I forgot to post the GoFundMe link in the last post. Please find it below and I would appreciate it if you could share it on social media.
Thank you so much,
Erica
https://gofund.me/387091a4
Sunday, December 19, 2021
Erica's Seminary Journey Update!
Dear Friends of My Seminary Journey,
I can’t believe that 7 months have gone by since my last post! So much has happened and so much is coming… here is an update:
This October I went to Berlin with our Seminary Directors and two other Ordination Preparation students - one from the US who studied here in Toronto, and one from South Africa. We were asked by the Church Leadership to come and meet with them in person as we look ahead to the Ordination Preparation course. It was an amazing trip meeting with the Leadership, attending the Ordinations of two new Priests (in German!), attending classes. We then traveled to see where our founder Rudolf Steiner lived in Berlin, and to Breitbrunn where the first circle of priests gathered to look at their future - becoming Priests and founding a new church. It was a whirlwind trip ending with a visit to the Ziest congregation in the Netherlands. There we met with Bastiaan Baan, who used to be the seminary director in New York. I feel so blessed to have been able to go on this trip and experience a part of the world wide movement and be in touch with its founding.
With the completion of second year, I am now in preparation for Ordination. Three other students will join me in that group - one who studied here with me who is from the US, one from the UK, and one from Australia. We have already started with an online course together on Zoom. Also each of us, as well as the directors, have an early Christian to study and present about at the beginning of our in person classes in January. I will be studying Evagrius Ponticus from the fourth century. We are also working on printing out the gospel readings for the church services. It’s good to be practicing printing as my ritual books will be handwritten! The books are hand bound and art pens are used for the printing in script. Our classes will be speech training, sermon writing (and then delivering sermons), work on the Gospels, and on the Breviary - a group of meditations that Steiner gave specifically for the priests. Also my vestments are being made in Germany and I will be fitted in January for the final adjustments.
Thankfully for the past few months I have had employment at the Seminary. That has ended now as I transition into full time studies. The work has allowed me to put some money aside for supporting myself during the next few months until I start work in June. But I could use some financial support for supplies and tuition. It would be so helpful if you could post the gofundme link on your social networks with the hopes of reaching the final goal of the fundraiser. Here are the things I will need help with:
Handbound Liturgy Book, Gospel Folio, and Breviary: $375
Script Pens and Folio Paper: $75
Tuition: $4,500
It is so amazing to be moving forward with this calling to become a Priest! At the end of February I will find out if I will be invited to be Ordained. Then it's up to me to say the final ‘yes’. Ordinations will be held the weekend of May 13th. Without you all it wouldn’t be happening with such grace. Thank you so much for all of your support. The gift of prayers, good wishes, and finances have made this all possible for me. My heart is full….
In Gratitude, Erica
Robert from the US, Erica from Canada, Andreas from South Africa in front of the apartment where Rudolf Steiner lived in Berlin.
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