August 3, 2022
Beloved in Christ:
A year ago, we welcomed our seminary intern, Dr. Gerardo Aponte-Safe. It has been a joy and an honor to journey with Gerardo this past year and to get to know him, his husband Dean, his ministry skills, his deep faith and his great sense of humor. We have all watched Gerardo as he “took Calvary as his class” in seminary and as he evolved as a teacher, preacher, and future priest. It was my hope to have Gerardo with us at Calvary for the two years that his seminary requires for contextual education, but life happens, and I knew, as spring approached, that God might have different plans for Gerardo.
You will read his note to you below. I am disappointed to not be able to walk with Gerardo for the next year, but Bishop Perry is a smart bishop, and she wants him home! So, I am also delighted for him as he will be living out his faith life in this peculiar and joyful, heartbreaking and heart-fulfilling vocation of priesthood. On Sunday, August 14, please come to greet Gerardo at coffee hour at 9:00 am and stay for the 10:00 am service to hear him preach one last time at Calvary.
We love you Gerardo and we can’t wait to see what God is up to in your life!
In gratitude,
Beth+
Dear Calvary Family,
It has been my honor and privilege to serve as the seminarian at Calvary over the last year, listening to your stories, learning together, and sharing in the Word and the Sacraments. The journey towards ordination is long and filled with many great experiences as well as challenges and demands, and I am grateful for your companionship through this process.
As many of you know, I have been juggling the responsibilities of a full-time tenure-track academic position at UW-La Crosse, full-time seminary studies, and field education responsibilities at Calvary. While I have learned much, the workload has been very challenging. Over the summer, I explored options to better manage my formation and ministry as well as my family life and mental and physical health. After careful prayer and discernment, and in consultation with my bishop, I received approval to be ordained to the Transitional Diaconate in September 2022. Furthermore, I have been called as Curate/Associate Rector by the people of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Royal Oak, Michigan beginning September 1st. In this position, I will be able to complete my last required courses while serving in the church full-time, before being ordained to the priesthood in 2023.
Of course, this is bittersweet news because I will be leaving my home and cherished family and friends here in Minnesota. I am grateful that Calvary welcomed me with open arms, in good times, like donuts at coffee hour, the Way of Love Advent Forum, and the stripping of the altar on Maundy Thursday, as well as challenging times, like Ashes-to-go with my fractured elbow. You asked me questions that pushed me to think more deeply, and you shared how sermons and lessons changed your perspectives. I’m grateful to so many of you who took time to chat with me, get to know me, and teach me about yourselves and about this beautiful community. I am especially grateful to the dedicated companions who shared their journeys of faith with me every month and supported my development—Martha Mangan, Tanya Petterson, Stuart Arey, John Winter, and Woodie Cross. Thank you, thank you, thank you! In celebration and thanksgiving for our time together, I will be joining worship and preaching on Sunday, August 14th.
Please know that Calvary will always have a place in my heart and ministry, and I wish you many blessings.
Sincerely,
Gerardo
