Our Woman of the Week is Jennifer Totonchy, nominated for her work in molecular microbiology and immunology, her youth ministry focus, and her role as a priest's wife. We asked her to tell you about herself:
"I met my husband when I was finishing my PhD in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. He worked in the lab across the hall and, at the time, was hoping to go to medical school. We spent days together in the biocontainment labs, often facing opposite directions, just talking endlessly. He had been raised in the middle-eastern Syriac Orthodox Church. I had been raised Roman Catholic and was attending a non-denominational church at the time. I was continuing my scientific training when he found his calling to become a Syriac Orthodox priest. I knew even then that I am not sufficient to the task of being a priest’s wife. Nonetheless, I supported my husband in his calling, and I rely entirely on God’s help to perform my supporting role in his ministry. As the only American-born clergy couple in the middle-eastern Syriac Orthodox Church, we are oriented towards the Syriac youth in the USA, and are working to make our ancient liturgical tradition accessible and relevant to them."
Axia!
Jennifer Totonchy, our Woman of the Week, was nominated for the way she manages to juggle three complicated roles. We asked her to tell you about them:
"These days I wear three hats: a priest’s wife, a full-time mother of two children, and a university professor who teaches and runs a research lab. Particularly now, in the midst of the 2020 pandemic, life is overwhelming. I keep myself spiritually focused by looking for light throughout my day and capturing these small moments to be aware of, and thankful for, the presence of God in my life.
"As a scientist who has been studying viruses for 15 years, I particularly struggle in this time with the idea pervading the church that the form of our liturgical practice is so important that maintaining it has caused us to sacrifice our primary duty to love each other. I stay home as much as possible. I wear a mask and keep physical distance when out in public. I do these things as a gesture of love toward the people I interact with. It is my sincere belief that these expressions of love should be our primary spiritual calling in this time, and that we should avoid the human urge to put our comfort and sense of normality above the safety of our fellow humans. "
As always, we asked our Woman of the Week to tell you about her morning routine:
"I have always been a morning person. Looking for the first rays of sun after dawn are a big part of my spiritual practice of looking for light. In this challenging year I’ve had to leverage the early morning before the kids wake up as valuable uninterrupted work time. My morning generally consists of: coffee, work, coffee, parenting, coffee, exercise, food, and coffee (in roughly that order). The pandemic has blended home and work spaces to an incredible degree. I am blessed to have a job with a flexible schedule that allows me to weave work, parenting, and virtual schooling for my oldest throughout my day. "
Thank you, Jen!