Anonymous Students (McCormick Theological Seminary)

For the unnamed students at McCormick Theological Seminary
who live in silence...

May they know they are Beloved of God

Over the years I made a number of trips to McCormick Theological Seminary, my alma mater.  With a longstanding commitment to diversity, McCormick is the only historically Euro-centric seminary in the Presbyterian denomination in which Whites are now in the minority.  This commitment to diversity has made McCormick a relatively safe place for LGBT students over the years, but that same diverse student body -- with large numbers of Koreans, African-Americans, native Africans and Hispanics  from a wide range of countries and religious backgrounds -- has kept the conversation lively around LGBT issues.  Some students have used these opportunities to come out and tell their stories; others have found it more difficult to do so in such an intense and intimate environment.

On this particular trip, about a dozen new stoles were dedicated on behalf of McCormick students.  Several were named, and included substantial stories.  A few, however, acknowledged those students who still struggled to find their voice.  The final line on this stole, itself created by an unknown donor, is both a declaration of faith and a compassionate prayer.

Martha Juillerat
Founder, Shower of Stoles Project
2006