Who's Who

• The Clergy
• Honorary Clergy
• The Music Office
• Parish Office Staff
• The Vestry

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The Clergy

The Reverend Canon Carl F. Turner, B.A., M.Th.

Rector

The Reverend Canon Carl F. Turner became XIII Rector of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, New York in July 2014.  During that time, the parish has undertaken a major strategic plan, engaged in organizational change, is currently engaged in a major capital campaign, and one of the finest new organs in the USA was completed during his tenure.  With its world-famous choir of men and boys, the Saint Thomas Choir School is one of only three left in the world where the choristers make up the whole student boy and live on site, the other being Westminster Abbey. In October, 2023, the Parish celebrated its bicentennial as one of the finest Gothic Churches in North America, and an oasis of prayer in the middle of Manhattan open every day of the year.

Canon Turner is Chaplain to the St. George’s Society of New York, the second-oldest charitable organization in New York; the church has close ties with the British Consulate and several Missions to the United Nations. The Church has a memorial to British and Commonwealth who lost their lives during the 9/11 terrorist attacks which has words inscribed from Queen Elizabeth II – “Grief is the price we pay for love.” The Church hosted celebrations for the Centennial of the twinning of York and New York in May, 2024, attended by the Governor and past Governors of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of York.  During the visit, Canon Turner was made a member of the Company by invitation and made his oath the following year at the 2024 Venison Feast at which he gave the after-dinner speech that year.

Carl is a Commander Brother of the Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem.  He has worked closely with the affiliated Order of Malta, and encouraged ecumenical cooperation in areas of social concern, including a project between St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, and Saint Thomas to provide two full-time social workers and a chaplain whose clients are homeless on the streets in that part of Midtown Manhattan.  The Order of Malta conferred on him their order of merit Cross of the Order “pro piis meritis” pro Merito Melitensi.  Since its creation in 1920, he is one of only two non-Roman Catholic clergy to receive it.  In April, 2026 he was promoted to Grand Cross of the Order. Carl is Co-Chair of the Regional Committee for New York for the Order of St. John, and is currently a member of the Chapter of the American Priory.  He is also chair of the Board of the Friends of Canterbury Cathedral in the US. He regularly preaches or gives talks or lectures in churches and colleges, and preaches every year at HM Chapel Royal, Westminster Abbey, Cnaterbury Cathedral, and York Minster among others.

Before coming to Saint Thomas, Carl was Canon Precentor of Exeter Cathedral for thirteen happy years with its 850-year-old Choir School. He is a former member of the Church of England’s General Synod, the Liturgical Commission, and was a Director of the Association of English Cathedrals. Prior to his time in Exeter, Canon Turner served two curacies in Essex at Leigh-on-Sea and Brentwood. He then became Rector of the Parish of the Divine Compassion, a large urban parish in the East End of London where the Franciscan Religious life had been restored in 1894.

Carl was born in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire in 1960. By happy coincidence, this was also the hometown of the XI Rector of Saint Thomas Church, Father John Andrew who was instrumental in the resurgence of the Order of St. John in the USA.  Fr. Turner studied first at St. Chad’s College in the University of Durham, where he was mentored by Michael Ramsey, retired 100^th Archbishop of Canterbury, and his postgraduate study was at Oxford University. Carl married his wife, The Rev. Dr. Alison Turner, in 1990. Alison is a life-long educator and a priest and, until Easter 2015 she was Headmistress of Exeter Junior School, a leading independent preparatory school in the Southwest of England and moved to the USA with Carl. Alison now works for Saint Thomas Church as Dean of the Saint Thomas Choir School; her doctoral research was in the safeguarding of children – policy and practice. Carl and Alison have three adopted children and three grandchildren.

