On January 22nd I arrived in Mirfield after a long journey from Berkeley, California, where I am in my second year of training for ordination in the Episcopal Church. A new exchange program between my seminary, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, and the College of the Resurrection was created this past fall, and I was eager to embark on an adventure as the first person to make the trip. In these first two months I have cherished the opportunity to participate in the common life of the College, to worship alongside members of the Community, and to engage in parish placements here in Mirfield. After some years in California, witnessing a proper snowfall or two has also been a treat! The College and the Community are such treasures; the commitment to God and to one another is palpable in so many ways, and I pray that more of my classmates in the U.S. will have the chance to take part in the richness of life here. When I return to Berkeley in June I will have countless beautiful memories, some dear new friends and colleagues, and a lifelong connection to this peaceful, vibrant, and holy place. I believe that Christ calls each of us out into the world to leave behind the familiar and thus to grow deeper in relationship with Him; for me, Mirfield has been the place to do just that.
Phil Hooper
