By Dee Ann Anigian, Senior Warden
Two members of our clergy will take sabbaticals in 2026. Saint Michael has a structured, robust sabbatical plan, and the vestry considers it an important and fulfilling benefit to our clergy and to our church.
The intent of our sabbatical policy is to offer members of our clergy staff a dedicated special time for study, reflection, spiritual renewal, creative exploration, and respite. It is a tangible way we choose to invest in the future ministry of our clergy, and it says something about what we value.
After five years of full-time, successive ministry at Saint Michael, a member of our clergy staff may take an eight-week sabbatical. Andrew Grosso has been making an impact among us for five years; and this year, our rector Chris Girata will mark 10 years of ministry here at Saint Michael.
We ask that 12 months in advance of a sabbatical request, the clergy person provide notice of his or her plan. The priest provides the dates, goals, budget and a description
of the activities and learning to take place. We ask for an outline of the benefits he or she expects to realize, as well as an outline of the benefits to the church. This long timeline lets us plan for how his or her work will be covered. We are in a unique position at Saint Michael where our staff is large enough to absorb, with planning, the absence of someone on sabbatical. And of course, we budget and plan financially for sabbaticals.
Over the last couple of months, both Andrew and Chris have presented their plans to the Vestry. Both have planned itineraries that will invigorate and renew them for ministry here at Saint Michael. I’m delighted to share their overviews here, so that we all might participate in their enthusiasm and keep them in our prayers while they are away.
The Rev. Dr. Andrew Grosso’s Sabbatical Plans
For Andrew’s sabbatical in the spring of 2026, his goals are two-fold. First, he will plan and research a pilgrimage to Oxford for Saint Michael, which will take place in 2027. He will preview the sites and plan the details for the itinerary. Second, Andrew has dedicated time to write. He’s working on a theological exposition of 1 Timothy 3:16. Paul speaks there of the mystery of our religion, and Andrew’s writing will explore the question of what our Christian faith and practice in today’s world looks like in light of the mystery of our religion. We will all look forward to the books to come from Andrew’s study!
The Rev. Dr. Christopher Girata’s Sabbatical Plans
The focus of Chris’s sabbatical during the summer of 2026 will be on family, health, spiritual renewal, as well as strategic planning for the upcoming years at Saint Michael. Intentional time to focus on spiritual and physical wellness is part of his itinerary. Part of Chris’s family time will coincide with our choristers singing at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, and he will be there to support them for this exciting experience. Then Chris’s sabbatical will end with time at a spiritual retreat center in Mexico.
Putting all this into some context, there are relatively few churches in the country that have a stated sabbatical plan, and for the great majority of those that have one in place, they benefit the rector only. Considering sabbaticals a benefit to all our clergy and to our church is fairly uncommon. Again, this says something about what we value. We are a church that cares about the spiritual health of our priests, but we are also an employer. In considering “what kind of employer do we want to be?” this is one of the ways we answer that question.
I hope you’ll join me in wishing Andrew and Chris well on their spiritual and physical journeys and then welcoming them back to us renewed and refreshed!
**This article was written by Dee Ann Anigian and was featured in the 2026 Spring Archangel.
Read More Featured Archangel Articles
