A blessed event

The parish which is a spiritual home for me is St. Boniface on Siesta Key, Sarasota, FL.  I am one of six retired Priests who hang out there.

St. Boniface has two and a half priests on staff.  There is Ted Copeland (Rector), Andrea Taylor (Assistant), and Wesley Wasdyke (Associate).
Wesley (“Wes”) spends half the year in New Hampshire, so he is the “half” of the two and a half.
Andrea (“Andi”) and I were colleagues in the greater Boston area, so we are delighted to have been re-united.
Ted is a great Rector.  He is so very generous in the ways that he shares ministerial leadership with Andi and Wes, and with his six retirees.
So it was that Ted, my Rector, asked me to assist this morning by baptising 6 month old Ione Rose Gasparillo.
For various reasons this baptism was slated to take place between the 9:00 and 11:15 services.  (Ted and Wes were teaching classes at that time, and Andi was with the youth group which was concluding a 30 hour fast).
What a gift to me! In all my priestly life the honour of baptising was at the very pinnacle of my joys.  As ever, I got teary eyed in the baptism, especially as I held this lovely baby (who snuggled in to me quite naturally). 
I’ve not baptised in more than four years.  This morning’s baptism reminded me of the joy of my priestly vocation, and caused me to be very grateful for my Rector and his trust in me!


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