Contact Fr Turner

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The Reverend Matthew Moretz

Vicar and Chief Operating Officer (COO)

A native of Augusta, Georgia, Father Moretz was baptized at the Church of the Good Shepherd and attended the Episcopal Day School, a ministry of that parish. While pursuing his studies at Davidson College, Father Moretz discerned a call to the priesthood. After college, his first job was in lay ministry where he served as Director of Youth Formation at Christ Church, Frederica in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia (where Charles Wesley once served). He then received his Masters of Divinity at the General Theological Seminary in New York City and was ordained a priest by the Right Reverend Henry Louttit of the Diocese of Georgia in 2006.

For his first years of ordained ministry, Father Moretz served in Yonkers, New York for multiple parishes there: St. Paul’s and La Iglesia Memorial de San Andres. He was then called to be Curate of Christ’s Church in Rye, New York. In that time, Father Moretz began a light-hearted online video series introducing the life and teaching of the Episcopal Church called “Father Matthew Presents.”
In 2012, Father Moretz returned to New York City to become Associate Rector for Christian Formation at St. Bartholomew’s Church. In 2018, he joined the team of clergy at St. Thomas Church. He was appointed Vicar and Chief Operating Officer in 2021.

He is married to Megan Brandt-Meyer, who works for the financial services company, TP ICAP. They are the loving parents of two sons, Samuel and Gabriel.

Contact Fr Moretz

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The Reverend Dr. Alison Joan Turner

Dean of the Choir School

The Rev. Alison Turner became Associate for Children & Family Ministry at Saint Thomas Church in 2018. A life-long educator, her role within the clergy team includes liturgical responsibilities of a parish priest, specific responsibilities for pastoral care of young people and families, hospitality and outreach. She oversees the organization and management of new and creative ministries for the children and young people of our parish, including Catechesis, 9am Mass ministries, and Sunday School and Nursery. After serving as Acting School Chaplain during the pandemic, she was formally commissioned as Choir School Chaplain in 2021, a role she holds concurrent with her parish duties. She chairs the Safeguarding Monitoring Committee of the Vestry at Saint Thomas, which serves both our church and school. Within the Diocese, Mother Turner serves as Dean of the Midtown Manhattan Clericus.

Mother Turner was born in southeast England and has always been immersed in parish life, as both a teacher and priest, with a special focus on education and catechesis, liturgy, and music.

A graduate of St Mary’s University College, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham (University of Surrey) from where she went to teach in Roman Catholic and Anglican multicultural schools in East London, while working towards an MA in Theology and Adult Education (University of Surrey) in preparation for her ordination. Her ministerial training was based in Cambridge.

Her first Head of School position was in a rural setting (age 4-11) in Devon (in the southwest of England) in 2001. In 2006, she became Headmistress of Exeter Junior School, a large independent city school (age 7-18) founded in 1633, and one of the leading co-Ed independent schools in the southwest of England.

Mother Turner was ordained priest in the Diocese of Chelmsford, at Michaelmas 1998 where, in her early parish ministry, she developed an interest in redevelopment projects and collaborations between church and schools. Her most recent ministerial position in the UK was as Priest Vicar in Exeter Cathedral, where she held various liturgical roles as well as oversight of the nurture and catechesis of children and young people at local and Diocesan level, alongside her full/time role as a Head of School. She served as a member of the Diocesan Board of an Education.

In 2015, she joined her husband, Fr. Turner, and Bertie their Cairn terrier, in New York. She became part of Saint Thomas life and assisted local parishes with services while studying at the General Theological Seminary.

In 2018 and 2019 Turner graduated with a Masters in Sacred Theology and Certificate in Spiritual Direction from the General Theological Seminary in New York City. The focus of her thesis was Children’s ministry in the Episcopal Church. She is now completing a part time D.Min.

Alison is a member of the St. George’s Society, New York, the oldest charity in the city and serves on the benefit committee that works with social workers looking after vulnerable seniors. She is also a very active member of the Order of St. John, and with her husband, has close relationships with the Order of Malta and enjoys fostering ever-deepening relationships between the Roman Catholic and Episcopal Dioceses in New York. She has three grown-up adopted children, and is now a proud grandmother of three.

