The Rev. Nicole Janelle, Vicar & Chaplain
I am a native Mainer raised in central and southern Maine. My enthusiasm for the Episcopal Church grew out of my academic study of religion and history and a renewed interest in church through my experience of campus ministry at Northwestern University.
Following college, I moved to Los Angeles to participate in the Episcopal Urban Intern Program, during which I worked as a housing coordinator at the St. Joseph Center in Venice and lived in intentional Christian community. (If you’re a student interested in volunteer work following graduation, I’d love to talk to you about possibilities!)
I received my graduate theological training at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and spent my final year of seminary pursuing cross-cultural theological studies at the Universidad Bíblica Latinoamericana in San José, Costa Rica. In 2004, I was ordained a priest by The Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen, the Bishop of Maine. Following ordination I served Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church in urban Los Angeles where my work was dedicated to developing and nurturing a neighborhood-based Spanish language ministry. In 2006, I joined the people of St. Michael's University Church in ministry!
Ministry-wise, I have many passions but am especially interested in the areas of young adult ministry, ministry to the un/dis-churched, peace and justice, multicultural ministry and congregational development. I am passionate about exploring the intersection of faith, politics and daily life. As a part of my commitment to issues of gender parity and social justice, I am a board member of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship.
I love to read, practice yoga, explore nature, dabble in music and contemplate deep and complex questions in community.
You can contact Nicole at revjanelle@gmail.com or 805/968.2712. For pastoral emergencies that require **immediate** attention, dial 805-464-PRAY (7729). Nicole keeps office hours by appointment and takes her regular sabbath on Friday and Saturday.
Catherine Lafuente, Administrator and Verger
As part-time administrator and verger*, Catherine oversees general administrative matters, building/grounds maintenance and assists the vicar/chaplain in special projects.
Catherine Catherine grew up in Poughkeepsie, NY. She received a BA from Sarah Lawrence College in Liberal Arts, an MA from the University of South Florida in Religious Studies and a certificate in Modern Standard Arabic from the Qasid Institute in Amman, Jordan. She enjoys writing, reading, doing yoga and composing music. Currently she is a Writing Tutor at Santa Barbara City College and an Intern Writer with the Santa Barbara Independent. She lives in West Campus Family Student Housing with her husband James who is a graduate student at UCSB, and their two cats, Boris and Pepper.
You may contact Catherine at saintmikesucsb@gmail.com or 805/968.2712. Catherine keeps regular office hours between 9am-1:30pm Tuesday and Thursday.
*The office of verger has its root in the early days of the Anglican Church. Historically, vergers were responsible for the order and upkeep of the house of worship, including the care of the church buildings, its furnishings and sacred relics. Vergers also oversaw the areas of liturgy preparation, conduct of the laity and grave-digging! Today vergers can be found in cathedrals and other large-ish churches, but their role tends to be strictly liturgical and ceremonial. While Catherine does not have a liturgical role here and won't be digging any graves (!), we hope that the title of verger helps to convey the breadth of her work/ministry portfolio at St. Mike's.
Norma Stuck, Bookkeeper
An enthusiastic supporter of the Episcopal Campus Ministry and a UCSB alum, Norma makes her spiritual home at Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara where among other activities she sings in the choir. At St. Mike's, Norma pays the bills and keeps the finances in order.
You may contact Norma at saintmikesbookkeeper@gmail.com. She keeps office hours two times a month.
Karen Tanaka, Music Director
Karen, originally from Tokyo, is acclaimed as one of the leading living composers from Japan. She has been invited as a composer in residence at many important festivals, and her music has been widely performed throughout the world by the major orchestras, ensembles, international festivals and on radio. She has composed extensively for both instrumental and electronics media. “Her music is delicate and emotive, beautifully crafted, showing a refined ear for both detail and large organic shapes…”, comments The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
Karen’s musical education began with piano lessons when she was four years old followed by formal composition lessons from the age of ten. After studying composition with Akira Miyoshi and piano with Nobuko Amada at Toho Gakuen School of Music, she moved to Paris to study composition with Tristan Murail and work at IRCAM as an intern. In 1987 she was awarded the Gaudeamus Prize at the International Music Week in Amsterdam. She studied with Luciano Berio in Florence shortly thereafter with funds from the Nadia Boulanger Foundation and a Japanese Government Scholarship. She has been co-artistic director of the Yatsugatake Kogen Music Festival, previously directed by Toru Takemitsu. In 2005 she was awarded the Bekku Prize.
Since 2000, she has had significant premieres including five orchestral works; Guardian Angel for the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Departure for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Lost Sanctuary for the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Rose Absolute commissioned by the Michael Vyner Trust for the NHK Symphony Orchestra conducted by Esa Pekka Salonen, and Urban Prayer for Joan Jeanrenaud (cello) and the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kent Nagano. The performance of Guardian Angel by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in July 2002 brought her music to the attention of the large audience in Los Angeles.
She has taught composition as Visiting Associate Professor at the University of California Santa Barbara in 2002-04 and at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2004-05. Karen currently makes her home in both Los Angeles and Santa Barbara and is delighted to serve as part-time music director, leading the congregation in song and musical meditation Sunday mornings during the regular academic year.
Leadership
The Rev. Nicole Janelle, Vicar & Chaplain
Catherine Lafuente, Administrator & Verger
Norma Stuck, Bookkeeper
Karen Tanaka, Music Director
Joe Cox, Organic Gardener
Ruth Alvarez, Sexton/Cleaning Service
Bishop’s Advisory Committee (BAC) Members
Nicole Janelle, Vicar/Chaplain
Kitty Currier
Will Dewey, Treasurer
Julia Galstad, on hiatus
Brian Granger
Sally Hall
Diana Kennett
Norm Nelson, Bishop's Warden
Liz Powers, People's Warden
Miriam Wattles
Standing Committee on Campus Ministry
Dave Boyd, All Saints'
Susan Evans, All Saints'
Art Fisher, Trinity
Beth Thornton, Trinity
Nicole Janelle, St. Mike's
Brian Granger, St. Mike's
2012 Diocesan Convention Delegate
Miriam Wattles
St. Michael’s is a proud & faithful member of…
The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
The Rt. Rev. Jon Bruno, Diocesan Bishop
The Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce, Suffragan Bishop
The Rt. Rev. Mary Glasspool, Suffragan Bishop and St. Mike's Area Bishop
The Episcopal Church
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop
In the United States we are part of a community of 2.5 million members in 110 dioceses in the Americas and other jurisdictions. Established 1789.
The Anglican Communion
The Most Rev. & Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
In the world we are a member of a global community of 75 million Anglicans in 38 member provinces.