Rev. Elizabeth Teal
“Listening to the Ancestors”

Worship Leader: Meghan Kaminski
Accompanist: Eileen Morrison

What does it mean to honor those who went before? What does it mean to listen to lessons of fear and fearlessness without shame or pride? What does it mean to know your ancestors?

This service will celebrate Samhain, a Pagan holiday and Celtic Fire festival that marks the end of the harvest season, heralds the beginning of winter-the dark half of the year, and honors death. Samhain, (pronounced SAH-win, or SOW-in) is also the Gaelic name for the month of November, the literal translation being ‘summer’s end.’

About our Speaker:

Reverend Elizabeth Teal is the executive director of Giving Paws. She is also the Spiritual Director for The Ministry of Animals, and a monk in the world. Past credits include: Training Director and Consultant for Pattes Tendue (headquartered in Geneva Switzerland), coordinator of the ASPCA’s Visiting Pet Program; the AACR team training and coordination of the NYC 9-11 response; sitting on Delta Society’s first Pet Partners National Committee; and handling the first installed Canine Guardian ad Litem in the state of Florida.  Rev. Teal thought she was going to grow up to be an ethologist focusing on interspecies relationships, but along the way became a monk, an artist, a storyteller, and an interfaith minister instead. She has taken the vows of the Community of the Mystic Heart. She is a third-generation Unitarian Universalist. Reverend Teal believes in the inherent worth and dignity of everyone, knowing that the Light of Love shines into every heart through many windows. She is committed to equity, justice, and compassion in all our relationships and blogs daily at MinistryofAnimals.org.