On Nov. 19, clergy from across the diocese, family and friends gathered at Christ Church Cathedral to rejoice with five new members of the clergy at their ordination service. Bishop Shane Parker ordained one new deacon and four new priests. the Rev. John Holgate as deacon, and the Reverends Bob Albert, Claire Bramma, Thomas Hubschmid, and Stephanie McWatt as priests.
The Rev. Canon George Kwari delivered the homily, sharing a bit about the diverse experience the candidates for ordination brought with them into their new ministries:
“Our five candidates have accumulated amongst themselves years of experience in the high-tech senior management, in research, in tutoring, in non-profit organizations, in farming, in teaching horseback riding, in the army, in social work, so Bob, Stephanie, Clare, John and Tom, tell us, what on earth are you doing here?…
“Many of you have heard the Lord’s call into his service have had to leave behind a profitable career or business, some of you have to leave behind your vocation that in this world’s eyes is far more respectable and desirable….We want to say thank you for your affirmative response to the call of Jesus, that God put in your hearts and you followed…..
Kwari reassured them of the rich and joyful experiences that await in their new careers:
“The reality is that when you give up your life for the sake of Jesus Christ, you have unspeakable joy and delight. This is an amazing and joy-filled vocation you have chosen. The lives of priests and deacons revolve around people. You accompany people in unforgettable moments in their lives, the birth of a child, a wedding, birthday celebrations, anniversaries and graduations, at Eucharist you will be the voice of Jesus when we say in his own words “Take, eat this bread, it is my body broken for you.” That’s not a trivial thing. It is a matter of awe and wonder and deepest humility. You accompany people in their last moments. When you stand by the bedside sharing pain and hope and fear, and then you draw them all into the presence of God, through gentle and heartfelt prayers. There is a saying, ‘What a person does or goes through in a lifetime, a deacon or a priest goes through in a day.’
“The writer of Ephesians reminds us that we must be gentle, humble, and patient. We must bear with one another in love,” Kwari said. “I pray that you will be gentle pastors, wise leaders and faithful stewards of the mysteries of the ordination of the service for all God’s people”
St. John, Antrim — Deanery of the Southwest