Hospitality

From the very beginning of our process, one of the goals of the Search and Nomination committee has been to share the spirit of hospitality with our candidates. Now we get to directly demonstrate Connecticut hospitality to our candidates.

Late afternoon, Wednesday, June 23, our six candidates will gather with the Search and Nomination committee, our three bishops and several diocesan officials for a Eucharist and reception at a central Connecticut parish. Each candidate will have a host to ensure that they have a time during the reception to meet one-on-one with Bishop Smith, and an opportunity to meet Brad Babbitt, Chancellor, Jack Spaeth, Canon for Finance and Marge Roccoberton, Canon to the Ordinary.

Waiting for our candidates and their spouses at their hotel will be Diocese of Connecticut tote bags, containing, among other things, a selection of made-in-Connecticut products. It is at this hotel that the entire committee will be conducting our final interviews with each of the candidates on Thursday. These interviews can be expected to be blunt and rigorous, with the committee asking tough questions of the candidates, and the candidates asking tough questions in return. As prayer has played an integral part in all of the committee’s activities, we expect prayer to be an integral part of our interviews with each of our candidates.

While the candidates are busy with the committee, a non-committee host will act as tour guide to the spouses. And Thursday evening a group of two or three committee members will host each candidate and their spouse for dinner at one of the local restaurants.

Friday morning, we will bid our candidates goodbye. And then the committee’s final and most important task begins: discerning which of these candidates will be announced at nominees for election of the 15^th Bishop of Connecticut.