Welcome to Church to the Epiphany

STAFF

 

Very Rev. John C. Kazibwe
Pastor

Bio:

I was born and raised in Uganda. I had all my 14 years of Priestly formation in Uganda. Ordained a Priest of Masaka Diocese on August 2nd, 2003, my first appointment was in a Parish as a parochial Vicar for 9 months. I then worked as a Private Secretary for the Retired Bishop of my home Diocese for four years.

At the invitation of the Late Bp. Francis X. DiLorenzo, I came to Richmond Diocese in April 2008. I was assigned to three cluster parishes; (St. Catherine of Sienna in Clarksville, St. Paschal Baylon in South Boston and Church of the Good Shepherd in South Hill), as parochial Vicar for one year. I was then appointed Pastor of those three parishes and I served for four years. In July 2013, I was transferred to the Church of the Epiphany.

I  Am so grateful to God who called me to this ministry and who has accompanied me on this journey of Faith.

 

Rev. Mr. Steve Haut
Deacon

Bio:

I was born in Baltimore a long long time ago and lived there till completing College.  For 10 years I lived in North Carolina while going to graduate school. There I met my future love, Kathy at Duke University. We were married in 1978 at Immaculate Conception Parish in Durham and after the honeymoon moved to Richmond. I worked as a research chemist at Philip Morris for 31 years before retiring in 2010. We have been parishioners at Epiphany since 1984 except for a brief period attending St. Gabriel’s. During that time we both have been active in adult formation (Renewal, Welcome Home, sacramental formation and Cursillo). In 2008 I felt the call from the people of Epiphany to greater service and began the discernment process for the permanent diaconate. In 2012 I was ordained and was  assigned to our community. Kathy and I like to travel. Our most exciting trip was to Bangkok Thailand in 2016 to visit our son Alex who works there. Our daughter, Jessie, works at the Modlin Center at the University of Richmond. Aside from duties at Epiphany, I am the Spiritual Director for the Central Virginia region of the Cursillo movement.

 

Deacon Jim Eckert

Rev. Mr. Jim Eckert
Deacon

Bio:

I am a “Cradle Catholic,” the fourth of five siblings, born and raised in Northern California. I met my wife, Maureen, when I was thirteen and married her nine years later after graduating from the University of California at Berkeley. After we were married, we moved to the Napa Valley where we both found jobs in winery hospitality and joined the small parish of St. Thomas Aquinas in 1976. After raising our two boys, I was called, with Maureen’s help, to the diaconate and was ordained in 2016 as the first deacon for our parish. Upon retirement in 2021, we sold our home of 44 years in Napa Valley and left California for Virginia to be near our oldest son and his family who live in Salisbury. Sadly, we left our younger son and his wife back in the Siera Nevada mountains of California, but we felt called by God to a new mission in Virginia. Since our home in Midlothian was still under construction, we took a leisurely road trip across America where we spent 49 days on the road from California to Virginia.

I am blessed and excited to be able to bring my love of explaining the Gospels to Epiphany Parish!

 

Rev. Mr. Victor Valle
Deacon

Bio:

I was born and raised in New York City along with my two brothers by our loving mother and father. I was raised in the Presbyterian church and converted to Catholicism in 2000. After my conversion, I was moved by the Spirit to become immediately involved in church ministries. My company moved its headquarters in NYC, where I worked, to Richmond in 2004 and so my wife, Cathy and I along with our two daughters relocated to Virginia. It wasn’t too long before we were involved in church ministries at Epiphany.

After years of others encouraging me to consider being a deacon, I prayerfully discerned the call after retiring. I entered formation in 2013 and was ordained in October of 2018. I love being involved in ministry and in trying to make the world a little better in my own way. I believe that we are blessed with the faith of Catholic Church and that we are all called by our Lord to service according to our gifts. That is why I say, “Being Catholic is not a spectator sport”.

 

Susan Crudup
Business Administrator

Bio:

My family joined Church of the Epiphany in 1981, and it has been my pleasure to call Epiphany “home” since my childhood. My career began in Business Banking with SunTrust Bank where I learned a great deal about lending and financial management. Later, I moved on to a challenging position in IT project management with Capital One, and in 2002, when the opportunity presented itself to join the Epiphany staff as the Business Administrator, I saw it as a calling to work closely with faithful people doing the Lord’s work. It is an honor and a privilege to be entrusted with the management our parish’s resources.

 

Maggie Curtis
Youth Minister

Bio:

I grew up a cradle Catholic right here in Midlothian, Virginia. My family were parishioners at a Church in Chesterfield where I was very active in youth group during high school. When I graduated from Cosby high school in 2009 I started to help with Life Teen at my previous parish while in college. From 2012-2014 I was a missionary with NET Ministries where I got to travel the country with fellow young adults putting on retreats for high school and middle school youth. In 2016 I married my best friend Joe. Two weeks after the wedding we put everything that could fit into his Jeep and moved across country to Arizona where I worked as a youth minister.

