St. Mark’s English Church welcomes a new chaplain, music director and cultural events administrator in a series of changes at via Maggio 16.
Arriving on June 1, Father Chris Williams will lead the congregation as the permanent new chaplain, joined by his wife, Bernie. Born in London, Chris served as rector at St. Mary’s Church in Liss, Hampshire (England) for 13 years.
“Moving from the wide-open spaces of a leafy Hampshire village to the bustle of central Florence might pose its challenges, but it’s an adventure my wife and I are very much looking forward to,” commented Father Chris Williams on his imminent arrival. The couple first visited Florence for their 25th wedding anniversary in 2010, where they enjoyed the much-loved opera programme at St. Mark’s.
Another recent arrival at St. Mark’s is events and communications administrator, Dominique Musico, an Australia-born Italian citizen. With a background in digital communications and events planning, Dominique speaks about the “rich history of cultural events and community activities” at St. Mark’s, and says, “As we continue to offer more of this wonderful programme, I look forward to expanding our cultural events to include a diverse range of events, concerts and classes.”
St. Mark’s retained its active role in the community throughout the pandemic, providing a variety of musical and cultural events across various platforms, keeping the community united throughout the periods of isolation. Now, the in-presence calendar has returned, with opera performances, Italian classes for beginners, armchair drama sessions and documentary screenings among the many events planned. A new music director is also set to arrive in the autumn.
