Clergy and Staff
The spotlight shines on two more members of our amazing clergy and staff this week. Hopefully, you will learn something new about each of them and will come to appreciate them even more. Please remember to use one of the notes in the Parish Hall to express your thanks to them.
KATHARINE ARMENTROUT, Deacon (retired)
Ordained as a Deacon in 2004, joined Holy Family in 2006, and retired in 2023.
- Before moving to Big Canoe to be near their children and grandchildren, Katharine and Scott had lived in Baltimore for 40 years.
- She grew up wanting to be a pediatrician, but decided to go to law school after her children were grown, and spent 20 years as an attorney (including 18 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and 5 at the Department of Justice).
- Her favorite part of the liturgical year is Maundy Thursday which is the most tender of nights and Pentecost which is the most joyous of celebrations.
- Her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 121:8, “The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in from this time forth for evermore.”
- The part of her work she most enjoys is “being able to share the love of our Lord, trying to make a difference in our community, and listening to the stories of those I encounter in my work.”
JACQUES LEBLANC, Sexton
Sexton (from the medieval Latin word sacristanus meaning “sacred object caretaker”) for Holy Family since 2018.
- He was born in Sulphur, Louisiana and was named after Jacques Cousteau (his mother wanted him to have a French-sounding first name to go with his surname).
- His father was a “ferrier” (a horse shoer) working in Texas, California, Oregon, Washington, and back to Louisiana. Jacques eventually learned to be a blacksmith and metal worker after moving to Georgia.
- Jacques moved to Georgia in 1993, fell in love with all outdoor activities, and got to ride a mountain bike in the 1996 Olympics closing ceremony.
- He developed a passion for cooking (with his Cajun flair) when he opened a restaurant with his uncle Jack in 2005.
- His role as Sexton brings him great pleasure in getting the church ready for Sunday services every week.