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Trinity Episcopal Church to ordain new priest

Spellmeyer (provided photo)

Deacon Shane Spellmeyer will be ordained a priest by Rayford Ray, the Bishop of Northern Michigan, at Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Houghton on Oct. 5. All members of the surrounding community are welcome to attend this service, which will take place at 1 p.m.

Shane Spellmeyer wasn’t born in the Upper Peninsula, but it would seem as if he’s been making his was here over the course of his whole life. Born on the gulf coast of Florida, Shane spent most of his adolescence and early adulthood in the cornfields of Illinois before attending Nashotah House Theological Seminary in southern Wisconsin, where Shane eventually received his Master of Divinity degree. On March 24, 2019, Shane was ordained a Transitional Deacon in the Episcopal Church by Daniel Martins, the Bishop of Springfield (Illinois). In the Episcopal Church, an individual seeking Holy Orders must first become a deacon before they can be ordained a priest. In June of 2019 Shane accepted a call to Trinity Episcopal Church and on August 1st he took up his position.

But why come to the U.P.? Having not been born a Yooper, Shane says he gets asked this question at least twice every week. “Honestly, I can’t say for sure why I felt drawn to this place and to these people,” said Shane when asked why he came to Copper Country, “but when I visited Trinity during a snowstorm back in January, I could see that God was doing something special here. Not only in the community here at Trinity Episcopal, but here in the Keweenaw as a whole. Again, I’m not sure exactly what it is, because I’m not God, but it got me excited and I knew that I wanted to be a part of whatever God had in store for the Copper Country.” Shane did note that he hasn’t actually spent a full winter in the Keweenaw yet, so come January we’ll see what he thinks.

And if you see a young man with a ponytail eating lunch at 5th and Elm in a clerical collar, feel free to stop and say hello to Trinity’s new Priest-to-Be. Who knows? He might even buy you a cup of coffee.

Trinity Episcopal Church, 205 E Montezuma, Houghton, MI, 49931

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