Becca Walton to join community of St. Anselm

Becca Walton will be leaving the Center in September, as she embarks on a new adventure. For the next year, she will be living in in London, England, in the Community of St. Anselm. The monastic community offers a spiritual formation for people age 25-34.

“I applied to be part of the community in order to learn more about contemplative traditions that would help ground me in lay ministry,” Walton said. “I’ve always found the idea of ‘contemplation in action’ very interesting, and living in an intentional community with the call to reconciliation seems like a great way to grow in my ability to serve and understand the world.”

Walton will be one of 16 people, many from the global South, who will live at Lambeth Palace, the 800-year-old home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the global Anglican Communion. There is also a group of non-resident young adults who live in London and spend part of their time at Lambeth.

The community, made up of people from diverse backgrounds, spends its days in prayer, study, and service. Days are structured around worship and prayers, with talks from eminent theologians, group discussions, and volunteering with local charities. Community members will engage in silent retreats, including a 30-day solitude in Switzerland.

“As a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Oxford, I’ve served on the Vestry, as a Lay Eucharistic Minister, and have worked with outreach programs like pastoral care and the Rise and Shine free breakfast,” Walton said. “The service I’ve found most significant is serving as a chaplaincy volunteer at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, where we attend worship and visit with the men of the St. Vincent’s congregation.”

Walton, a Southern Studies MA alum, began her work as Associate Director for Projects for the Center in September 2011. She has been involved in an impressive array of Center work, and her colleagues and friends will miss her, even as we cheer for her new opportunities.