If Denise could design a family crest it would contain a canoe paddle, hiking boots and a sketchpad. Her interests in exploring waterways and forests and sketching out designs for artwork were firmly established in her life growing up in Minnesota. She has come to Holy Trinity, North Saanich hoping to do more of this while ministering among the people of the parish and surrounding villages. Denise has also enjoyed exploring other cultures, living and ministering in a variety of places in the world. From Minneapolis to Brooklyn, Nicosia to Bethlehem, Cebu to Tashkent, Saskatoon to Tsawwassen, she gained an intense appreciation and sense of wonder over the diversity of humankind and what this says about the Holy One. 

Denise has engaged in ecumenical and multi-faith ministry throughout all of this. Baptized and confirmed in the Roman Catholic church she was received into the Anglican Communion prior to becoming an ordained priest. Since then, she has served in parishes in the Dioceses of Saskatoon, Qu’Appelle, New Westminster, and now in this beautiful Diocese of the Islands and Inlets.  Denise is a certified Spiritual Director/Companion trained through the Haden Institute and is offering spiritual companionship sessions to people on the peninsula. She is an iconographer trained through the Prosopon School of Iconology and is currently working on the icon of St. George and the Dragon. She has established the Godly Play program in numerous Anglican churches and would love to do so at Holy Trinity, if even as an after-school program.

During the course of ministry Denise has used study leaves to receive Trauma Training, and she is aware that this will continue to be a focus of future study leaves.   You will find Denise kayaking, hiking, icon writing or designing fibre art with the use of her spinning wheel, loom and knitting needles when she has time off. Her and her husband live in Saanichton and they have three grown sons who live far and wide.  Favourite Quote: “I don't deny”, he said, “that there should be priests to remind men that they will one day die. I only say that at certain strange epochs it is necessary to have another kind of priests, called poets, actually to remind men that they are not dead yet.” G.K. Chesterton 

Favourite Book: “She Who Is” by Elizabeth A. Johnson 

Favourite Food: Moussaka 

Favourite Movie: Babette’s Feast  

Photo Credit: J. Abram Photography