Meet our Clergy & Staff
The Rev. Tim O’Leary,
Rector
Fr. Tim is originally from Connecticut. He received a BA in History from Princeton University and an MDiv from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale Divinity School. He was ordained a priest on the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, January 28, 2021. Fr Tim has been influenced by Judaism and Catholicism, and discovered Anglicanism while living in Oxford, England. He is interested in Philosophy, Judaism and the Church Fathers. He also loves to cook, travel, and see live music and theater. Fr. Tim’s wife, Phoenix, is a PhD student at Northwestern University in the Interdisciplinary PhD in Theater and Drama (IPTD) program. Fr. Tim began his ministry as Rector of St. Barnabas in September 2021.
If you would like to set up an appointment with Fr. Tim please email him at Rector@saint-barnabas.net
Visit Fr. Tim’s Website here.
The Rev. Mark Ramirez,
Deacon
Mark Ramirez and his wife Anne have attended St. Barnabas for the past ten years and have the privilege of raising their two children Grace and Nathan in this spiritually rich community of faith.
Mark is originally from the San Francisco Bay area. Though his family moved frequently, the Midwest feels the most like home. He received his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Grand Canyon College in Phoenix, AZ. He then went on to earn a Masters in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College.
During his graduate studies at Wheaton, he discovered the Episcopal Church while taking a Church History class by Bob Webber. The first time experiencing the liturgy was a life-changing moment. It was as if worship went from black and white to living color. He began to see the Eucharist as holy nourishment, a transformational process of helping the pilgrim take in the essence of Christ. Now being continually transformed into imitators of Christ, we are all ready to go out into the world to help reconcile a broken world back to God.
Mark has always had a heart for people. In his young adulthood he was a youth leader, camp counselor, and Bible study leader. He also has done summer mission projects in northern France and central Mexico. Being a listener and encourager led him to a career as a psychotherapist and into a ministry of spiritual direction. He also enjoys teaching and mentoring students through his adjunct work at Wheaton College.
As his ministry unfolds, hospitality, prayer for the healing of others and spiritual mentoring will undoubtedly be part of his ministry.
The Rev. Carol Kraft,
Deacon
Carol began serving as Deacon in 1989 after her ordination. She also provides Spiritual Direction and is involved in the financial picture working with the tellers.
She is a retired professor of German Studies at Wheaton College and is the author of two books offering meditations on images in prayer. Her hobbies are reading, knitting and gardening around the church.
Cathy Kuna,
Music Director
In 1982, a Wheaton College Conservatory classmate invited Cathy to visit St. Barnabas. On that first Sunday, Cathy felt she had found her spiritual home; the liturgy, preaching, and singing opened in her a deep experience of God’s grace, and awe in worship. However, having grown up Baptist, Cathy had some spiritual journeying to do, and during college worshiped at Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran and Plymouth Brethren churches. While working on her master’s degree in cello at Northwestern University, she attended St. Luke Episcopal Church in Evanston. Upon graduation in 1990, Cathy moved back to Glen Ellyn, and promptly joined the St. Barnabas choir – finally home.
As a professional cellist, Cathy has had the opportunity to support and experience diverse worship music in many faith practices. She studied choral and instrumental conducting with Dr. Paul Wiens of Wheaton College Conservatory, and was mentored for 24 years by former St. Barnabas choirmaster David Neff. She was also mentored and inspired by the music ministry of clarinetist, composer and improviser James Falzone, former music director at Grace Chicago Church.
In 2014, Cathy was honored to become music director at St. Barnabas, a ministry that brings together her passions: faith, music, liturgy, creative collaboration, and teaching children. She is thankful for the St. Barnabas community of choir, instrumentalists, children, and congregation who lift up praise together so beautifully and generously.
Cathy loves to spend time in mountains, forests, lakes and oceans, where she experiences the wonder, tranquility, and inspiration of our Creator. She is grateful to share life with her wife, Lora, and their dogs, Dune and Jax.
Daniel Segner | Parish Administrator
Daniel Segner joined the St. Barnabas staff in January of 2022 as the Parish Administrator. Alongside his musical career as a parish musician, including positions at St. Mark’s Glen Ellyn and the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, he has worked in a professional capacity as an executive assistant, marketing and communication director, and a variety of leadership positions within non-profit organizations. He directs 2 choirs in the SoundsGood! Choir program in Wheaton (Trinity Episcopal Church) and Downers Grove (St. Andrews Episcopal Church) catering towards adults 55 and older singing a broad variety of musical repertoire in 3 sessions: Spring, Summer (Rocks!), and Fall (including seasonal music). You can learn more about these program and how to participate here: Sounds Good Choir Chicago. In the wider community, Daniel is celebrating his sixth season on the artistic staff at Anima-Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus as their accompanist and works as the Organist for the First United Methodist Church of La Grange under the musical direction of Dr. Semanik.
Angela D’Onofrio,
Director of Parent’s Day Out (PDO)
Angela D’Onofrio is the director of our early childhood program, PDO. She has been working with children as a day care provider, church program director and teacher, nanny, as well as youth group leader and dance instructor for twenty years. She has taught hundreds of students dance throughout the Chicago area including spending 10 years as the Ballet Mistress for a civic ballet company that produced full length classical ballets with children and professionals. She was most recently the coordinator of children and youth at St. Barnabas and is also a mom of an awesome 3rd grader.
After originally studying dance and biblical studies in college, Angela turned her education goals toward teaching. She has earned her Child Advocacy Certification and English degree through the University of Illinois Springfield and is close to completing her coursework to gain her Teaching Certification. She is also a substitute teacher in a near-by public school district. At PDO, she is singer, crafter, and teacher, and loves meeting the needs of each child and fostering their growth, as well as building relationships with families and supporting their journeys through the early childhood years.
Angela has been blessed by being a part of the community of St. Barnabas and is passionate about helping others find their spiritual home here.