News from Marco Casci
Another academic year has ended … but last year, for me, was not a usual one.
Spending my fifth academic year in Cambridge meant having the great possibility to widen my horizons. This was a gift from all the people, churches
and groups who helped me financially to be a resident of Westminster College.
Being part not only of the Cambridge Theological Federation – which includes
Reformed, Methodist, Anglicans, Orthodox and Catholics – but also of the ‘lay’
Faculty of Divinity has been a unique period of time during which I was able to
share in the knowledge and understanding of different theological perspectives.
I discovered with enthusiasm all the many different gifts of the various Christian traditions and the
ways in which many young people find their space
in the universal Church.
Joining, once a month, in Federation worship, enabled me to participate in differing ways to praise our
Father in a different environment from the academic
one. Having a tutor – the Professor of Systematic
and Church History John Paul Bradbury – to talk to
has been crucial to me and enabled me to rationalize
all those new experiences and to have an ‘internal
perspective’ on the English Christian world.
The congregation I attended was the URC St Columba, led by Revd Nigel
Uden. Thanks to him, I improved my knowledge of the Reformed tradition in
England.
Last but not least I would like to mention the kindness and care that the
Westminster College staff, colleagues, sabbatical ministers and professors
showed me. All of them have contributed to make me feel welcome and at home.
This was my fifth and final academic year. After completing my thesis a new
adventure awaits me: full time ministry.
I am sure that all the things I had the privilege to learn, first during my
pastoral semester serving in the Nairn community with the minister Steven
Manders and then the academic experience in Cambridge, will be a treasure
that I will be called to share with the world we are all called to serve.
May our Father bless all and each one of you.
Marco Emanuele Casci
Return to Torre Pellice
It was 19 years since my first visit to the Valleys, when I went to work in Agape
and first encountered the Waldensian Church. It was 12 years since I had gone
with a youth group from the UK and met the young minister from the URC
who would become my husband and it was about 8 years since our last visit
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