Welcome Newcomers! (Fall 2015)

This past Sunday we read God's promise in Revelation: "See, I am making all things new!"  One of the beautiful ways that God is renewing us at Canterbury is by bringing newcomers to worship and work with us, week after week!   This past Sunday we celebrated and welcomed newcomers who have come to Canterbury over the past 6 months.  I hope you will join me in welcoming:

Amy & Larry Malick 

The Malicks moved to Albuquerque two years ago, returning to the West after living on the East Coast 15 years. The each grew up in Colorado, and raised their three children (now grown, with a total of seven grandkids) in Durango.

Amy advocates for people experiencing homelessness and marginalization due to mental illness, addiction, and entanglement with the criminal justice system. Her particular focus is women, and she facilitates a weekly support group with women experiencing violence and homelessness, helping them connect with each other and with resources to build the lives they want.

She serves as a member of the pastoral care team at St. Martin’s Hospitality Center with the Mission to the Homeless project of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande. She is a board member of Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless and a covenanted member of the Companions of Mary the Apostle, a New York-based new monastic community

Sundays at St. Martin’s is the fourth church serving unhoused and housed people Amy has been involved with. She helped start Church by the Pond In Hartford, Conn., 15 years ago, lived and worked with Ecclesia Ministries of Newburgh, N.Y., for a year, and moved to Albuquerque to work with the congregations of St. Martin’s and Community of Hope.

After retiring from a career in law, Larry is doing a variety of volunteer activities, including tutoring ESL, recording interviews with veterans for the Library of Congress, and leading a meditation group and serving on the board at La Pasada, a transitional re-entry program for men and women leaving incarceration. He dabbles with writing, and is reading everything he can about the Vietnam War as research for a novel.

Amy and Larry came to Canterbury to meet Sylvia, whom they’d heard was coming to Albuquerque via St. Gregory of Nyssa. They fell in love with the Miller-Mutias and the congregation on their first visit.

Kate Bolintineanu (& Baby Gabriel)
My name is Kate, and I am a new member of St. Thomas of Canterbury. My husband Dan and I first came to St. Thomas back in 2012 to receive marriage counseling before our wedding and returned for the baptism of our son, Gabriel, in 2015. We love the friendly folks at St. Thomas, as well as all of the ways in which we are encouraged to be involved in church life. I am an artist and teacher by training, having received my B.A. in Art and M. Ed. in Art Education from the University of Minnesota. I primarily paint and draw, but I love to dabble in clay, digital art and photography, and traditional handcrafts like wool felting and glass fusing. I taught high school art for nearly 4 years in Los Lunas before our son was born. I met my husband Dan at the University of Minnesota while taking a ballroom dance class. Together we love to travel, hike, mountain and road bike, as well as snowboard (although lately we've put a pause on most of these activities with a new baby at home!) Right now we are loving our new roles as parents and enjoying time with Gabriel as we watch him grow (too fast)-- quick! We need to child-proof our house! Our families live in Canada and Wisconsin and we miss them very much. We try to get back to our other "homes" as often as possible, and love hosting visitors as well in beautiful New Mexico.

Dan Bolinteineanu  (and Baby Gabriel)
I was born in Romania, and grew up there until my family moved to Toronto, Canada when I was twelve. I moved again to attend graduate school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I met my lovely wife, Kate. After graduate school, I took a science/engineering job at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque. Both my wife and I thought this would be a temporary move, but four years, one house purchase and one awesome baby later, we feel comfortably and happily settled here. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with our 9-month old son Gabriel, reading, riding my bike, being outdoors, and renovating our house (okay, maybe 'enjoy' is too strong a word for that last one). We initially came to to Canterbury in 2012 to receive our premarital counseling, and after a long hiatus, returned recently to have our son Gabriel baptized. The wonderful services, clergy and congregation at Canterbury have kept us coming back since, and we very much look forward to becoming more involved in the church in the future.

Kirby Lewis  I'm an Okie, 66, and a retired UNM Hospital clerk.  I enjoy Jesus novels, science fiction and war movies, college football, vegetarian food, beer, and liturgy and chanting.  My family includes a daughter in Ohio and two dogs.  Most of the time I am well behaved.

Matt Gilbert (our new sexton):  Hello, my name is Matt Gilbert. I've resided in Fairbanks, Alaska the last several years, but originally, I'm from Arctic Village, Alaska. A village in the far north among the Brooks Range. I'm happy to begin working here at Canterbury as your Sexton and will hopefully blend into the community. I will be starting courses this spring at the University of New Mexico toward a Masters in Elementary Education. I have been an Episcopalian all my life, my grandfather is the Episcopal Priest of Arctic Village. I hope to do well here and finish my degree. Thanks very much (Mahsi). 

Nick Tollardo          Hello, I am Nick Tollardo, and I am very new here at Canterbury. Currently I am working on my bachelor’s in psychology at the University of New Mexico. I plan on graduating in the fall of 2016 and then shortly after moving into my new degree plan regarding my master’s degree in psychology. I am partnered romantically and blessedly with Victor Torres Jr, who attends Canterbury as well. We have been together over a year and a half and are looking forward to our 2nd year anniversary coming up in January of 2016. We both had wanted to practice the Christian faith and luckily it was a great trait we shared in common. School is tough but I am determined to better my life and my future so I have been and will be working very hard to attain my ultimate goal of having a Psy-D, or doctorate of clinical psychology. I look forward to my time here at Canterbury and have many high hopes for letting God lead my life.

Victor Torres Victor is a student at CNM, who is interested in pursuing a career in social work. Victor and his partner Nick participate in our Couple's Group at Canterbury, as well as Campus Ministry. 

Lorenzo Baca & Moriah Montoya Lorenzo and Moriah are undergraduate students at UNM.  They participate in Canterbury's Couples Group and are looking forward to getting married in May!   

Jessica Morales, Alvaro Ulloa (and Gabriel) Jessica and Alvaro are graduate students from Peru, studying at UNM.  Their son, Gabriel, is in pre-school.  They worship at Canterbury's monthly bi-lingual service and participate in Canterbury's Couple's Group. Jessica is looking forward to participating in the Music that Makes Community conference with the team from Canterbury in January and bringing what she learns to our bilingual service.


Robert Solorio Robert recently relocated to Albuquerque from Wisconsin.