[Magdalen] Life's blessings

[James Oppenheimer-Crawford]

ME, your post reminded me of a very pleasant memory I have of a lady
(Vassar Grad of the best sort) who was travelling through the South and
felt a need to touch bases with a former rector who was now a bishop. He
had been a very energetic opponent of women's ordination, and my friend was
not quite sure what sort of person he now was, but she contacted him, and
he said he would be delighted to see her, but they were having an
ordination on that day, and he would need to see her at such-and-such an
hour, before things got really hectic.

So she arrived at the cathedral, and was just saying hello to the bishop
when in comes a young woman with her clerical vestments, and (as my friend
put it) "just FLEW into the bishop's arms" and he was asking how she was,
and what she was doing at present and so forth.

It turned out that this staunch opponent of women's ordination had been
turned around, and had ordained many women, and was now even being used as
a person who could go to some of the hold-outs and speak their language,
having been there, and could help them in their spiritual journey.

I loved the way Julia told the story, starting out very sedate, and
gradually getting very animated at the end.

Grace prevails and love wins -- somehow.



James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy

On Sat, Oct 22, 2016 at 7:19 AM, ME Michaud <michaudme at gmail.com> wrote:

> And don't discount the influence of psychiatrists.
>
> Yes, I've known bishops to override psychiatrists' recommendations, but I
> do remember one here who spent an incredible amount of time & energy
> searching for "homosexual tendencies" (remember "homosexual tendencies?"
> you probably don't if you're under fifty.) He was also unalterably opposed
> to women's ordination. Imagine his long-term influence on the diocese.
> -M
>
> On Saturday, October 22, 2016, Christopher Hart <cervus51 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Lynn,
> >
> > If your last message had been a Facebook post I would have been reaching
> > for the LIKE icon. I couldn't agree more except to say that it doesn't
> stop
> > at priests. There is a vast difference in the selection of bishops too.
> > ​
> >
>