Danson to celebrate Easter at The Bridge for St. Thomas

ALAMOSA – The Rev. Michelle A. Danson, a native of Yorkshire, England, will celebrate the Eucharist at a St. Thomas the Apostle-sponsored Easter service at The Bridge, 3407 Carroll St., Alamosa, at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 16.

The Rev. Danson will address “Finding Joy in a Time of Change.”

Everyone is welcome at the service. There won’t be a service at St. Thomas that day.

The Rev. Danson earned an Honors degree in physics at the University of Durham, England, followed by a post-graduate certificate in education. She has taught in schools in England and Scotland. For many years she was an “Executive Homemaker” raising her four children.

She earned her master of divinity degree at the Iliff School of Theology, Denver, and a certificate in Christian spirituality from The General Theological Seminary, New York City. While living in New York City, she was an associate priest and parish spiritual director for a large parish in Manhattan.

The Rev. Danson is a trained labyrinth facilitator, Reiki practitioner, and has completed further studies in spiritual direction with The Haden Institute in North Carolina, focusing on Jungian psychology, dream analysis and contemplative spirituality.

She believes in lifetime spiritual formation. An Episcopal priest, spiritual director, retreat leader and educator, she is a co-founder of the Contemplative Beehive of Boulder Valley and has completed a 3-year term as co-coordinator for Contemplative Outreach of Boulder County, as well as two 3-year terms on the Board of Spiritual Direction Colorado. She recently completed a 5-year term as chaplain to The Daughters of the King in Colorado. She served as chaplain to the vestry for St. John’s Episcopal Church in Boulder during that church’s search for a new rector, and now serves as St. John’s chaplain at vestry meetings.

Since January 2015, she has served as chaplain to the Standing Committee, the advisory body to the Episcopal Bishop of Colorado. Together with Bishop Rob O’Neill’s staff, she works with the Standing Committee on spiritual formation.

For a number of years, the Rev. Danson has served as chaplain to the annual Bishop’s Advisory Committee on Ministry retreat.

It is in her role as a supply priest that she is doing the Easter service for St. Thomas, a lay-run congregation without a priest.

The Rev. Danson has a private practice of spiritual direction, has been adjunct faculty at Naropa University in Boulder where she taught a course “Centering Prayer as Christian Contemplation.” In April 2014 she was invited to participate in the International Contemplative Alliance gathering in Boulder and was featured in the opening plenary dialogue representing the Christian Contemplative voice. As a result, she was invited to travel to Japan in November 2014 with a small select group of practitioners from various spiritual traditions.

Widowed and remarried, the Rev. Danson is the mother of four adult children and the grandmother of two. She lives in Niwot, near Boulder.