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06/19/2024 08:30 AMOn Monday, July 1, Rev. Michael Sweeney will begin his role as the new full-time priest leading Christ Episcopal Church on the Guilford Green. Last week, Michael and his family moved into the church’s newly renovated rectory, arriving from their former home in Richmond, Virginia.
Michael’s first day at the pulpit will be his 10 a.m. sermon on Sunday, July 7. Christ Episcopal Church invites the community to come and meet Michael and also to share in a welcome reception for Michael at 11:15 a.m., immediately following the July 7 service.
Michael certainly may be a new face in town, but he’s also a son of Guilford as a descendant of many of the town’s first English settlers, including William Chittenden.
“There’s a long and rich and personal family history here that feels really special,” says Michael.
In nearly every summer of his life, Michael and his extended family have gathered at one of the summer cottages the Chittendens built at Buffalo Bay in Madison. With relatives living in the area, Michael says coming to Guilford’s Christ Episcopal Church truly feels like coming home for himself, his wife, Briget Ganske, and their three young sons, Emmett, 8; Isaac, 4; and 1-year-old James.
“We lived in Virginia for 12 years, and we also had the sense that when the time was right, we wanted to move to be closer to family,” says Michael. “I think that once our third son was born last June, that longing to be closer to family grew a little bit stronger!”
In a happy confluence of events, Michael learned of Christ Episcopal Church’s nearly two-year search for a new, full-time priest.
“This is a really special place to us and, when we saw that Christ Church was looking for a new priest, it just felt like incredible timing, and we just hoped that it would be the right fit,” he says.
In a press release announcing Michael’s arrival, the church notes, “...his vision for Christ Episcopal Church aligns with the mission of the parish to be a beacon of hope and compassion in the community.”
Michael says he’s inspired by the way the people of Christ Church are “...following Jesus by welcoming everyone, loving and serving God and neighbor.”
“I’m excited to lead worship that will continue to send us into our community as joyful agents of healing and love,“ he says.
He’s already at work preparing his first sermon.
“I’m a storyteller,” says Michael. “I think part of what led me to being a priest is I grew up with the stories of the Bible, which are some of my favorite stories. But I love to tell other kinds of stories, too.”
One of the things Michael has been thinking about discussing on July 7 is a story which beings with Guilford, as a place, being settled in 1639, and its long and close ties with Christ Church, established in 1744.
“Just going out for a walk on the green, you can feel the kind of history this place has and how special it is,” says Michael. “So, what I’m thinking about for that first Sunday is how do we honor, acknowledge, and celebrate the history of this place and, at the same time, keep our imagination open for what God is doing now, and what does God want to do for the future, going forward, with this community and this place?”
Some of the roles Michael will undertake at Christ Church will be overseeing various ministries within the church, including worship services, pastoral care, community outreach programs, and youth programming.
Youth programming is especially close to Michael’s heart. Most recently, he served as middle school chaplain at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Virginia. Previously, he served for six years at St. Stephen’s Church in Richmond as director of Youth and Family Ministry. During that time, Michael oversaw a period of growth which included the development of a new program for youth ministry and confirmation.
Growing up in Greenfield, Massachusetts, Michael says the seeds of his call to divinity school were sown during his involvement with his church as a youth.
“In the church that I grew up in, I had an amazing youth group with the most kind-hearted, caring youth minister,” says Michael.
The first job Michael had where he got an inkling that he wanted his life’s work to also involve working with children arrived when he was working as summer camp counselor.
“There was this idea of working with children and thinking about who they are and who they care about. One of the things I’ve learned is that Christ Church is really proud of the children that they have raised up in this place. There’s just a sense of real pride in the kind of children growing into young adults and members of the community that Christ Church has raised up,” Michael says. “I also feel there’s a strong civic sense in Guilford, and that Christ Church recognizes it is not just about this church—it’s about growing members of this community.”
Michael earned his Master of Divinity at Virginia Theological Seminary and served as a seminarian at St. David’s Church in Washington, D.C. He earned a BA from Haverford College, with a major in Spanish language and literature, and taught English and Spanish at Eaglebrook School in western Massachusetts.
Michael is not only thrilled to bring his family to Guilford to make their home together with Christ Church on the Guilford Green, but also for the opportunity to collaborate with other faith leaders who support and enliven the community.
“As I was meeting people in the interview process, they mentioned how important that has been. When the news that I was going to come here was first shared, my predecessor who left here in 2022, Rev. West, sent a really nice note welcoming me to Guilford and said one of the things he most valued in this community were his connections with his interfaith colleagues and how special and important that is to the community,” says Michael.
Michael says there are many ways in which Christ Episcopal Church shares its offerings as part of the fabric of the community.
“Part of what drew me are many of the things this church is doing already, and not only for people who may be thinking they are looking for a church,” he says. “Every Friday at noon, the organist plays 30 minutes of organ music, and the doors are open, so you can hear it on the green, and people can come in and sit and listen to beautiful music. That’s something I really want to build on—how Christ Church opens our doors to the community. This green is really special, and I think it gives us the opportunity to serve people who have all different kinds of needs. How do we be as good a neighbor as possible and care for as many people as possible?”
Christ Episcopal Church, a parish of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, serves the Town of Guilford and nearby shoreline communities. Located at 11 Park Street, the parish offers worship, Christian formation and fellowship for all ages, and opportunities for service and witness to the larger community. Worship services are held every Sunday at 10 a.m. and are always open to the community. Sunday School is offered for children in Pre-K through middle school, plus high school programming. Learn more at christchurchguilford.org