From the Rev. Nathan Empsall, priest-in-charge

As announced in church this morning, I am delighted to share that St. PJ's has offered the role of Pastoral Care Associate (half-time) to our friend Kelly Park, and Kelly has answered the call!

Please see below for a personal note from Kelly to the parish. She will officially step into this new role on Tuesday, September 15.

Kelly is already well known to many St. PJ's members, who came to love and trust her as our 2025-2026 seminarian intern. In that previous role, her focus was on adult formation with a side of hospitality -- but her talent for pastoral relationships also shone through. We began to discuss the possibility of her applying for this new position in early spring, as soon as I learned that her family had decided to stay in New Haven after her graduation from Berkeley Divinity at Yale.

In her new position as Pastoral Care Associate -- previously called the Minister for Spirituality and Aging -- Kelly will be the parish's primary point-of-contact for pastoral care* while also leading the volunteer Pastoral Care Team, coordinating our Safe Church Training requirements, creating special programming for senior citizens in the parish and neighborhood, and building multigenerational community at St. PJ's.

*Rev. Nathan is also available for pastoral care when Kelly is away or a priest is needed.

After Kelly's second-round panel interview during the application process, our panelists were all smiles. Asked "What do you think?", David Tate didn't miss a beat before immediately replying, "When can she start?" Tudy Hill added, "Ten thumbs up!" and Judy Lhamon vigorously nodded her agreement: "Yes to all of that, all of that!"

This will be an exceptionally good thing for us all. Please congratulation and re-welcome Kelly and her family the next time you see them!

A Note from Kelly

Greetings, St. PJ’s! I am so excited to be writing to you as your new half-time Pastoral Care Associate. For those who don’t know me, I am Kelly Park. I’ve spent a lot of my working life as a nanny and housekeeper. Domestic work where I can care for people, brighten their days, and make life feel just a little easier is work that I really love. I’m very much looking forward to being able to do those things in a new way, in a ministerial context in this next chapter. 

I graduated in May from Yale Divinity School with my Master of Divinity degree, as well as a Diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School. In school and out, I love learning about church history, participating in devotional practice as part of a close community, and imagining what the future of the church could look like. While at YDS, I served as a member of Berkeley’s Hospitality Ministry Team. Coordinating and cooking for a weekly Community Dinner, daily Coffee Hour breakfasts after Morning Prayer, various special events and lectures, and welcoming guests to the newly renovated Berkeley Center on St. Ronan St.

In addition to my role at St. PJ’s, I will be working this year as the new half-time Hospitality Coordinator at Berkeley, helping the new student team to continue in this work of welcome.

I was born and raised near Cleveland, Ohio, but have also lived in Cincinnati, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; and Big Sur and San Diego, CA. My family and I moved this spring from New Haven's West River neighborhood to the Fair Haven / East Rock area. We love having people over for dinner, trying local coffee shops, walking around our new neighborhood, and visiting the library. I enjoy reading and writing, asking questions and having conversations, and thinking about and acting on what takes a group of people and creates belonging and community among them.

I am thrilled to be beginning this work of care and connection with you all. Please do reach out with any questions or concerns, dreams or ideas, needs or invitations - I would love to talk with you!

 

Funding Explanation: The Bradley Trust

From Rev. Nathan again

If you're wondering how St. PJ's can afford to hire a new ministry associate -- even half-time -- while also continuing to announce our ongoing budget woes, that's a very fair question! And thankfully it's one with a fair answer.

In the late 1800s, dedicated St. PJ's member Betsy Bradley bequeathed a sizable portion of her estate to the church, with the restriction of caring for older women in the church and community. As you can imagine (and as many will remember), 130+ years is a lot of history that brings with it quite a few stories -- but to make that long story short, the Bradley Trust is currently legally restricted by the court to providing "pastoral and social services for the elderly and infirm."

It is from this legally restricted fund that the congregation has long funded its position of Minister for Spirituality and Aging. Although I have changed the title of the position to avoid accidentally obscuring the parish's multigenerational nature to visitors and newcomers, the job itself remains largely the same: The Pastoral Care Associate will provide pastoral care to all members of St. PJ's but with a special focus on senior citizens, including creating special programming for them.

I would also like to acknowledge something that St. PJ's member and former treasurer Karen Yates recently pointed out to me: In Betsy Bradley's time, it was exceedingly rare for women, especially widows, to control their own money. Set against the backdrop of court challenges and an even more sexist society than we live in today, what Betsy did in maintaining her autonomy and setting restrictions that would uphold her values was a remarkably empowering, proto-feminist move, and she is someone to be admired and remembered to this day.

It is my hope, prayer, and belief that the special programming Kelly creates for seniors in the coming years will simultaneously honor Betsy Bradley's legacy, love our neighbors, and glorify our risen Savior Jesus Christ in Wooster Square -- and beyond.