Clergy and Staff News October 2020
Synod Staff News
Elias J. (Eli) Neto has joined the Synod Staff as a part time administrative assistant. He provides administrative support primarily to the Finance Department and the Director of Finance. Eli also helps the other departments of the Synod Office in their administration and internal duties.
Current hours of work: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 12 to 5pm.
Elias was born in Brazil and has been living in Vancouver for the past 2.5 years now. His professional background is in the legal field, and he worked as a Lawyer and Legal Manager in my his country, before moving to Canada with his wife. Elias had this to say about his new role:
“I am really passionate about administration and paperwork – things that normally people would avoid. I am very excited for my new position at the Diocese of New Westminster and to help the Church to better serve the faithful!
Joselito (Lito) Manolo has joined the Synod Office staff as Intermediate Accountant. As the time required to support parishes increases, Lito will be working closely with Shailene Caparas, Director of Finance, in order to maintain the necessary work-flow of the Finance Department. His main responsibility will be updating the monthly financial reports, bank reconciliation, processing PAD/electronic fund transfers, responding to parish inquiries, assisting in the preparation of year end audits and charity returns.
Office hours are Monday-Thursday, 8:30am – 4:30pm
Lito grew up in the Philippines and worked in the accounting field in the banking and insurance industry. In 2011, he moved to Canada and continued to work in the same field. He wants everyone to know that he is pleased and excited to be serving the Diocese of New Westminster and to serve the Church.
Nii K'an Kwsdins - Jerry Adams retired on September 30 as the Missioner for Indigenous Justice after serving for 2.5 years in a position he thought would only be interim. This is Jerry's third attempt at retirement - three times lucky?
To continue the good work that has been done, Mr. Kerry Baisley, ODNW began on Tuesday October 6 as Missioner for Indigenous Justice.
Here is what Kerry had to say about his new role:
Working as the Missioner for Indigenous Justice is simultaneously a daunting task and an exciting adventure. Excitement to be building on Jerry Adams’ great work, making connections and developing relationships with Indigenous Peoples and the Church. The daunting task is how to encourage those new and developing relationships to become “streams of living justice.” Being the church is all about being in relationship with others. “When two or three are gathered together” is at the heart of my perception of ministry.
Kerry comes to this position after working over 35 years in public service in positions ranging from after hours emergency child welfare to work in the Yukon and medical social work. He retired after ten years as Director of Client Relations and Risk Management in Richmond. He is a past Board Member of the 127 Society for Housing and a member of the Métis Nation of British Columbia.
Office hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8:30am-4:30pm, for October and November and as of December 1, 2020 he will be working Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Clergy News
Following the recommendation of the Examining Chaplains, the Archbishop has made Neil Seedhouse a Postulant to the Vocational Diaconate. Neil has been active in the diocese for decades at the former St. Mark’s, Kitsilano and is currently in leadership at St. Mary Magdalene.
Lorie Martin has been made an Ordinand to the Transitional Diaconate. Lorie is the Associate Director of St. Dunstan’s Centre for Spiritual Renewal. The Centre provides a wide variety of spiritual support and practices to help folks on their Christian journey. Retreats, Conferences, study groups, practitioner groups, prayer groups, spiritual direction and more are offered at St. Dunstan's. Lorie is scheduled to be ordained deacon at 10:30am on Saturday, December 12 at Christ Church Cathedral.
The Reverend John Marsh will retire from his ministry post as Rector of St. Mary Magdalene on October 31. He began his ministry there in 2015.
The Reverend David Price will retire from his ministry post as Vicar of All Saints’, Agassiz, December 31, 2020. Rev. Price began this ministry in 2010, following his initial retirement as a prison chaplain in the Fraser Valley.
News about both of these parishes and their search for a priest-in-charge will be circulated as it becomes available.