My call to priesthood was birthed in silence of the heart. This sacred invitation came ten years ago in the summer of 2010 following a worship service at an Episcopal Benedictine Abbey in Three Rivers, Michigan. I was at the end of a ten-day silent retreat at nearby GilChrist, a contemplative retreat centre where I had gone for many retreats over the previous five years. I was getting into my car for the drive home to Windsor, Canada when a kindly man approached me with a question? Are you a priest? Without hesitation, I said, “No.” In my heart, I heard ‘But I want to be.’
*Barbara Billey and Michele Birch-Conery, ARCWP