A Note from Canon Cathy Zappa
Dear Cathedral of St. Philip,
I share this news with a mixture of sadness, excitement, and deep gratitude: I have accepted the call to be Interim Rector at Christ Church Episcopal in Savannah. My last Sunday at the Cathedral will be August 18, though you won’t see me at church for a few Sundays in July, as I will be with the choir on pilgrimage.
Ten years ago, you welcomed me as a relatively new priest with much to learn. I knew that it was a gift to be here and to learn from you, but I had no idea what a profound joy and blessing it would be, also. You have shaped and grown me, as a priest, a Christian, and a human being. You have taught me how to be church, with grace, excellence, and hospitality.
We have traveled together over very holy ground: baptisms, weddings, funerals, and so many of “the changes and chances of this life.” We fumbled our way together through the pandemic. We have wept together, rejoiced together, laughed together, studied and served together, wondered and dreamed and hoped together. All these moments have been holy, and I will carry them with me. Like Mary, I will treasure them in my heart. Always.
At our recent staff planning retreat, Dean Candler said that when someone leaves the staff of the Cathedral, they go out as missionaries, carrying the values, ways, and blessings of the Cathedral with them. I am excited about bringing these gifts to the vibrant, growing parish of Christ Church during this significant time of transition for them.
As many of you know, my husband and I are relatively new empty nesters, so we also are in a time of transition. We have a family home in Savannah and have long hoped to spend more time there. My husband, who has worked from home for the last few years, is eager for a different view out his window! Transitions, as sad and scary as they can be, also can be life-giving. I trust that the Holy Spirit will use this transition to breathe new life into all of us.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You will hear me saying that a lot over the next few weeks, because I can’t say it enough. I am so grateful. I am grateful to Dean Candler for inviting me to be here and for being such a strong, loving, and wise leader. I am grateful to amazing colleagues—lay and ordained, staff and volunteer. I am grateful to you for sharing your lives with me, and letting me share mine with you. I am grateful for your blessing.
May God continue to bless you and to bless others through you.
The Rev. Canon Cathy Zappa, Canon for Liturgy and Pastoral Care
Thank You, Cathy!
What a joy it has been to be with you as a priest at the Cathedral of St. Philip! I am saddened by your leaving. But I also understand that your decision to move to another chapter of your ministry is a following of the spirit. The Cathedral of St. Philip is always sending people, lay and ordained, into different missions, near and far. Still, we will miss you! You are welcome back any time!
Your pastoral care, your commitment, and your energy have served people well here. You enjoy people! And you love people with a keen mind and a warm heart. You have commitment, yes, but you also have joy and delight. There is joy in your presence, at altars, at bedsides, and in the pulpit. Thank you for that joy.
You have been an excellent priest here, bearing the burdens of people, and delivering hope into lives. You have the wise capacity to serve so many people so well. You have been with everyone from prisons, to nursing care homes, to hospital bedsides, to retirement homes, to classes, to liturgy volunteers. Thank you!
Dear people of the parish: Yes, we will miss Cathy Zappa here. However, please join me in wishing her well, and in rejoicing for her time with us. She has been a fine priest here, and she will be a fine priest in the future. Her ministry has taught us about the grace of beginnings and endings, from births and baptisms to deaths and funerals.
Grace and Love to her,
Grace and Love to all of us,
The Very Rev. Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral