Jon was properly presented by two people from each of the three churches in the Diocese of Newark which have had a hand in shaping and forming him for ordination: Grace, Madison, St. Paul's, Chatham and St. Peter's, Morristown.
The Rev'd Michael Sniffen did a lovely job of chanting the Litany for Ordinations, while Jon prostrated himself before the Altar.
The Very Rev'd Dr. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, President and Dean of The Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA, preached up a storm before the clergy gathered together with our bishop, Mark Beckwith, to make Jon a priest in God's one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.
There was more chanting and praying and bidding the Holy Spirit to come down among us, and the blessings of new vestments and chalice and paten, and bibles and holy hands before we were finally presented with the newest priest in the Diocese of Newark, and, for a little while, the rest of the World Wide Anglican Communion.
Presenting the Rev'd Jon Mark Richardson, a priest forever.
This is so beautiful - it makes me weep! Blessings in abundance for Fr. Jon Mark Richardson!
ReplyDeleteVERY cool! Mazel tovs from Pasadena!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful day. I bet you were feeling a lot of "motherly pride" there!
ReplyDeleteSickening! It's only a bloody job.
ReplyDeleteWhen my wife, a university administrator, and the women who cleans her office every morning get a similar party when they start a new job then, and only then, will I be able to take part in such ecclesiastical shindigs with a clear conscience. Until such time dos like this are simply the clergy's way of saying "I'm so much more important than you." Heck, we don't even throw a similar celebration for our church cleaners.
Word verification - "mince"
Oh darling, was that just for me?
You are a sweetie!
Thanks for stopping by, Jonathan. Guess the memory of your own ordination is but a faded memory.
ReplyDeleteWell, it was a lot less low key than this but even so, a complete embarrassment.
ReplyDeleteWell, there it is, then.
ReplyDeleteWell, in stead of sarcasm, you could attempt to justify this universal, sacerdotal travesty.
ReplyDeleteNot sarcasm, Jonathan. Perhaps that's what it sounds like to a Brit when a Yank uses one of your colloquialisms. But, it's not.
ReplyDeleteI just don't agree with you. And, I'm trying to be polite. In a British sort of way. Perhaps I've been confusing courteous disagreement with sarcasm all these years.
Perhaps I've been confusing courteous disagreement with sarcasm all these years.
ReplyDelete"I somehow doubt it," MadPriest said sarcastically.
And, "I just don't agree with you?" I'll have to remember that one when I'm next in an argument I can't possibly win. I shall call it the Elizabeth Kaeton Infallibility manoeuvre.
Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this, although I agree with you that the institutional church gives lip service to the ideas of the 'priesthood of all believers' and 'mutual ministry'. I also can't fault you for not knowing what I do to honor the folks on my staff and the folks who do the work of ministry in my community of faith.
ReplyDeleteAs for the the Elizabeth Kaeton Infallibility manoeuvre, well, I'm always happy to be of service to you, Jonathan.
I don't agree to disagree.
ReplyDeleteNor do I accept your gambit to personalize this because I haven't related the argument to you or your staff.
Therefore, I have to assume you have no argument to counter my accusation that this is pharisaical feather preening of the vilest kind.
And I know exactly how you will reply to this.
Ah, a humourist and a soothsayer. You are multi-talented, Jonathan.
ReplyDelete