The Clergy & Staff
Matt McDermott
Rector
As Rector of St. Mark's I oversee the various ministries of the parish. My role is to do my best to see that our work together is faithful and healthy. With the Vestry (the governing board of the parish) and other staff members I strive to create faithful and meaningful worship services, care for the pastoral needs of the community, develop effective outreach ministries to people in need (locally and globally) and supervise the administration of the parish. All of this work is grounded in my faith in the loving providence of God most clearly seen in the person of Jesus Christ.
My role, therefore, at St. Mark’s is to lead and support the people of this faith community in following the teaching and example of Jesus Christ, striving to be both compassionate and just. Together, as we deepen our faith, we grow closer to God and to each other.
I was born in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio. I grew up in a Roman Catholic family of eight children, the fifth son of William and Dorothy McDermott. I went to a Catholic grade school and public high school. After leaving Ohio at twenty years of age for “the great adventure west,” I put myself through San Francisco State University graduating with honors and a degree in English Literature. After college I was introduced to the outreach ministries of the Episcopal Church (a work project in Ireland) and liked what I learned about the Anglican Tradition. I worked as a Youth Minister at Trinity Parish in Menlo Park, California where I met my future wife, also a Youth Minister. Six months after we were married we moved to Berkeley where I completed a Masters of Divinity degree. Since graduation in 1987 I served at parishes in Orinda and Menlo Park. I was called as Rector by the people of St. Mark’s, Palo Alto in September of 1995. St. Mark’s is a great, vibrant community and I feel blessed to serve here!
Lori Walton
Associate Rector
My position as Associate Rector is multi-faceted. I work in many areas, including the welcoming and integrating our new members, helping to direct our efforts to serve the communities outside of our church, supporting our dynamic children’s ministry, and providing spiritual care and conversation to the many people in our church. I help to design and implement our worship services and spend some time focusing on the inner-workings of the church like technology and administrative processes.
Ultimately, however, my role at Saint Mark’s is to be a spiritual friend who helps others to find ways to strengthen and grow their relationships with each other and with God. The Christian Community is primarily about relationship, after all, and my passion and call is to put relationships in the center of all that we do.
In terms of personal background, I am native to the Bay Area, spending my childhood on the Coast in Pacifica, and my adult life in just about every county of the Bay. My upbringing was a wonderful mix of chaos and passion that comes from being one of five children in an Italian/Irish family. I was ordained by the Right Reverend William Swing in 2004 and have previously served as priest-in-charge and assistant priest.
Joanie King
Children & Families Ministries Coordinator
As coordinator of Children and Families Ministries at Saint Mark’s, I help nurture the spiritual lives of our youngest members and their families by providing an enriching Sunday school curriculum (Godly Play), and opportunities for families to grow together in their faith (Faith-Full Families). The Children and Families Commission, made up of volunteers, hosts a variety of family-oriented programs and events that strengthen bonds within our parish, as well as the tie between church and home, so that our families feel supported in developing faith practices and traditions.
My call is to help make Saint Mark’s a spiritual home for children and their families where they are nurtured in their spiritual growth and fellowship among their peers. Children and faith make a natural pairing: there is nothing quite like witnessing a child grapple with spiritual concepts that they can in turn apply to their own, personal experience. Children live out the gospel with such uninhibited joy. We want them to internalize this practice to achieve a lifelong sense of creative self-expression in all that they do.
As a life-long Episcopalian, I have valued the sense of community a parish life affords, and as a mother, I have been grateful for the positive influence of a spiritual community on my own children’s growth and moral development. As an author and poet, I divide my time between Saint Mark’s and my writing desk, where I am working on a new novel. I am compelled to create art that speaks to grace, redemption, and the wondrous power of love.
Andrea Black
Youth Ministry Coordinator
Katie Yates
Office Administrator
As Saint-Mark’s Office Administrator, I work directly with our Rector and Associate Rector to maintain an organized and smooth running office. My responsibilities cover a broad range of tasks, but the single most important thing I do is to make myself available to help any member of our Parish, or to those in need who come through the office door at any given moment. I do my best to be sure that any request given to me is taken care of in a timely manner.
I am primarily responsible for the upkeep of current Parish records, being the liaison between St Marks’s and outside groups who use our facilities and coordinating use, the layout and production of our weekly service bulletins and our monthly newsletter “Messenger”, maintaining our website, and various other duties pertaining to the church office.
Most previously a restaurant manager for Francis Ford Coppola’s restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, I have worked in many different roles in many different environments, but have yet to find a place I enjoy as much as St Marks, both professionally and personally. I was born in Utah but have spent most of my life in California, both Southern and Northern.
I began working for St Mark’s in the Spring of 2007. My role has expanded significantly since I started, and every day is a learning experience. I hope to be a part of St Marks for many years to come.
Rebecca Maggi
Director of Music
Performing the tasks of Director of Music for St. Mark's has always been especially enjoyable for me. I strive to lead the choir in creative ways as to enhance faithful worship of all parishioners and members of the choir. While perfecting our music and meeting together once a week for rehearsal, we, as members, reflect on our beliefs that we are not merely performing for ourselves but we are striving for a deeper understanding of our faith through our music. My vision for the choir is that we can truly learn to hear each other, sharpen our musical skills, and perform to our full potential.
I was born in Dallas, Texas in to a family of musicians. My father was a Methodist minister and my mother was a school teacher. Both of my parents had music degrees and they were both talented performers. My father was a singer and my mother played the piano. Methodists move their ministers around quite often and I ended up attending nine schools in twelve years. I attended The University of Texas at Austin for my undergraduate degree in Voice and Piano Performance. After working in the community and singing with the Houston Grand Opera for several years, I met my husband, Sergio Maggi, a native of Rome, Italy. I went on to attend The University of Houston for a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance. I have sung major roles with many opera companies and have been the featured soloist with many symphonies in California, Texas, New York, and abroad. I have been associated with St. Mark's for twenty years. I currently live in San Mateo and have two wonderful children
Jim Welch
Organist
I have served as organist of St. Mark's since 1993; I am also on the music department faculty of Santa Clara University. I received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance from Stanford University, with further studies in France and Austria. I have concertized internationally, with performances in such prestigious venues as Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, National Cathedral in Washington DC, and the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. I have also performed and taught in Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Jerusalem. A particular interest of mine is Latin American organ music. I received a Fulbright award to perform and conduct research in Brazil; since then I have performed in Mexico and edited three volumes of organ music by Mexican composers. I have also performed at conventions of the American Guild of Organists and at the International Congress of Organists; my articles have appeared in The American Organist and The Diapason; and I have released numerous CDs, recorded on a variety of organs.
Charles Mathews
Sexton
As the sexton at St. Mark’s, I ensure that the buildings are secure, setup for community events, and take care of maintenance and yard work when needed. My main priority is to create a physical environment that allows the various activities and worship to take place without distraction.