I started coming to FUSF in the mid 90’s and signed the Membership Book in 1997. I’m a long-time member, but I didn’t come easy at first. I grew up Catholic and went to St Bonaventure University, a Franciscan Catholic University where I had a great experience. But something was always off for me from a religious and spiritual perspective. As I aged, I plodded on with my Catholic traditions; it was what I knew. … Continue reading Tom DiGioia
“We pledge to walk together”—to me, these words that start our unison affirmation say so much about this special community that we have here. When we first walked into FUSF over 27 years ago, we had 2 young sons, who were 2 and 4 years old at the time. Though my husband Michael and I were raised in different faiths, we had similar spiritual beliefs and mostly wanted to find a religious foundation for our … Continue reading Julie Sutherland
My name is Jen Neville. My pronouns are she/her. I joined FUSF somewhere around 2018. I first came here to find a place where I could bring my daughters and have them grow up in some sort of spiritual tradition, but I certainly did not want their upbringing to be like mine: full of guilt and fear. At the very first service I attended, Michele shared a song she had written, and I left in … Continue reading Jennifer Neville
As a pastor’s kid in the United Methodist Church, I know a thing or two about religion. When I was 16, after my father’s unexpected death, my faith began a slow unraveling. I went to college, lost a little faith. Got married and started grad school, lost a little more. Started a family and then a career, lost a little more. During that time, I also realized I was transgender and began an agonizing few … Continue reading Birch Duggans-Warf
This past Spring it seemed like everything was falling apart. My town, my country, the whole planet were all changing, and not for the better. I felt anxious and frustrated and nothing seemed to help, not even going to FUSF on Sundays. I started to attend FUSF less and less, only going on the Sundays that I had signed up to be the Fellowship Café Crew Chief. And even on those days I referred to … Continue reading Marian Szymanski
