Welcome Summer Seminarians

One of the key pieces of our church's identity is being a place where faith is nourished, and servant leaders are grown and sent out. This summer, we look forward to welcoming two new seminarians for the third year of our Summer Seminarian Fellows Program.

Because of a generous grant, St. John the Divine can house and host Episcopal seminarians to work and learn ministry alongside us. They will have opportunities to preach, serve liturgically in our services, learn pastoral care from our gifted clergy and lay volunteers, teach our youth and young adults, discover how a large parish operates, and receive an inside look into the life of a healthy and vibrant Episcopal church.

Ellen Kelly is a postulant in the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton in Canada and has completed the first year of the M.Div program at the University of Toronto's Wycliffe College. When not in Toronto for school, Ellen lives in Saint John, New Brunswick, with her husband James, and their cat Gilbert Blythe (Gilly for short!). With a background in music therapy and interior decorating, Ellen has always had a keen desire to connect with people through music and hospitality. When not playing music with her husband or rearranging their furniture, Ellen can be found playing games with friends, reading by the fire, or snuggling on the sofa watching a movie with her nephews.

Q: What excites you most about serving in ministry?

What excites me most about serving in ministry is being able to witness what God is doing in the lives of those who turn to him. The "lightbulb moment" of someone discovering Jesus is a true gift to experience! God created us to be relational beings, and so I look forward to seeing what we can do for one another in the name of Jesus

Q: Who is the most important theological influence on your calling to ministry?

From a systematic perspective, the first theologian I would have been introduced to was C.S. Lewis. My mom read The Chronicles of Narnia to me as a child and I loved the excitement, drama, and truth of the series. While I was in university and in a deep seeking period of my life, I read his Mere Christianity and was shocked by the alignment of our theological perspectives. This affirmation made me more and more curious about my faith and solidified my love for systematic theology. C.S. Lewis has a way of engaging with all people of all ages in his writing, and that has been a significant reminder to me that faith is meant for all people, from generation to generation.

From a pastoral perspective, the greatest influence on my calling is my father, who is an Anglican minister. Being able to observe his pastoral gifts in and outside of the church has been a great blessing to me my whole life. Seeing his dedication to the Church and to his family has been influential in my understanding of what it truly means to be called by God and how that is lived out.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island and can only bring one book, one movie, and one musical recording, what would you bring?

If I think about this for too long, my answers will change, so I'm going with my gut reactions. If I could only bring one book, I would bring the Bible since it would likely be the only book to keep me rooted in reality, although William Golding's The Lord of the Flies would be a close second! The movie I would choose would be my favorite movie, Hayao Miyazaki's fantastical film My Neighbor Totoro because it perfectly captures the magic of being a child and if I was on a desert island, I would want to be reminded of my childlike wonder. And the one musical recording I would bring is probably Joni Mitchell's Hits album. She's simply angelic and hearing her voice wouldn't make me feel so alone! Oh, and she's Canadian!

Q: Who is the most underrated biblical figure and why?

Mordecai in the book of Esther is easily overlooked and underrated in my opinion. His support of Esther in facing the king is paramount in her ability to do so. Sometimes, unlikely people speak into our lives and their belief in us is God's way of fulfilling his divine providence.

Caroline Devitt is a Postulant for Holy Orders from the Diocese of Southeast Florida and a lifelong Episcopalian going into her final year of the Master of Divinity program at Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX. She grew up at Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota, FL where she developed a passion for music, liturgy, and the sacraments. Caroline served as a lay leader at Redeemer in various roles, from communications assistant to choir section leader. Before seminary, she was the director of youth ministries at St. John's Episcopal Church in Tallahassee, FL. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2021 with a degree in public relations with focus on non-profit management and music and was actively involved in the Episcopal campus ministry at UF, serving on the vestry for two years, including one as Senior Warden. During the academic year, she serves at St. Richard's Episcopal Church in Round Rock, TX. Caroline enjoys reading, running, swimming, making music, being on the beach, paddle boarding, and hiking with her dachshund mix, Crouton.

Q: What excites you most about serving in ministry?

What excites me most about serving in ministry is administering the sacraments to God's people. These holy mysteries are a tangible expression of God's grace and presence among us and lie at the heart of our faith tradition and worship. My call to the priesthood has been deeply shaped by the transformative power of the sacraments, and I look forward to sharing in the sacramental life of the church this summer at SJD!

Q: Who is the most important theological influence on your calling to ministry?

A bit of a predictable Anglican answer, but it's the truth: C.S. Lewis. His ability to weave deep theological truths with accessible language and a touch of whimsy has inspired me ever since I was a child, and especially now as an adult who frequents the pulpit, to share the Gospel in ways that are accessible, relatable, and creative.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island and can only bring one book, one movie, and one musical recording, what would you bring?

Book: My compact edition of The Book of Common Prayer and The Bible. If nothing else, at least I can still pray the Daily Office!

Movie: Disney/Pixar's Up

Musical Recording: Handel's Messiah

Q: Who is the most underrated biblical figure and why?

Ananias (the one who healed Paul). He gets like two verses, but he plays a crucial role in the conversion of one of Christianity's greatest apostles. Talk about being an unsung hero of the New Testament!