Dear People of St. Paul’s,
Thank you all for the warm welcome, kindness, humor, and support I’ve been receiving since arriving on August 1! If you’ve ever changed jobs and moved to a totally unfamiliar city, you know how helpful that is. It’s great to meet so many people and learn about the many ministries of love here. There’s a lot to learn and do, but it’s a graced and good abundance, and I’m happy to be here!
I’ve lived most of my life in Baltimore, Maryland — part of the huge metropolitan area that stretches to Washington, D.C., where I’ve also lived, worked, and played. More recently, I’ve lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Berkeley, California. Before coming here, I was in Columbus for two years serving as a priest at two churches. I’d never been to Cleveland until my interview here, and I am really excited to get to know this city!
My spiritual background includes being raised Catholic. I enjoyed numerous things about my 12 years of Catholic school, including learning about the saints, attending Mass weekly, and sometimes getting to discuss deeper meanings of life in religion class. I still remember (and have!) a booklet I made in 8th grade, which contained a prayer that said in part, “O God, beyond all the stars, what is there?” That really had an impact on me and sparked my awareness of a powerful longing to live in the Truth and goodness of life no matter what it took. After high school, I wandered away from Christianity for a long time and began a journey of deep immersion with many different faith traditions from around the world. Each tradition has become a living, ongoing part of me and has helped me to become a better disciple of Christ. I’m so grateful!
On a personal note, one of my greatest joys are my three children, who are spread out in Cincinnati, Boulder, and San Francisco. I’m looking forward to finding a house here soon where they can visit often!
I am looking forward to getting to know you all more!
With gratitude and joy,
The Rev. Patricia Rose