St. Mary's Episcopal Church

Staff

Bishop of Northern California

The Rt. Rev. Megan Traquair

916-442-6918

The Rt. Rev. BMegan M. Traqair was ordained and consecrated the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California on June 29, 2019 at the Mondavi Center in Davis, CA.

Bishop Megan is an active follower of Jesus Christ and was raised in Santa Barbara when it was a sleepy town, graduated from Pomona College in Claremont and received her MDiv at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, IL. Ordained in 1992 in the Diocese of Los Angeles she has led congregations in Tucson, towns near South Bend and Indianapolis, and Los Angeles.

When she was Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Arizona, she ran all aspects of clergy Transition (deployment). She coached clergy and congregations in Conflict Resolution and leads Strategic Planning. She has mentored locally-raised Hispanic clergy and supported the Hispanic Program Group in the diocese. She was a key developer of a non-profit management program for clergy: “Best Skills - Best Churches – What Seminary Didn’t Teach You.” By popular demand it recently expanded to include lay leaders and ecumenical leaders.

Serving churches both in rural and urban areas, Megan has an enduring interest in church growth and the active formation of disciples. She values preaching and good liturgy which speaks to the people and strengthens us for engaging with Jesus and serving the world.

Her interests include gardening, genealogy, hiking and history. Her husband Philip is a pediatrician at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. They have been partners and best friends as well as parents. They have two children: Hannah who teaches high school in Tucson, and Benjamin, who is an engineer in Colorado.

Associate Priest

The Rev. Roy Coloma

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revColoma@aol.com

I was born on June 10, 1934 in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. I entered in the Roman Seminary and I stayed there for five years of study, then transferred to the Philippine Independent Church.

On November 24, 1957, I was ordained to the priesthood. I was assigned by the Diocesan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Manuel Apostol as a missionary to the Diocese of Ilocos Sur, Abra and La Union, Philippines. After three years of missionary work, I served as parish rector in two different parishes in the Diocese of the Second District of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. I spent three years in the Parish of Banna, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. For nine years I served the parish of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, Currinao, Ilocos Norte, Philippines.

I immigrated to the United States of America, Sacramento, California on July 24, 1969. In 1975 I became a naturalized American Citizen. On November 17, 1971, I presented myself to the Bishop of the Diocese of Northern California, the Rt. Rev. Clarence R. Haden, Jr., as a priest of the Philippine Independent Church, a sister church of the Episcopal Church. He granted me the license to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and preach. I served under the vicarship of the Rev. Barry Williams in the Church of our Merciful Savior, Sacramento.

On June 22, 1999, the Rt. Rev. Jerry A. Lamb formally recognized my ministry at St. Mary's Episcopal Church parish and also my transfer to the church in the United States.

My family and I are so happy and grateful that I can help in one way or the other in the growth and success of the church for God's honor and glory.

-Father Restituto "Roy" Coloma

Associate Priest

The Rev. Dr. Raymond Potter

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rjpsacramento@aolcom

First of all, I wish to thank the community of St. Mary’s for accepting me into their community after being Rector of All Saint’s in Sacramento where I left in my 50’s when a brain injury of 12 years ago started to act up. It was caused by a 104 degree fever which caused a certain part of the brain to shut down and thus after all that time the pension fund helped me decide that I need to leave as a full time Rector.

I was born in Providence. Yes, I am a Yankee, but I don’t act like most Yankees. I am however an avid Red Sox supporter and in 2004, the year my father died, they won the World Series the first time since 1918. I was overwhelmed when the curse of Babe Ruth trade to the N.Y. Yankees was always with them…..so the New York Yankees thought and my father got to see his team win which he never thought he would witness.

I went to Seminary in Rochester, New York at the University of Rochester interfaith Seminary and was ordained a priest on June 2, 1979. I then finally went back to school with the Bishops encouragement and graduated with my Doctor of Ministry in 1995. (I would never suggest anyone going back to the university after a long time from the time you graduate.)

