Nancy Atherton

EDITOR’S NOTE: A church community is created when people gather together for the love of God. At the same time, Saint Philip’s is comprised of many people who represent different ages, life experiences, and world views.

The “In conversation…” series is one attempt to create possibilities for connection between the different people in our community. As varied as we all are, there are also similarities and mutual interests waiting to be discovered. And there is one thing we all share: a desire to know God and be in relationship with him.

This week’s conversation is with Saint Philip’s parishioner and volunteer, Nancy Atherton.

How long have you worshiped at Saint Philip’s?
Since June of 2007. I know because that’s when I moved to Tucson from Boston.

What about Saint Philip’s inspired you to visit?
I care about music and outreach and Saint Philip’s checked both those boxes. It was the first church in Tucson I visited—and 17 years later I’m still here.

What about Saint Philip’s engages you?
The community and the music.

Were you raised in a faith tradition?
Initially, my family attended the Congregational Church—which then became the United Church of Christ (UCC). I bounced around quite a bit while growing up because I followed the music.

How did you find your way to the Episcopal church?
It was when I was in Philadelphia attending school. My fiancé was Anglican so we ended up in an Episcopal church. When we moved to Canada we continued to worship in the Episcopal church.

What makes you feel like you belong to this community?
The good friendships I’ve developed over the years. Also the many different activities that I’m involved in. They support my soul as much as Sunday worship. And then there are the enormous opportunities to learn.

I’m an introvert essentially but there are so many neat people at Saint Philip’s that I find myself talking much more than one would expect (including me). By the time I get home after church on Sunday I hunker down with my cats and am quiet.

Can you say more about the friendships you have at Saint Philip’s?
I’m part of a little coffee group that meets once a week. We have amazing conversations about church and health. (We’re of an age when that second topic arises frequently!) It’s wonderful to listen to other people and discover we share similar doubts and fears. This group reminds me that I’m not alone. I consider these weekly meetings an extension of Sunday morning worship.

I am also very grateful for my friends in the choirs and the fun we have even when groaning about the (sometimes) very difficult music. The Residencies we have done in England have been particularly fun.

And the new Sowing Circle book club is another wonderful addition. The conversations are open and we feel safe to express ourselves without criticism.

How are you involved in the parish?
I do the grocery shopping for the food pantry (9:00am-12:00pm on Tuesdays) and Primavera cooking (8:00am-12:00pm on the third Sunday of every month).

I sing in two choirs (the Schola Cantorum for Choral Evensong and the Adult Choir) and serve as the Chair for the Mission & Endowment Fund Trust (EMFT). Dcn Susan and I are members of the Union of Black Episcopalians; lots of interesting connections have been made with that group.

True Concord has annual concerts at Saint Philip’s and I (and other parishioners) house singers who come to Tucson to participate. And I’ll definitely volunteer when Saint Philip’s hosts this year’s diocesan convention.

What did you do professionally before retiring?
I did corporate tax work for insurance companies. From a taxation standpoint, insurance companies are such weird animals that they have a whole section of the tax code devoted to just them. I eventually ran the department for a Canadian company.

What engaged you about that work?
I’ve always been good at numbers, and this work allowed me to combine that with the law—which I also really liked.

Did you start your career planning to do that?
Not at all! I was an English major. But while living in Canada my husband said he wanted a divorce and, as I had no marketable skills, I decided to get an MBA.

What’s something you’re proud of?
When my husband divorced me, I bounced back and made a really good life for our son, Malcolm, and me.

I was fortunate to find work that paid well and rewarded those who were willing to work hard. There were times when I worked until 2:00am. The sacrifices were worth it, though, because I was then in a position to do things outside of work that were important to me.

I once got my entire department involved in working at a soup pantry. I’m an organizer for things I really believe in. I’m proud that I managed to balance working with social justice activism.

What’s something you’re passionate about?
Closing the gap between the very rich and the very poor. For example, providing universal health care and a living wage.

On a less existential level, I’m a tennis and bridge fanatic. When I moved to Tucson I swore I’d play as much of both as I possibly could. When not volunteering that’s what I love to do. I also love to travel, but am always happy to return home.

What’s something you find challenging?
Being still. I would love to read and be more contemplative but I get so engaged with social justice advocacy and outreach efforts, not to mention the fun things I mentioned above, that there isn’t much time left for quiet. This year is worse because I’m also very involved in the election, which is so important this year. Maybe next year….

Do you have a favorite prayer?
I have two favorites. The prayer attributed to St Francis and Micah (6:8): “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”

What’s one of your guiding principles?
Keep the focus on others (not myself). I reflect quite often on how fortunate I am, and that motivates me to try and give back. That’s so incredibly important. My mother modeled that for me and I also had great teachers who encouraged that behavior.

What’s one of your core values?
Empathy. I try hard to understand where other people are coming from. I don’t always love the process, and it can be very tough. But that’s when I try to remind myself that most of what happens isn’t about me. I try to go slow, and accept that I’m not in control, and hope and pray that everything will work out.

What’s one of your super powers?
I can see the big picture.

When people focus only on the minutiae—and miss the big picture—then it’s harder to feel empathy and try to understand other people’s perspectives. And when that happens, it’s much harder to create consensus and move forward…and nothing useful happens.

What’s something you’re grateful for?
My friends and the energy they give me. My cats who love me unconditionally and make me laugh.

I’m also very grateful for my family. I have two brothers and a sister in addition to my son and his family. When my mother was alive she was the anchor that brought us together. After she died in 2015 my siblings and I knew we didn’t want to lose our connection so we have “sib calls” every few weeks to stay in touch. Now that my son lives in Kansas, he, my granddaughter, her lizard Pico, and I facetime a lot.

What’s something you’d like to do that you haven’t done…yet?
Travel in a slower, more intimate way than tours allow. I would love to rent a place for a month, then take side trips to get to really know the area and meet people. I would do that in the United States, as well as the south of France, the southern coast of Australia, and the Peloponnesus in Greece.

What might people be surprised to learn about you?
That I LOVE whimsy. I collect fetishes (anything of a natural material that resembles the shape of an animal) along with other weirdnesses including pigs with wings, dancing roosters, dragons, and alebrijes (brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures that depict fantastical creatures or familiar animals).

I surround myself with things that make me laugh. I know God laughs; look at the absurdity of this world. People remind me to laugh, and my collection reminds me to laugh. 

What’s a fun fact about you?
In the fall of 2013 I walked all 500 miles of the Camino de Santiago. 

Missed an interview? All previous interviews can be found on Saint Philip’s website under the “About Us” tab. Click here to visit that page.