I grew up in Winnipeg and Montreal. Montreal was where I began my training in Fine Arts; mainly in painting. I continued my studies in New Brunswick at Mount Allison University, Concordia University in Montreal and with other artists in Montreal. Since then I have lived in 6 different provinces and 8 different cities or towns. I get around.
My husband was a Presbyterian minister and so there were several moves across the country to serve various churches. By the time we moved to Vancouver, we had three kids, and I was working one to one with children with special needs. I used Braille, sign language, my fine art training and the wisdom and inspiration of people such as Jean Vanier and Henri Nouwen. They helped me discover added layers of meaning in my work with people who had incredible challenges.
By the time our kids were in high school I was sensing God’s call to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament. I studied part time at first, but eventually full time at Vancouver School of Theology. I was ordained in the Presbyterian Church.
I was called to two churches just outside of Ottawa, and my husband was called to one within Ottawa. After a few years the Children's’ Hospital of Eastern Ontario invited me to be a chaplain there, which I did while I served one of my small churches part time. It was a full plate, but I especially loved my work at CHEO.
It was intense of course, but so meaningful. Many of my conversations with families there are emblazoned on my heart. I remember asking one young boy - a refugee from Lebanon, what he thought God was like. Without hesitation he said: God is loving, smart and very handsome.
We moved to Victoria and between short terms of serving local churches both in the Presbyterian and United church, I ran a day program for older adults with developmental and physical disabilities at the Garth Homer Society. I enjoyed my time there often seeing it through the lens of ministry too.
The Lodge at Broadmead - the Veterans long term care home invited me to be chaplain there - or Spiritual Support provider. Whatever the title, it was when I said I was the padre or chaplain that veterans opened up to tell me their stories - like stealing things from Hitler’s bunker. Hearing so many of their experiences, from the beaches of Normandy to working in secret at Bletchley Park with Alan Turing forever changed me.
My husband died suddenly in 2014, and my world took a different turn.
I’m technically retired now, but in reality I feel I am more of a pastor at large, or one who is undercover. I try to help with services in various places when I am able, but have turned much of my attention to painting in my art studio or spending time in Vancouver with my grown children and my grandkid who is a newly minted teenager.
I have always loved to sing and I do that whenever I can. (cars are so useful for that)
I love to learn languages and for the last few years have focussed on Ukrainian - partly as a nod to my many Ukrainian grandparents, and in a sense, as a prayer for peace.
Some of my greatest influences come from artists like Vincent Van Gogh (whose faith was important to him), Claude Monet, Lawren Harris and Georgia O’Keefe. Julia of Norwich, Barbara Brown Taylor, Fredrick Buechner, John Swinton, Jan Richardson and John O’Donohue, to name a few more. They have all found a place deep in my heart.
So I can often be found painting birds or flowers, - the beauty of creation- usually in my studio.
My journey has been one that has jumped all over the place, and so I hold on to the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer who said ‘we must be ready to be interrupted by God.’
Jesus continues to take me to new ways of living. My work as an artist and my work as a pastor are tightly woven together.
The artist Fra Angelico once said that painting is a form of prayer and so I find that I sometimes pray with paint and sometimes paint with words.
The Emmaus Community and the AbbeyChurch acknowledge that we worship, take action and pray on the stolen territory of the Songhees and Xwsepsum (Esquimalt) Nations, the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples'.
WELCOME BACK AbbeyChurch!
Any and all are welcome to attend. You don't need to pre-register anymore but we're glad to know you're coming.
Every other Sunday, we'll do "Gospel Based Discipleship"; which will include distanced smaller group discussion with Communion. This will happen on July 18, Aug 15 & Aug 29. These will be held outside, weather permitting - and moved inside if there's rain. Please bring a chair if it's sunny.
For the other weeks, we'll have our Communion with music and sermon. This will be on July 11, July 25, Aug. 8, Aug. 22, These will be indoors and there are lots of chairs / pews which will be sterlized before and after.
Abbeykids will meet - either outdoors or distanced, in the hall on all Sundays that we gather. Children are also welcome to stay with the people who brought them.
There will be no worship gathering or Abbeykids on August 1.
A few covid-related reminders for when you come:
- Congregational singing is now allowed. No masks are required for outdoors. They are required to sing indoors.
- Please don't come if you have travelled abroad or if you have Covid-19 symptoms.
- We will be receiving communion weekly with bread and small cups which are sanitized after use..
- We recommend that adults have at least one vaccination before attending.
- Attendees are encouraged to leave 2m space as they and others are comfortable.
Thanks for planning to attend - and we'll see you in the coming weeks!
The AbbeyChurch team