MIDDLEBURY — This past Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, members of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Middlebury welcomed their new priest, The Reverend Paul V. Olsson. How does one welcome a new priest during a pandemic? The congregation got creative and held a drive-up Pounding, a ritual in Christianity in which a new priest or minister is given gifts by members of the congregation. The practice can be traced back to at least the 19th century, when communicants of a church visited the parsonage and drop … (read more)
