Our Pastor
Pastor
Born and raised in West Texas, Father Brett learned early the value of loving folks just as they are. He graduated from McMurry University with a Bachelor's degree in Christian Ministry and went on to earn a Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Union. He completed his residency in clinical pastoral education at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and today serves as a board-certified hospice chaplain in Central Texas.
His path to the priesthood grew from a conviction that Christ's table belongs to every person, without exception. A priest of the Independent Catholic Ordinariate, he now pastors Holy Spirit Catholic Church, an inclusive community in Georgetown, while also providing support as a grief counselor and chaplain for a local hospice agency.
Beyond his ministry, Father Brett enjoys walking his three dogs, tending a menagerie of reptiles, and diving into sci-fi lore, all of them constant reminders, he says, that every creature is beloved and every story sacred.
Our Deacon
Deacon
Born and raised in H. Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Deacon Elsa graduated from Escuela Normal J. Guadalupe Mainero with a double major in Psychology and Elementary Education. She came to Austin unable to speak English, studied English as a Second Language at Austin Community College, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Bilingual Education and a Master of Arts in Human Services from St. Edward's University. She taught in the Austin Independent School District for 30 years before retiring in 2016.
Her path to the diaconate grew from a deepening life of faith. After worshiping in several Catholic churches around Austin, she found a spiritual home in the inclusive Catholic tradition, where she studied its history and theology and took part in Bible classes, diaconate formation, the Theological Institute, and conferences. Feeling called by the Holy Spirit to serve God's people, and supported by mentoring clergy, she was ordained to the diaconate on October 30, 2021 by the Most Rev. Mark Elliot Newman, Presiding Bishop of the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch.
Deacon Elsa gives thanks to the Holy Trinity, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to all who support her ministry in prayer, and she continues her religious education through ongoing study. Beyond her ministry, she loves teaching and performing Mexican folk dances, traveling, sewing, embroidering, crocheting, hiking, growing plants, and caring for her two parrots and two tortoises.
