What has been your experience in the diocese since joining in January?
My experience of the diocese so far, besides the fact that I’m spending a lot of time in the car, is we have such a diverse group of people. As a newcomer to the diocese, I don’t know what I’m going to encounter, and what I’m finding is a deep love of God and the church but also a diversity of the people economically, socially, politically, and multiculturally. It’s one of the things I really love the most because it reminds me of my background and my upbringing, growing up as a young girl in the 70s and 80s in Miami. This was when the shift was happening from being a primarily Anglo area to becoming more and more multicultural and Hispanic with the Cubans that were coming in. I have a sense of what it means to be sort of an outsider coming in. I love the food and the love of the people. Particularly, I’m finding just the love of God in the church and that’s the commonality - people love the church and people love God and want to do the work of the church. And the relational aspect of it from the moment I came to the diocesan office, from the cards and the welcoming spirit, the hospitality, the food, the brisket, to you name it, it’s been a really beautiful experience.
How has the Holy Spirit worked in and prepared you to be Bishop Suffragan?
Several of my positions from the corporate world and even going into The Episcopal Church, were in an associate position, and this allowed me for the most part, as a single mom at the time, to be able to be really present for my daughter Victoria, and that was really prepping me. The first seven years of ministry were as an associate, with increasing levels of responsibility in big systems. My experience from the corporate world also allowed me to be part of a large system where there were interactions with different departments, people, places, and budgets. I felt I came to seminary with experiences that my counterparts didn’t have per se. Then I went off to be a rector. So, when I came to the Diocese of Texas - our partner to the east of us - that enabled me to sort of know what it means to be the person in charge, and it was amazing. I loved being a rector of a church, and I saw them through some pretty dark times including the death of a former rector, some damage and rebuilding from a hurricane, COVID, and coming back through it all. Afterwards, it was pretty clear that it was time for me to have a break and a different place to be. That enabled me to go back to St. David’s in Austin to be an associate rector again, and it really highlighted what the sweet spot was for me. Being a middle child in a large family, being second in charge in other places – that’s where I did my best work. Particularly as a single mom and as a priest who doesn’t have a spouse or a partner in a larger system allowed me to do my best work and to live into that. Interestingly, we just returned from a staff retreat here in the diocese and we did the Enneagram personal assessment. My profile mentions that I would do well to be in a position where I was a co -pilot of something or second in charge. And I was like, hmm, well, that’s interesting because that’s exactly what I was called to do as Bishop Suffragan. I think I will flourish as the “second” to advocate and support Bishop Read’s vision. Also, the pastoral sensibility that drew me to priesthood to begin with is to be present with people in their hardest moments. I believe one of the biggest responsibilities of a bishop suffragan is to do exactly that for the clergy in the diocese. I feel I know how to be a person of support for our priests and continue the mission of the church.
What is your hope for the Diocese of West Texas?
My hope for the Diocese of West Texas is that it continues to be a diocese grounded in this missional work, bringing the good news to those near and far; that we create a space of belonging for those who feel lost.
There are people feeling despair. There are people that are angry. There are people that feel lost and disconnected. My hope is that the diocese can be - I’ve used this term before - this beacon of light and hope and belonging for everyone. We have a unique opportunity to be able to provide that, not just here in the diocese, but even on a wider, larger level within The Episcopal Church, if we can just get out of the mindset that’s dividing us. Jesus modeled for us a certain way of living - a way of compassion, a way of love, a way of sacrifice - and if we can be that image, that mirror of Jesus, then the world is our oyster. Jesus did it and Jesus taught us that it wasn’t always being in the four walls of the temple. He was out feeding, reconciling, healing, and loving. If we can truly model that, we can change the world.
What opportunities do you see for clergy and congregations?
There are many opportunities that I see for churches and congregations. From what I’ve seen, I sense that there is a level of tiredness. Perhaps post COVID - maybe some burn out and struggles, to build back up. We are starting to see movement past it and people and churches are building up. But there’s a level of tiredness and maybe I would venture to say some complacency too. Part of the opportunity is to help inspire people. The other challenge is just the nature of being Episcopalian and the tradition and building churches where we have. The world looks really different than it did in the fifties and the sixties when The Episcopal Church was growing, and we got comfortable. Whenever we get comfortable, that can hurt us. I think we’re being challenged now to think differently - not just our clergy but even our lay people. I’m excited about the vision that Bishop Read has in terms of bringing back the diaconate and the lay track with Iona and things he’s inspired to look at in terms of congregational development, to think about how we do ministry and how we do it in a new way that grows and changes and evolves with how quickly the world is changing.
The other piece is our clergy. I think the days of us going at it alone and just thinking that the people are going to find our churches and grow; that’s over. We need to be Christ to the world. What does that mean? It means more connection, more interaction, more community engagement. It means leaving our churches and engaging the community in new ways. When I think back about my own journey and how I found The Episcopal Church, and then when I think about my daughter who’s a part of this new Gen Z generation, it is that people are looking for real engagement from the church. They’re looking for a church engaged in the things that matter. That’s not just worshiping on Sundays – that’s protecting creation and engaging with the people that are marginalized; that means serving them. Our clergy need to think of new ways as to how we do that and collaborate with each other. Because The Church is not just their church, it’s the full body, and that’s a challenge, not just for the churches within our diocese, but also from a national church perspective, too. The way we do that is to create this place of belonging for people and engage the world in real and meaningful ways, so we reflect the love and life of Jesus Christ.
