The promise of fullness of life

We spoke to third year MA student Joanna Criscenti towards the end of her course to find out what she’s learned and what she’s learning in a cathedral!

Thank you, Jo, for agreeing to be interviewed again. You are in you final year of study at CMS, how have you found it?

The final year has landed in my first year of curacy so it has probably been the most hectic year of my life.

I have been studying and working full-time at Winchester Cathedral. I have moved house and am still getting used to what it means to be an ordained pioneer.

I spent an amazing five weeks on placement with the Anglican Chaplain in Sicily in September and October 2023.

The wonderful thing about Sicily is because I visit often, I have a whole other community to share worship with there and always go back and see them when I go to Sicily.

How has the study with CMS on the MA course prepared you for your ministry?

I moved into an ideal context for me at the cathedral, city centre, which is busy and multi-ethnic, so I have put all of the module on Theologies in Global Perspective into really good use!

I think doing an MA is all about confidence. Studying at that level requires a sincere level of ‘digging deep’ into our lived experience of Christianity and unearthing and essentially ‘out-ing’ some of our own deeply held assumptions about what it means to be a Christian and to witness to others.

Digging for surprises

I have been surprised at how ‘fixed’ some of my ideas have been. As you study, you begin to realise how many of our assumptions are not shaped by the Christian tradition.

Actually we are also products of society, philosophy, other world faiths, upbringing, family, friendships, geographical location. And in my case, having a Sicilian/ English hybrid identity just adds to the complexity of my assumptions.

Just to be clear though, this is all good! God calls us with the good and the not so good and everything in between as we continue to journey on with Christ as our guide.

You are now based at a cathedral, that sounds amazing, please tell us more?

I think I probably look like one of the least likely pioneers in the Church of England.

When you work in a 1,000-year old building where worship takes place three times a day, 365 days a year and you lead worship alongside a world-class choir who have recently won a Grammy, and robe every day in full robes and copes for Festal Eucharist and Evensong, people may be forgiven for thinking that we are well and truly an expression of church which could be superficially viewed as outdated and out of touch with the modern world.

Stability and support

I would say this is the one place where I have found being a pioneer much easier.

The regular worship provides much-needed stability. I see the Residentiary Canons every day so I feel that their presence – and our short and sweet conversations before and after services – have provided more support than I have ever known and daily opportunities for theological reflection.

We often don’t have to make special appointments to discuss things because we know we are seeing each other. So I have emailed less and had much more face-to-face contact with five exceptionally experienced priests in the Church of England.

Not to mention the virgers who often give us pastoral support, cups of tea and biscuits and genuinely work tirelessly to help us be as prepared as we can. Being at the cathedral has felt like being in a support bubble all the time.

Responding in the moment

We have visitors all the time and we have to be prepared for anything. This is a place where a pioneer can thrive.

I love being responsive and not being sure about what is coming but trusting God that I am being called to that moment.

I have prayed for countless pilgrims (we get them every week at the cathedral) and cried with people who just need to let go of the pain of life that they no longer wish to carry.

Sometimes I have just been in the right place at the right time to speak God’s healing into people’s lives. Sometimes, that has involved pointing people directly to the Gospel of Jesus.

We have to listen really carefully here so that everyone feels welcome.

We welcome people from all faith communities and none and the sheer size and history of the cathedral is so inspirational to people in all sorts of ways.

Focus on hospitality

We have general conversations as well as deeply theological ones and everything in between so I have begun to develop a skill for being able to move between the highs and lows of people’s lives, being fully present in my interactions.

My pioneer projects have included running a house group Lent course with university students, helping set up a children’s corner for the Sunday Eucharist and actively encouraging some of our younger congregants to have a sense of belonging by volunteering.

There is so much one could get involved in, the challenge here is discerning where God needs me.

I feel called to mission through hospitality so I have spent some of my time accepting offers of meetings over coffee, at the pub, accepting lunch invitations, dinners and so on.

It’s not so good for my waistline but I really feel called to put my role as an ordained minister to one side and just get to know people in a non-threatening situation.

Focus on sustainability

I was a youth, children and families’ worker before ordination and the perils of trying to start things without the right support has in the past left me feeling overwhelmed and as though projects were not as important to others. My approach is different now.

As a pioneer, I feel the people we would like to reach out to are often the furthest from the church building so it’s important they shape everything that happens from the beginning, feel like they belong and are valued for their input.

Not least because as ordained ministers, we are always time-limited, so sustainability is important right from the start and needs to be weaved in by not having an ‘empire’ mindset and creating an unhelpful hierarchy around one person who everyone sees as ‘in charge’.

Jo, you have a lot of strings to your bow, can you tell us more about what makes you tick?

I just adore my hybrid identity. People are always interested in my Sicilian background, much less in me as an English person, although I have lived my whole life in England. But I have always visited Sicily. I go more often now, sometimes four or five times a year and I always stay in the family home which has been in my family in a tiny village called Calamonaci for generations.

Multilingual magic

I speak Italian, my first degree was in Italian and that has been a huge blessing in cathedral life. I also used to be a teacher and teacher trainer at a language college for international students learning English so I can say ‘hello’ in lots of languages.

The highlight of this year has been not only chatting happily away to groups of Italian tourists visiting but also leading Evening Prayer with the Dean in Italian and English for a group of Italian tourists who joined us.

Being in a multilingual context is a joy and draws on my previous experience as an English language teacher. Teaching English to international students also equips you by showing how to use less language but still effectively communicate. I also love learning about people and where they are from, again cathedral life gives you so much scope for this.

What are the most important lessons you have learnt in the last few years?

God will always see you through. Life is often quite difficult, things rarely go according to plan, you never know what disaster or trauma might be round the corner. God has still got you in all the messiness and unpleasantness of life.

God in the mess

When my brother died from Covid in 2022, I remember saying to a priest friend, “I can only see black.” He reminded me that the sun is still there behind the black clouds.

Someone recently asked me what my Gospel is, the thing I really feel called to share with others. For me, it is the promise of fullness of life.

That doesn’t mean being constantly happy, or pretending to be happy when you are not. For me, this is more about authenticity.

When I am having a bad day, I have the courage to say it. When it is a wonderful day, I have the courage to say it. When I am feeling frustrated, I  have the courage to say it.

I have found it really helps others give you the extra care when you need it and that they can also share in your joy. We are not wooden boards but human beings who do struggle in many ways and do need others on the journey.

I think this gives permission for others to be themselves in an open and honest dialogue. I find it encourages us to have deeper relationships as we share more of what it means to be ourselves, trying to faithfully follow Christ.

I am so sorry to hear about your brother’s death. Lastly, Jo, how can we pray for you?

My brother’s death happened in the first year of the MA. It completely shook me to the core. I was so grateful for all the love and support I received from CMS during that time. I think I am still journeying with the sadness of that event, as are his wife and daughter. Prayers for them are always appreciated.

It looks likely that I will be moving to parish ministry for the rest of curacy, although I am still waiting for confirmation. I would love you to pray for the transition and the expected house move. Three houses in three years is quite something!

Please would you also pray for the cathedral community I am leaving and the community I will be joining.

I love meeting new people and the blessing of being involved in new ways but I will miss the community I am leaving behind in more ways than I can articulate.

Thank you so much, Jo, for sharing so thoughtfully with us.

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