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Fr. Al Holland assists at St. Clement’s
October 31, 2011
“I had the good fortune to be accepted at Seabury Western in Evanston, Illinois in 1972. My further good fortune led me in the summer of 1973 to be an archeological student from Seabury in Israel/Palestine. When I returned to my academic studies that fall I decided, with the support of the Dean, to take a leave of absence beginning in January of 1974. This stretched into over three years during which time I served with the Central Intelligence Agency. In the fall of 1977 I returned to Seabury, graduating in 1979, being priested by the beloved James W. Montgomery of Chicago. As my ministry developed it became clear that the focus would be on church growth and congregational diversity. I have been involved in building two urban churches in congregations with which I served, both being necessitated by the congregation outgrowing its existing building. I have been blessed to lead two congregations in which there was no ethnic majority. In Arizona, for example, St. Andrew’s Glendale where I served as Rector became home to a congregation drawn from sixteen countries of origin speaking nine first languages representing some twenty-two ethnicities. It was great fun and an exciting adventure for all of us involved! While I would self describe as an Anglo Catholic I have happily served with Episcopalians of every theological stripe. In the fall of 2010 I retired and now serve primarily at Philadelphia Cathedral. I spend a good deal of time traveling and do supply work as well. I am grateful to Canon Reed who generously allows me to celebrate Mass on Thursdays. I look forward to this coming February when my schedule will allow me once again to occasionally assist Canon Reid and your new curate at Mass on Sundays and the great feast days.”
Fr. Al Holland
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