Eager to Love, Part 1 - Introductions

One of my major projects this month, in addition to my work at the refugee center and liturgical work at the church, is to work with Paola on the church magazine Letters from St. Paul's. Each quarterly edition has a theme, and the theme for this Autumn is "Eager to Love", after a stellar book of the same name by Richard Rohr. I've had the honor to write a short piece introducing myself to the many communities of St. Paul's Within the Walls Episcopal Church (e.g. the Refugee Center, English-speaking community, Spanish-speaking community, musicians & concert-goers etc). Here is that introduction: 

Most of you by now have likely seen me around St. Paul’s on Sundays or other times throughout the week, and many of you have graciously welcomed me into this beautiful community. I’m thrilled to take this opportunity to introduce myself a bit! A word of thanks, first of all, to every member of this community who has prayed, greeted, welcomed, or supported me already in my time of preparation to join you, and in the time since my arrival here in Rome. I think it’s perfect that this edition of Letters is themed “Eager to Love”. I can think of no better phrase to capture how I feel about embarking on this year of service with you and this community.

I’m Charles Graves IV (Carlo, Carlos, or just Charles if you like) and I’ll be with you at St. Paul’s for at least one year as a missionary intern with the Young Adult Service Corps of the Episcopal Church (YASC). It is my great pleasure to join my fantastic fellow YASCer Paola Sanchez Figueroa in following in the footsteps of my good friends Will Bryant and Jared Grant!

But a little more about me – I’m a Baltimore, Maryland native (and committed Ravens football fan), although I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio about eight years ago. In May 2015 I was blessed to graduate from seminary at Yale Divinity School, and I am in the ordination process for the priesthood in the Diocese of Southern Ohio. Before seminary, I spent a few years working on political campaigns and worked briefly as an aide in the US Senate. I’ve been blessed to travel all around the world on church-related missions, and I am thrilled to be serving God with you in such a loving, Christ-centered, service-oriented community.

You may see me here working on Christian Education sessions, or acolyting (perhaps even preaching) at Sunday service, or helping out at the JNRC, or leading prayer services of thanksgiving with newly married couples, and even helping to produce this magazine! In every single one of these activities, and in very much more, I am so honored to share God’s love with you and our neighbors in this beautiful city. Please do come and talk with me during my time here, as I would absolutely love to get to know each and every one of you.

Someone recently asked me to define “eager” and I replied “it’s like a kid on Christmas Eve”. Indeed every single day here in Rome I have woken up with the excitement of a little boy – overjoyed and anxiously awaiting the gifts God has carefully wrapped for her people to enjoy.