July 23, 2024

St. Andrew's Calls a New Rector

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

We are delighted to announce the call of our new Rector, the Reverend Maria “Mia” Kano of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in East Longmeadow, MA. Mia has served St. Mark’s since May of 2022. Mia was ordained an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Massachusetts in 2020. She previously served Grace Church, Medford through the Episcopal Service Corps program, Life Together, and as Assistant Rector at St. Andrew's, Wellesley. Mia grew up in Connecticut, but her family and spouse hail from Eastern Massachusetts. She earned her B.A. in Religion (Islam) from Middlebury College in Vermont and her M.Div. from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. 

Mia stood out to the Search Committee as a thoughtful and energetic leader. They were impressed by her contextual preaching, optimistic leadership, and ideas for energetic creativity. The Search Committee was particularly impressed by her experience with outreach and community organizing, especially around social justice ministries. They felt she was an excellent fit to help drive our local involvement and visibility and expand social justice work at St. Andrew’s.

We are looking forward to welcoming Mia, her husband Aaron, their two children, Auggie (3 years old), and Fiona (almost 2 years old), and the family dog to St. Andrew’s. We anticipate their move to our local community by October, with Mia’s first Sunday as Celebrant and Preacher on October 6th.

We are eager to introduce you to Mia and all the Kano’s in person in early October. Until then, please remember them in your prayers.

Yours in Christ,
Jenny Outman & Patricia White, Wardens
The Vestry of St. Andrew’s

Working with your organized, steadfast, and communicative search committee and wardens was very encouraging! I was impressed by your investment in your children's program and your creative exploration of creation care ministries. I was drawn in by your authentic desire to deepen your outreach into the wider community to serve your neighbors and share the blessings of a loving community.

In the next couple of months, I'll be closing out my ministry as priest-in-charge of St. Mark's in East Longmeadow in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. Our family's move back East feels like a homecoming of sorts; I became Episcopalian in the Diocese of Massachusetts in my early twenties and was ordained as a priest by Bishop Gates in 2020. My husband, Aaron, grew up in Wayland, Massachusetts and works in software development in Cambridge. Our children, Auggie (3 years old), and Fiona (almost 2 years old) love singing church songs and asking big questions about God. We're looking forward to getting to know each of you and becoming part of your parish family so soon!

Much gratitude to the hard work of your search committee, your wardens, and Canons Martha Hubbard and Kelly O'Connell for guiding this process and listening closely to God's dream for God's church.

Blessings,
Mia