Ten Reasons Why I Love You, 2025

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

It’s common at this time of year for critics to publish their “10 Best of 2025” lists.  I’ve been thinking of ten of my fondest memories this year at Grace Church.  It’s an incomplete list, and of course it is highly subjective and personal.  But I think these memories are worth celebrating, and I think you will find much on this list to celebrate, too:

 

  1. I walked all over Montreal and Quebec City with our youth pilgrimage to Canada, sharing in conversations and connections that would have happened no place else.

 

  1. I got to experience an intimate Ascension Day with the choir’s beautiful music filling the Malm Narthex.

 

  1. I installed Amanda Hungerford as Head of Grace Episcopal School in front of a packed nave of students and parents, with a few (happy) tears.

 

  1. It may seem strange to put funerals in a top 10 list, but I was deeply moved by each funeral this year at Grace, and I took joy in honoring the saints of this parish and commending their souls to God.

 

  1. Watching our seminarians always brings me great satisfaction. We sent Ignacio and Noah off to serve the church well-equipped by their years at Grace.  I love discovering the gifts that Seth, Miranda, and Gabe bring to us.

 

  1. Together with the other clergy, I was privileged to stand with our neighbors in Chirilagua at a vigil in support of the immigrant community.

 

  1. Not once but three times I got to share lunch at Goodwin House with our dedicated and tight-knit community there. (I hope my life looks like theirs in 25 years.)

 

  1. What top 10 list would be complete without Shrine Mont? My weekend this year started with our walking pilgrimage, and it included beauty, laughter, good conversations, and peaceful quiet.  And pecan pie.

 

  1. I was so excited to open every email I got about our Visioning Process. I loved discovering what hopes are in the hearts of this parish and imagining who we could become.

 

  1. Maybe it’s cheating to say this, but my top memory is every single Sunday. Every. Single.  One.  It brings me so much joy to feel the attentiveness the congregation brings, or to hear the hymns pick up in intensity, or to watch your faces as you approach the communion rail.  It brings me joy to know God in our midst.

 

I can’t wait to see what 2026 brings.

 

Yours in Christ,

Anne+