And so it was that on Valentine's Day many of us juniors here at VTS got calls inviting us to serve at parishes throughout the dioceses of Virginia, Maryland and Washington for two years of field education, starting next fall. I am very happy and thankful to have received a call from Peter Ackerman, rector of St. Christopher's in Springfield, VA. Am also very happy that he has invited me (if I want) to start worshipping at St. Christopher's. I do very much want to do that; I've greatly missed being in a parish these last months, and am happy to have a place to spend Holy Week, which is also VTS's spring break.

I am extremely excited about working at St. Christopher's and with Peter. The senior who is the current seminarian there has had a great experience, and Peter is a relatively new rector (since 2010), so it will be an education in and of itself to watch him navigate waters that still may be somewhat unfamiliar to him. 

Interestingly, Peter, who graduated in 2007 completed his field ed across the street from the seminary at Immanuel Church on the Hill under the supervision of Sam Faeth, whose rector once upon a time was Taylor Moore. Peter went on to become the associate at Immanuel before receiving the call to St. Christopher's in 2010. Sam retired about that time, and she and her husband recently became members of St. Christopher's. So, I will be serving at a parish where my supervisor was once supervised by my sending rector's parishioner, with whom I'll be regularly worshipping. As my friend Martha, a priest working on an master of arts degree here at VTS, says, "There really are only six Episcopalians. The rest is smoke and mirrors."

Here's the link to St. Christopher's, with a message from Peter: http://www.saintchristophers.net