The Rev. Eileen Weglarz

The Vestry of St. Mark’s announced the call of The Rev. Eileen Weglarz as its new Rector effective June, 2008.  Rev.  Weglarz formerly served as Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Essex, New York.  She is a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, and was an active member of the Diocese of Albany where she served as Diocesan Missions Coordinator.  

Rev. Weglarz is the 22nd rector to be called to ministry at St. Mark’s in the parish’s more than two centuries of service to the community, and the first woman. 

Her special interests are studying and teaching the Hebrew Scriptures, participating in cross-cultural faith experiences and relationships, fostering healthy psycho-spiritual development, and providing and encouraging an environment where spiritual gifts, talents, and abilities of parishioners are both discovered and nurtured.  Her personal spirituality is Benedictine and that association is evidenced in her passion for prayer and study disciplines, which she shares with parishioners, in addition to providing private spiritual direction.

Geoffrey Smith, Interim Director of Music

Geoffrey Smith is a name recognized by many musicians in the Episcopal Church, having served as a full-time church musician for parishes in Ohio, Connecticut and New York from 1976–1995.  In addition to maintaining a rigorous rehearsal and service schedule at home, his choirs of adults and children in those places toured the east coast, singing in Washington National Cathedral, Albany’s Cathedral of All Saints, as well as numerous parish churches of various denominations.

As an organist he has played recitals and accompanied choirs throughout the United States, in England and in France.  While at Christ Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio he designed and supervised the installation of a significant new mechanical action organ.  In 1988 he was selected from a slate of over 110 candidates to succeed Robert G. Owen at Christ Church Bronxville.  The New York Times hailed his choir there as “the finest parish church choir outside New York City.”  (He was also charged with preserving the historic Æolian-Skinner/Gress Miles organ that was a sister instrument to the organ here at St. Mark’s.)  He has led workshops on hymnody and choral repertoire, and several of his hymn tunes and some of his service music have been published.

He brings to St. Mark’s a lifetime of experience in Anglican church music, nearly forty years as a choir trainer, and a profound knowledge and respect for buildings and instruments of historic significance.