Contact Mother Turner

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The Reverend Mark Daniel Schultz

Associate for Pastoral Care

Father Schultz discerned his call to the priesthood at Saint Ignatius of Antioch on New York’s Upper West Side. He studied at Berkeley Divinity School and the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale, and he was ordained to the priesthood in 2017 by Bishop Andrew M.L. Dietsche.

While at seminary, Father Schultz was an intern at Saint Luke’s in New Haven, focusing on making pastoral care visits, leading Bible study, and providing seasonal formation opportunities during a time of transition in parish leadership.

Father Schultz comes to Saint Thomas Church from Saint Philip’s in the Hills in Tucson, Arizona, where he served as Curate for Children, Youth, and Family Ministries. In addition to having the oversight of the pastoral care, formation, and liturgical life of the parish’s children and families, leading an international youth pilgrimage and organizing various retreats, Fr. Schultz provided liturgical leadership, studies and classes, pastoral care and spiritual direction for parishioners and members of the wider community as well. He is an enthusiastic proponent of what’s been called the English School of Catholic Spirituality and has an abiding interest in Christian mysticism.

Still an active playwright, Father Schultz is a resident of New Dramatists (class of 2022). His work, which has been produced domestically and internationally, has won him both the Kesselring and Newsday Oppenheimer prizes. He has an MFA in playwriting from Columbia University.

Father Schultz’ husband, Erich, is a Lutheran and a printmaker. A mildly sentimental Arsenal F.C. supporter, Father Schultz is also a pianist and passably proficient at the musical saw. He is a member of the Society of Catholic Priests.

Contact Father Schultz

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The Reverend Dr. Luigi Gioia

Theologian in Residence

Before coming to Saint Thomas Church in November of 2022, the Revd Dr. Luigi Gioia was Associate Priest and Director of Formation at St Paul’s Knightsbridge, London, and a Research Associate at the Von Hügel Institute at the University of Cambridge (UK). He was a Benedictine monk for 25 years and did his doctoral studies at the University of Oxford. He taught theology for almost 20 years in France and at the Pontifical University of St Anselm in Rome. He discovered the beauty of the liturgical and theological traditions of the Anglican Church during his time in Oxford and eventually became an Anglican a few years later.

Luigi is a writer in theology and spirituality. He gives talks, preaches retreats, leads workshops, and teaches courses as an invited lecturer in universities, theological colleges, and parishes all over the world. He is fluent in English, French and Italian. His books have been translated in five languages. His spiritual meditations have been published by The Tablet, Crux, The America Magazine, The Church Times and broadcast by the BBC.

Besides his academic work on St Augustine, Luigi has written several wide-audience books on spirituality. His book Say It To God. In Search Of Prayer was chosen as the Archbishop of Canterbury Lent Book for 2018.

His latest book, The Wisdom of St Benedict. Monastic Spirituality and the Life of the Church received the First Place in the category of Spirituality Award by the CMA (Catholic Media Association, USA) in 2021.

Luigi is from Matera, in the South of Italy, and has worked in Italy, France, England, and the United States. He is married to Claudio, also Italian from Naples, who works in Digital Marketing. In recent years Luigi has discovered a love for gardening and Claudio, who lived for years in Spain between the Canary Islands and Madrid, loves beach volleyball and goes crazy for sushi (both eating it and making it). Luigi and Claudio share a passion for the Amalfi coast, movies and, of course, ice creams.

Contact Fr. Gioia

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The Reverend Juyoung Prisca Lee-Pae

Associate Priest for Pan-Asian Ministry

Mother Lee-Pae was born and raised in a faithful Anglican family in Korea. Her Christian identity has been deeply shaped by her family history: her great-grandfather was among the first generation of priests in the Anglican Church of Korea and died in North Korea during the Korean War because of his faith in Christ.

