A Jubilant Renewal of Fellowship at Matriculation 2021!
The Matriculants ‘21 gather on the steps of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd before the ceremony.
On September 30 and October 1, 2021, General Seminary was overjoyed to welcome Alumni/ae and friends back to the Close at our Matriculation Homecoming celebration!
The event kicked off our yearlong commemoration of 50 Years of Women at General with our Matriculation Evensong Chapel Service. New seminarians joined the 199-year legacy as they signed the historic Matriculation Book. They were welcomed at the podium by the Rev. Margaret “Peggy” Muncie ’74, one of the first two women to sign the book in 1971.
Peggy Muncie ‘74 (r), one of the first two women to enter the M.Div. program in 1971, was on hand to welcome the new matriculants. Peggy’s cohort, Page S. Bigelow, who died in 1992, was represented by her daughter Page E. Bigelow (l).
During the service the incoming students repeat the words of the historic covenant they make as they embark on the path to their future ministries. The Very Rev. Michael DeLashmutt, Ph.D., Acting Dean and President, spoke to the seminarians of the matriculant’s vow: “The promises made in baptisms, like the promises you make tonight, are theological promises. They are promises which rely not on your moral or spiritual capacities, but on God’s generous grace. … Tonight, you will promise,” he continued “to live a life that is in keeping with the statutes and rules of this seminary, to engage in studies and to perform duties that cultivate a life that reflects the ministry of the Gospel.”
The service also honored the Rev. Dr. Mitties DeChamplain, our longtime Professor of Homiletics who died in 2018, with the blessing of a cross donated by her estate to General Seminary.
The Matriculation Service was followed by a celebratory reception in the Refectory welcoming the new students into the community. They were toasted by returning students, alumni/ae, faculty and staff, who cheered on the future as all enjoyed the first opportunity to gather in the grand hall in two years!
The event continued the following morning with a presentation by Elizabeth Schrader, M.A. ’15, STM ’16, of her fascinating new research on variations in Gospel manuscripts that could reflect deliberate suppressions of Mary Magdalene's authority. “Imagine a Gospel of John,” Schrader posed to her audience, “where Mary is given the authority Peter is given in the Gospel of Matthew.” In a first for General, the presentation was given as a “hybrid” event – both in person and as a Zoom webinar – engaging a total audience of over 200!
Following the many challenges of the past year, those who participated in the two day event left nourished in mind and spirit, and jubilant in a renewal of fellowship.
