Meet Our Priest In Charge

Reverend Stephanie Shoemaker

Answering a call to ordained ministry later rather than earlier in my life, I came to this work from a variety of vocational backgrounds including teaching, motherhood, social service, the arts and arts management.  Following graduation from Bryn Mawr College in 1962, my husband, then a medical student in Albany, NY, and I were married. I can’t boast that I am a lifelong Newporter, but my family has lived on the island since June 28, 1969, the day the Newport Bridge opened to traffic. We came because of Naval orders and stayed because we loved the area. My husband established his surgical practice here and became involved in one design sailboat racing. He has retired from surgery, but still sails competitively and is currently chairman of the Newport School Committee. Our three children grew up here and have now established their own careers and families across the country.

Having been a parishioner at Emmanuel Church over twenty five years ago, I am not a stranger to this parish, but have deep affection for it. Emmanuel was my sponsoring parish for ordination to the Diaconate in 1991. From here I served at St. Matthew’s in Jamestown for three years as deacon and then went to The Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA to study. After ordination to the priesthood in June 1996, I served as Associate rector of St. Columba’s Chapel in Middletown until January 1, 2001 when I was called as rector of St. John the Divine in Saunderstown. I retired from St. John’s on January 1, 2008.

I am actively interested in discovering new ways the gifts the Episcopal Church has to offer can connect with people in a fast paced, swiftly changing, overburdened and anxious cultural climate.