I was Youth Ministry Director for the Diocese of St. Louis, Missouri after being received into the Episcopal Church from the Roman Church. Then I was called to be Rector of St. Alban’s in Providence, Rhode Island and was there for over 6 years. I was then called to Tulsa, Oklahoma with a congregation of about 700 people until 2000 (yes tornado alley, which scared me each time I saw a black cloud) and this is where I had the brain injury while under doctor care for over 4 weeks and they were never sure what caused it because I am ”never” sick”. After a period of recovery I was elected to the smaller congregation of All Saint’s, Sacramento which was smaller and the right size for me to manage. I retired in 2006 with the pension blessing and then this is when I arrived at St. Mary’s since I live in Elk Grove and Father Ray Hess wanted some help and I gladly accepted his offer

It is a pleasure to serve you here but when you don’t see me I am also a supply priest for other parishes of this Diocese, who need a priest because of vacation and other reasons.

- The Rev. Dr. Raymond Potter

Associate Priest

The Rev. Ronald Zoesch

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rzoesch@frontier.com

I grew up in Fresno where I met my wife, Robin and we both graduated in 1967 from Fresno State College with degrees in Journalism. In my last semester after encouragement from my campus pastor I decided to go to seminary. Robin and I moved to Berkeley and I begin studies at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary among a very ecumenical setting that included Church Divinity School of the Pacific where I attended many joint classes. I graduated in 1971 with a Masters of Divinity.

My first call was as Associate Pastor of St .Paul's Lutheran where I begin work to reach a more diverse community.

In late 1973 I was called to Holy Trinity Lutheran, Inglewood near LA International. During my 5 year tenure the congregation made a significant racial from majority White membership to majority African American.

In 1978 I was called to First English Lutheran in Sacramento, a congregation that was racially balanced. During my 12 1/2 year tenure I served as President of the neighborhood Mental Health Board and the Redevelopment Board.

In 1991 I was called to Our Savior's Lutheran in Fresno, that had just merged 3 congregations together. I started work there to develop community organizing.

In 1996 I was called to the Northeastern Ohio Synod, ELCA as Assistant to the Bishop/Synod Missioner. My call was to assist congregations to reach out in new ways to their communities. Later With the synod I was called by the ELCA as Director for Evangelical Mission to serve Northeastern Ohio (Cleveland,Youngstown etc). During my time there I attended Case Western University/Mandel Center of Business and received a certificate in Non-profit Management.

In September 2013 I retired and Robin and I moved back to Sacramento, living in Elk Grove. We discovered St. Mary's one Sunday when we were too late to attend a Lutheran church and found St Mary's in the phone book ,came and were warmly welcomed. We also like the diversity and the relaxed sanctuary setting.

I became an Associate in 2014 after meeting with Bishop Beisner and getting the ok from my Sierra Pacific Synod Lutheran bishop.

Robin and I are also members of St Luke's Lutheran on Center Parkway where Robin serves on the evangelism committee.

I occasionally preach and preside at St. Mary's and am working as a consultant with small Lutheran churches to encourage their working together. I also have a dream that the Lutherans and Episcopalians could jointly develop a new mission in the southwest part of Elk Grove.

Music Director

Kristin Holt

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Administrative Assistant

Sarah Meckler-Tate

Send Email • (916)689-1099

Sarah was born and raised in Montana but has since lived in Texas, Pennsylvania, and California. She got her undergraduate degree in History from the University of Montana and her Master of Divinity at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. A cradle Lutheran, Sarah served two calls as Associate Pastor, one in Montana, one in California, before deciding to serve in other ways. She has been the Administrative Assistant at St. Mary’s since February 2018 and loves seeing all of the ways that Lutherans and Episcopalians are similar and different.

As the daughter of a librarian (her dad) and an avid reader (her mom sometimes reads a book a day), Sarah loves books and would rather read than do almost anything else. When not reading, she enjoys crocheting, walking (usually while listening to audiobooks), and podcasting (about books, of course!). Sarah is married to Tate, or the “man with the plan,” as she calls him. They live in Folsom with 2 Chihuahuas and 3 bearded dragons.