Mary Peterson, Director of Contemporary Music
My earliest memories of church are of sitting between my parents at St. John’s Cathedral in downtown Jacksonville, my mother and I wearing what I thought of as “doilies” on our heads. In the many places I have lived since then, the Episcopal Church has always been a constant in my life, truly a home away from home. I moved back to Jacksonville, and came to Church of our Saviour as the result of a Google search. But I am sure that God had much more to do with it than algorithms.
I grew up on a piano bench, eventually earning a scholarship to Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. I later changed both my major and my school, but music remained a huge part of my life. In the early 90s, I joined the Folk Mass group at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in St. Louis, MO, and discovered the joy of contemporary Christian music. These beautiful songs remain not just in my head, but in my heart – long after the service has ended. I am thrilled to be working with the COOS music ministry. The wealth of talent, unbridled enthusiasm, and love of “making melody unto the Lord” here are just amazing.
The other loves of my life are my children. My son Jamie is in St. Louis with his 137 pound dog, Hobbes; my daughter Jessica and her husband are in Dallas. When I am not talking, texting, emailing and/or Skyping with them, I enjoy long walks, cooking and baking, and spending time at the beach.