The Reverend David H. May
Rector
In coming to St. Mary’s in July 2018, David was so glad to be returning home. He is a life-long Episcopalian having been baptized at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Tacoma, Washington just before Lent in 1959. Very shortly after, his family moved to Richmond where for many years they were members of the Church of the Redeemer in its old location on Chippenham Road.
David came to St. Mary’s after serving for 12 years as the rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Kilmarnock on the beautiful Northern Neck. Prior to that, David served as priest-in-charge and then as rector for 10 years at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in the Oregon Hill neighborhood of Richmond. In 1993, David received his Master of Divinity degree from the School of Theology at Sewanee. That same year, he was ordained in the Diocese of Virginia and served as assistant rector at the Church of Our Savior in Charlottesville.
David is a graduate of the University of Tennessee (’81, go Vols!) where he received a BA in Theatre; he later earned his MFA at VCU (’87, also in Theatre). Before entering ordained ministry, David worked as a professional actor in New York and in regional theatre for some eight years. He and his wife Emily met at VCU (while working on a production of The Merchant of Venice) and were married in 1989. Emily and David have two adult sons, John and Ben. Emily and David live not far from the church with their wonderful pup, Annie, and their two cats, Joseph and Sarah.
The Reverend Kilpy Singer
Associate Rector
Kilpy was born and raised in Richmond. After graduating from Freeman High School, she attended Furman University in Greenville, S.C., where she studied Religion and Asian Studies. She then went on to receive her Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C. She has worked in a variety of ministry settings, including churches, universities, health-care, and non-profits. She moved back to Richmond in 2020 and worked with the youth ministry of St. James’s Episcopal Church. She then joined St. Mary’s staff in September 2021 as the Director of Youth Ministries. And in May 2022 it was announced that the Vestry unanimously and enthusiastically passed a motion to affirm the calling of Kilpy Singer to be St. Mary’s next Associate Rector. Kilpy was ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons as a transitional deacon in June 2022 and a Priest of the Church in January 2023. In her role as Associate Rector, she continues to lead youth ministry along with other new pastoral roles. Kilpy is married to Blake and they have a silly pup named Milo. In her free time, you’ll find her at the YMCA, exploring the outdoors, and hunting for new music or a good book.
The Reverend Deacon Harrison Higgins
Deacon Associate
Harrison was ordained to the vocational diaconate of the Episcopal Church in 2013 and has most recently served at St. James the Less in Ashland. Harrison will especially be involved in Adult Christian Formation opportunities, but will take his place in the liturgical and pastoral life of our parish as well. Harrison grew up in Richmond and attended Collegiate, Woodberry Forest School, and Davidson College. Harrison worked at furniture maker’s shop and then two years later opened his own shop. He has four children and nine grandchildren. And currently lives in an old log cabin with his wife Susan. He loves making his wife laugh, spoiling his grandchildren, talking to people about God, messing around in the woods in cold weather, and trying to grow vegetables in the summer.