The Rev. Laurel Dahill was welcomed as the new Rector of St. Mary’s-in-the-Hills Episcopal Church with a special evening Service of Renewal of Ministry on Wednesday.
The church is on Joslyn, next to Canterbury Village.
The Rt. Rev. Wendell Gibbs, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, presided at the service which included a celebration of the Eucharist, participation by other Episcopal clergy from the region, and music by the St. Mary’s choir.
The Rev. Dahill comes to St. Mary’s after serving for four years as Rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Big Rapids.
She grew up as the youngest of seven children in an Irish-Catholic neighborhood outside of Boston. Before studying for and being ordained to the priesthood, she worked for more than a decade as an artisan and designer for theater, film, and museum installations, corporate production, and event design. She also worked as an emergency medical technician.
The Rev. Dahill earned a Masters of Theological Studies and a Masters of Divinity from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL.
She said she would characterize her ministry as one of always seeking to reconnect to God.
‘Whether it’s through service, education, or worship everyone has a special way that makes them feel God’s presence in their lives. My calling is to connect people with whatever it is that reconnects them with God,? she said.
Rev. Dahill is the ninth Rector in the 60-year history of St. Mary’s. Her predecessor, the Rev. Christine Humphrey, served for 17 years before retiring in the fall of 2011.
For more information contact the St. Mary’s office at (248) 391-0663, or Rev. Dahill at (248) 648-0995 or by email at laurel.dahill@stmarysinthehills.org.