Expanding Our Beliefs

"I live my life in widening circles" quotes my guest The Rev. José Roberto (Berto) Gándara-Perea as he shares his love of Rilke's poetry, which speaks to his desire for an expansive life and faith. Berto has been ordained for thirty years, first as a Roman Catholic priest, now Episcopalian. We talk about the reasons for that, what catholic (note the small "c") truly means, we go deep with seeking to put words around what is hard to talk about: love, vulnerability, awe, yearning - words that in the Christian tradition, are part of the story we are about to celebrate. A story and an invitation to give birth to love and light. I hope this conversation meets you wherever you are and expands the circles in your life. Thanks for listening!

Bio - The Rev. José Roberto Gándara-Perea, or Berto as he is better known, was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. In 1983 he entered the Redemptorist Congregation, a Roman Catholic missionary order, where he made vows in 1986. Berto completed a BA in philosophy with the Dominican friars in Bayamón, Puerto Rico and then a four-year master’s degree in theology in the national seminary in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was ordained a priest in 1992. In 2004 Berto began a process of discernment concerning leaving the Roman Catholic Church and its priesthood and entering The Episcopal Church. He obtained a Diploma in Anglican Studies from The General Theological Seminary (GTS) in New York City and, after much prayer, he made the decision to "swim the Thames" in 2006.

Berto worked for three years as program director, case manager, and mental health counselor at Harlem United Community AIDS Center. He also worked at GTS as Director of the Hispanic/Latino Theology Program, adjunct professor, and Field Education Director. In 2009 he was received as a priest in The Episcopal Church and served for four year as priest-in-charge at the Church of the Intercession in Harlem, New York City. For the last eight years Berto has served as the rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Orcas Island, a small island of the Northwest coast of Washington state.

Berto has shared his life for the past sixteen years with his spouse, the Rev. Hugh McPhail Grant, also an Episcopal priest and psychotherapist from Atlanta, Georgia and their two amazing dogs: a tripawd called Ava and Bruno.