Original Manuscript:
When I was in High School, the Diocesan of Alabama had a Youth Pilgrimage to England and Taizé.
Part of that trip was to Winchester Cathedral.
Later I would learn this was where Jane Austin was buried.
And also that there is a strange flooding phenomena in parts of the year in the basement.
We went there to hold a service in honor of St. Swithun, whose shrine is there. According to legend, when he served there, he was crossing the bridge in town. He noticed a lady being harassed by some men working. She had a basket of eggs that they knocked over and broke. Swithun picked up one of the eggs and it was made whole again.
At the Shrine, we had a service where our Bishop Suffragan at the time asked “What’s on your mind?” I replied “Am I to be a priest?” I had no idea this had been on my mind at all. I knew I wanted to study Scripture, but I hadn’t felt called to ordained ministry.
I was very emotional at this point and went into the chapel for Joan of Arc to think and Pray.
Fortunately we were going to Taizé soon after. Taizé is an ecumenical community geared towards young people. The style of worship is very contemplative, which is extremely conducive to thinking and reflecting. I thought after this week that I was too young to know what God was calling me towards. Having this thought only made my sense of call stronger as I returned how.
This is the journey that ultimately led me to go through the process to be ordained.
That process is marked out in the stole I received for my ordination with the symbol of the egg and the bridge from St. Swithun’s story as well as the cross shaped like a dove for Taizé.
Learn more about my time at Winchester Cathedral by clicking here.