She earned a Master of Theology from Ewha Woman’s University and served as a diocesan staff member in Seoul, working in faith formation with children, youth, and lay leaders. As a young adult, she participated in numerous Anglican and ecumenical conferences, which broadened her theological perspective and appreciation for diverse Christian traditions.

Her spiritual formation was further enriched through time spent in various faith communities, including a Quaker study center and Anglican convents in England, the Taizé Community in France, and L’Abri in the Netherlands. Encounters with North Korean refugees in China and indigenous African communities in Kenya were also formative experiences in her ministry.

While volunteering in urban slums in Korea, Mother Lee-Pae met Anglican priests whose lifelong dedication to the poor inspired her own vocation. She later worked at the Sharing House in Seoul, serving migrant workers, and regularly visited a mosque to build relationships with Muslim migrants who were often overlooked by other Christian organizations. She also served as an administrator at the Graduate School of Theology at Ewha Woman’s University and worked with the Church Mission Society of the UK in Seoul before moving to the United States.

Mother Lee-Pae completed her theological studies at Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. She is married to the Canon Reverend Joseph Pae, an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Long Island, and is the mother of two children, Ethan and Evelyn.

Contact Mother Lee-Pae

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The Rev. Preston Gonzalez-Grissom

Associate Priest for Children and Family Ministry

Fr. Preston, originally from Chesapeake, Virginia, has spent the past few years serving as a Hospital Chaplain, following his graduation from Princeton Theological Seminary. Prior to his seminary studies, he pursued his passion for justice in roles such as Housing Coordinator for For Kids Inc., where he facilitated stable living conditions for unhoused families, and Director of Operations for Faith for Justice, a nonprofit in St. Louis that provided consulting services to churches, universities, and other organizations on matters of anti-racism and racial equity. Father Preston is deeply committed to spiritual formation and has served as Assistant Youth Director and Spiritual Formation Fellow at a Charlottesville parish, as well as serving as Spiritual Formation Research Assistant at Princeton Seminary and Trinity Episcopal Church, where he was a Graduate Student Minister to Princeton University Ph. D students.

Contact Fr. Gonzalez-Grissom

Honorary Clergy

The Reverend Andrew C. Mead, OBE, DD, Rector Emeritus
Right Reverend Andrew R. St. John, DD, Bishop in Residence
The Reverend Mark Brown, Honorary Assistant
The Reverend Canon Victor Conrado, Honorary Assistant
The Reverend Canon Anne Mallonee, Honorary Assistant
The Reverend David F. Mc Neeley, Honorary Assistant
The Reverend Stephen Morris, Honorary Assistant
The Reverend Thomas F. Pike, Honorary Assistant

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Music Office Staff

Richard Tanner

The Nancy B. and John B. Hoffmann Organist and Director of Music

Richard Tanner is an organist and choral director who has specialised in the training of boy and girl chorister voices for over thirty years.

He is The Nancy B. and John B. Hoffmann Organist and Director of Music at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, New York City, where he leads the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, which is the leading ensemble of its kind in the United States.

As music director, organist and producer, Richard has made over fifty recordings and has worked extensively for the BBC. For twenty years he was a regular musical director and organist for BBC Radio 4’s Daily Service, and he has also directed and played for several high-profile broadcasts from London’s St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Orchestras that he has conducted include the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the period instrument ensemble, Canzona, and The Bliss Sinfonia, which he founded. Recordings as a conductor, both with the Northern Chamber Orchestra, include Requiem and Organ Concerto by David Briggs and The Manchester Carols by Carol Ann Duffy and Sasha Johnson Manning. His organ recordings are available on Spotify, including Messiaen’s La Nativité du Seigneur. He has given masterclasses in Shanghai and Shenzhen, and has directed choral courses in Sweden and for RSCM America.

