I had misjudged the time and was running late, arriving at the door as the processional made its way into a packed church. Asked to wait before taking a seat at the very back, I glanced about making eye contact with a cleric, short in stature, an almost impish grin on his face and wide expressive eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. We smiled and exchanged nods. In the next instant I followed Desmond Tutu into Trinity Church, Newport, Rhode Island, for a prayer service arranged by the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island.

Truth be known, not much from the order of service that evening remains in my mind. We sang and prayed and offered thanks, following the elements prescribed. But then it was time for that short cleric to mount the three-tiered wineglass pulpit at Trinity for his address to the congregants. This little man with wire-rimmed glasses held the attention of all assembled.

Desmond Tutu had a passion of bringing equality to society and its people. He endured years of struggle to turn a country long-mired in racial and economic segregation on its head. He shared some of his work at Trinity. Once your ear tuned into the cadence of his talk, the only challenge came when he continued, in a voice barely above a whisper, if only to emphasize the message he was delivering.

Desmond Tutu voted in his first election at the age of 62. He succeeded by never taking his eye off the ball. His penchant for equality challenged many official positions in the Anglican communion. He was recognized for his efforts with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. I have a vivid memory of that little man with an impish grin, wire-rimmed glasses, who preached at Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island.

F. Gerard Nault
Windsor