Dressing, processing, and just being together
Dressing, processing, and just being together
Durham Graduation January 2025: a plucky band of CMS MA graduates headed north to Durham University to accept their Durham certificates.
by Helen Harwood,
Mthr Rachel Summers, Pioneer Curate at St Peter-in-the-Forest Walthamstow, trained with us and was ordained last year. She told me: “I was due to graduate last January, but as I was out of the country visiting my daughter, wasn’t able to go in person. I decided that, if possible, I would go to have an ‘un-graduation’ when my MA cohort buddies went up for theirs! So, I booked the train and a Travelodge, packed my cassock, robes, and MA hood, and went to Durham to join them!
“It was so good to meet up in person, particularly as some course mates I’d only ever ‘met’ online. I got dressed up in my finery and enjoyed walking to the cathedral with everyone else. When they went into the hall to get sorted into order, I popped to a cafe, and after refuelling went back to wave them all in.
“Was it a long way to go to dress up and not get a handshake? Maybe, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!”
Maria Skoyles completed her Pioneer MA this year and after attending our CMS graduation in December last year she also wanted to go north! She told me: “Going to Durham to be part of the graduation ceremony was an opportunity for our cohort to celebrate with the wider university community. Dressing up and processing into the cathedral with everyone else added to our achievements as a group.”
We were delighted that so many students could attend the event, and some came from quite far afield! Rev Canon Shane Tucker came all the way from Ohio in the USA and Rev Jonathan Hutchison came from Canada to attend the event.
This was our first year with graduates from our African Christianity route. So, a particularly special year. Charles Adupong said of the event: “A real sense and feeling of achievement and belonging as I walked through the aisle of the historic and iconic Durham Cathedral with fellow graduates.”
Another African Christianity MA graduate, Rosie Hopley, said, “It was a rich experience graduating with so many others at Durham Cathedral. And a bit surreal to be in a place of such history and a region associated with ancient expressions of Christianity in Britain.
“Being there with my family was wonderful, as I realised there aren’t many adult children who get to see a parent graduate – another joy of returning to study after 30+ years! I loved seeing the other CMS graduates and cheering them on too.”
One of our ordinand graduates, Jo Criscenti, told me: “Graduation when you are in your middle years, have no one left to make proud and when you are in the latter half of your working life, is a completely different experience.
“This graduation, the culmination of three years of reading, writing and lectures, was my response to the calling God has placed on my life to serve God as a whole life commitment.
“The best part of the day was seeing all my amazing CMS colleagues from both MA programmes. I can’t thank them enough, as well as the whole CMS staff, for their love and care for three years.”
The Durham graduation is only open to those achieving a Common Awards BA, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or Master’s. So, for those who are studying at a lower undergraduate level, we hope you will all sign up for the BA or MA when you finish your current awards!
Congratulation to all our graduates who have done so well, braving Covid, Zoom, snow, ice and a lot of study!
And for those who are feeling inspired we have some exciting open day and open evening events coming up.
