Clergy and Staff
The Reverend David Cobb, Interim Rector
dcobb@saintmarksphiladelphia.org
Father Cobb began as Interim Rector on the Day of Pentecost in 2024. Prior to retiring, he had been Director of Contextual Education at the School of Theology at Sewanee where he oversaw Field Education and taught courses on parish dynamics and pastoral leadership. He has also served as Interim Dean at St. Peter's Cathedral, in St Petersburg, Florida and as Interim Associate Rector at St. James', Madison Ave, NY. Immediately prior to that, in an earlier retirement, he had served here at Saint Mark's as sabbatical supply for two months. While at Sewanee, he was Interim Rector at Christ Church, Chattanooga, an Anglo-Catholic parish on the University of Tennessee's campus. He was rector of Christ Church, New Haven, during his time there he was the founding Convenor of The Society of Catholic Priests, North America, the parish established St Hilda's, an Episcopal Service Corps program. At the request of the Order of the Holy Cross, he edited an updated St. Augustine's Prayer Book, published by Forward Movement. He also served parishes in Chicago, Baltimore, and in Alabama. He and his wife, Ruth, have three adult children and five grandchildren. Until recently, Ruth was interim organist/choirmaster and search consultant for St. Thomas Church, St. Petersburg and had been the Interim Director of Admissions at St. Thomas Choir School, NY, a position she had held for over a decade earlier.
The Reverend Dr. Nora Johnson, Priest Associate for Adult Formation
Mother Nora Johnson has served at Saint Mark's since her ordination to the priesthood in 2013; as Priest Associate, she oversees ministries of Adult Education and Formation. She earned her master of divinity degree from the General Theological Seminary in New York, having begun those studies at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Mother Johnson has served at Trinity Church, Swarthmore, and as a seminarian and lay associate at the Church of the Crucifixion, Philadelphia.
Mother Johnson is Professor of English at Swarthmore College, a position she held throughout her theological studies and continues to hold while serving in ordained ministry. She holds a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a scholar of English Renaissance drama. With her wife Leslie, Mother Johnson lives in Philadelphia and presides over a herd of cats, goldfish, and a little terrier named Tipper who is sometimes seen around the church grounds.
Donald Meineke, Organist & Choirmaster
dmeineke@saintmarksphiladelphia.org
Donald Meineke serves as Organist and Choirmaster of Saint Mark's Church, Locust Street and maintains an active career as a recitalist, lecturer, conductor, and singer. Originally from Houston, TX, he studied at Indiana University and The University of Texas at Austin and has held prominent positions in Chicago, Massachusetts, New York City, and Philadelphia. Additionally, he serves as the Artistic Director of Choral Arts Philadelphia, where he brings his passion for choral music which transforms and inspires through musical storytelling and connection to the human condition.
An ambitious builder of programs, Donald was the Co-founder and Artistic Director of Ensemble VIII, Austin’s premier vocal ensemble for Renaissance and Baroque music. He was the Co-Founder and Director of the 2014 Early Music Festival: NYC which featured over thirty concerts by dozens of local and national ensembles to critical acclaim.
He served as Director of Music and Organist of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in New York City where he led the twice Grammy®-nominated Bach Choir and Players in the internationally renowned Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity series. Hailed as a “fresh voice on New York’s musical scene” (The New Yorker), his Bach Choir’s recording of Samuel Capricornus’ Jubilus Bernhardi, in collaboration with string ensemble ACRONYM, received critical acclaim and was on Colorado Public Radio’s December 2017 “Top 5 Must Have New Recordings” list. His recordings of Capricornus and Bach Vespers have been featured on classical music stations nationally and internationally, including KMFA’s Ancient Voices and WXXI’s With Heart and Voice, and he has appeared as a guest artist on Columbia University-WKCR’s Bachfest.
He served as a choirmaster for the internationally revered conductor and Bach expert, Helmuth Rilling, preparing choirs across Europe and South America for performances of the major choral and orchestral works by Bach, Mozart, and others.
Dr. Thomas Gaynor, Assistant Organist and Choirmaster
tgaynor@saintmarksphiladelphia.org
Thomas Gaynor came to Saint Mark’s from Houston, Texas, where he served as Associate Director of Music & Organist at St. John Vianney Roman Catholic Church. In that position, he doubled the volunteer base of the Vesper Choir, and built an entirely new chorister program of 45 singers. At Saint Mark’s, Thomas directs the Saint Mark’s Singers and works with Robert McCormick, Organist & Choirmaster, to assist in direction of the Parish Choir and the Boy & Girl Choristers, and in leading all aspects of the busy music program.
A native of Wellington, New Zealand, Thomas earned his undergraduate degree from the New Zealand School of Music while holding organ scholarships at the Wellington Anglican Cathedral of St. Paul and St. Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church. In 2012 he moved to Rochester, New York, to study with David Higgs at the Eastman School of Music. He recently graduated with a DMA and Eastman’s highest honor, the Artist's Certificate.