In 2017 we had our daughter, Ritsie, and made the decision to move all the way back to Virginia so that we could be near family. We are so happy to be back in RVA and call Epiphany our parish. I am passionate about this amazing faith and sharing it with teens from all different backgrounds and personalities. 

 

Chantal Emerson
Director of Religous Education

Bio:

My family and I have been parishioners here at Epiphany for many years. I adore our beautiful Catholic faith and love sharing that faith and God’s love with others. Over the years at Epiphany I’ve been involved in various ministries including Liturgical, Human Concerns, Catechist, and Refugee Resettlement. It is such a gift to be able to serve our parish as the Director of Religious Education and to work for and alongside our wonderful families and individuals who are sharing and growing in their faith through our church’s Christian formation classes and groups.

I attended the College of William and Mary, studied for a semester at the University of Nice, France and graduated with a degree in International Relations. I was a high school teacher for ten years. As our family grew, I began working part-time as a librarian, receiving a Master’s in Library Sciences. My husband and I are parents to six sons and grandparents of a newborn grandson. I love running, walking and being outdoors. Traveling, reading and cooking are also favorite pastimes.

 

Laura Miller 
Christian Formation Registrar

Bio:

I was raised Catholic in Baton Rouge, LA and graduated from The University of Southwestern Louisiana, (now ULL) home of the Ragin Cajuns! I am a military wife and mother of 2 young adult daughters. My family have been members of many parishes in the United States and Europe.  In 2009 we moved to Richmond and chose Epiphany as our church home. After volunteering with Christian Formation, teaching and as the Christian Formation representative for the Parish Council I had the opportunity to work at Epiphany. I love my job and the people I meet each day.

 

Lucia Rodriguez
Administrative Assistant

Bio:

I was raised Catholic and born in Colombia, South America, my family and I moved to New Jersey where I grew up. We were members of our Lady of Fatima Church in Passaic, New Jersey. In my youth I became a member of The Daughters of Mary. During my travels I have joined many Catholic churches and volunteer when needed. I have one daughter and three grandchildren. I worked as an Assistant Chief Clerk in the Scottsdale Justice Court in Arizona, then moved back to New Jersey where I worked as a Certified Municipal Court Administrator since 1993. I recently retired and moved to Virgina where I had a calling and joined the Church of the Epiphany where everyone has treated me like family and welcomed me. I’m bilingual in English/Spanish eager to assist. I have had extensive training in office administration and management, and with God's help I hope to put my skill to good use.

 

Patricia Schrock
Director of Music

Bio:

I am from the Midwest and was born and raised in Millersburg, Indiana. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from Goshen College and Master of Arts from the University of Notre Dame and did post-graduate work at Arizona State University. Music has always been a part of my life. Since December 2006 I have served as the Director of Music at Epiphany. My work days are spent planning liturgies, accompanying and directing various choirs, training cantors, playing numerous Masses and overseeing the Liturgy and Worship Committees. The choirs are the heart and soul of the music ministry.  Choir members are dedicated, willing to learn, always strive to create beauty to energize the liturgy and are very caring towards one another. We are always open to welcoming new people who wish to be a part of this ministry.

 

Lenina Valle
Community Life Coordinator

Bio:

I was born and raised in a small town to the north of a big city…New York City to be exact! As a child I was active at our church there as an altar server, a religious education assistant (in my mom’s classroom) and more. When I was a teenager in 2004, my family moved to a far away and unfamiliar place called Virginia. We quickly found a home and a second family here at the Church of the Epiphany. You welcomed us with open arms, helped us to adjust to a new life, and shared your enthusiastic faith with us. After graduating from Midlothian High School, I attended and graduated from Marymount University, a wonderful Catholic university in Arlington, VA. I love to travel and be creative, and Epiphany has given me opportunities to do both for the glory of God, whether I am here in the front office, or across the world on mission trips to Uganda. I am so blessed to have this opportunity to give back to the parish that has already given me so much!

 

Dana Zambrano

Dana Zambrano
Outreach Coordinator

Bio:

My family and I moved to Midlothian in 2022 from New Rochelle, NY, a small suburb of New York City.  I grew up in an Italian household as a devout Roman Catholic, cherishing the Catholic traditions.   I attended Stony Brook University on Long Island, NY and graduated with a degree in Italian Literature and Language.  I decided to continue my studies at Monroe College in New Rochelle, NY, with a concentration in Culinary Arts.  I guess you can say I’m “well rounded” and enjoy learning about everything.  I have had the honor of raising my 4 children for the last 11 years, but now, I am very excited to join the staff here at Epiphany, and continue staying close to God and the Church.   As we were left our entire family in NY, we very quickly discovered Epiphany and it’s warm and welcoming embrace.  In a place that was so far from where we came, we found a new family and a new home.