09/06/2026
Another wonderful season has come to a close at the Chapel of the Good Shepherd at Chautauqua Institution, and St. Luke’s played an important role in making its summer ministry possible. The Chapel of the Good Shepherd is the summer chapel of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, offering Sunday worship and weekday celebrations of the Holy Eucharist throughout Chautauqua’s nine-week season. Each week, a visiting Episcopal priest serves as chaplain, bringing clergy from across the Church together with a congregation that forms anew each summer. As its Sponsoring Parish, the St. Luke’s Rector is the also the Vicar there--and coordinates summer worship at the Chapel, recruiting clergy to serve and overseeing administrative concerns.
This year’s chaplains came from Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Michigan, Maryland, Ohio, and Texas, bringing experience in parish ministry, military and hospital chaplaincy, theological education, biblical scholarship, racial reconciliation, and missionary service.
But behind every liturgy is someone preparing the altar, caring for the sacred vessels, opening the Chapel, and making sure everything is ready for worship—and this summer, St. Luke’s own Jon Thompson stepped up in a remarkable way. Trained by St. Luke’s Verger Paul Johnson, who himself spent a week serving as sacristan at the Chapel last summer, Jon took responsibility for serving as the Chapel’s sacristan for the first five weeks of the 2026 season. His ministry provided important continuity as a new chaplain arrived each week. From preparing for the Eucharist to attending to the countless details that allow worship to unfold gracefully, Jon became part of the quiet infrastructure of hospitality that makes the Chapel’s ministry possible.
Our parish administrator also Nicole Gustafson continued to support this work by fielding phone calls, designing bulletins and ordering eucharistic supplies. And Sandy Harle again coordinated the hospitality of St. Luke's Tuesday Tea at the Episcopal Cottage.
That connection reflects something we value deeply at St. Luke’s: ministry extends far beyond our own walls. The skills, gifts, and experience nurtured in our parish can become gifts to the wider Church. And it was a busy summer. The Chapel celebrated more than 63 services, with Sunday worship averaging approximately 66 people and weekday Eucharists averaging approximately 16 worshippers. Longtime Chautauquans, visitors, and newcomers gathered around the same altar throughout the summer. Planning is already underway for next summer, and the Chapel is seeking additional Episcopal and Anglican priests to serve as weekly chaplains. Chaplains receive accommodations at the Episcopal Cottage, making this a unique opportunity for a “working vacation” combining ministry, renewal, learning, and the remarkable experience of Chautauqua.
The 2027 roster is already taking shape. The Rev. Dr. Randall Balmer, John Phillips Professor in Religion at Dartmouth College, and his wife, the Rev. Dr. Catharine Randall, have committed to serve together. And others are waiting in the wings.
For St. Luke’s, this summer offered another reminder that our ministry does not stop at Fourth and Main. Through people like Paul and Jon, the gifts cultivated in our parish are helping sustain worship and welcome across the wider Church—even just a few miles down the road at Chautauqua (The Rector)
