ginny shea (1974-75): The Divine Itch
The Rev. Canon Dr. Virginia M. Sheay, Class of 1975
Call it what you want. But when the Holy Spirit presses you in a direction on an unknown journey, and does not let up like an annoying itch that won’t go away unless you do something about it – there is no way you can ignore the persistent work of the Holy Spirit. And what the Holy Spirit insisted upon revealing to me was that now, (1971) yes, now was the time for me to pursue seminary studies and that I should be thinking about ordination, when no one in my circle of friends was thinking about it, nor did I want to think about it. But the thought – that Divine Itch- would not get out of my head.
Such is the foolishness of God, I thought. Wasn’t God content that I was already serving God as organist-choir director? Besides, I was married and had three very young children. Now? In some incomprehensible way God just might know what God is doing. In fear and trembling I would say “yes” to God and set my feet on an unknown trajectory.
Living close to Princeton Theological Seminary, against my better wishes, I matriculated. No one in my Diocese knew I was there and if they did, they would have turned their heads away anyway. I was in my senior status when the Rev. Ronald Conner, a GTS grad and preceptor in a class I was taking, insisted that I transfer to General. He was once again that Divine Itch, pressing me to transfer. New York City wasn’t twenty minutes away as Princeton Seminary was. This would be a huge commitment. How on earth could I do it? The commute alone was going to wear me out.
Dr. Richard Corney was my advisor. He carved out the course requirements, an arduous plan so that I could graduate in one year. I am ever grateful to Dr. Corney. So I came as a senior transfer in the fall semester of 1974. My year at General gave me exactly what was needed to shape my life should I become a priest. What a privilege it was to study, pray and immerse myself in the community of General Seminary. I soaked up the whole experience and was filled with a spiritual, sacramental reverence, wonder and awe. My year at General was truly the bedrock, the solid foundation that only General could wisely do for me. What a year! I was a full-time student. I was wife and mother of three young children. I was an organist-choir director with two choirs. Throughout both semesters, I did CPE at Princeton Hospital. I remember once praying to God that I get pneumonia so I would have a very good reason for quitting. But I didn’t get sick and I didn’t quit.
Dr. Thomas Talley, Liturgics Professor, said he’d give me an “A” just for being an amazing juggler! For the January term, I was the only student who signed up for Anglicanism taught by Dr. James Carpenter. He took me anyway. I would go to his apartment on the Close and sit beside his Irish Setter. Once at Dr. J. Robert Wright’s class, Eucharistic Celebration, I wrote my homily on note-cards while on the train going to New York. I apologized and wanted to get out of preaching. He said, “Give the homily anyway. There will be moments in your ministry when that’s all the time you’ll have to prepare.” Wise man. God must have been laughing when I was ordained a Deacon in April 1975, a month before I knelt before Dean Foster to receive my degree.
Needless to say, General Seminary is dear to my heart. I am truly grateful for that rich experience. At eighty-two years old, I still serve and am on the staff as Assisting Priest at Trinity Church, Solebury, PA. Where I summer in Maine, I also am active at All Saints-by-the-Sea, Southport. I have come to believe that you should never underestimate what the Divine Itch can do through you. All praise and glory to God who has blessed me with this ministry, of making something out of what I thought to be impossible possible and to worthily magnify the glorious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.