In 2017 Thomas was presented with the Gold Medal and Audience Prize at the St. Albans International Organ Competition. This followed first prizes at the Bach-Liszt Internationaler Orgelwettbewerb Erfurt/Weimar, the Sydney International Organ Competition, and the Fort Wayne National Organ Playing Competition. He also holds second prizes from the Tokyo-Musashino International Organ Competition, the Miami International Organ Competition, and the Arthur Poister Scholarship Competition. He has concertized extensively across North America, Europe, Oceania, and in Japan and Colombia. In 2018, Thomas gave the North American premiere of Jean-Baptiste Robin's organ concerto Fantaisie Mécanique. He is a member of The Diapason magazines's “20 Under 30” Class of 2016.
Sarah Palmer, Organ Scholar
Sarah Palmer, Organ Scholar, recently graduated from St. Olaf College, where she studied with Catherine Rodland and received the Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance. She has been the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, including the AGO/Quimby North Central Regional Competition for Young Organists and the 2021 Ruth and Paul Manz Scholarship. She has a strong interest in playing transcriptions on the organ, and has made many of her own, mostly of orchestral and concert band music.
Daniel Russell, Verger
drussell@saintmarksphiladelphia.org
Daniel came to Saint Mark's in the summer of 2017, having completed a Master of Sacred Music degree in choral conducting from Boston University, School of Theology in Boston, MA. He additionally holds a Bachelor of Music in Sacred Music from East Carolina University, Greenville, NC and a Master of Music in organ performance from University of Houston, Houston, TX. His background in sacred music, theology, and liturgy serves as a solid foundation for him to explore a broader ministry in his role as Verger at Saint Mark's. He is responsible for organizing a great many aspects of the parish life of Saint Mark's. Primarily, he works with the clergy staff to plan liturgies and coordinates the many volunteers who serve at them. Additionally, he manages communications for parish and is building manager and liaison for the care of the buildings & grounds. Daniel continues to ensure a southern accent is heard around the parish.
Gabriela Montequin, Assistant for Family Ministries & Parish Life
gmontequin@saintmarksphiladelphia.org
Gabriela Montequin began as the Assistant for Family Ministries & Parish Life at Saint Marks in 2024 and began attending the parish in early 2022. She grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida and previously worked in theater, film, commercial, and podcast production. She holds an M.B.A. in Film Production from John Paul the Great Catholic University, San Diego, CA and a B.A. in Philosophy and History from St. John’s College, Annapolis. Her work at the parish includes enhancing family ministry, overseeing the 20’s/30’s group, supporting daily operations and event management, cultivating intentional community in the parish rectory, and serving as a liaison for newcomers. As part of her position, Gabriela resides in the parish rectory with the ministry residents and her two cats, Magdalene and Franchesca.
Antonia Benson, Ministry Resident
abenson@saintmarksphiladelphia.org
Antonia Benson is one of Saint Mark’s three Ministry Residents for 2024-25. In this role, she helps coordinate the Saint Mark’s Food Cupboard, assists with childcare before and during the Boy’s and Girl’s Choir Practice, regularly serves at Mass and during Morning and Evening Prayer, and in various other aspects of the daily life of the parish. Raised in Rockport, Maine, Antonia was a 2020 Mitchell Scholar and the recipient of several other awards and scholarships. She attended Dickinson College where she was active in numerous clubs and events. She served as a leader of Dickinson Christian Fellowship and was inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and Theta Alpha Kappa. In 2024, she graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Archaeology and Religion.
John De Witt Walsh, Ministry Resident
jdewittwalsh@saintmarksphiladelphia.org
John came to Saint Mark’s as part of the Episcopal Service Corps in August 2024 and is one of the Ministry Residents. His main duties involve co-coordinating the Food Cupboard alongside Antonia, his fellow Ministry Resident, in addition to assisting the day-to-day workings of the parish office and regularly serving at the various liturgies. John was attracted to Saint Mark’s because of its vibrant prayer life and ministry, and is grateful to contribute to the life of the parish in any way he can. A proud Wyomingite, John graduated from the University of Wyoming with a B.A. in political science, and is always plotting his next escape back to the land he considers second only to Eden.
Laura Summerlin, Ministry Resident
lsummerlin@saintmarksphiladelphia.org
Laura Summerlin recently graduated from Hendrix College in Arkansas this May with a B.A. in sociology and a minor in religious studies. She is a native of Jackson, Mississippi and an alumni of St. Andrew's Episcopal School from k-12th grade. She is a graduate of the 2023 Tomodachi Inouye Scholars Program, and a 2024 inductee into the Alpha Kappa Delta honor society as well. Her work as a Ministry Resident alongside her fellow residents includes assisting the parish office in daily tasks, ministry outreach, and other areas of the church to name a few. She has a strong professional interest in social work and intersectional healthcare, as well as a strong personal interest in crafts and her two cats back home, Bitty and Muffin.
