Meet the Staff

Rector, The Rev. Andrea Suess Taylor

I am Andrea (Andi) Suess Taylor, a cradle Episcopalian and intentional follower of Jesus since my teenage years at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Chagrin Falls, Ohio.  I was ordained a priest at All Saints', Belmont, Massachusetts in 1995,  and since then have served at St. Peter’s, Beverly, Church of Our Redeemer, Lexington, and St. Boniface, Sarasota, Florida. I love children, animals (especially dogs), my husband Jonathan, our kids Jacob, Noah and his wife Chantal, Russian novels, The Lord of the Rings, Dr. Who, laughing at my own foibles, clambakes, and sailing a Beetle Cat named Sabbatical.

In my heart of hearts, I believe we are all called to bring into being the Kin-dom of God, when God's love will be all in all.  I am thrilled to be a part of God’s work at St. David’s and in the Diocese of Massachusetts.

Priest Associate, The Rev. Dr. David M. Angelica

Father David brings to St. David’s a broad set of skills cultivated over a long career of ministry. Here is a portion of a biography written by John Putnam of St. Paul’s, Delray Beach, FL:

After graduating from Suffield Academy in CT, where David was the organist and chapel director, he entered Trinity College in Hartford, CT, where he completed his course work in three years.  Not being able to graduate until his fourth year by college rules, he forged ahead and was accepted into the University of Connecticut Medical School where he studied psychiatry. It was then that David married his childhood girlfriend, Geraldine, a nurse at Saint Francis’ Hospital. In 1970, Fr. David transferred to NYU Medical College and “simultaneously” entered General Theological Seminary. Not only did he attend med school and seminary, he assisted at the Church of the Resurrection in East Elmhurst, Queens, and after he was ordained, served there as a part-time Curate. At the same time, he was a part-time psychiatric therapist at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. 

In 1973, on a whim, David enrolled in the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) on the Hudson, as he always loved the culinary arts. He was there until 1975, when, after his wife passed away, he decided to “pack it in”, and picked up his roots, moving to Darien, Connecticut. David served at Saint Luke’s Church in Darien, CT, then moved on to St. Andrew’s Church in Stamford, CT, where he was instrumental in founding  The Whole Life Center, a center for Wholistic Medicine and Health Care Delivery. From there he became rector of St. Andrew’s Church, in Milford, CT, where he and a team of clergy, social workers and lay volunteers founded the Beth-el Center for the Homeless, including a residential program for the homeless and a soup kitchen and counseling center for those in need.

Moving to Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 1994, David served at St. David’s Church in Yarmouth and St. Mary’s Church in Barnstable, until he became rector of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Orleans, Massachusetts, where he was involved in a major parish expansion program, the founding of a Center for Spiritual Living (The Angelica Center for Spiritual Living), together with a myriad of outreach programs, involving the lower end of the Cape. Fr. David retired “officially” in 2008, but not really.  In 2009, he met Fr. Chip Stokes, who hired him “on the spot” to be our seasonal clergy member at St. Paul’s, Delray Beach. 

St. David’s is blessed that Fr. David has agreed to serve during the Rector’s sabbatical in 2023 and will be around more than just summertime in the future!

Music Director, John Read

My life started in a ranch house in Connecticut on the Greenwich/Stamford line. My parents had retired from the music business -- Dad was a saxophonist and Mom, a vocalist. Dad had reason to believe I had perfect pitch (I did) so my parents bought a player piano. I played and sang along with the piano rolls by the hour. I started piano lessons, and when we got a Hammond organ, I taught myself to play the bass pedals. 

From junior high school on I accompanied soloists and played for private parties.  I majored in music at Ithaca College where I played for the 10:15 Sunday Masses, and at a small, nondenominational, country church nearby. I married Kathy, herself a former Roman Catholic, and celebrated the birth of our son Connor in 1993. We explored Episcopal churches with Connor for a few years, and I became the organist at a small neighborhood Episcopal parish near Ithaca.

We moved to Yarmouth Port in 1998. I often took Connor to St. Mary’s, Barnstable and St. Christopher’s, Chatham. After nearly two years away from the organ bench I got back in the game and played at the Bourne/Cataumet United Methodist parish. Then Kathy attended the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, so I served a Reformed church, then a Presbyterian -- both in suburban Willow Grove. Kathy and I were amicably divorced and moved back to Massachusetts with Connor. I played at St. Luke’s Episcopal, Worcester, then the Congregational Church of Mansfield. At the latter I worked with Pastor Ted Newcomb to grow “Worship With a Twist” which wrapped the day’s scriptural theme around the musical talents of a special guest soloist or group. I spread this Format to several other UCC churches in Massachusetts. 

During my time on the Cape I got to know First Lutheran Church, West Barnstable by leading hymn sings, accompanying silent movies, and playing their Wednesday evening Lenten services. I heard about two Lutheran pastors who did “Beer & Hymns” events, so I gladly played one at Sea Dog Brew Pub, Woburn (that location since closed), and brought the idea to the Cape. I joined the staff at First Lutheran in the Fall of 2013 and saw the parish through several transitions. I have been at St. David’s since July 2018 and am happy to be re-immersed in the richness of the Episcopal liturgy and hymnody, and yes, those grand and glorious soprano descants! 

Parish Administrator, Nancy Slater

A “wash-ashore”, Nancy relocated/retired to Cape Cod in early 2021 from north of Boston.  She grew up on the North Shore in Swampscott, married in 1986; she then spent the next thirty-six years living in Chelsea.  Widowed in 2002, Nancy went on to raise her then teenage daughters and subsequently met and married her current husband, Jerry, in 2008.  Most recently she was employed by the City of Chelsea as a Legal Assistant/Office Manager. Full time retirement found her missing work life and she found her way to St. David’s!

Financial Administrator, Eloise Swain Harmon

Eloise Swain Harmon (Elie) is the financial minister at St David's.  She lives in Sandwich, and she is married with two boys (Andrew and Tyler ages 15 and 14).  They go to school in Sandwich.   Ellie grew up in Monument Beach at Briarwood because her father was an Episcopal priest and director at that conference center when it was still owned by the Episcopal Church.  Her childhood church growing up was St John’s in Sandwich. She likes to play tennis, read, go to the beach, and take nature walks with her family and dog, Brontë. 

Sexton, Leonard Heaney

My name is Leonard R. Heaney aka. Lenny or Len. 

I grew up in beautiful Buck County, PA in the small town of Trevose with a horse and sheep farm right across the road from my home. After graduation from high school, I began a job in construction. I built homes in the area, knowing my small town was beginning to grow. I am a very lucky person to be from a very large and loving family. I have 27 first cousins. We are still all close thanks to computers, FaceBook, and texting. 

I have been married to my wife Anna for 26 years now and have two beautiful children, Stephanie & Nicholas. My hobbies include wood working, gardening, and cooking. Anna and I enjoy hearth cooking which is cooking done in 1776. We have cooked at Pennsbury Manor in Bucks County, PA, Bolton Mansion, Levittown, PA and here on the Cape; Taylor Gray Farm in Yarmouth Port and the Josiah Dennis Manse in Dennis. After moving to the Cape in 2005 and buying our home in South Yarmouth, we found St. David’s Church a year later. A job opened up for a Sexton and I was lucky to be hired. So 16 years later, I am still here.