For much of my life, I have searched for a place where faith felt alive—where spirituality was not about fear or exclusion, but about love, healing, and truth. There were seasons when I thought I had found it, and others when I nearly gave up searching altogether.
Life has not spared me from hardship. I have known loss that hollowed me out, brokenness that left me questioning God, and disappointments with religion that nearly extinguished my faith. There were times I walked away, convinced that church was not a place where I could ever truly belong.
And yet, God has a way of calling us back when we least expect it. For me, that call came when I discovered the Shrine of Holy Wisdom in Tempe, Arizona.
From my very first visit, I felt something I had longed for but thought I might never find again: peace. Not a surface peace, but a deep stillness that touched my soul. As I stood in the Sunday Divine Liturgy, surrounded by prayers that felt ancient and alive at once, I realized my faith was stirring again. It wasn’t just the beauty of the liturgy—it was the authenticity of the community, the compassion of the leadership, and the unmistakable presence of God’s Spirit moving among us.
The Shrine’s clergy, led by Bishop Jorge Rodriguez Eagar, embody a vision of the Church I had almost given up hoping to find. They welcome without judgment, guide with humility, and teach with wisdom rooted in love. In their care, I began to see that the broken pieces of my faith could be gathered, healed, and made whole again.
Week by week, the Shrine became more than a church I attended; it became a home for my soul. In the liturgies and feast day celebrations, I found joy. In the healing services, I found comfort. In community gatherings and conversations, I found belonging. Slowly, the faith I had lost began to awaken again—not in the way it once was, but in a way deeper, stronger, and truer.
This reawakening has changed the course of my life. I have answered a call to seminary, beginning the path of preparation for ordained ministry. On August 15, 2025—the Feast of The Formation of the Theotokos and Holy Wisdom—I was ordained to the Order of Acolyte. Kneeling in the altar that day, vested and trembling with awe, I felt both the weight and the joy of stepping into service in a new way. The very Shrine that healed my faith is now the place where I am called to serve, to pray, and to help guide others into the same embrace I have found here.
Now, as a seminarian and acolyte, I feel a deep responsibility—not only to tend the altar and assist in the liturgy, but to help open the doors of the Shrine wider, so that others who are searching might find what I have found. My heart is especially drawn to those who feel disillusioned with religion, those who have been hurt by churches, and those who quietly carry questions and longings with no safe place to bring them. To you I say: come and see.
If you are weary, come. If you are seeking, come. If you are filled with joy, sorrow, doubt, or hope, come. At the Shrine of Holy Wisdom, you will find a community of welcome, a leadership rooted in compassion, and a Spirit that renews the soul.
I came to the Shrine lost, grieving, and nearly faithless. I have found here healing, belonging, and joy. And now, I have found my vocation.
The Shrine of Holy Wisdom is not just a place I go. It is my spiritual home. And perhaps, it could become yours too.
Come Visit the Shrine of Holy Wisdom
📍 Shrine of Holy Wisdom
5025 S Ash Ave, Suite B-15
Tempe, AZ 85282
📞 (480) 219-9633
✨ Sunday Divine Liturgy – 10:30am, [9:30 from June – September]
✨ Feast Day Celebrations – as announced on the Shrine calendar
✨ Healing Services, study groups, concerts, and special gatherings – see the events calendar
🕊️ For more information, visit: www.theshrineofholywisdom.org
Calendar if Events: https://www.theshrineofholywisdom.org/events/calendar