What are your near-term priorities?
The first big thing I’m really trying to do is get to know everyone, particularly the clergy, and what makes the Diocese of West Texas - West Texas. Building those relationships so I can be a support and be a pastoral asset to the clergy that are here. I’ve been meeting with folks, trying to visit churches, not just on Sundays, but even during the week. I’ve been grabbing coffee or lunch with rectors, trying to get to know what their challenges are; trying to stay connected so that when I hear about a clergy person that is having surgery, I’m making a real effort to connect and be a presence for them. The feedback I’ve received is that people and clergy have missed having a second bishop that can help Bishop Read in the pastoral presence to the clergy and the leadership of the church. The other area that I’m looking at is related to helping clergy to meet with convocations. I think that’s a way where I can get out and meet several clergy at the same time to find out what their challenges are. The Hispanic and Latino Ministry would be the next big area. Those are the focal areas, aside from the visitations. In order of priority, it is getting to know people, finding out how I can be support and a resource for them, and helping clergy collaborate so that they can work more efficiently and support each other more.
How are you able to carve out time for self-care?
Self-care needs to be a priority. I spend a lot of time in that car, so what I have done is I have made my workout routine a priority. Set days and times are put on my schedule. When traveling, the schedule gets shifted, but I need to do something four times a week, and I make sure that happens. The other thing that I love doing is getting my hands dirty and being physical in the yard, so on my Sabbath day (generally Fridays), I am planting in my garden. I’ve also made sure that I am meeting with my mentor. You get assigned a mentor from the College of Bishops, as well as a spiritual director, and that is a priority. With all the time that I spend in the car, I’m optimizing that time too. I listen to spiritual podcasts and Morning Prayer. I try to have that as a grounding force, especially when I’m on my way to visiting churches. If I’m not able to do that, I can see how it throws my whole body off. And to keep up with the stamina of what it takes to be a bishop, the self -care has to come in. That also means balancing. For instance, during Holy Week, I helped at a church on Friday, so I took the day off on Monday. I am blessed with an amazing executive assistant who is helping me do that and manage my calendar. That is one of the perks of being in a diocese that is well-resourced and loves your bishops and wants to see them do well.
What was your journey to becoming an Episcopal priest?
My journey started at a really young age. I grew up in the Catholic Church. My mom had two dear friends who were both Catholic priests. One was a Jesuit priest, and one was a missionary priest who she both knew from Cuba, and the missionary priest was in Honduras. I got to know them at a very personal level and so you know it was sort of seeing behind the curtain because they would come for dinner at our house and so I got to see the real human side of Catholic priests being - sharing and expressing feelings that you wouldn't see them express otherwise.
I remember just having really frank conversations with them that I couldn't have with the priest at my school. Speaking to one of the priests at the age of seven or eight I said, "I want to do what you do." And he said, "Well, you can't do what I do because you're a woman, but you can become a nun." I was like, "I know the nuns from school. They're no fun. I don't want to be a nun." I also knew, even at that age, that I wanted to be a mom one day, so I just put it out of my mind. I thought, “I guess I'll be involved in a church, but I can't do that, right?” It probably wasn't until I was away at grad school in my early 20s living in Memphis, Tennessee, that a friend of mine invited me to Calvary Episcopal Church, a downtown church. From the moment I walked in, I had no knowledge about The Episcopal Church (I didn't even know how to pronounce it), but I walked in and there was an instant comfort because the liturgy was so similar to the Catholic liturgy. I could see women serving at the altar and a woman priest and later found out the priest could be married. And I think, "What's that all about?" I wanted to know more so I took a several weeks long course on becoming an Episcopalian and learned about the history and what makes Episcopalians – Episcopalians. I began to get involved; I sang in the choir and started volunteering to help the youth group; I went to Kanuga, and for the first time I felt like I really belonged in a church - that sense of belonging. I decided in 1994 to be received into The Episcopal Church, which did not go over well with my mom, but at the time I was an adult, and she had later embraced it.
When I got married, my husband, who was Catholic as well, was adamant that he wanted to find a church outside of the Catholic Church. I said, “Well, let's go to The Episcopal Church. I think you'll like it”. And so, we did, and we joined an Episcopal Church. When he passed away – probably about six months to a year after that - a stirring of wanting to something deeper in the church was really prompted by the love and support that I got, not just from the rector at that parish, but also just the community that wrapped me in love and comfort after the death of my husband. A sense of call returned, and it was just that pastoral sense that I wanted to be that beacon of light and comfort for people that are suffering similar things, who are going through their deepest, darkest hours. I wanted to walk that journey with them. It was that deep pastoral call. So that discernment process started from the event of losing my husband.
Initially I thought I was called to be a deacon. I could keep my high paying job as a corporate exec and make tons of money but then do this deacon thing on the weekends and be this bi-vocational minister. And the discernment committee came back saying, "No, we feel like you're called to be a priest.” That was another big discernment thing – “What does it mean for me as a single mom, leaving this job, selling my house, and going to seminary?” It was a big moment of faith to say yes - to the chagrin of my whole family who thought I was crazy to give up this high-paying job to go to Seminary - and it was. But now looking back, it was the best decision I ever made in my life. It was an opportunity for even my daughter to grow up in the seminary community - in a church community, wrapped in compassion and mercy and love. That's how my call and my journey to The Episcopal Church came to be.
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