I am someone who has spent most of my life ‘un-churched’. I was raised Roman Catholic, and very involved in my church at university in the late 70’s. I listened to priests who were informed by ressourcement theologians. We were discovering a world of integrity beneath the hierarchies and the aesthetics. It felt to me like a fresh breeze was blowing through the church. It was no longer something I attended or watched, but something I was engaged in. We chose our prayers with care, we opened our hearts, and we brought our sense of God’s presence into our daily lives. We discussed the Bible during service and baked our own bread for the Eucharist. It was deeply meaningful. But when Pope John Paul II came to the papacy and pulled back on all that openness, I felt betrayed. I felt particularly that women had been shut out. Not by God – but by the church. I never stopped feeling God’s presence in my life, praying for insight and offering gratitude, but my idea of what ‘church’ w...
June 18, 2026
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Our Ecumenism Course in Rome!
Hello, Everyone,
My name is Melissa Fiesser, and I am so happy to be your classmate this summer in Rome, as we take this Ecumenism course together. I am looking forward to getting to know you as we explore Catholic interfaith dialogue in the Eternal City. I can't wait! This is such a great experience while completing my Master of Theology at Regis-St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto this year!
A little bit about me... I have been married to my husband, George, for 30 years. He's a retired police supervisor from Halton Region. We have a daughter, Stephanie, who is 28 years old. She has been married and teaching in Ottawa for the past 4 years. Our son, Nicolas, is 26 years old. He's presently working security at Pearson Airport, and he's moving out next month. He hopes to work for one Ontario Police Service in the near future.
Please watch this short video about me so we can get to know each other a little better:
https://youtu.be/6ob3JFWJWP8
I'm so excited to learn more about my faith and blogging this summer, and I'm so glad you've decided to accompany me on this journey. By learning about the history of different faith origins and schisms, I hope to increase my comfort level with interfaith dialogue. Discernment is so important during these discussions. Our experience in Rome will provide some real-world experiences that I cannot read in a text. These opportunities will help me understand what Church unity looks like and feels like, to ensure I communicate and collaborate with others in my community more effectively.
Please feel free to send me a short video about yourself, too, as we begin this learning journey together.
See you soon! Wishing you safe travels!
Peace and joy,
Melissa Fiesser