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Welcome!
Fr. Patrick Michaels
Fr. Pat born in San Bernardino, California, on April 28, 1955 and was ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of San Francisco on December 4, 1982.
He spent two years at St. Kevin Parish in San Francisco and another two years at
St. Elizabeth Parish in San Francisco. He spent the next three and a half years at St.
Gregory the Great Parish in San Mateo. Four and a half years were then spent at St. Timothy Parish
in San Mateo. Fr. Pat was pastor at St. Raymond Church in Menlo Park for the past twelve and
a half years. He has been pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for the past fifteen years and now joins Star of the Sea as our pastor.
"Life is the source of the material I use in teaching and preaching. That is how I
understand the word 'evangelization': our sharing of God’s ongoing revelation through
his Word and our life experience. I also believe that 'faith' is a lifelong process of living
by which our relationship with God develops."
Father's interests lie significantly in the arts and how they give expression to deeper
truths. He practices a variety of forms of art, from painting to cooking.
Jen Moran
Jen comes to us from a long and varied career in Marketing that includes time spent at Ave Maria University as the Marketing Manager. Most recently, she served as Marketing Manager for a civil engineering firm in San Francisco.
A California native, Jen has lived in several different states across the country, but always finds her way back to California. She and her husband, moved to Sausalito earlier this year and are settling into life in our community. Jen enjoys potted gardening, stand up paddle boarding, and doting on her children and grandchildren.
She is settling into the routine of our parish office and is happy to join our team in supporting our community. Jen looks forward to getting to know each of you and to assisting you as needed.
Gwyneth Varn
Gwyneth is a retired (mostly) business professional with a long career in IT, finance, and nonprofit management. A big fan of lifelong learning, Gwyneth received her MBA in 2015 from Dominican University, where she also tutored accounting and related business courses. She continues to work with students to help them navigate the sometimes mind-numbing intricacies of accounting. She enjoys being part of the team at St. Mary Star of the Sea, working with Fr. Ginter, Jen, and the dedicated members of the Parish Finance Council to keep the Parish in good order as faithful stewards of the church’s financial resources.
Gwyneth enjoys spending time in her garden, traveling, hiking, and camping. She also volunteers at the Redwood Empire Food Bank which serves thousands of Sonoma County individuals and families, helping to reduce food insecurity throughout the North Bay.
Robin Olive
Music Director
Robin Olive, originally from England and has been involved in choir music as a talented musician all his life. He has performed as a guest organist with orchestras and has broadcast on live radio. Robin was responsible for replacing the church's original organ (upon its demise) with what some consider the finest organ of its type in Marin County. While his repertoire is not limited to a single musical instrument, his joy is to present the finest organ music possible.
Heléna Tietze
Heléna Tietze is a classically trained pianist, cellist, and vocalist. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Heléna grew up singing for the San Francisco Archdiocese and has participated in several local and national ensembles (such as the National Honors Choir and the National Orchestra Festival). She has attended the Kodály Summer Institute at Holy Names University in Oakland, California, and she completed her undergraduate studies in Music Therapy at Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she served as principal cellist in both the symphony and chamber orchestras. Following board certification as a music therapist, Heléna went on to specialize in work with the end-of-life population. Heléna is passionate about helping others find community and meaning through music.