CONFIRMATION
CONFIRMATION
CLASS OF 2014
On Thursday 22nd May
33 candidates were confirmed
into the Eucharistic fellowship
of Christ’s church by
Bishop Paul Williams. Here
Ioana Bozan tells us how her
pregnancy brought her back to
the Church and led her to be
confirmed. Meanwhile
St Mary Abbots stalwart,
Alison Steele explains
why she decided to join
the group on the course
by
Ioana Bozan
H
aving been baptised a couple of
decades ago, I spent many years as a
teenager exploring various sides of
spiritual life, including philosophy, history
of religion and sacred practices. My favourite
writer back then, Mircea Eliade, happened to
also be a bright philosopher and historian and
with him I embarked on 4 years of beautiful
discoveries in high school. Quite abruptly
after high school though, the fast pace of
modern life caught up with me.
That is until 2012. Pregnancy is a wonderful
time in somebody’s life. A great time to
breathe and go back to basics, an intense
time for profound prayer, an essential time
18 | 2014 Spring
to thank for the gift of life. St Mary Abbots,
with its warm hospitality and openness,
started to be then my regular retreat. The
evening prayers started being a magic time for
reflection, meditation and spiritual comfort.
Thereafter, in 2014, with its great new
beginnings, felt so right for confirmation.
We commenced in February a graceful
passage through the Christian meanings,
with many delightful conversations and
spiritual wonders. Our guides could not
have been better or kinder. Over cakes and
dinner, every Tuesday night we embarked on
different passages in the life of Christ and
meanings. Again and again, so reassuringly
to listen and observe our Vicars; they
addressed our queries profoundly, and
frequently from many different perspectives.
Every person and every need is individual.
I am a Greek Orthodox by parents’ choice
and explorer by nature, so I have encountered
a number of priests from various orders,
monks, nuns and Roman Catholic practicants.
And after years and much consideration,
St Mary Abbots is by far the closest, most
human, relevant and reflective of our
society’s huge diversity and backgrounds.
A place where I feel at ease and I can call
home, a beautiful institution, allowing us to
sail gracefully on our unique spiritual
journeys and come to rescue or
support whenever needed.
Empathic and down to earth, Jenny, Julia
and Fr Gillean offered so much more
than standard preaching; throughout
the confirmation classes they guided us
generously and with a fabulous sense
of humour and then encouraged us
to find the answers within ourselves.
And every so often when words felt
redundant, they greeted us with a hug.
Each Tuesday evening, things fell into place,
we rediscovered so many other meanings in
bible readings and stories, we got to know
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