Blogging the SCP Conference 2010: Day 1

Dear friends, I am writing to you from the Society of Catholic Priests 2nd Annual Conference, a conference that I have been looking forward to for about a year when a friend and colleague told me about his experience here last year.  The conference is again being held at beautiful Christ Church, New Haven, CT.  The group is made up of folks who are Anglo-catholic (“high church”) in liturgical practice and spiritual discipline and who are committed to the Episcopal Church and its mission and ministry.  We have a lot of speakers lined up and the intellectual side of the conference promises to not disappoint!  The liturgical side of the conference is out of this world!  Tonight we celebrated Solemn Evensong (sung Evening Prayer) with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and then, after dinner, had sung Compline.  It was gorgeous, but if you think the incense we used on All Saints’ Sunday was too much, this might not be the church for you!  Tomorrow I hope to have more pictures for you of the inside of the church as well as several of my fellow conference goers who are all dressed to the nines!  Clerical suits, cassocks, band cinctures, shoulder capes, zuchettos, birettas, and Anglican rosaries abound!  The fashion show is really quite impressive! But, so far, the best part of the experience has been the welcoming spirit and friendliness of everyone, from Fr. David Cobb, Rector of Christ Church, all the way down the line to each society member.  It is wonderful to be amongst a great group of clergy colleagues (who don’t spend all their time talking about “that unfortunate business with the bishop”) who are genuinely excited to be together.  And, at least one of my fellow conference participants is known to you, so I bring you greetings from the Rev. Meredith Kefauver Olsen, who fondly remembers her time at St. George’s!  More to come tomorrow as the conference really gets under way.  And yes, I am bragging a bit (confessions are offered tomorrow) about what a wonderful congregation I serve!

Faithfully,

Fr. Ryan+