Meet CHT’s New Assistant To The Rector, The Rev. Diana Carroll!
Welcome… Sunday July 20th was the day we welcomed the Reverend Diana Carroll to the Church of the Holy Trinity. Recently ordained to the diaconate, Diana begins her ordained ministry at CHT.
Dear Friends,
It is with great pleasure and excitement that I have accepted the call to become the next
Assistant To The Rector at the Church of the Holy Trinity. I am looking forward very much to beginning
my ordained ministry among you this summer. I will graduate from Berkeley Divinity School at
Yale on May 26 and will be ordained as a transitional deacon on June 7 at my sponsoring
parish in Ohio. I was asked to write an introduction about myself, so that you can begin to get
to know me before I arrive.
I grew up in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and have been an Episcopalian all my life. While attending
Kenyon College, I began to discern a calling to the priesthood and transferred to the Diocese
of Ohio to begin the ordination process. I graduated from Kenyon in 2004 with a degree
in English Literature. Before entering seminary, I spent a year working with the homeless in
Tacoma, Washington, through the Lutheran Volunteer Corps.
During my time at Berkeley/Yale, I have had the opportunity to explore my passion for liturgy,
both in traditional and innovative forms. Among other things, I served in my last year as one
of the Berkeley Chapel Ministers—a team of four students who design and organize all of the
worship services at Berkeley. I can see myself eventually pursuing further academic work in
liturgical studies with the aim of teaching at a seminary, but that is still several years down the
road. My interest in liturgy is very much informed by my background in the performing arts,
including music, theater, dance, and public speaking. I am excited about the recent renovation
of the sanctuary at CHT, and I look forward to helping shape the worship that takes place
there.
My partner Sarah is a priest in the Church of England and is currently completing a curacy in
the Diocese of Birmingham (UK). We met while she was an exchange student at Yale in my first
semester there. Sarah and I are planning to hold a commitment ceremony in August 2009, at
which time she will be coming to join me in Philadelphia. She is hoping to spend her first year in
the United States completing a Clinical Pastoral Education residency program, as she explores
the possibility of a career in hospital chaplaincy.
Lest you get the impression that my life consists solely of academics and church, here are a few
more fun facts: I was a competitive ballroom dancer in college. I like reading science fiction
and fantasy novels, especially those by Terry Pratchett. I’m a practitioner of yoga, and I enjoy
swimming, hiking, sailing, and canoeing. I recently became an aunt with the birth of my older
brother’s first child, Lucy Rose, who is also the first grandchild on either side of the family.
I will officially start at CHT on July 15, with my first Sunday being July 20. I look forward to
getting to know all of you and continuing on this next part of my journey in your company. Until
then, I wish you every blessing.
Yours,
Diana Carroll
