Pat Cahill: From Professor to Priest

bv Emily McDonald
The Rev. Patricia Cahill felt a religious call since childhood but spent 30 years as a university professor before beginning a second career as a priest.

"That's just the way circumstances worked out,'' said the Cahill, who was installed as rector of Thankful Memorial in Chattanooga on Dec. 2.

Between 1969 and 1999 Cahill served as an assistant, associate and then full professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In 1979-80 she was named the conservation teacher of the year in Hamilton County for summer work with elementary school teachers.

The UTC Student Government Association named her an outstanding professor for the academic year 1989-90.

During her academic career Cahill was active in the church as a lay person, particularly at Grace Church Chattanooga. For example, she served on the vestry, chaired the neighborhood and pastoral care committee and sang in the choir.

She also served on the Episcopal Commission of Southeast Tennessee and was involved in Education for Ministry. (She's recently been re-certified as an EFM mentor.)

She was preparing for the priesthood while continuing to teach at UTC. She took continuing education courses on a variety of topics in the mid and late 1990s and received a master of divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1998.

Her previous degrees were a bachelor's in biology from Seton Hill College in Greensburg, Pa., and a doctorate in botany from the University of Tennessee.

Prior to being called to Thankful Memorial, Cahill served as a deacon and priest-in-training at St. Francis of Assisi in Ooltewah and as extended supply priest at St. Mark's Copperhill. In-between her work at St. Francis and St. Mark's, she and her husband, Ed Cahill, Ph.D. took a sabbatical to Santiago de Compostelo, Fatima, Assisi, Lourdes and Taize, France. He is retired as head of the sociology and anthropology department at UTC.

At Thankful Memorial Cahill is involved in a lot of planning and also in the remodeling of the parish hall.

"Our goal really is to come up with a vision for Thankful,'' she said. "We don't have that plan.''

The parish has about 70 communicants and is preparing to celebrate its centennial in three years.

Cahill is serving as half-time rector of Thankful Memorial and is also enrolled in the Shalem Institute's "Spiritual Guidance Training Program, which runs from February 2001 to January 2003. The program includes a 10-day residency in Maryland during the two summers.

The new Thankful Memorial rector continues her diocesan involvement and serves as co-chair of the Jubilee Committee.

Her husband is also a member of the committee. Both Cahills were involved in an anti-racism workshop the committee conducted for the diocesan staff.

The Jubilee Committee comes out of General Convention, she explained, and focuses not only on anti-racism but on also on the celebration and integrity of creation, environmental things, justice and peace. "The Jubilee began in the year 2000, not just in the Anglican Church but in all churches.''

Bishop vonRosenberg sees the committee's work lasting at least 10 years, Cahill added.

Emily McDonald is the South East Correspondent for this publication.