Rev. Christopher ShoYu 正友 Cather

The celebrations and milestones of life are important to mark and treat as sacred; birth, entry into adulthood, marriage/handfast, and death. These moments deserve to be honored with their own sacred time, reminding us to pause the business of our lives, look deeper, and celebrate together.

I live in San Diego county and am a student of divinity for chaplaincy and spiritual care at University of the West.

My goal is to live my bodhisattva vow, to help all living being find happiness and freedom from suffering. To me, this means living my life meaningfully, and helping everyone I meet to do the same. Sometimes that means marriage ceremonies, sometimes that means funerals, sometimes that means simply having a chat.

I have always been fascinated by the great mystery of life and death. As a child, I was active in church as an alter boy/acolyte and youth Sunday school teacher. As a youth, I increased my investigation into the great mystery, and began learning and practicing the mystical arts of shamanism and druidism. As an adult, I turned away from supernaturalism and began learning about the contemplative practices in all major spiritual/religious practices, particularly Buddhism and Zen, only to find myself come full circle! I also became a mental health counselor. I was ordained as a Zen Buddhist priest in February of 2024, and by Universal Life Church in July of 2024. I am trained and experienced in Zen Buddhism, Christianity, Wicca/paganism, and shamanism. I am also a life long musician in multiple instruments including voice, classical guitar, and handpan.

Your special day is about you, and celebrating in a way that is meaningful to you. I have personal experiences in the realms of faith and no faith, and am able to perform ceremonies that are either secular, spiritual, or religious in nature.

My approach is to emphasize the interconnectedness of all things. If everything is connected, that means we are never truly alone. Much of our misery comes from feeling alone, but that is only an idea. Weddings are a beautiful and convenient opportunity to be reminded of this.

Sometimes I am asked to provide live music before the ceremony, to help people enter into sacred space and align themselves with those whom we are gathered to witness and share.