Prelude: From Barking to Rome

Mixed emotions took siege of my heart and mind. As I start my final year of training at St Mellitus College, my thoughts are an incoherent amalgamation of expectation, excitement, anxiety, joy, and impatience. I begin to see the big light at the end of the fairly illumined tunnel. It has been a journey where, more than the theological content, the formational input has been enormous. More than a proficient theologian, I've become a transformed man hewn by God's loving Spirit. Also, pervading this journey is a constant sense of thankfulness that comes from knowing that the Lord is doing the work, regardless of my shortcomings and inabilities.

And yet, as I greet my colleagues and we share holidays stories, I find myself leaving them to the usual college business and rushing home to start packing. Soon I will be flying to Rome to do my church placement. I will be immersed in the day-to-day life of Roman Catholic Seminarians, studying under the aegis of the Pontifical Beda College and being supervised by the Anglican Centre in Rome. This is a privilege, as many of my colleagues would love to have a similar experience. It is also a responsibility as, from what I understand, I will be the first St Mellitus's student ever to be involved in this kind of placement. And not only that; I will be under the scrutiny of my Roman Catholic friends, trying to convey a positive image of what it means to be an Anglican. I will also try to listen to the ecumenical heartbeat pulsating by the Tiber. I will experience in a particular way how Rome and Canterbury interact, what is their common path and which obstacles stand in the way of full and visible unity.

I also leave soaked in the prayers and love of my fellow brothers and sisters in Barking. Last Sunday I received a lovely card from my church, Saint Patrick's, reminding me of how much I am cherished and assuring me of their prayers and support. Yesterday, during a Barking Churches Unite Trustees' meeting I was also prayed for. I could sense the presence of the Holy Spirit as I listened to several prophetic words being uttered and protection being beseeched. I will be, therefore, taking Barking to Rome.

St Patrick's Church, Barking