Ordination

On Wednesday (yes Halloween, because it was the vigil for All Saints Day) a friend who was in my inter-community novitiate (Insearch) program was ordained a priest (he had been in a congregation of priests at that time, but left and entered a diocesan seminary.) A sister from another community who was also in our class, picked me up at work and together we journey all the way to a parish church in a small town in northern New Jersey arriving a couple of minutes late.

Peter will make a great priest because of his outgoing personality and kind spirit. It was great to be present at this special event and to connect with other friends from Insearch who were also present. After liturgy, we reminisced about a Halloween party we all attended on that very night seven years earlier. While waiting in what I thought was a receiving line, we talked excitedly as we don't get together that often. We were "shushed," by two priests wearing cassocks and passing out holy cards, because apparently we were making too much noise. I had never been to ordination before so the concept of "first blessing" was foreign to me. I really just wanted to give Peter a hug and congratulate him a. I was directed to kneel on a kneeler while he prayed over me. It amazes me that I remain ignorant of many formal church traditions even after being in religious life this long.

We did not get back to Philly until midnight, but it was well worth it!

New Chapter

Starting this new blog is hopefully like staring a new chapter. There are situations, ideas, events that occur every week no matter where I am that are worth writing about. Since my previous blog focused on my time in New Orleans, which ended 5 months ago, it is time to start something new focusing on my time in the places I find myself everyday.

While I was in New Orleans, away from my community, I blogged regularly as a means of keeping people updated on the situations I was encountering. Writing regularly helped me to see the significance in experiences and events and to make sense of them at least enough to be able to share them with others. While it is unlikely that many will read this (few read my other blog while I was away, with the exception of my family, especially my grandmother and a few friends) it is a good exercise for me. If anyone happens to read it enjoy!, and feel free to leave a comment.
Thanks.
-Kathleen