind of Pride event is taking shape in the East Bay: Queer Faith Festival, a collaborative, interfaith celebration of inclusivity, connection, and community resilience.
Set to take place on Flag Day (Saturday, June 14), the festival will be hosted at St. Anselm’s Episcopal Church in Lafayette, CA, but it is very much a collective effort—drawing on the energy, leadership, and support of people across different faith traditions, spiritual paths, and belief systems.
The Queer Faith Festival is a creative, joyful response to recent acts of hate, including the theft and destruction of Progress Pride flags at local places of worship. Rather than be silenced, local leaders are coming together to build something bold, affirming, and open to all.
“Queer Faith Festival is about coming together across differences to celebrate the beauty and strength of our LGBTQ+ communities and our shared values of dignity, justice, and love,” said organizer Rev. Will Scott of Saint Anselm’s Episcopal Church. “This is a space for people of all faiths and no faith at all—anyone who believes in compassion and connection.”
Attendees of all ages and backgrounds can look forward to various activities at this vibrant, family-friendly celebration:
- Community Art Projects led by renowned artist/activist David Solnit, inviting all ages to contribute to large-scale collaborative works.
- Drag Queen Story Hour – a joyful, affirming story time for kids and families celebrating self-expression and acceptance.
- LGBTQ+ Clergy, Allies & TransParent Panel Discussions
A rich, interfaith dialogue on spirituality, identity, and inclusion featuring:
- The Rev. Remi Shores (they/them), Lafayette Christian Church.
- The Rev. Lauren Michelle Stevens (she/her) Lafayette United Methodist Church
- The Rev. Mees Tielsens (he/they) Saint Anna’s Episcopal Church
- The Very Rev. Deb White, Dean of the Contra Costa Deanery & Rector of Grace Episcopal Church, Martinez
- (Additional participants TBA)
- Interfaith Blessing Ceremony led by clergy and faith leaders from multiple traditions.
- Live Music and Performances from queer and allied local artists.
- Community Resource Tabling by affirming congregations, nonprofits, and local organizations.
- Food & Treats, lawn games, kids’ activities, and spaces to relax and connect.
This is the first Queer Faith Festival, and there’s still time to get involved.
Festival Organizers are currently welcoming performers, tabling partners, leaders from all faiths, and community members who wish to volunteer their time to help with this celebration.
To sign up or get more info, contact: Kayce Rane [email protected] 925-876-0760
Apr 25, 2025 | #Stories
A message from the Rev. Ron Culmer, Rector of St. Clare’s Pleasanton
For years, the churches of the Southern Alameda Deanery have sponsored and built a home in Mexico through the Córazon Construction Program. We love how this mission transforms people’s lives, not only for the family that has their first clean, new home with doors and windows that lock but also for those who join in community to raise a home from slab to roof in just one day!
In June, we’re excited to announce that we’re doing it again! Bishop Austin Rios expressed his enthusiasm by saying, “Sign me up!” Not only is the bishop joining us, but he has also encouraged us to invite congregations throughout the Diocese of California to come and experience this life-changing mission.
Learn more in the Invitation and FAQ.
Questions? Email [email protected].
Can I help even if I can’t go to Mexico? Yes! You can donate! The cost of a Corazon build is approximately $14,000, which includes all the materials for the build, and a bus to take us to the site and bring us back. Donate via Venmo @stclare_pleasanton and put “Córazon” in the memo field.
