What I learned when I became Episcopalian.
Guest Writer: Mary Hines
Mary Hines 3
There had been so many unusual events I couldn’t understand. I was young, about to get married, and very happy about my future. My parents did not share my excitement. I had been raised Catholic and was about to marry a Baptist. We had resolved our conflict over religion, but my parents had not. So, one August summer evening, we were married by a justice of the peace, with the immediate families attending. My mother was too upset to attend.
We didn’t try to find a church immediately. There was too much hurt and anger to think about it. So Sundays became a day for sleeping late, going fishing, or whatever. Two years later, we were expecting our first child, and I knew I wanted to raise my family in a church. More time passed, and we were finishing our studies at LSU and moving to Shreveport to continue his internship. We also had another child, a son, and we would be there a year. Perfect time to look for a church. A friend suggested the Episcopal Church and thought we might find it a good fit… she would ask a neighbor about it. A few days later, a tall, balding Episcopal priest knocked on my door. Fr. Wallace Garrett came in
and invited me to visit St. James, a mission church in the neighborhood. We did, and loved it immediately. He was so helpful, giving us instructions and sometimes coming to our home to help us. We wanted to be confirmed and have the children baptized as a family.
During some of our sessions, he said we needed to get our baptism records from our former churches. My husband had no problem obtaining his, but I knew I couldn’t approach my parents for this. Instead, I called the Catholic Church where I was baptized. I gave the young priest who answered my name, date of birth, and when I was baptized.
He came back in a few minutes and said he couldn’t find it. So I gave him a few more possible dates. This time, he
said, “I found it, you’re the adopted one!” I was 30 years old, married, mother of two, and just discovered I had another name… My birth father was my uncle, whom I rarely saw, and my birth mother was a woman I never saw.
We joined St. James Episcopal Church that summer, and our two children were baptized at the same time. We were thrilled to become part of a church family. Fr. Garrett came up to me at the reception and said, “Mary, I hope you find much happiness and peace in the Episcopal Church. I hope he knows just how much his wish has come true…”
Mary Hines 92 years young
Joanna joannaseibert.com