Help Us Welcome Our New Rector!

With great joy, we announce that the Rev. David Hedges, the current Rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Sycamore, IL, has accepted the call from our Bishop Kirk Smith, as requested by our Vestry, to be the next Rector of our spiritual home, St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. On 14 August, Father Dave will begin his first Sunday at St. Michael’s by officiating the Morning Prayer at 9:00 AM and celebrating the sung Solemn High Mass at 9:30 AM.  His wife, Carly Flagg, and their daughter, Zoe, will arrive later, in time for Zoe to begin class at our parish day school on 18 August.

Fr. Dave received his Bachelor of Arts in History from San Francisco State University in 2002 and his Master of Divinity from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in 2005. He was ordained Deacon at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, in 2005, and priested at St. James Cathedral, Chicago, six months later. He was Curate at St. Mary’s, Crystal Lake, IL (2005-2007), then Rector of St. Peter’s (2007-present). He is passionate about the liturgy, sacramental pastoral care, and about the work of inviting into the church those who are not yet its members. He is excited by St. Michael's because of its balanced blend of catholic liturgy and social action, as well as the presence of the parochial school community.

Fr. Dave is a member of the Brotherhood of Saint Gregory, a religious community of men in the Episcopal Church, whose members, lay and ordained, follow a common rule of life and serve the church on parochial, diocesan, and national levels. Their Rule includes prayer, service, stewardship, and individual renewal among other matters. Brothers may be married, partnered, or single, and aim to follow St. Gregory the Great as "servants of the servants of God" whether in church or in society. Dave was thrilled to discover the sign at the back of St. Michael's saying Soli Deo Gloria, the very motto of the Brotherhood! Shortly before coming to St. Michael's, Dave will become a Novice Brother, and will be properly addressed as Brother Dave for short.

Dave's wife, Carly, will be serving the Tucson community as an American Sign Language Interpreter. She has an MA in ASL-English Interpretation from Gallaudet University, and a BA in Early Childhood Education from Smith College, and taught ASL-English Interpretation at the university level for sixteen years. Other graduate work includes study in Counseling and Developmental Psychology. Carly enjoys yoga, running, gardening, and cooking. She shares with Dave a common interest in letter-writing and postal ephemera. Dave enjoys bowling, photography, and long road trips.
Their daughter Zoe (12) will be enrolled at St. Michael's School. She has been a Girl Scout for six years and has earned her Bronze Award for efforts in increasing community literacy. She also enjoys horseback riding, drawing, and theatre.

As we joyfully welcome our new Rector and his family, we must wholeheartedly acknowledge our congregations’ enthusiastic participation in our self-study, our Nominating Committee’s wisdom and perseverance, our Vestry’s prayerful discernment, our Interim Rector Fr. Richard Mallory’s loving care, Canon Russ Smith’s consultation, the Rev. Canon Megan Traquair’s guidance, and our Bishop’s blessing throughout the challenging process. Alleluia!

Respectfully yours,
Howard Creswell, Junior Warden, and Ke Chiang (John) Hsieh, Senior Warden
3 July 2016