St. Mark’s Shows Up for Trans Youth

On Sunday, March 15, community members gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto to show up for trans youth in our community. The event, titled Sacred Lives: An Interfaith Community Vigil of Solidarity for Palo Alto’s Beloved Trans Youth with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto, was jointly hosted by St. Mark’s and the UUCPA. St. Mark’s participation was led by organizers Sigrid Pinsky and Diane Guinta and involved the contribution of homemade baked goods, a tangible representation of our care and presence.

The UUCPA’s statement about the event is as follows:

In this tender and urgent moment, our community gathers to hold our trans youth in love, grief, and fierce protection. We come together across faith traditions to affirm a simple, sacred truth: trans lives are beloved, holy, and worthy of safety and joy.

Recent losses have shaken our community. We refuse to respond with silence. Instead, we gather together to pray, to remember, to listen, and to commit ourselves to building a world where every trans child knows they are cherished.

All are welcome: people of faith, people of doubt, families, youth, educators, neighbors. Whether you come grieving, hopeful, angry, or unsure, there is space for you here.

Join us for readings, reflection, candle lighting, and a collective commitment to surround trans youth and their loved ones with unwavering love.

Because no child should ever wonder if they belong.

The St. Mark’s children and teens, supported by Lily Dodge and Cheryl Miller, baked over five dozen orange chocolate cookies, sending them along with a handmade sign showing their support and love.

Parishioner Sigrid P. with Rev. Cat Boyle of UUCPA and the cookies and sign from St. Mark’s youth

The cookies baked by children and youth along with the sign they decorated to go with them. We made so many cookies that the leftovers from the vigil were enjoyed by the women staying at the Heart & Home Shelter.

The recipe for the cookies is as follows:

Step One: Melt the Chocolate Chips

1. In a microwave safe bowl, measure out 1 cup of chocolate chips.
2. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave by heating them for 15 seconds at a time and stirring between.
3. Once the chocolate is melted, add 1 teaspoon of orange extract.
   Tip: You can use raspberry extract, peppermint extract, or any other flavor too!

Step Two: Cream the Butter & Sugar

1. In a large bowl, add 8 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar.
2. Use the hand mixer to cream them together until it looks light and creamy.
3. Add one egg and mix it in.
4. Add one more egg and mix it in.

Step Three: Mix the Dry Ingredients

1. In a large bowl, combine:

• 1 cup flour
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Step Four: Combine Together

1. Add the dry ingredients and the melted chocolate into the sugar mixture
2. Use the hand mixer to mix them and stop right away as soon as everything is combined.
   Tip: it helps to have one person using the mixer while another person slowly pours in the ingredients.

Step Five: Chill the Dough

1. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and place it in the fridge.
2. Leave it in the fridge for at least two hours. Overnight is best!

Step Six: Roll and Bake the Cookies

1. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, scoop out enough dough to roll into a roughly 1-inch diameter ball.
2. Roll the dough between your hands until it is a smooth ball.
3. Roll the ball in powdered sugar. Shake excess sugar off.
4. Lay the sugar coated balls on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. They will spread out, so leave lots of space!
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 13 minutes.
6. Cookies will still be very “gooey” when removed from the oven – let them cool on the tray for a while and they will develop more structural integrity.

Step Seven: Bless and Share the Cookies

1. Say a prayer of blessing over the cookies.
   Together, we lifted up a blessing that the people who eat these cookies would feel loved, happy, and know that they belong. We told God that we are doing this work because inclusion matters to us and because we want our trans community members to know that we are thinking about them.
2. Share the cookies with people you care about!