On just another Sunday morning at St. David of Wales Episcopal Church, the Rev. Sara Fischer preaches about the season of Advent, the coming of Jesus Christ and what this holiday season really means.
“People who’ve been around me a long time know that I’m always saying this or that season or day is my favorite,” she says with a small laugh. “But really, truly, I love Advent. This is a season of new beginnings, of expectation and preparation for something wonderful.”
She might as well be talking about her own church.
A year and a half ago, St. David’s was dying. Sunday services were held in a small side chapel for a crowd you could count on your fingers. The older members””the Little Old Ladies, as they call themselves””were trying out other parishes. The priest, a part-timer fast approaching mandatory retirement, was doing his best to hang on, fearful that if he left, the diocese would sell the building.