Memorial Church Seminarian KMarie Tejeda MDiv III speaks at Morning Prayers in Appleton Chapel on Sept. 25. Photo by Jeffrey Blackwell/Memorial Church Communications
Morning Prayers at the Memorial Church often features the thoughtful voices of our seminarians. During the week of Sept. 23, we invited our three Harvard Divinity School students, KMarie Tejeda, Sally Hammel and Grace Killian to share their words and life experiences in the lectern of Appleton Chapel.
KMarie Tejeda MDiv III
"As some of you know, I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and then I moved to New York when I was a young adult. While living in the Dominican Republic, I never had to see myself as a minority or even as a colored person. Everyone there was like me, mixed. My understanding of race was very different and limited. Understanding how much race plays an important role in American society has been a profound and painful cultural shock for me." KMarie Tejeda
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Memorial Church Seminarian Sally Hammel MDiv II in Appleton Chapel following Morning Prayers on Sept. 26. Photo by Jeffrey Blackwell/Memorial Church Communications
Sally Hammel MDiv II
"This couldn't be happening to me. I didn't have time for cancer. I had a budget meeting to go to. I shared the news with a friend who advised, "You can't tell anyone about this. It'll be the kiss of death for your career, especially at your age." I considered this. I could devise a plan to schedule my chemo around vacation and holiday time. I could get a wig. I could even wear makeup. I could hide." Sally Hammel
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Memorial Church Seminarian Grace Killian MDiv III in Appleton Chapel following Morning Prayers on Sept. 26. Photo by Jeffrey Blackwell/Memorial Church Communications
Grace Killian MDiv III
"Indeed, it is not only refugees that we must be welcoming, but all those who may be different from us. Providing hospitality at our borders, in our communities and in our sacred sanctuaries is a powerful statement of reconciliation, and it's vital work for the transformation of the world." Grace Killian
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