Clergy and Staff

Clergy

The Rev Michele Morgan, Rector

Michele is an Aboriginal Canadian and the seventh of nine children, and was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where she learned her love of hockey and baseball. After growing up in a family that moved frequently, she moved to Minnesota to attend the College of St. Catherine.

Following a long stint in retail management, she went to the General Seminary of the Episcopal Church in NYC. Arriving in New York in late August 2001, her call to serve the people of God was formed by many things, most notably the terrorist attacks of September 11th. Michele served successfully in several churches in Minnesota, as a transitional rector helping congregations choose and live into new leadership. The work of parish ministry speaks to Michele’s soul, and she loves to connect people and help those within the parish and those without, living into creating a more profound sense of community by doing justice work for all people.

Michele lives with her wife, Michelle Dibblee, in Northeast DC.  Michele is an avid bike commuter and rides the 13-mile loop from her house to her office, where she loves to get home for dinner her occasionally late evenings, her deep happiness is to ride her bike while listening to her beloved Minnesota Twins as she dodges traffic, getting home in time to see a final couple of innings.

The Rev. Caitlin Frazier, Assistant Rector

The Rev. Caitlin Frazier is a native of Norman, Oklahoma. There she grew up in St. John’s Episcopal Church, serving as an acolyte and youth leader, and attending retreats and summer camp at St. Crispin’s Conference Center. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Oklahoma, majoring in Religious Studies and minoring in Political Science, History, and Nonprofit Management.

After college she joined the Episcopal Service Corps in Los Angeles, where she worked in HIV prevention and outreach to homeless youth. Following that program, she worked for a decade in the fields of politics and journalism, including on political campaigns, for elected officials on Capitol Hill, at the Center for American Progress, and finally at The Atlantic magazine. During that time she was an active member of St. Mark’s Capitol Hill.

In 2017, Caitlin began to pursue a long-deferred call to priesthood. To earn a Master of Divinity,  she attended Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas for two years and finished her final year and graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. Caitlin was ordained a transitional deacon and then a priest in 2024, and was called back to St. Mark’s to serve as the assistant rector.

Her ministry passions are preaching and pastoral care with those who have experienced grief or trauma. She loves sewing quilts and reading many genres of books including literary fiction, memoir, and romance. She lives on Capitol Hill with her hound dog, Lincoln.

The Rev. Patricia Catalano, Liturgy and Pastoral Associate

The Rev. Patricia Catalano was born and raised in Colombia and has lived almost half of her life in the United States. In the U.S., she first lived in California, where she taught simultaneous translation in Monterey. This is where she became an Episcopalian and was later ordained to the priesthood. As a priest, she served in Menlo Park, Carmel, and Marina, California. She moved to Washington, D.C., in 2008.

Patricia has been actively working as a simultaneous interpreter since moving to DC but has had a renewed calling to serve as a priest at St. Mark’s, where she leadx a Centering Prayer group.

Patricia lives on Capitol Hill with her daughter and two grandsons.

The Rev. Thom Sinclair, Deacon

Deacon Thom joined St. Mark’s after his ordination at the Washington National Cathedral on November 12, 2022. His focus is on outreach and supporting parishioners as they find their own ministries to be prophetic voices in the world. Thom has been in Washington for more than 20 years working in international development with USAID and the World Bank.

Thom is a lifelong Episcopalian. His father was an Episcopal priest, and his mother was licensed to preach in the American Baptist Church in the 1950s. Thom and his husband, Jim Kreger, live in Southwest DC.

Lydia Arnts, Seminarian

My name is Lydia Arnts, and I am excited to be joining St. Mark’s as a seminarian this year. I am from the Diocese of Rochester, NY, where my home parish is St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church in Bath, NY. I am currently a student at Virginia Theological Seminary, where I am pursuing my
Master of Divinity degree. Before seminary, I attended Ithaca College and studied Voice Performance. Outside of my studies I enjoy spending time outside, yoga, cooking, and reading. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and look forward to getting to know this community.

Staff

Jeff Kempskie, Director of Music

Jeff Kempskie has served St. Mark’s as Director of Music and organist since the fall of 2010. He directs the Chancel Choir, oversees the Boys & Girls Choir and Teen Choir, and manages all other aspects of the music program. In addition to his responsibilities at St. Mark’s, Jeff accompanies the University Singers at George Washington University, is a regular substitute countertenor at the Washington National Cathedral, sings with the Cantate Chamber Singers, and maintains a small piano studio.

Prior to moving to Washington, D.C., Jeff taught choral music at the Eaglebrook School and Quabbin Regional Middle/High School while serving as organist or director of music at a variety of churches of different denominations—Unitarian Universalist, Catholic, Episcopal, and Presbyterian—in Massachusetts and New York.  He has been piano and organ accompanist for choirs at the Eastman School of Music, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In addition, Jeff has music-directed or played keyboard for nearly 60 musical theater productions.

He received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, studying conducting with Dr. E. Wayne Abercrombie. Jeff also earned a Master’s degree in Organ Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Dr. William Porter. Other significant teachers include Larry Schipull on organ and Kevin McGinty on piano.

Caleb Nelson Amaker, Director of Youth & Family Ministries

Caleb’s main responsibilities include recruiting, convening, supervising, and contributing to teams of parishioners who plan and execute youth activities, events, outreach, and Sunday School classes; serving as St. Mark’s liaison to youth leaders in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington; completing administrative duties such as maintaining youth budget accounts, maintaining an online calendar of family and youth events, and tracking which parishioners and staff have completed diocesan sexual abuse prevention training.

Annick Milde, Parish Financial Administrator

Annick joined St. Mark’s as the Parish Financial Administrator in January 2022. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, she moved to Washington, DC, in 1986 to work for the World Bank. Before coming to St. Mark’s, Annick served as the Finance and Administration Coordinator at an Episcopal church. In her free time, she enjoys music and cooking.

Annick keeps the Realm database up-to-date and tracks donations, pledges, and expense reimbursements. Contact her for help with making a pledge or a donation or for help navigating the church’s finance system.

Samantha White, Parish Administrator for Building and Facilities

Samantha is a DC area native, growing up in Rockville, Maryland, and moving to DC to do nonprofit work and volunteer with various local LGBTQ+ groups. Before coming to St. Mark’s, she was a management consultant for two years. She is very excited to be part of the staff and looks forward to meeting and collaborating with parishioners and volunteers. She enjoys cross stitch, baking, and spending time with her two cats in her free time.

As Parish Administrator, Samantha handles space use contracts and reservations, keeps the parish calendar updated, prints the weekly bulletins and announcements, and manages office-related accounts payable and office equipment.

Katherine Parr Philipson, Bulletin Coordinator

Katherine grew up in Oregon and has lived in D.C. for seven years. She has worked as an advocate and organizer for peace, economic and racial equity, and climate stability. When not at St. Mark’s, Katherine manages a house for the Church of the Brethren Volunteer Corps, sings in a social justice a cappella choir, and seeks to become more healthy and aligned with divine purpose.

Deborah Cunningham, Nursery Coordinator

The youngest of children may be placed in the loving and attentive care of Deborah Cunningham during worship services on Sunday mornings and one-Sunday-month during the 5 p.m. service. Deborah has been providing Nursery Care at St. Mark’s for many years and is a valued and valuable member of the team!