Our Clergy
Our Priest –
Our new Priest, The Reverend Dr. Carolyn Rosen, answered the call to walk into the future as part of the St. Dunstan’s community on 18th August, 2021. We heartily welcome our new Priest, Carolyn, her husband, Aaron and their son Arthur to our family!
While we are eager to resume in-person worship when it’s safe, we have adapted. Using Zoom rather than recorded or streamed-only services permits and encourages worship to be interactive and for us all to check in with each other after the service. As our new Priest spends some time at her home out-of-state Zoom also enables us to be together as a church family when located in different states.
A Message from The Reverend Dr. Carolyn Rosen –
I’m honored to be your Priest-in-Charge, and a part of the St Dunstan’s family! My husband Aaron, our son Arthur, our puppy Basil, and I are utterly delighted to be here.
I come to you having been Rector of St Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Billings, Montana, and I was ordained a priest there in 2018. I spent about fourteen years living in the United Kingdom, first in Oxford where I did my B.A. and later in Cambridge where I began my theological training. I also hold an M.A. from Oxford and a PhD from the University of London. My academic focus is early modern French, and my primary theological interests are church history, liturgy, music and social justice. I also teach at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. where I offer courses on church music as well as environmental justice.
I love going for big, family walks in Maine, playing with Arthur all day, gardening, reading, playing the piano, cooking and baking. I’m so excited to keep learning more about all the members of our St Dunstan’s family, and to grow in faith and walk in love all together!
The Rev. Dr. Carolyn Rosen
Ordination Held at St. Dunstan’s –
Approximately 90 people gathered in person at Saint Dunstan’s and virtually via Zoom on Monday, August 9 to witness the ordination of Tracy Shaffer to the Sacred Order of Deacons.
Bishop Thomas James Brown officiated at the service and The Rev. Cannon Stephen Muncie offered the homily which highlighted the aspects of both service and the prophetic voice of the deacon and the role the office plays within the church and the larger community.
During the offertory, over $750 was collected for the United Thank Offering (UTO) to further help its mission in awarding scholarships for theological study and granting project related funds to Episcopal churches throughout the country on an annual basis.
Thanks to those who attended and to those who offered prayers for the service. And a special thank you to those who participated in the liturgy and hosted the reception.
Tracy’s first assignment from Bishop Brown is an appointment to Saint Dunstan’s for one year.
[Below photos, courtesy of Muffet Stewart, show Rev. Cannon Muncie delivering the homily and Bishop Brown and Deacon Shaffer concluding the service before the recessional.]
Our Deacon –
Reverend Tracy Shaffer, our current deacon, was called to ordained ministry as a member of St. Dunstan’s in 2015 and entered the formal diocesan discernment process in 2018. As part of her preparation, she completed a two-year cohort learning experience with the Province One School for Deacons, graduating in December of 2020.
Tracy has been a resident of Ellsworth since 2013. She built a retirement home in Maine after retiring from Verizon and its predecessor companies after a career of over 25 years. She decided on this area because of its proximity to her mother as well as to a family camp on Gouldsboro Bay.
A key interest in her retirement or next chapter was and is community service. With that in mind, a call to the diaconate seems to be a natural fit and a response to a sense of call discerned much earlier in her life to ordained service.
Tracy is single, remains an active Rotarian after serving as President of The Ellsworth Rotary Club in 2018-19, enjoys engaging in community service including Everybody Eats! Free Community Meal, likes to dine out with friends (pre-Covid) and spend time at camp.