I am looking forward to moving west, and beginning my ministry at St. Francis’! In the meantime, I thought you might like to know a bit more about me.
I’m a native Texan, although my family’s roots are deep in California. After college (I was a History major and a Classics Minor) I moved east for seminary, and stayed there for twelve years, during which I worked in parishes in New York City and New Jersey. Being an adven- turous soul, I then decamped to Guatemala, to study Spanish and to explore Central America. When I moved back to the states, I resettled in the Austin, Texas area, and became a full time hospice chaplain. Both my time in Guatemala, and my work in hospice were seminal. In 1997, I moved to Rhode Island, where I have served as both parish priest and college chaplain. My ministry experiences and their settings have been rich and varied.
I am an artist, have a regular yoga practice, love to kayak, enjoy taking hikes with my dogs, seeing independent and foreign films, and revel in eating all kinds of ethnic foods. I am an avid reader. I am curious by nature. I have a keen sense of humor. Gardening feeds my soul, so I am hoping for a little patch of earth, in San Francisco, where I can dig! I have been a vegetarian for nearly 25 years. I love animals, and have two dogs (mother and daughter; terrier mixes) named Nikita and Buffy, and a beta fish named Cleopatra. Whether Cleopatra will become a California resident is debatable! I aspire to rescue a circus elephant, some day. I am passionate about our need to care for God’s gift of this beautiful planet.
I love being a parish priest-the breadth and diversity of the work means that it is always engaging, and it gives me the chance to work with people of all ages. Currently, on my office door, I have two signs that epitomize my philosophy of life. One says "Don’t postpone joy" and the other, a quote from medieval mystic Meister Eckhart, says "You may call God love, you may call God goodness, but the best name for God is compassion." In the midst of the many changes and chances of life, I seek to center myself in the joy, stillness, and compassion of God’s love.
I look forward to being with you soon!