Letter from the Vestry

June 23, 2025

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint David’s,

The Vestry of Saint David’s is very pleased to announce that we have selected a Priest-in-Charge who will be joining Saint David’s on September 1, 2025. 

Our new Priest-in-Charge is The Reverend Abby d’Ambruoso, who comes to us from her most recent position as pastor to Holden Village.  Abby, her husband Will, and their two children (ages 12 and 15) will be relocating to the island in August and moving into the rectory.  They are a family of boaters and outdoor adventurers who know the San Juans well.  As you might imagine, coming from a two-year call as pastor to Holden Village, Abby and her family are very familiar with remote living, including the joys of ferries.

Abby was ordained in the Lutheran Church and is one of the roughly 250 ministers nationwide who currently serve in leadership and pastoral roles in both Episcopal and Lutheran churches.  Nationally, the Episcopal Church and the Lutheran Church have been in full communion since 2000, allowing for Episcopal priests to serve Lutheran congregations and allowing Lutheran pastors to serve in the roles of Episcopal priests.  Abby is also a Board Certified Chaplain, and she is fully bilingual in English and Spanish.

As our Priest-in-Charge, Abby is called specifically to enter into a two- to three-year period of mutual ministry with us, with the goal of identifying how the people of Saint David’s see the congregation thriving in the future, and then developing a plan together to bring that vision to fruition.  During that period, the people of Saint David’s will decide if we want to call Abby as our permanent rector, or if we wish to pursue other options – and Abby will be discerning, too, on that same question.  The Bishop and the leadership at the diocese have told us they’re very excited about this opportunity for us and for Abby.

If you have any questions, please contact any one of the vestry members for more information.  We are blessed to have Abby joining us and bringing her deep faith, broad experience, energy and enthusiasm to us as our new priest.  We ask your prayers for Abby and her family, and for us, Abby’s new church family, as we begin our journey together on this sacred road of mutual ministry.