Get to Know: Deaconess Anne House, Old North St. Louis
On August 30, 2021, Bishop Deon Johnson commissioned four new corps members and a new deacon to serve at Deaconess Anne House for the year ahead at a service held at Trinity Episcopal Church in St. Louis' Central West End.
Deaconess Anne House is the St. Louis branch of the Episcopal Service Corps, a national network of intentional communities in the Episcopal Church. Individual programs in the Episcopal Service Corps are unique, but all are marked by:
- serving others in solidarity
- promoting justice in community
- deepening spiritual awareness and vocational discernment
- living simply in intentional Christian community.
DAH was founded in 2012 in the Diocese of Missouri; its first class of interns came in 2013. The mission is located in Old North St. Louis, in a rehabbed 1890s home on Sullivan Avenue. Old North was once home to Grace Episcopal Church, and much later Holy Cross House (a settlement house) in the neighborhood. The settlement house ministered to the area's poor through education programs, health initiatives, and community services. Deaconess Anne (Hannah Annie Pew) was charged with running the settlement house for six years (1906-1912).
Each of this year's four corps members will be working in service agencies in the St. Louis area (see their introductions below) while they live and worship together in this intentional community. The group invites you to come to Old North to worship with them as they hold "Backyard Eucharists" on the last Monday of every month at 7:15 p.m. (weather permitting). Registration is appreciated, but not required -- visit the DAH website to let them know you'll be attending.
All of our parishes are also invited to serve as parish sponsors to the program. The sponsorship requires both a financial and relational responsibility. If you would like to learn more about being a sponsor, please contact the Rev. Michaelene Miller, DAH Director.
Meet DAH 9.0:
Megan Oakes is from San Diego, California, and recently graduated from college in Seattle, Washington.
Megan is serving her internship at The Youth and Family Center, whose programs educate, advocate, build job skills, and support healthy living across generations.
Erin O'Rourke is from outside Buffalo, New York, and recently graduated from college in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Erin is serving at Rockwell House Episcopal Campus Ministry, a home away from home for students at Washington University, St. Louis University and all colleges in the St. Louis area.
Krista Osborne is from Spokane, Washington.
Krista is serving her internship at L'Arche St. Louis, a care provider licensed by the State of Missouri, and committed to helping change the way people with intellectual disabilities are seen.
Remington Willis is most recently from Sacramento, California.
Remington's internship is at St. Vincent's Home for Children, which helps youth facing significant life challenges through love, security and therapeutic supports that enable them to improve their lives, their families and the community.
The Rev. Deacon Dayna Jewson is serving as the Deacon for Deaconess Anne House this year. Dayna was ordained to the diaconate nearly 18 years ago in the Diocese of West Missouri. After serving two parishes in West Missouri, she and her family moved to St. Louis, where she has also served two parishes. Her background in hospice nursing only enriched her ministry. At Deaconess Anne House, Deacon Dayna will be participating in the liturgy, teaching, meeting with Cohorts one-on-one, and making visits occasionally to Cohorts’ workplaces in not-for-profit settings.
The Rev. Michaelene Miller is the director of Deaconess Anne House. This is her third year leading this program. SheShe has a BA Psychology from Hendrix College and MDiv from Virginia Theological Seminary. Michaelene was also a corps member of the very first class of DAH in 2013-2014.