Thursday

On campus at Nashotah for 8am Mattins (sung Morning Prayer), followed by breakfast in the refectory, followed by trustees meetings from 9:30 until noon and 1:30 until 3:00. There's a bit of a learning curve to chairing this group, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. I was grateful for the 90 minute break between adjournment and Evening Prayer, as it allowed for a long walk around the campus--including down at the lakefront--and a "for old time's sake" visit to the library, which may actually have been my true home when I was a student here. Said Evening Prayer at 4:30 ("Evensaid," as some of the students call it) was followed by a glorious Solemn Eucharist celebrating the feast of St James of Jerusalem, transferred from Tuesday. The preacher was Fr Chad Hatfield, a son of the House, and now chancellor of the Orthodox seminary in Yonkers, New York (St Vladimir's). Another scrumptious meal in the refectory, followed by a small social gathering at the deanery with our guest of honor, Metropolitan Hilarion of the Moscow Patriarchate, on whom it will be my privilege tomorrow to confer an honorary Doctor of Music degree (in addition to his ecclesiastical acumen, he's a distinguished composer).

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