Richard was a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral, student at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and organ scholar at Exeter College Oxford, where he read for a degree in Music at Oxford University. He has held posts at St Albans Cathedral, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Royal Naval College Chapel Greenwich, All Saints’ Northampton and Blackburn Cathedral, where he was Director of Music for 13 years.

Immediately prior to his appointment in New York, Richard Tanner was Director of Music at Rugby School, one of the oldest and most prestigious co-educational boarding schools in Britain. There he was responsible for a large team of professional musicians and students with broad specialisms and musical interests. Under his leadership, the choir performed at Carnegie Hall in 2017 and at the opening ceremony of the 2015 Rugby World Cup at Twickenham stadium. The choir regularly appeared on BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong, and its singers won the BBC Young Chorister of the Year competition in 2017 and 2022. In 2021, Richard founded the Rugby Choristers at Bilton Grange, the UK’s newest choral foundation in the Anglican choral tradition, with separate choirs of boy and girl choristers singing six Choral Evensongs each week during term time alongside professional adult singers.

A Fellow of the Royal College of Organists since 1997, Richard was elected to its Trustee Council in 2025 and, in the same year, became a Trustee of the Rodolfus Choral Foundation. He is married to the soprano, Philippa Hyde (www.philippahydesoprano.com).

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Jeremiah Stephenson

Associate Organist elect

Hailed as “an outstanding player, who combines immaculate technique with remarkable musicianship” (Organists’ Review) Jeremiah’s recent performances have been described by concert organisers as “played with verve, astonishing accuracy and brilliant virtuosity” (Selby Abbey celebrity series) “virtuosic playing matched with effortless humour and charm” (St James International Organ Festival, Sydney) and creating “real warmth of feeling ..due to his easy, enthusiastic and cheerful nature” (Beaminster Festival). Jeremiah was recently made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM)  in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of organ performance and pedagogy.

Jeremiah’s playing has been broadcast on television and radio in the UK, France and the Czech Republic, where in 2016 he won first prize in the Petr Eben International Organ Competition. This year he will move to New York to take up the role of Associate Organist at St Thomas Fifth Avenue, where he will be the principal organist for services, concerts and broadcasts with the world famous choir of men and boys. This follows nine years as Associate Director of Music at All Saints Margaret Street, maintaining and developing its strong Anglo-Catholic musical tradition.

Jeremiah’s passion for bringing new audiences to the organ is evidenced in the innovative work he does at St Paul’s Cathedral, devising events and workshops designed to introduce children to the organ. Over the past three years he has expanded this programme to include both secondary and primary schools as well as “inspiration days” for aspiring players.

Jeremiah recently completed the Certificate Programme in Injury Preventative Keyboard Technique at Salem College, studying piano literature and pedagogy with Barbara Lister-Sink, and incorporates this particular interest in the biomechanical fundamentals of technique into his performing and teaching practice. Before this he read Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, graduated from the MMus programme at the Royal Academy of Music with Distinction  and completed further study at Toulouse Conservatoire supported by the Nicholas Danby Trust. He is increasingly in demand for coaching competition and exam entrants and teaching wider performance and career related skills.

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Jackson Merrill

Associate for Musical Studies and Assistant Organist

Since 2021 Jackson has been the Assistant Director of Music and Organist of Christ Church Grosse Pointe, where his responsibilities included organ accompaniment and performance, chorister recruitment and training, and assisting in the day-to day running of the choir and music events.

Jackson studied the organ with James Kibbie and Todd Wilson at the University of Michigan where he was awarded the Marilyn Mason Scholarship, the Patricia Barret Ludlow Memorial Scholarship in Organ, and the Chris Schroeder Graduate Fellowship. Jackson was honored by The Diapason as a member of their “20 under 30 Class of 2021” which “recognizes young talents in the fields of organ and harpsichord performance, organ and harpsichord building, carillon, and church music.” He currently serves as Sub-Dean of the Detroit Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Prior to Christ Church, Jackson was Organist and Director of Music Ministries at Trinity Church in Hartford, Connecticut, and Organ Scholar at Saint John’s Church, Detroit.

