Meet Father Derek
A bit of background about Father Derek.
Derek comes to St. Peter’s Grace as Priest-in-Charge after three years as assistant rector, and then associate rector, at Saint Luke’s, Darien. He earned the Master of Divinity degree from Yale University/Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. While working towards his degree, Derek served as interim chaplain at St. Thomas’s Day School, a K-6 Episcopal day school in New Haven, CT, and prior to that position he served as seminarian intern at the parish of St. Thomas’s, also in New Haven.
As an undergraduate at Alma College, in Michigan, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He is married to Dr. Katherine Vaillancourt, a resident in the Family Medicine program at Stamford Hospital, and they live with their two cats, Mia and Tia in the Fairfield County area. Katherine and Derek both grew up in Michigan, and most of their family members reside there.
Fr. Derek’s ministry at Saint Luke’s included leadership for the Saint Luke’s Parish School (where he served as the school’s clergy liaison to the parish, sat on the governing body of the school, and served as chaplain). Derek was also the priest overseeing children’s ministries and youth ministries, along with all of the outreach ministries of the parish. Additionally, Derek shared in the responsibilities of pastoral care, parish administration, liturgical leadership, preaching, and teaching to all members of the parish, along with a variety of roles within the Diocese. In the wider Anglican Communion, Derek maintains important relationships in both the Diocese of Cuba, and the Diocese of Northern Malawi.
Meet Deacon Carolyn
A bit of background about Deacon Carolyn.
Bishop Laura Ahrens has appointed the Rev. Carolyn Legg to serve as deacon at St. Peter’s Grace! Carolyn previously served as the deacon at Grace, Trumbull, and prior to that in several surrounding parishes. She lives in Bethel, and works full-time as a hospice chaplain. It is a tremendous gift and privilege to have a deacon serving with us, as I’m sure you will come to know yourselves.
Deacons are one of the three ordained ministries in the Church (deacons, priests, and bishops), and they take on a special role of ministry in the community. The Book of Common Prayer defines their ministry like this: “The ministry of a deacon is to represent Christ and his Church, particularly as a servant of those in need; and to assist bishops and priests in the proclamation of the Gospel and the administration of the sacraments” (BCP, pg. 856).
Carolyn will be with St. Peter’s Grace on Sundays, assisting in worship by proclaiming the Gospel, helping administer the sacraments, and preaching occasionally. You will notice that it is always the deacon who dismisses the congregation at the end of the service, sending us back out into the world. Deacons remind us that, having been empowered and energized for ministry during worship, our life and ministry as Christians mainly takes place during the other six days of the week. It is there that we encounter Christ in others, and in turn represent Christ to others.
As a deacon’s main role is in empowering others for ministry, and serving the marginalized in our community, Deacon Carolyn will take on a special role of leadership among us. You can expect for her to be increasingly involved in our outreach ministries, in overseeing our ministry to the sick and homebound, and in discerning the needs of our Monroe/Trumbull communities and encouraging us to be responsive to them in Christ’s name.
St. Peter’s Grace Church Welcomes You.
Come as a Stranger… Leave as a Friend.
All are welcome at St. Peter’s Grace. Wherever you are on your Journey of Faith, there is a place for you here! We are a supportive community of faithful individuals, looking to make a positive impact in the world around us.
A 200 Year Tradition.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church was founded in 1802. For over 200 years, we have been a steady presence of faith and comfort in Monroe, CT. We continue to serve our community throughout the changes history brings. In 2022, St. Peter’s merged with Grace Episcopal Church of Trumbull forming a new parish - St. Peter’s Grace Episcopal Church.
We are located on the Historic Monroe Green
175 Old Tannery Rd
Monroe, CT 06468
Office:
Currently Closed to the Public. But please contact us by email or phone.
An In-depth Look.
St. Peter’s Grace holds its Annual Parish Meeting at the end of January. We look back at the previous year and refine our vision for the coming year. All voting members of the St. Peter’s Grace family are encouraged to participate and help shape the future of our church.