Dear People of St. Patrick’s,
Having become your new Rector at the beginning of June, it has been a joy to get to know this vital community, through individual conversations and by working together with leadership. What a privilege it has been to listen to people’s histories with St. Patrick’s, to people’s pastoral cares, and hopes and dreams for the future.
Though you were without a rector for nearly 15 months, your vestry, with Jo Anne Nelson as Sr. Warden at the helm, led you incredibly well. Priests like Fr. Ed Thornley, The Rev. Dr. Lisa Barrowclaugh, The Rev. Amy Yount, and others, cared for the sacramental life of this place. As always, Dr. Adele Lynch continued to minister to the congregation, not only through music but from a pastoral, liturgical, and Christian education perspective as well. Together with a group of dedicated volunteers, it took a village to sustain your beloved community as it began to emerge from the COVID pandemic, to continue to gather together in worship and fellowship, to serve one another and those in need, and to grow spiritually and in number as we welcomed new families to this community. I am deeply grateful for your work and witness. What is more, I am very hopeful for our future together.
Scripture reminds us that as Christians we are all connected as members of the Body of Christ, and therefore, when one member hurts, we share the hurt; when one member rejoices, we share in rejoicing. Furthermore, when we come together, learning to trust in God and choosing to love and forgive one another, as St. Paul exclaims, God’s power “working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” (Ephesians 3:20) This year as we continue to regather as a community, my hope is that we take time to listen and share our stories, our sorrows and joys, our needs and hopes, and then learn to practice seeing God’s provision in our own lives and in the world around us. For when we do this, we will understand that following Jesus is not a lonely or exhausting venture, but one of partnership and empowerment, enabling us to be a blessing to all those whom we meet. May God bless you and may God bless this St. Patrick’s community.
Faithfully,
Andrew +
Rector’s Report: it’s not always easy to describe a typical week, or day, so here is a detailed report of what I have been engaged in at St. Patrick’s over the last 7 months…
As we emerged from the pandemic, and in the midst of a rector transition, we held strong to our commitments and activities. We started new activities, and continued to serve our long-standing mission areas.
Music for all ages thrived in our return to pre-pandemic rehearsing and sharing:
On Saturday, November 18th, 2023, The Rev. Andrew Ogletree was instituted and inducted as our next Rector by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde.
This beautiful ceremony completed a process of discussion, reflection and discernment by the congregation and search committee to determine who to call as our next rector. We were blessed to have diocesan support and guidance through the process, and engagement across the full spectrum of our parishioners.
A huge ‘thank you!’ to the Day School for providing guidance to the Search Committee based on their recent Head of School search. The collaboration between the church and school strengthened our relationship, and was an invaluable part of our search process. We are so grateful to all those who participated, most especially Jalene Spain Thomas, Mike Matthews, Fr. Ed and the Rev. Amy Yount.
The institution and induction was a joyous occasion, where our whole community, church and school, gathered to celebrate our shared ministry and Andrew’s leadership.
The Day School remains strong and healthy in its 67th year. Our programs operate within a vibrant community marked by academic excellence and innovation, creative expression, regular worship, and opportunities for service. Our community is nurtured by our Episcopal traditions of open inquiry and inclusion, affirming the infinite value of each individual as a child of God.
Enrollment for the 2023-2024 academic year is 477 students, supported by 125 passionate faculty and staff. Our student body includes 89 new students, a 29% increase in the number of students new to the Day School during the previous academic year.
It has been a good year for the chaplaincy at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School. I would like to begin by thanking Fr. Andrew Ogletree, Jalene Spain Thomas, Jo Anne Nelson, the Vestry, the Board of Trustees, and the Parish and Day School communities. I am grateful, as always, for the love, compassion, and hospitality that this community continues to share, and that I get to serve this wonderful place. My duties at the Day School broadly consist of three areas: worship, teaching, and pastoral care in wider community life. This report is thus shaped around these three themes, where I will share some key highlights from over the past year.
Following our opening prayer, we will start our meeting by voting to approve the minutes from the annual meeting on March 12, 2023. Please be sure to review the minutes in preparation for revising (if needed) and approving the minutes.
The nominees for the 2026 Vestry, to be elected at the Annual Meeting on February 4, 2024:
Officers (each serve a one year term)
Sr. Warden: Jo Anne Nelson
Jr. Warden (Church): Ellen Terpstra
Jr. Warden (School): Ellen Teplitz
Class of 2026 (ending at the Annual Meeting of 2026)
Mary Clute
JB Loveland
Diocesan Delegates
Maurice White and Charlie Johnson III (alternate)
Other Vestry Members (not up for election at this meeting):
Officers (appointed by the Vestry at the Annual Meeting)
Treasurer: JB Meek
Clerk: Susan Mulvaney
Class of 2025 (ending at the Annual Meeting of 2025)
Bob Brookhiser, Kim Griffith, Donna Murphy, and Melanie Gilbert (Day School Representative)
Monday through Friday: 10am – 3pm
