Dear Epiphany,
The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways, and by her hand, I am pleased to announce that the Rev. Kate Wesch will be returning to Epiphany as Parochial Vicar! She starts August 1, and her first Sunday is August 4. MARK YOUR CALENDARS… WE ARE HAVING A PARTY!
When Kate arrived in 2009, as some of you may recall, she was an accelerant to the new energy released at Epiphany after my arrival. Under her guiding hand ministries thrived. After nine years at Epiphany, she continued her parish ministry work with energy and vision at St. John the Baptist, West Seattle and then to St. John’s, Essex, CT. In these intervening years Kate and I have remained close colleagues.
What I’ve witnessed is not only her skill in growing parishes but the broad experience she has culled in the wider church; from her leadership as Chairperson of Forward Movement to her nitty-gritty governance on national church committees. What I believe these experiences point towards, as she returns to Epiphany, is insight into what must happen if our brand of Christianity is to thrive.
Kate’s areas of oversight will include all nursery, children, youth, and family ministries; arts ministry (including The Saint John’s Bible); and the development, nurturing, and maintenance of small groups, including the Women’s Retreat Group/WRG, Men’s Breakfast Group/MBG, and Cross-Table communities. She will also be an active preacher, teacher, liturgical leader, provider of pastoral care, and development leader and teacher on the RELATA team.
Her title, Parochial Vicar, well represents her gained wisdom and experience. A Parochial Vicar is a priest who works closely with the pastor of a parish, supporting the rector in the spiritual and pastoral care of the community, and in implementing the vision through teaching, preaching, and program development. Together they collaborate in various ministries and services within the parish to ensure the smooth functioning of the parish and its spiritual well-being.
The impetus for Kate’s returning to Seattle is her husband Joel’s returning to the Seattle Fire Department, where he had served for nine years prior to their move to Connecticut. Seattle needs great firefighters, and it is good for everyone to have Joel back on the force. Their two sons are also looking forward to returning home to Seattle. One will be entering University Prep as a Freshman, and the other is enrolled at Lake and Park for his 5th grade year. Many of you may remember Kate’s mom, Carey Emig, as well. She too will be returning with the Wesch family to Seattle… which is an additional blessing to our Epiphany family!
For those of you who know Kate, you know that she is an excellent priest. For those of you who have yet to meet her, I think you will quickly see why I am so excited to have her back at Epiphany. God is doing a new thing, once again, at Epiphany, and Kate, once again, is the standard bearer of the Holy Spirit in our midst.
If you’d like to reach out to Kate to express your joy at having her back I encourage you to write her a note, old school. Her email box is going to be stuffed with all the necessities around leaving her beloved St. John’s, Essex, as well as the coordinating efforts of a cross country move.
Please keep Kate and her family in your prayers. They have a lot to manage between now and August 1.
Peace upon your souls.
Yours in Christ,
Doyt+