Oblate Companions
Oblates of Mary the Apostle answer a call to dedicate their lives to God and God’s service, to accompany the monastic community of the Companions, and to embody the community Charism.
Oblates live by the community’s Rule, adapted for their own context. They participate in worship, make financial contributions and serve within the community as they are able. Oblates may come to prayer via Zoom Tuesdays through Friday, Matins and Vespers. There are monthly opportunities to connect with the monastic community and other Oblates online, as well.
Individuals who have a close relationship with the Companions of Mary the Apostle can initiate a discernment process with the monastic Companions or respond to an invitation to apply. For those who are interested but not previously connected, it is necessary to get to know the Community through other gatherings. In both cases there is a year of mutual discernment, at the end of which candidates may make a vowed commitment.
To find out more, contact Sister E or Sister Shane at companionsma@gmail.com
Dario Ghersi
Dario is Italian-American and was born and raised in Genoa, in the North of Italy. An academic by training, with an M.D. from the University of Genoa and a Ph.D. from New York University, he is currently a Professor of Biomedical Informatics and calls the Great Plains home. A seeker at heart, Dario fell in love with biblical scholarship many years ago, and rediscovered Christianity as his native language and the Episcopal Church as the most congenial dialect. He has been affiliated with the Companions of Mary the Apostle (CMA) since 2015, and was formally received as an Oblate in the summer of 2022. He also serves as board member and secretary for CMA.
Dario loves the outdoors and RVing all over the country. He plays a variety of string instruments, including acoustic, electric, and tenor guitar and mandolin/tenor banjo.
Annie Hall
Annie currently lives and works in Virginia. She has had many roles and occupations. She names being a wife to her now ex-husband Mike and a mother to two amazing human beings, Jeffrey and Sam, as her most important roles.
In 2013, she left a position as a physical scientist with the US Geological Survey to attend Virginia Theological Seminary, where she continued her discernment about how to best live her life and use her gifts. At that time, she also began a fruitful relationship with the Companions of Mary the Apostle. She currently works as a Hospice Chaplain in Williamsburg, VA.
She notes that freedom and joy develop in her day-to-day life in direct proportion to how much she is hearing and gratefully responding to God’s still, small voice. She finds that God speaks in all aspects of life but that noticing can be a challenge. She became an Oblate in 2022 in order to formalize both her commitment to paying attention, and her commitment to maintaining mutually supportive relationships with the Companions of Mary the Apostle. She affirms the Charism and lives by a Rule. She recognizes that such vital and lofty affirmations are best approached by practicing together.
Annie prays for the grace to continue listening and living fruitfully amidst the changes and chances of our current era. She is learning to trust that God continues to create the abundant life that Jesus of Nazareth desired for all of us.
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