Hi, I’m Callie.
I’m so glad you’re here!
Wholehearted Leader + Spiritual Companion
mama. One of my favorite vocations is parenting E (15) & L (12). They both teach me multitudes. Their zeal helps me to approach life with exuberance and curiosity. They offer profound observations on life and God, and still love a good dinner table debate. Together, we love exploring our city and beyond, discovering new music, testing hot chocolate at different cafés, and seeking God's beauty in the world.
priest. I have the great honor of walking with people through some of the most vulnerable and sacred moments of life, and calling it my job. Whether it be birth, death, or the many daily sacraments that take place in between, I get to simply show up and draw attention to the Holy in our midst. Over the past fifteen years serving as a priest, I've loved teaching and fielding Big Questions (and often admitting I don't have Big Answers!), and making connections with God's people.
creator. On my wall hangs a piece of art by Banksy: an ornate window frame overlays children's schoolyard graffiti, making the impression of vibrant stained glass. In the corner kneels a praying figure with paint can and brush nearby. It blends sacred and ordinary and reminds me to create every day. Whether building spaces for people to discover their own creative gifts, creating engaging ways for people to learn about the liturgy, or using my hands to quilt, creating infuses energy into all of my life and work.
lover. Even when life's tasks bog me down, I derive great joy from the first flurries of snow, a soul-restoring conversation with a friend, a forkful of a delicious meal, or a chance encounter with a stranger. I truly love this life and this earth and the people who inhabit it, especially my partner Jeremy and our kiddos. I try to follow the love demonstrated by our great teacher Jesus - radical love for the outcast and stranger - as a guide for my life and my ministry, and I strive to live out the promise of my baptismal covenant: respect the dignity of every human being.
Professional Bio
Callie Swanlund is an Episcopal priest, retreat leader, spiritual companion, and coach who helps others know their belovedness and find their Spark. Her book, From Weary to Wholehearted, offers a restorative path through ministry burnout and has become a touchstone resource for clergy and spiritual leaders across denominational lines. Callie leads retreats, clergy conferences, and formation events for many denominations, seminaries, and communities throughout the United States and internationally — including pilgrimage work in Ireland. A certified sound meditation facilitator, she weaves embodied practice into her retreat and coaching work, using instruments from around the world to invite participants into deeper spiritual practice. Callie is a creative minister, a Daring Way facilitator trained in the work of Dr. Brené Brown, and an Episcopal Church Foundation Fellow. Her How2charist: Digital Instructed Eucharist film has reached a global audience of Christians and curious individuals. She lives in art- and forest-filled Philadelphia with her co-dreaming partner Jeremy Tackett, their two children, and a rescue pup named Rufus.