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Bethany Dame

The 2025-2027 Organ Scholar

Ms. Dame served as Organ Scholar at the Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore and recently earned her Master’s degree in Organ Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. She holds dual undergraduate degrees—a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance—from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where she also pursued studies in piano, percussion, and physics.

In Baltimore, she studied accompaniment under Bert Landman and repertoire under Dr. Daniel Aune.

A native of Kentwood, Michigan, Bethany credits her well-honed coordination skills to her background as a competitive fencer.

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Margaret Streeter

Music Office Manager

An active choral singer and life long supporter of the musical life at Saint Thomas, Margaret Streeter joined Saint Thomas staff in December 2025. Before assuming the position of Music Office Manager, Margaret spent several years directing all social media content and strategy for Trinity Church Wall Street. Prior to Trinity, she spent 5 years producing public events and original research for the public-policy  think tank, New America.

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Margaret grew up steeped in the Anglican tradition and began studying piano and singing professionally as a treble at age 8. During her youth she participated in 11 RSCM church music workshops (including here at Saint Thomas) and has appeared as a soloist with the Louisville Orchestra, the Bach Society, and the Louisville Youth Orchestra.

For over a decade, Margaret has been a member of the award-winning ensemble GHOSTLIGHT Chorus, and appears regularly as a soprano section leader in churches around NYC, including as a member of the Saint Thomas Consort.

A former child-actor, by the age of 10 she had shared the stage with Peter Dinklage, Simon Jones, Kristen Chenoweth, and Stephanie Zimbalist.

Her freelance photography and video projects have been published by the New York Foundation, The Brooklyn Rail, Mignoni Gallery, the Detroit Free Press, and Galerie nächst St. Stephan Rosemarie Schwarzwälder.

She holds a BA degree in History from the University of Louisville.

In her free time she can be found visiting art museums and historic gardens with her toddler, Lyon, and husband, Gideon.

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John Ramseyer

Concert Series Manager

John Ramseyer, tenor, is a New York City-based performer of operatic, concert, and early music. Well-versed in operatic repertoire spanning the eras, Mr. Ramseyer has performed leading roles with The Bronx Opera Company, Apotheosis Opera, Resonanz Opera, Christman Opera Company, LoftOpera, Mannes Opera, and many others. As a concert soloist, John has collaborated with many of New York’s finest ensembles, including the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the American Classical Orchestra, and Camerata New York.

This season, Ramseyer has performed with Musica Sacra, collaborated with the UK choir Vasari Singers, and sang in the extra chorus of the Metropolitan Opera’s productions of Boris Godunov, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, as well as their concerts of Verdi’s Requiem and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. In previous seasons, Mr. Ramseyer has performed as a soloist with many of New York’s great local choral societies, such as St. George’s Choral Society, the Astoria Choir, and the Forest Hills Choir.

He feels privileged to perform his dual role as Gentlemen of the Choir and Concert Series Manager at Saint Thomas Church.

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Mike Williams

Music Librarian Associate

Tenor Mike Williams has made himself known as an in demand church musician and choral singer in the greater New York and Philadelphia areas. He recently made his debut as the Evangelist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Illinois Bach Academy under the direction of Dr. Andrew Megill. A graduate of Westminster Choir College, he has performed a wide range of concert works including Haydn’s “Die Jahreszeiten” (Choir) with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Bach’s “Johannes passion” (solo) with the Illinois Bach Festival and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9” (solo), with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra as well as Bernstein’s Candide (choir) where he shared the stage with narrators Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan. He has performed under the baton of Yannick Nezet Seguin, Christian Macelaru, Dame Jane Glover, Nathalie Stutzmann, and Sir Simon Rattle.

