Timeline: James Walker at All Saints Church2022-08-06T16:47:25-07:00

A year of celebrating the life and ministry of George Frank Regas ends with a festive eucharist in the street

What a day that was! The culmination of a full program year of celebrations of the ministry of George Regas, and this final one packed with emotion in overdrive. I remember arriving that morning and the weather was drizzling. "Oh, great! This is just perfect!" I whined. In the end, it was all a grand celebration, and I was excited that Canterbury and Coventry choir premiered my setting of the prayer that George used each week to open his sermon, "Help Us, O God." Anne Peterson and I forged a special bond that year, not only because of the ending of George's tenure as rector, but also because both of us were going through divorces at the time. It was all a little (actually a lot) too much to handle. Anne and I had our picture taken together after the service, and though still smiling, we both look totally beat. Transitions.

Induction of Reverend James Edwin Bacon, Jr.

This was my first Induction Service, and it felt a little bit closer to a Coronation because of the intensity I brought to it. I certainly wanted to make an impression with my new boss, as we inducted Ed Bacon as the ninth rector of All Saints Church. We had both Canterbury and Coventry sing, along with brass quintet, for which I composed my arrangement of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Psalm 91. I remember Ed to be over-the-top excited about all of it, including much care in the choice of all hymns and service music, adding several new congregational pieces to our repertoire, all in that one service.

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