Our Priest

In addition to their theological training (Bachelor of Theology and Masters of Pastoral Theology), Caz holds a Master of Science in Environmental Science from Stirling University in Scotland where they examined Indigenous Rights to the fishery and the sustainability of Pacific salmon, and a PhD in Environmental Studies from Brighton University in England, examining agricultural policy and the effectiveness of riparian buffer zones in UK agricultural watersheds.

Caz has recently retired from the Government of Canada after almost 25 years of public service, where they worked at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) on the enactment and implementation of the Oceans Act, Species at Risk Act, habitat management, the modernization of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, and the Pacific Integrated Fisheries Initiative. After 10 years with DFO, Caz moved to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, ensuring that nuclear in Canada is safe for the public and the environment and meets international obligations. Their last appointment there was as the Director General of the Directorate on Advanced Reactor Technologies, where they focused on readiness and change management in this innovative area.

Caz has two daughters in their twenties Molly and Tessa and a long-term partner, Heather. Caz loves the outdoors and is an avid long-distance runner, and is eager to get on the trails in our deanery! They enjoy paddling and being by the water and allowing themselves to be spiritually uplifted by God’s good creation and are hoping to share this love with members of our parish.

Caz expressed delight in joining us in what they described as the beautiful surroundings of Chelsea, Wakefield and Lascelles, on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nations. They are a strong believer in diversity, which they believe leads to richer and stronger communities and sees this diversity in our parish in terms of age, backgrounds, cultures, professional and personal lives, and
languages, not to mention the transitional vacationer populations.

After Kevin was confirmed as an Anglican, he decided that whatever he tackled in life, he would do as a Christian. God calls on each of us in unique ways, and Kevin’s interest in the Anglican priesthood developed gradually. After completing his Bachelor of Arts degree at York University, he earned a Master’s degrees in Divinity and another in Theology, and he partially completed his Doctorate in Ministry, all at the University of Toronto. 

After ordination, Kevin spent many years as priest at various churches in Toronto and as Regional Dean in the Parkdale Deanery. In 2004, he came to Ottawa to head up the Anglican Studies Program at St. Paul University. In spite of his deep roots in Toronto, Kevin says that Ottawa captured his heart, thanks to its big-city amenities and easy access to the surrounding countryside. He admits that while he never intended to become a full-time academic, his role at St. Paul seemed to suit him, and the 17 years he spent there just seemed to fly by! 

Sensing a calling to return to parish ministry, Kevin applied for and was successful in becoming the incumbent priest in the Parish of Chelsea- Lascelles-Wakefield. Settling into our parish marks a major lifestyle change for him, after some 40 years living and working in urban centres.  Arriving in the late autumn of 2021, he was fully prepared to negotiate the winter roads of the Gatineau Hills. Always an avid biker and walker, Kevin added an all-wheel drive vehicle, complete with snow tires, to his transportation options – and he’ll need it! 

With his strong academic background, it’s not surprising that Kevin is an avid reader. In fact, he loves books. As he puts it, “They are like friends.” When he moved from Toronto to Ottawa, he undertook the biggest-ever purge of his books. But it wasn’t too long before new books started piling up in his Ottawa apartment! Now that he’s had to move again, this time to Wakefield, he undertook yet another purge of his beloved books.

Kevin’s reading tastes vary widely. For example, he enjoys historical non-fiction, such as “The Diary of Samuel Pepys,” a major work of English literature dating from the mid-1600s. He is also a fan of American humorist, author and broadcaster David Sedaris. As escape reading, Kevin loves a good crime novel, including the works of best-selling American author James Lee Burke, famous for his Dave Robicheaux series of more than 20 books.

A dedicated, long-time practitioner of yoga, Kevin is part of a group known as “Christians Practicing Yoga.” He says that if it weren’t for yoga, he would likely be just “…a brain on a stick.” Through yoga, Kevin feels a kind of spiritual, meditative engagement, and he finds that the postural practice of yoga really feeds his spirituality. 

Describing the rest of his life in just a few words, Kevin hopes it to be: intentional; engaged; compassionate; faithful; and true. And when it comes to his role as a parish priest, following the Anglican liturgy and leading others in worship, Kevin asks himself this question, from Ezekiel 37:3: “Can these dry bones live?” His response: 

Whatever the circumstances, whether in a vast cathedral or a tiny church, you can have a liturgy that lives.

After many years at home raising her children, Cathy wanted to return to the paid workforce. She thought she would work in the church, perhaps as an administrator. But to her surprise, she sensed a strong call to ordination! In 2006, then Bishop Peter Coffin ordained Cathy at Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa. In 2006, Cathy was appointed to serve as priest at Trinity Church in Cornwall, Ontario. In 2008, she served at St. Mary the Virgin in the Ottawa suburb of Blackburn Hamlet. And in 2009, she served in the Parish of Petawawa in eastern Ontario, as priest at the churches of St. Georges Alice and All Saints Petawawa.

In 2018, Cathy retired from the ministry. Within a year, then Bishop John Chapman asked her to serve the congregation of St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church in Chelsea, on an interim, part-time basis. Cathy notes she is still learning life lessons every day. And by the way, her favourite colour is blue!