Early this morning, and I mean early, 4:30am early I rose before the alarm clock and assembled as quickly and quietly as I could, ran to the church looking for my hotel confirmation number (didn’t find it), and then drove to Greensboro for the 7:14am flight. The first let was to Philly and I was surprised that the flight was full. No drama to speak of during trip. Just the usual angst as to whether or not my bags would make it to my final destination. The airport in New Haven is far smaller than I anticipated. Got a cab and headed downtown.

The town is simply beautiful. Yale dominates and Yale is nothing but large, beautiful gothic building after large, beautiful gothic building. Students of all types are bustling around. Bookstores are everywhere. Niche college town restaurants with al fresco tables. My hotel is 1/10 of a mile from Christ Church – the host for the meeting. As I walked up en route for my search for lunch, I noticed the church was open and there was a Monday Mass at 12:15. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was 12:16. Perfect.

The church immediately smelled of incense that has been seeping in the brick and wood for decades. You can’t clear the air nor would you want to. The church was mostly dark save a few lights on in the side chapel. I made my way and entered during the Collect of the Day. There was one priest, a server and one worshiper. Despite the size of the congregation, the mass was intimate and reverent. In the words of Little Orphan Annie, “I think I’m gonna like it here.”

So, why am I here?  I am a charter member of the Society of Catholic Priests and I am in New Haven for the first Annual Assembly.  Please don’t get ahead of me with the word ‘catholic.’  Catholic in this sense does not mean Roman.  It means something far deeper and far more “Anglican.”  I’ll explain more about that in a later post.

The conference began at 4 with refreshments and social time.  For the first time in a long time, I was under-dressed.  Priests not only in cassocks, but cassocks with mozettas and zuchettos.  Google if you’re curious.  At 5:30 we entered the beautiful Christ Church for Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.  That service, again, needs another post.  Dinner followed and then an address by the Reverend Canon Andrew Nunn, Rector General of the SCP in the UK.

Then we had directed conversations and compline.  I came back to the hotel at 10pm beat.  I had to get a cup of coffee just to make it back to the room.

I have some reflections that I’ll have to write up later, but here’s a preview:

Space (not outer-space) and spirituality.
Being serious.
Habits and Patterns.

Finally, two priests came up to me and asked, “Where have I seen you?”  I am essentially the only person from the South here and know no one.  Later the second priest came up and said, “I think I know why people think they know you.  You look like an actor.”  I said, “He better be good.”  He said, “I can’t place it, I don’t think it’s Vin Diesel….but…”

Yeah, I think I’m gonna like it here…