Father Jeremiah griffin
Rector
As a gen-Xer married to a millennial, part of what gets Fr. Jeremiah up in the morning is his passion for sharing the riches of the Episcopal Church with rising generations.
Fr. Jeremiah grew up awash in 80s/90s evangelical Christian circles, which he soon left behind (pun intended) for a healthy season of questioning, engaging doubts, and drilling down on which values mattered most. Then considering himself a religious skeptic, in his late twenties, Jeremiah shifted from throwing “critical rocks” from outside religion to curiosity about what a life of faith lived well could foster. He soon found himself attending an Emergent Church that emphasized art, creativity, authenticity, and community service where he quickly got involved.
This season exposed Jeremiah and his wife Meredith to a more liturgically-based form of Christianity that was, to them, new, yet held powerful allure in its clearly ancient roots. Continuing down this path, they eventually found a spiritual home in the Episcopal Church, which they now excitedly share with others.
Trained at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, Jeremiah holds a Masters of Divinity and a Masters in Political Science from Texas State. He’s served on the board of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light, on the diocesan Commission on Ministry for the Baptized, and most recently as a Delegate to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church to be held in the summer of 2022.
In his spare time, Jeremiah enjoys hiking, mountain biking, camping, gardening, blacksmithing, fly-fishing, and has a passion for creation care. Poetry by Wendell Berry or Rilke and 90s alternative/ punk music (for better or worse) are his favs. He and Meredith met at the Kerrville Folk Music festival and soon thereafter went off to volunteer in India together. There they cared for people dying of AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis at clinics set up by Mother Teresa. This experience had profound impacts on both of them, leading each of them into their current work. Meredith serves as an elementary school counselor. They have two kids, ages 10 and 8, and share a love for the city of Albuquerque that’s contagious.
Julia Manganaro
Choir Director
Julia Manganaro is a native New Mexican who firmly believes that music is community. She has her masters in choral conducting and a BA in music education. As choirs all over the country might be dying out, the choir at St. Chads is growing and thriving. Helping the congregation in worship while encouraging musical literacy among the church is what choir is all about at St. Chads. Julia also likes to give multi-generational opportunities in music. When she isn’t teaching elementary music or choir, you can usually find her chasing around her twin daughters.
Anna Cummings
Co-Youth Minister
Anna Cummings moved to New Mexico in 1995. She grew up on the West Coast and moved to New Mexico in middle school. She and her husband are raising their three children here amongst their family and friends. Anna enjoys teaching Sunday School and working with St. Chad’s Children’s Ministry. Over the years, she has been part of several Episcopal communities, starting with a small Episcopal school in Hawaii, St. Andrews, and including St. John’s Cathedral downtown, St. Francis in Rio Rancho, and St. Thomas in Albuquerque, before finding her way to St. Chad’s. She is a portrait photographer with a studio in Rio Rancho. Being part of children’s ministry brings her lots of joy!
Heather Fernandes
Co-Youth Minister
Hi! My name is Heather Fernandes and I am happy to be a co-leader of the St. Chad’s Youth Ministry Team. I have been a school teacher for 18 years and have taught grades Kindergarten to 8th grade. I have had the pleasure of being involved with youth ministry since I was young, from working in the nursery, planning day camps, and working as a camp counselor. I graduated from La Cueva High School in 2004; Bethany College, Lindsborg KS, in 2008; and National University, San Diego, CA in 2015. I have my degrees in Elementary Education, English Speakers of Other Languages, and Secondary Education. Currently at St. Chad’s I am involved with the music ministry and enjoy singing with the choir. I currently teach 7th grade English at Eisenhower Middle School. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, painting, and all things musical. I have the pleasure of attending church with my parents, Michael and Nancy O’Dell, and my two girls, Madeleine (12) and Charlotte (7).
Sara Tinkcom
Parish Administrator
Sara is blessed to once again serve as the Parish Administrator for St. Chads. She previously worked for a trade organization representing long-term care facilities, the USDA Food Stamp and Food Distribution programs, USDA Agricultural Research Agency, and an Australian oil company. She also worked as a social worker for Child Protective Services, St. Elizabeth's Psychiatric Hospital, and an outpatient mental health clinic.
Ms. Tinkcom earned a Bachelor's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Maryland-College Park and a Master's degree in clinical social work from the University of Maryland-Baltimore. She enjoys gardening and spending time with family and friends.