Ordained a deacon in May 1999 and priested in January 2000, Rev. Maria has been in ordained
ministry for more than 25 years. She has ministered among the people of God of all ages in a
variety of settings: assistant curate at St. Luke’s, Burlington; school chaplain at St. Mildred’s-
Lightbourn School, Oakville and honourary assistant at St. Elizabeth’s, Burlington. Prior to
coming to St. Thomas, she served at St. Peter’s, Erindale in Mississauga for seven years as the
Associate Priest and Chaplain to Seniors.
Maria has a passion for labyrinths, guiding students to create a portable labyrinth while school
chaplain, and building a garden labyrinth in her backyard in Burlington in the autumn prior to
the pandemic. Maria found it truly a Godsend during those years, particularly during
lockdowns. She is encouraged by the number of places she has already found labyrinths in the
Ottawa Diocese, including at our Cathedral. She also enjoys leading and participating in outdoor
liturgies, and creating sacred spaces for worship, even if only temporarily, in places that are
usually used for other purposes (e.g. school gymnasiums, cafeterias, and activity rooms in LTC
Homes).
Maria was married to Bruce for four and a half years, and widowed January 6, 2001 as the
result of a car accident. With the help of extended family members and a wonderful community
surrounding her, she raised their two daughters, Angelique and Gwendolyn. They are now
adults of whom she is very proud. They did not accompany her to Ottawa, but her cat, Marco,
did. She is grateful to have her parents and two siblings and their families living in the Ottawa
area.
Having had perennial butterfly gardens for many years, she has been slowly trying her hand at
vegetable gardening and looks forward to having a plot in St. Thomas’ Community Garden.
Maria loves to hike and take photographs. Photography is her current form of artistic
expression, and has been for several decades, but she has dabbled in drawing and watercolour
painting in the past. Pre-pandemic she also did indoor rock climbing and hopes to get back to
that one day.
She is excited to begin her appointment here at St. Thomas the Apostle and is looking forward
to what we can do together for the Divine Community of God.