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Angelo Sylvester

Director of Musical Outreach and Chorister Recruitment

Angelo Sylvester currently serves as the founding Artistic Director of SingOUT Cincy. Angelo has built a career as a teacher and administrator of choral ensembles. He has been a member of the faculty of Indian Hill High School, St. Xavier High School, La Salle High School, and served as Associated Conductor for the Cincinnati Boychoir.

Having spent the majority of his career working with all-male ensembles, Angelo has a special interest in gender dynamics and inclusivity in the rehearsal space. He continues engagements as a teacher and freelance performer in both voice and tuba. Angelo holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Tuba Performance from Ohio University, and Masters in Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky.

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Church & Parish House Staff

James Harris

Head Virger

Born in the post-industrial West Midlands of England, James was brought up in an Anglo-Catholic parish on a large council estate. There, he found his two longest standing loves – church music and ecclesiastical architecture – at his local Cathedral in Lichfield in Staffordshire, which was where he also discovered his vocation as a Virger. A lifetime in cathedrals followed: Lichfield, Portsmouth, Winchester, St. Paul’s in London, and then Head Virger of St. David’s Cathedral in Wales. Since 2018, he has served at HM Chapel Royal Hampton Court Palace as Clerk of the Chapel and as Groom of the Vestry of the Chapels’ Royal.

James’ partner, who works in the charity sector, will remain mostly in the UK with their elderly dog Dylan. James enjoys collecting antiques, travel, exploring everything historical, food (everything except avocado and trifle!) and a great many books.

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Bruce Smith

Chief Advancement Officer

Bruce Smith has been a professional fundraiser for over twenty years, having led the development function at four organizations: The General Theological Seminary in New York City, Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, MA, and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT.

He earned his A.B. with Honors from University College, Cork, Ireland in English and History and subsequently received an MFA in Theater from the University of California, San Diego. He was an actor, writer, and director in New York prior to beginning his development career.

Bruce is married to an Episcopal priest, the Rev. Kate Malin, Rector of Christ’s Church, Rye, NY. They have three college-age children: twins Emerson and Murphy, and Owen. All three are pursuing careers as theater artists.

Contact Bruce

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Adam MacDonald

Director of Development

Adam MacDonald joined Saint Thomas in 2018 as Concerts Development Manager, leading the Friends of Music, and stepped into the role of Director of Development in 2020. He is grateful for the chance to support both the Church and Choir School and is excited about all that lies ahead for this historic and beloved community.

Before arriving at Saint Thomas, Adam spent nearly twenty years as a freelance singer and actor, performing Off-Broadway, in regional theaters, on national tours, and with professional choirs throughout New York City. Originally from Buffalo, NY, he studied Voice and Music Education at SUNY Fredonia and earned a Master of Arts and Humanities from the University at Buffalo.

Adam and his wife, Kristin, live in Connecticut with their two daughters. When he’s not at Saint Thomas, you can usually find him cooking in the kitchen or tending the smoker – or rooting for the Buffalo Bills.

Contact Adam

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Blake Martin

Director of Communications and Digital Production

Blake Martin is dedicated to sharing the mission of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue with New York and the world, ensuring that its programs, music, historic space, and spiritual life are accessible to everyone—from passersby admiring the church’s French Gothic architecture to its global online community.

Having grown up in a Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, Blake developed a lifelong passion for spiritual communities, music, and worship. A lover of language and storytelling, he began his career at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied creative writing and worked at the Kelly Writers House. Blake later pursued an MFA in filmmaking from Columbia University, further honing his creative vision.

In his role at Saint Thomas, Blake brings together his passions for writing, filmmaking, and communication with his deep commitment to spirituality. He is honored to serve as one of many dedicated stewards of this beloved and storied New York parish.

