Clergy and Leaders
Fr. Petero A.N. Sabune
Throughout a wide-ranging career in the Episcopal priesthood, Fr. Sabune has tackled issues as global as the acceptance of women priests in Africa and as local as the food insecurity of his neighbors in Mount Vernon, NY. Though technically retired, Fr. Sabune most recently served as Priest-In-Charge at the Episcopal Church of Saints John, Paul & Clement in Mount Vernon, NY.
A native of Uganda, Fr. Sabune attended Vassar College, and graduated from the Union Theological Seminary. He was ordained to the Episcopal priesthood in 1981. Ever since, he has served in parishes in New York and New Jersey. As Dean of Trinity and St. Philip’s Cathedral in Newark, NJ, he became very involved with Episcopal Community Development, Inc., a nonprofit group focused on rebuilding low-income neighborhoods and providing affordable housing. In New York City, he was Vicar for Community Ministry at St. James’ Episcopal Church.
Fr. Sabune served as a Chaplain at the maximum-security Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, NY. for 10 years. And he was named Africa Partnership Officer for The Episcopal Church, traveling throughout the continent with Bishop Katharine Schori—the first woman elected as a primate in the Anglican Communion—to strengthen the church’s relationships with its partners there.
Fr. Sabune's rich ministry has stretched from parish priesthood to prison chaplaincy, and has included service on the diocesan, national and international levels. He is well known for the care and compassion he offers to colleagues and prisoners alike and for his thoughtful speaking and writing about justice and reconciliation.
Rev. Mary Robinson White
Mary is a native Tucsonan. She graduated from Tucson High School and the University of Arizona with a B.A. in Elementary Education. She taught school in AZ and CA as a primary teacher and credentialed Reading Specialist. During that time, she earned a Master of Religion Education degree from the University of San Diego. Later, she attended Church Divinity School of the Pacific and was ordained to the diaconate in 1994 and to the priesthood in 1995 for the Diocese of California. Since ordination she has served in parishes in AZ, CA, NY, and VT. During those years she earned a Diploma in Congregational Development from Seabury-Western. She takes pleasure in helping to develop healthy, lively churches whose people love each other because God first loved us and then share that incredible love with their everyday communities.
She and her husband John have three adult children. They spend a great deal of their time fixing up the Jefferson Park house where Mary grew up. She says, “It is an amazing blessing to be back home in Arizona and to have time with family and friends. If caliche did not exist, I think I would have died and gone to heaven.”
Now to the question that everyone asks, “What do I call you?” Mary says, “If you feel you want to give me a title, Rev. Mary works. I know it is grammatically incorrect, but it works. Please do not call me “Mother Mary.” I grew up Roman Catholic and that will always mean the Blessed Mother to me.”
Bishop’s Committee
Catherine Penn Williams - Sr. Warden
Kate Jewett-Williams - Jr Warden
Nanalee Raphael - Treasurer
Gloria DiCenso Sprietsma
Maria Vindiola
Deborah Tigue
Tim O’Connor