Carolyn and Mike Stone

I have been an Episcopalian most of my life, and Mike moved over from the Methodist church to join me when we married almost 65 years ago. The Church has always been an important part of our life together and our family. When our oldest child came to UVa in 1978, we discovered a childhood friend who had become a child psychologist was teaching at the Uva Medical School. We also learned that a priest we had known in Austin was on the staff of Christ Church. We returned to Dallas feeling comfortable that surely, they could take care of our daughter.

When, on a lark, we moved to Charlottesville in 2007, I assumed that we would attend Christ Church. However, we ended up at Grace Episcopal Church in Keswick, charmed by the idea of a small historic country church. Also, the parking was much easier! We were very active there for many years, but with time there were a lot of changes that left us feeling less a part of that community. During the Pandemic, when Grace had no services, we ventured out to visit other churches, including Emmanuel, where we were met with such a warm welcome that we soon moved our membership there. Emmanuel is a place of light and life, and we particularly enjoy the young people who provide much energy for the future. If we were a bit younger and lived closer, I’m sure we would be more involved in the activities at Emmanuel, but we cherish our new church home and family and are grateful for time spent with them.