Update from Coventry Intern Sarah

It has almost been 6 months since I first began at Coventry and I can hardly believe it. My journey so far has been beyond words, and I can’t believe I only have 6 months left. In these six months I have learned more about myself, life, and the purpose of reconciliation than I could have ever imagined.

I am the intern designated for the Coventry Cathedral Memorial Ruins. The Cathedral has rededicated the ruins to commemorate all who have been killed, injured, or traumatized by conflict and war worldwide. As a part of this project, I get to work with the World Monument’s Fund Britain and their effort to help us conserve and manage the ruins, Coventry’s medieval glass, and the Cathedral at large. It also means I get to help Canon David Porter fundraise for a statue by John Bridgeman entitled ‘Seeking Sanctuary,’ which we would like to place just outside the Cathedral’s ruins to commemorate all those who have become refugees as a result of war and violent conflict. Finally, as a part of this project, I seek to raise awareness of the current issues surrounding war and violent conflict worldwide and the effect this has on civilian populations. You can follow this project on Facebook (Coventry Cathedral Memorial Ruins) and on Twitter (CovCMR).

My time, however, is not solely spent on the Memorial Ruins project. I also act as David Porter’s personal assistant some of the time, and I get to help plan for major conferences hosted by the Cathedral. For instance, I had the opportunity to help plan the CCN International Gathering in September and, although we had been here a little over a month by the time it started, we had the best time planning it. We learned more about the Cathedral and how it works in those few short weeks than we could have ever imagined. The CCN Gathering prepared us for our next big task, the Faith in Conflict conference, which I am now helping Sam, our British intern, plan. We have about 200 participants signed up for the conference, and we have speakers including The Revd Dr Jo Bailey Wells, The Revd Dr Sam Wells, and Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Revd Justin Welby. Planning conferences is probably my favorite part of working at the Cathedral because we, as the Reconciliation Ministry Team, get the opportunity to really work with everyone who works in the Cathedral.

The three of us (Sam-from the UK, Ortrun-from Germany, and myself) have gotten in to a pretty good routine. We begin everyday with Morning Prayer and then make our way to the offices for work. Generally we try to eat together during lunch before we go back to the offices for the afternoon, and most nights we eat dinner together. Although, between our fire alarm which goes off at the slightest bit of heat and my somewhat lacking cooking abilities, our meals at the beginning were rather interesting but always comical.

We have a great community here with a few others from the Cathedral we generally get together with. The Cathedral community at large has been a huge blessing, and I feel as if I am part of a large, loving, and supportive family. Some of the highlights from our time together have been the traditional Southern Thanksgiving meal we had together in November and the traditional English Christmas meal we shared before Christmas. We have also started an ‘Ordained Ministry Explored’ group for those thinking of entering ordained ministry in Coventry, and that group has been incredibly helpful thus far. Our small community is always eating together, meeting each other for a quick chat at the pub, or just watching a movie after work. I am so thankful for the time I have had with all of the people here, and I cannot imagine having to leave.

The last six months have been absolutely wonderful. I have learned more about my strengths and weaknesses, I have been given the opportunity to accomplish tasks I would never have thought I could accomplish (such as public speaking), but, most importantly, my time here has showed me just how much I love the Church and the work of the Church. After being here sixth months, I have finally answered the call to begin the discernment process with the Episcopal Church in the hopes of being recommended for ordained ministry, and I know I have my time at Coventry to thank for that.

I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given here, and I know that I will always think back on this time as one that changed and shaped who I am for the better. Thank you so much for making this internship a possibility.

Yours,
Sarah