Jessica Gazzola
Jessica Gazzola grew up in a Catholic family believing she could talk to birds, praying to Mother Mary for protection from under-the-bed monsters, and struggling to be something “special.”
Her spiritual seeking led her to seminary (M. Div., Eden Theological Seminary, 2007) and then priestly service as an associate pastor in the Ecumenical Catholic Communion (2007-2014).
The simultaneous experience of giving birth to her first child and grieving the death of her mother in 2008 lit a fire that burned through her life.
In 2013, hollowed out and thirsty for full aliveness, Jessica found herself leaving her marriage, disconnecting from institutional church, and discovering resurrected life through the drive of Eros and the sublime grounding of the earth and the ordinary.
The longing to be “special” burned away and a quiet contentment remains, fueling the drive to heal from patriarchy, consumerism, white saviorism, and competitive capitalism – to heal the earth and our bodies.
Jessica is passionate about holding Sacramental and Ritual space for humans at the threshold of a new self. She loves to swim in symbolic waters, making meaning with the stuff that speaks most deeply to each individual, each community. She channels her creativity through many mediums – writing, storytelling, community gardening, color, design, cooking and sharing food – all to sooth her soul and amplify the voice of Sophia Christ. As a Priestess of Sophia Rising she relishes the truth that she is not alone and that her heart’s desires and unfolding life work can be held in sacred community. Jessica serves the collective by stewarding Sophia Rising’s funds and designing our communications.
Specialties
- Sacramental and Ritual Preparation/Presiding
- Preaching/Storytelling
Sophia Rising 