Preached at The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Chappaqua, NY

October 30, 2025

John 15:9-16

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.”

Thank you, St. Mary’s, for having me to preach at the institution of Chris Lee as your 9th rector — I am honored to be here and really feeling the joy that Jesus talks about in the Gospel tonight. God’s joy is in us, God’s joy is in you — thank you to the choir and all the many people who are making this service the celebration that it is. 

I’m a priest in this diocese; for 7 years, I’ve been the associate rector at Grace Church in Manhattan. 

But 12 years ago, I was the seminarian in a different diocese, at All Saints’ Church in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Very briefly, allow me to paint a picture of 28 year-old Julia, not the polished specimen you see here: 

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