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Chase Martin

Major Gifts Officer

Chase Martin serves as a major gifts officer at Saint Thomas Church. Most recently, he managed book sales to museums for the art publisher TASCHEN. Before that, he spent over a decade in fundraising and management roles at visual art organizations, including Aperture, the Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation, the CUE Art Foundation, and Institute 193. Chase studied English and History at Centre College, and he served in the Episcopal Service Corps in Chicago. He lives in Brooklyn.

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Amy Cheresnowski

Database Manager

Amy came to the staff of Saint Thomas in the summer of 2016 as Executive Assistant to the Rector. In 2020, she began the new position as the Database Manager. She began her church administration career at The Riverside Church as their Mission and Social Justice Coordinator and then moved to Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church as their Administrative Assistant for Congregational Care and Outreach.

Amy graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Political Science and Urban Studies, concentrating in Latin America. She received her MS in Nonprofit Leadership from Fordham University in August 2015.

She and her husband Mike are avid sports fans and enjoy a good Mets or Rangers game. They are also seasoned travelers and enjoy exploring whenever they can. In October 2017, they welcomed their son Nathaniel, and in September 2019, they welcomed their son Owen, completing their family. They live in Pennsylvania with their two cats, Pike and Minnow; traveling into the city often for work, games, and family.

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Lizette Hernandez

Executive Assistant to the Rector

Lizette began working at Saint Thomas Church in September, 2019 as a temp.  She has since been hired as a permanent employee as the Executive Assistant to the Rector.  Prior to Saint Thomas, Lizette worked was freelancing as a temp working as an Executive Assistant in various industries, most recently, the Finance industry.  Lizette is a very organized and detail oriented person.  Among her primary duties, she is responsible for overseeing and maintaining the Rector’s very busy calendar.  She is the gatekeeper to the Rector’s office and ensures that the Rector is on time and well-prepared for his meetings.

In her free time, Lizette likes to spend time at home with her partner, Paul, listening to vinyl records from her extensive collection.  She enjoys cooking and baking for her family and friends.  She also has three rescue cats: Carlito, and twins, Max and Luna.

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Linda Morfi

Pastoral Care Coordinator

Linda has worked at Saint Thomas Church since May of 1998. Prior to that she worked for the non-profit, Catholic Medical Mission Board where she oversaw donated medicines to third world countries. During that time she served on the board of Ayudamos, a non-profit humanitarian organization.

Linda is a founding member of our Ecumenical Outreach Program (EOP). This collaboration between Saint Thomas Church, Saint Patrick’s cathedral and Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church s spent years volunteering as a class representative at P.S. 41, the Greenwich Village Public School, Girl Scout leader, Lab School parent volunteer, and was an active member of the Mother’s Club at St. Francis Xavier High School in Manhattan.

Linda assists the clergy by incorporating the social work element of the needs of the parishioners. She assists our parishioners facing difficult times. She leads the Prayer Shawl Ministry and the Rector’s ministry for the seniors of the parish. Linda organizes and implements our various community outreach programs geared to children and the homebound. This includes our Easter outreach, Back to School drive, our Angelus Tree at Christmas, and other outreach projects.

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Laura Bush

Financial Controller

 

Alessandra Craig

Evening Receptionist

 

DeJuan Givins

Virger

 

Avery Griffin

Communications Manager

 

Jenny Herrera

Chief Financial Officer

 

Wee Tai Hom

Development Office Assistant

 

Napolean Keovongsak

Communications Associate

 

Yeshi Lama

Staff Accountant

 

Rodrigo Lazo

Virger

 

Morgan Limmer

CFM Coordinator and Administrator

 

Jennifer Lane

Music Associate for Children and Youth

 

Richard Lopez

Facilities Manager

 

Mylene Magpantay

Liturgical and Choir Laundress

 

Dennis Magpantay

Evening Receptionist

 

Martha Parajon

Receptionist

 

Sharlene Shah

Director of Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits

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The Vestry

You may contact the Wardens using this address: [email protected].