April, 2021
Dear People of St. Paul’s,
Twenty months ago this week I accepted the invitation and call to serve as St. Paul’s rector. It is one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Four days later I went on my first date with Chas Klisis, which is also one of the best decisions of my life. The journey between then and now has been one of great challenge, great growth, and great love with you all and with Chas. I am happy to share with you that it has led me to even greater commitment – with you and with Chas. I am excited to embark on a mission renewal project with St. Paul’s and I am excited to live life with Chas as my betrothed partner. Yes, my friends, Chas and I are engaged to be married, and I couldn’t be happier!
Before you ask, let me tell you that we don’t know when or how we will get married, and truthfully, we’re not in any rush to do so. Our engagement is about our public profession and proclamation of our commitment to each other, and about our commitment to each other’s commitments. We are in a time of great change, with both excitement and trepidation of what awaits us in a post-pandemic world. It is important for Chas and I to confirm our promise to live this out together, and it is important for me to affirm you all that we do this with my continued service to St. Paul’s, and his continued service to his children.
For this reason, we will continue our long-distance relationship, spending time together in both Steamboat and Arvada, as we are able. We will make every effort to be by each other’s side for the truly important events, with full knowledge that we can’t do this for every event. And we will do this until such a time comes where we sense the Holy Spirit moving us in a new direction. Practically, we don’t foresee making a change until his eldest daughter has graduated high school and is moving confidently on a new path for herself, and until St. Paul’s has clarified its mission and is moving confidently on its new path, as well. These two things are a few years in the making, and so we continue to meet challenges, grow, and love in the months ahead much as we have in the months that led us to this place. Plus, Chas and I really like the ideal set-up of a mountain home and a farm near the big city. Not too shabby.
I am so grateful to you all for your continued participation, support, and service in this community, and especially with me, and hopefully Chas. This is not the journey I imagined, but one beyond my imagining. And so I am also incredibly grateful to our mysterious and divine God for leading me here. Once again I feel I am right where I am meant to be, doing the things I am meant to do, with the people I am meant to be with. Alleluia!
Peace,
Catie
