St Barnabas Hosts Ecumenical Blessing of The Animals

People of All Faiths, Animals of All Species and Breeds

October 4 is the feast of the most beloved of all saints, Francis of Assisi, the 13th century “little brother” who embraced poverty and the natural world in his songs and prayers. He sang of the moon and sun as sister and brother, saw even death as a relative not to be feared. He tamed the fierce wolf in Gubbio and had doves fly to his arms. St Francis is known as the Patron Saint of Animals and is often shown in art surrounded by the animals he loved.
Thus the custom of blessing our pets, and this year three churches will join together to bless our animals: Fr Fernando Maldonado of St. Richard’s Roman Catholic Church, Pastor Mateo Mamea of Community United Methodist and Fr. George Keith of St.Barnabas Episcopal Church. The Blessing of the Animals is a beautiful annual ceremony celebrating the human-animal bond, celebrated as part of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. 
Bring your pooch, your kitty, your turtle, fish or whatever. And the blessing will extend to our coyote and bighorn sheep, the desert hares and squirrels and all our friends of the desert.
The blessings will take place on Tuesday, October 4 at the Courtyard at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 2680 Country Club Rd. at 4:00 p/m.
The Blessing of the Animals is open to People of All Faiths, and Animals of all Species and Breeds.  All humans and animals are welcome.

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St Barnabas Welcomes New Organist

​Borrego Sun - 2022 Easter Sunrise Service by the Churches of Borrego
For the first time since spring, 2019, the Borrego Ministers' Association (BMA) was able to hold a community-wide Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday, April 17. ​(Click the link above to read more from the Borrego Sun)

​Borrego Sun - BMA says Thank You
Please come join us. During the year, the BMA sponsors several ecumenical or joint public services: a service on Thanksgiving eve, another Sacred Concert of carols and readings at Christmas, a recent Ash Wednesday “Ashes-to-go” distribution, and the popular Easter Sunrise Service. The group also welcomes lay members who are available to attend weekly meetings. (Click the link above to read more from the Borrego Sun)

St Barnabas Episcopal Church will welcome Dr. Charles F. von Gunten, CAGO, as its new organist at the services on Sunday October 2, 2022 at 9:30 a.m.
The music for the service represents the breadth and depth of music for the organ as a way to mark the first day Dr. von Gunten will serve as the organist at St Barnabas.
Service will commence with a Prelude from JS Bach, the 1st movement, Sonata I in E-flat Major.  The sonatas for organ by Johann Sebastian Bach are part of the training of organists because they require the organist to ‘rub the stomach while patting the head’. Three parts each going their own way.
The hymns chosen for the occasion will include the Gradual Hymn known as “De Tar” written by Calvin Hampton (1938-1984), organist at Calvary Episcopal Church, New York City before his untimely death from AIDS. The tune was named for Vernon de Tar, longtime organist at Church of the Ascension in New York City.
The service will conclude with a Postlude Processional by William Mathias.  William Mathias is a Welsh composer most famous for composing the anthem, Let the people praise Thee, O God, written for the July 1981 royal wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana (Dr. von Gunten was privileged to visit patients with Princess Diana when she visited the hospice unit he directed in Chicago in 1997, a year before her death.)
According to a St Barnabas spokesperson  “we are truly blessed that, upon retiring from his medical career where he was a world recognized pioneer in palliative care, that Dr. von Gunten has decided to retire in the San Diego area, and even more blessed that he has chosen to come to Borrego Springs to provide us with wonderful organ music.  Sometimes God simply provides.”
Dr. von Gunten recently retired from his role as a leader in palliative care where he spent his career helping patients and families have the best possible experience and live life to the fullest while living with cancer.  Upon retiring, he decided that he had time available to regularly pursue his love for music in general, and organ music in particular. Dr. von Gunten has pursued church music as an avocation for more than 40 years, beginning as an undergraduate at Brown University.  During college,  he assisted in an Anglo-Catholic parish where a 16-voice mixed volunteer and paid choir sang classical repertoire including a full Missa Brevis and 2 anthems each week from medieval through contemporary composers.  During medical school, he accompanied a 50-voice adult choir and a 3,500 member congregation.  In 2021 he achieved the prestigious Colleague of the American Guild of Organists status in 2021.

Borrego Sun - Bring Your Own Bowl Lunch & Performance Series
Seems like only yesterday since the last BYOB (Bring Your Own Bowl) concert and soup series. After a year off, everyone is more than ready to come and see friends (and friends of friends) perform the lively arts in this acoustically-splendid space, then enjoy a simple lunch of soup and bread on the patio. (Click the link above to read more from the Borrego Sun)

Borrego Sun - Rev. Laura Brecht Leaving Borrego
"She is stately as she walks purposefully into a room, colorful robes and skirts flowing gracefully – sometimes wearing the classy white clerical collar and other times donning her distinctive straw hat. But always bearing her huge and contagious smile a - smile that radiates warmth, passion, kindness and love. She is Reverend Laura Brecht (Rev. Laura) and this village is going to miss her severely."

Borrego Sun - Caring About the Community - Lyle Brecht

"Quiet-spoken, thoughtful, articulate, insightful, and driven by hard facts, Brecht has used his education, background, and critical analysis to become a powerful force within the Borrego community in his insistence on BWD fiscal sanity, much to the early displeasure of some of those holding different agendas. He still retains his own simple agenda: 'Caring about the community.'"