Holy Cross Episcopal Church

06/19/2026

06/08/2026

🎶 Join Us for an Evening of Music, Food & Fellowship! 🎶

Holy Cross and Valle Crucis Conference Center are sponsoring the Soul Benefactor band at Valle Crucis Community Park on Friday, July 3!

✨ As we gather for this special evening, we’ll also take the opportunity to warmly welcome our new rector, Fr. Jonathan Chesney, and his family to the Holy Cross community. ✨

🎵 The band begins at 6:00 PM, but come early to enjoy dinner and socialize with friends and neighbors.

🍖 We will have pork BBQ and wings, with water, tea, and sodas provided.

🥗 ECW will be providing salads and desserts.

📋 Please RSVP to Tav Gauss at [email protected] if you plan to attend, as he needs a head count for the BBQ & wings.

We look forward to a fun evening of great music, good food, fellowship, and a warm welcome for Fr. Jonathan and his family in the beautiful mountain setting of Valle Crucis! 🎶☀️

06/07/2026

📖 ✨ Eucharistic Minister & Lay Reader Training ✨ 📖

Have you been interested in serving during worship as a Eucharistic Minister or Lay Reader? Join us for a training session:

📅 Saturday, June 20
⏰ 10:00 AM
📍 Skiles Hall

Training will be led by Nina Jo Moore and Karla Prudhomme.

Whether you are new to these ministries or would like a refresher, all are welcome!

For questions or to sign up, contact Karla Prudhomme at:
📧 [email protected]

We look forward to serving together!

06/07/2026

Writing is often a lonely pursuit. You may find that it's much easier to write in the company of like-minded people and with the guidance of a professional who loves to encourage others in the craft of writing. Women Writers 2026 JUNE Workshop invites women of all backgrounds to step away from daily noise and into a quiet mountain setting. Over several days, you’ll write, listen, and share in a small, supportive circle. Join this group of women writers to capture memories, define thoughts, express emotions, and bring order out of chaos. New writers are most welcome!

Join master author Katerina Whitley as we explore ways to express ourselves in writing. This is a full two-day retreat, with options for commuter and one-day pricing. The program will be held at Valle Crucis Conference Crab in Orchard Hall, with lodging in the Mission House. The program begins with an afternoon gathering and potluck on Thursday June 11 and concludes the afternoon of Saturday June 13. All meals are included.

A native of Thessaloniki, Greece, Katerina Whitley has worked as a church journalist on the diocesan and national levels, taught at universities, and is the author of eight books and hundreds of articles, including a stunning new memoir, Myth and Memory: My Childhood in WWII Greece.

Please register on the Valle Crucis Conference Center website :

Writing is often a lonely pursuit. You may find that it's much easier to write in the company of like-minded people and with the guidance of a professional who loves to encourage others in the craft of writing. Women Writers 2026 JUNE Workshop invites women of all backgrounds to step away from daily...

06/07/2026

All are welcome! ✝️💙

DOK Quiet Day

Tuesday, June 23, 9:30am - 12:30pm

“I kneel before the Father” – Ephesians 3:14

St. Helena’s Chapter of Daughters of the King invites one and all to a “Quiet Day” on Tuesday, June 23 at Holy Cross.

9:00am Gathering and Coffee in Skiles Hall

9:30 am Reflections on humility, waiting on God, and patient prayer

11:00am Gathering in Holy Cross Sanctuary – service for intercession, silence, prayers and music

12:30pm Lunch in Skiles Hall

Hosted by Pan McCaslin, a life-long Episcopalian and current member of Holy Cross, who serves the Church offering opportunities for education, wellness and spiritual formation. She works with Church Pension Group offering clergy wellness programs, consults with clergy and vestries, and leads retreats. She and her husband live on Beech Mountain, have three adult children and four grands.

If you’ve ever thought about joining Daughters of the King, or just wondered about who we are, or you just need a “Quiet Day” before the peak of summer that comes with the Fellowship of like-minded souls, please join us. Feel free to bring friends who might need that “Quiet Day” as well. All are welcome. Always.

Please Respond to Kim Gauss, [email protected] or text 252-230-0774 so that we can plan a festive lunch! Feel free to invite others who may be pondering what DOK is all about. All are welcome.

06/07/2026

✨ What a wonderful first service with Fr. Jonathan Cheney at Holy Cross! ✨

We are so grateful for Fr. Jonathan and his family and for the warmth, joy, and enthusiasm they have already brought to our parish community. ❤️

The service was filled with hope, fellowship, and a sense of new beginnings. We look forward to many years of inspiring worship, faithful leadership, spiritual growth, and serving Christ together. ⛪️🙏

Welcome, Fr. Jonathan and family—we are blessed to have you with us! 🌟

✝️ Thanks be to God for this exciting new chapter at Holy Cross!

06/02/2026

Two weeks from today !

Our next Men’s Night Out gathering will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16 in the Parish Hall at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock, located at 140 Chestnut Drive at the corner of Main Street. The Merry Men of St. Mary's Chef Aidan Waite -- who has THREE Michelin Stars -- will be preparing a taste of old Italy at a suggested contribution of $15 per person.

All drinks will be provided, including a couple or three different beers, red and white vino, and non-alcoholic beverages, all cheerfully served by St. Mary's bartenders. All you need to do is bring a healthy appetite and a spirit of fellowship and fun. There is on-street parking in front of the church or in a surface lot on Chestnut adjacent to the building, and across Main Street at BRAHM, but carpooling is always encouraged.

MNO is a monthly opportunity for men from within our parishes and in our community to enjoy having an evening of fellowship together. We're very flexible and inclusive, so feel free to bring a friend... or three! To let our gracious hosts know how many will be in attendance, please RSVP by noon on Sunday, June 14 via email to [email protected].

If you do not drive at night, need a ride to and/or from MNO, or are without reliable transportation for whatever reason, simply let us know. We have participants from all over the High Country who would welcome your company and be happy to pick you up and deliver you safely home.

Come join us!

06/02/2026

📣 Special Welcome Service – Sunday, June 7 at 10 AM 📣

We are delighted to welcome Fr. Jonathan Chesney and his family to Holy Cross as our new rector!

Please join us for a special welcome service on Sunday, June 7 at 10:00 AM at Holy Cross (no service at St. John’s).

Please be sure to wear your nametag. If you don’t have one, stop by Skiles Hall before the service to pick up a stick-on nametag.

Following the service, join us for a covered dish luncheon in Skiles Hall as we extend a warm parish welcome and celebrate the beginning of this new chapter in our church community.

We look forward to the leadership, fellowship, and blessings ahead as we welcome Fr. Chesney and his family to our parish family.

All are welcome! ✝️💙