Our Staff

Reverend Katie began her ministry here at St. James Santiago on September 1, 2025.

Katie was ordained in the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande in 2021. Since that time, she has served as a curate, working with the Vicar, Fr. Mike Wallens, to cover 5 parishes (!) in the Big Bend area of TX.

Katie grew up in Cleveland OH, earning a degree in Education (History and Spanish), and taught high school Spanish and Theology in Cleveland. She’s excited knowing part of her ministry here will involve working with St. James Santiago School.

In 1988, she felt led by the Holy Spirit to leave teaching and become a lay missionary with Maryknoll. Katie served and worked with folks in Barinas, Venezuela as well as in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, working in  local parishes.

Soon after leaving Maryknoll, with a focus on human rights, she began working on both sides of the border with various organizations in several states (AZ, CO, TX) as:

• Coordinator in an Educational Immersion Program

• Associate Director/Grant Writer, working with teens

• Coordinator of a Bilingual Program

• Executive Development Director for an Immigrant Advocacy Center

• Caseworker and then the Director in a Diocesan Migrant and Refugee

• Services, for both resettlement as well as unaccompanied minors

As a seminarian, she served with various parishes in Texas as a Deacon, pastoral counselor, vestry member, worship leader, grant writer, led Bible studies and workshops and so much more.