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In all the lack of excitement I forgot to mention my last day at St. Anne's. Having just said goodbye to my CPE group, not to mention my patients, this was a weekend for partings. Sweet sorrows, indeed. I've really enjoyed my experience at St. Anne's. The rector who was there when I started, on Ash Wednesday of 2005, was a real character and became a very good friend. He gave me a lot of opportunity to preach and to lead various aspects of the liturgical and community life. His successor, the interim, continued that generosity. This summer I was preaching every other week or more, and on some pretty "big-deal" occasions, such as a baptism and the Patronal feast. I was gone from St. Anne's during my internship at St. Bart's, of course, but when that ended I came back to the place I consider my spiritual home in Toronto. I spent a very pleasant few months back, and when I left (this time, sadly, for good) the congregation gave me a very warm send-off. They gave me the book, God's Secretaries, about the writing of the King James Version of the Bible, a lovely framed picture of one of the church's murals, and a stole to be custom made for me by a company in Amy's home town. More importantly, they gave me a whole pile of cards, full of signatures and messages. (I've added them to my "feel good" folder, a collection of things to look at when feeling down.) As I told the congregation, St. Anne's will always be very special to me. The people there were very welcoming and accepting of this slightly cocky young Yank. It's the sad reality of ministry. I had to leave All Saints' to attend Trinity. I had to leave St. Bart's when my internship was done, and now I leave St. Anne's to explore the Diocese of Niagara, where I hope (God and the bishop willing) to be ordained. Letting go is just part of the program. A sad part, but an inevitable part. |
