Dear Friends,

In our last letter, Ron shared with you his memories of forty years of priesthood. Thank you so much for sharing in our joy as we celebrate this milestone in Ron's ministerial life.

This weekend marks the 4th anniversary of my ordination to priesthood. In some moments, it seems like 40 years... and in others it seems like 4 months. My ordination took place on the St. Lawrence Seaway on a boat crowded with women, men, children and cameras! It was a sweltering hot day (we are notorious for 'sweaty' ordinations as those of you who experienced Boston last year can attest). I recall one moment of looking up and out a window of the boat, and being thrilled to see the sky, the green trees, the sparkling water and gentle waves, and thinking that surely this is the most beautiful of 'stained glass windows'. There are many meaning-full moments that come to mind when I recall that day…Ron loving presentation of me as a candidate, my parents proudly vesting me, receiving the chalice as gift, the anointing of my hands with oil, the laying on of hands... hundreds of hand... and the rocking of the boat as I lay prostrate for the Litany of Saints. In that most sacred moment, I truly felt that I was being held in the arms of my Mother God and being embraced and cherished for who I am. A truly transformative moment in my life. Some feminists have criticized us for this moment of 'surrender'; and while I understand where that critique comes from, (we women have 'lain down' far too often) for me, however, this was a moment of resting securely in God's love... it was the surrender of freedom from 'carrying the load', a surrender not of 'servitude' but of serenity. This quote from what will be our first reading on Sunday... and is included in full below... wraps words around that precious moment for me: Tender Woman God, You are the One Who holds us all in the hope of Your new tomorrow, and the faith of Your yesterday. My closing thought on this eve of my 4th anniversary of ordained priesthood connects to our gospel this Sunday which is John's story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. In this gospel... 5,000 men are fed... this is not counting the women and children. I have been blessed in my ministry to feed the women and children…and men…as priest, and the light(and sometimes tears) in the eyes of women as I minister to/with them feeds my soul, and brings me deep, deep joy.


As you seek to live with deeper freedom and integrity in your life, we invite you to come and pray with us at Spirit of Life. We are a Catholic community where every voice is heard, and women and men are unafraid to acknowledge the equality of women and men; and to embrace feminine as well as masculine... and beyond... images of God. As a community, we try wholeheartedly to "be Christ" to one another, to tend to the needs of one another, and to those in need in our world. Together, we celebrate our belief that we are being transformed by God's grace as we gather together in prayer. We warmly invite you to come and gather with us at our Table, and join in our experience of the "kin-dom" of God. We are an inclusive, open, affirming and interactive community, deeply committed to being a people of "justice and joy."

May the Grace of the Risen Christ, who chose Mary of Magdala as Apostle to the Apostles, bless you with joy in YOUR call,

Find more about past weekly reflections and podcasts in our ARCHIVE PAGE.