Leadership Council
The leadership council is the governing body of the community elected by the membership and dedicated to fulfilling the mission of Mary of Magdala. The Council shall be responsible for making and implementing decisions on behalf of the membership - from financial decisions to outreach ministries. A clergy representative who has been invited to serve the community by the Leadership Council shall exercise leadership with respect to matters of theology, spirituality and liturgy.
The governing document is its constitution, approved in April, 2013 along with a Covenant signed by each member. The Leadership Council meets seven times annually on the second Monday of the month to chart the course of the community. (February, April, May, June, September, November, and December.) Meetings are open to any community member who would like to attend.
We welcome all your questions and comments! marymagdalaFC@gmail.com
Laity and ordained.
Guided by the Spirit.Leading from the heart
Leadership Council Membership
David Cloyd - Co-Chair
I have been a member of Mary of Magdala since its inception and currently serve on the leadership council . I am now retired and have time to dedicate to the life and success of this community. I have previously had a medical practice here in Fort Collins.
I am also involved with the Family Housing Network and serve on the Social Justice Committee as well as The World Wisdom Project. I have many interests including photography. I feel that my experience can continue to contribute to Mary of Magdala.
Lisa Jones - Secretary
I want to Thank the community of Mary of Magdala for voting me on to the Leadership Council. I have been a part of the community since the planning stages and birth of our community I was drawn to the ECC because of its inclusive beliefs and yet allowing me to still practice the ritual of the and Catholic Mass and traditions I was raised in. The growth of our church is amazing and I want to be a part of that. I love the joint partnership we have ventured into with the 301 Faith Partners showing our ability to be part of a multi-spiritual community. I currently also am a member of ISAAC ,Interfaith Solidarity and Accompaniment Coalition , the 301 Faith Partners Immigration Task Force and a member of the MoM Social Justice Committee. I am looking forward to working with the leadership council and the community of Mary of Magadala in our spiritual growth
Lisa Jones
Laura Templet
I was raised Roman Catholic in New Orleans. When I moved to Colorado, I attended the Roman Catholic Church until I heard about ECC and Mary Magdala Community. After attending the first service, I felt I had found my spiritual home again.
I grew up living across the street from the church in a parish near New Orleans not far from where I was born.
I love being part of the 301 Faith Partners community and I have tried to connect and contribute in ways when I have time. I
feel a connection to serve and attend the Social Justice Committee meetings and help when time permits. Two years ago
I had time in the summer to help plan and work in the community garden.
I appreciate that David Cloyd reached out to me to see if I was interested in serving on the Leadership Council and I feel honored to be accepted and part of that committee. As far as my personal life, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and I still work part time at CSU in the Health Network as a mental health professional for CSU students. I have a female spouse of 25 years and we have adopted 2 girls from the Foster Care System. I also have two grown sons from a past marriage. I have 3 lovely grandchildren.
Mary Magdala ECC has been a touchstone for me and I feel that as an individual human the values and principles held by this community is aligned with my own. When I am not working, parenting or helping others, I enjoy cooking, writing,gardening, listening to music, spending time with granddaughters, traveling, and walking our family dogs.
Bruce Yeazell
Married for 50 years, three children and three grandchildren. B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Cincinnati. Associate Director for Procter and Gamble, now retired. Currently a volunteer driver for elderly and disabled with organization called SAINT, which always needs more drivers ( I can provide info on SAINT if interested in driving).
Michael Six - Co-Chair
The genuine welcome and inclusiveness of the people of Mary of Magdala drew me into the Ecumenical Catholic Communion. The opportunity to serve and grow in my spiritual journey has invited me to become part of the leadership at Mary of Magdala. I have spent most of my career in education and healthcare. Currently, I serve as the director of patient experience and physician development for a healthcare system. At Mary of Magdala, I have had the opportunity to join the liturgy community and serve as a lector. It is my hope that, as part of the leadership council, I can give back to the community to help support the growth and sustainability of the welcoming spirit of the ECC and of the people of Mary of Magdala.
Mother Rosean Amaral, Pastor
The radical welcome and true hospitality spelled out in the ECC Constitution first drew me to Mary of Magdala. I served on the steering committee during our discernment period which led to joining the ECC. I am a lector, member of the Foot Washers and the Adult Education ministry, and an ordained priest with the Ecumenical Catholic Communion. Thanks to the open arms of the community, I am free to join my "YES!" to the many faithful who have come before me! My gratitude to all of you!
Reverend Jane Reina, Associate
Pastor
Jane says she is still touched by the Mary of Magdala Community. As a member for the last four years she says: “As soon I walked into Mary of Magdala for Mass, I could feel the prayerfulness of the community and that they ‘walked the talk.’ I had recently moved from New Jersey and was looking for a Catholic Community that was open, inclusive, and lived the Gospel. Mary of Magdala welcomed me, and more. I also wanted a church that was part of something larger, and Mary of Magdala is part of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion. I am home in an independent church that is connected to other independent churches in the catholic tradition, one that invites everyone to the Table of Christ.
Pedro Engel
I was born in Colombia, raised as a Roman Catholic but I became an agnostic in my late teens. After marrying, I went to Mass only occasionally to support my wife, Cathy. I often felt emotionally drained and angry after the services, owing to the messages I typically heard there. These messages certainly cemented my agnostic stance, which hid a certain inner spiritual dissatisfaction. Eventually, after dabbling in various spiritual traditions, I became aware of the existence of a reality larger than just physical reality.
In 2013, Cathy and I found Mary of Magdala on the occasion of its induction into the Ecumenical Catholic Communion. Bishop Peter Hickman, who presided over the induction ceremony, left me truly dumbfounded during his powerful homily. He talked about inclusion, openness, total acceptance, mutual respect for each other and a loving attitude that literally took me back to perhaps the first century CE, when there must have been a lot of enthusiasm in what is now Christianity, for this new way of thinking and being.
After that crystallizing event, I was hooked on Mary of Magdala. Following many decades of total sacramental absence, I started taking communion again, given the welcoming given to all to partake in this sacrament. Both Cathy and I have been part of this amazing congregation ever since. After being a lector for several years, I wanted to be part of the leadership council as a small way to serve this incredibly welcoming community, which has nourished my spirit so consistently.
Carol Yeazell
Being new to Fort Collins and missing our Cincinnati parish, we read mission statements of FC churches. Mary of Magdala immediately met our expectations as an inclusive, welcoming community committed to social justice. Arriving during Covid was awkward at first, but we kept zooming and finally came in person. It has been a gift to find a welcoming parish so quickly and become involved in parish life.
