Our Staff Members

Fr. Jim Kiesel  (Pastor)  Fr. James Kiesel was appointed the new pastor of Church of the Holy Apostles, effective July 1, 2010. Previously, he was pastor of St. Dominic parish in Baltimore. More information about Fr. Kiesel will be posted soon.

Keith Chase  (Deacon)  Education: Archbishop Spalding High School, Towson University, University of Baltimore, St. Mary's Seminary & University Degrees: B.S.; MBA; M.A. (Theology) Deacon Keith brings his experience as a husband and father to ministry. He understands the challenges of living a Christian life in today's world. Keith and his wife Pauline live in Severna Park with their four children. He works for a financial service company in Baltimore. Keith was ordained a Deacon on May 21, 2005.

Sr. Angela Case  (Community Life and Adult Programs)  Education: Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia; Beaver College, Glenside, PA Degree: B.S., M. Education Sister Angela brings a variety of pastoral experiences to Church of the Holy Apostles, including past service as a teacher, principal and pastoral minister in North Carolina, Maryland and New Jersey. She shares a strong spirituality and the ability to listen and work cooperatively with various ministries in our community. A Baltimore native, Sister Angela has been a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Philadelphia since 1970. Her ministry at CHA involves supporting the growth and development of community life and programs for adult Faith Formation.

Michelle Chervenak  (Office Manager)  Education: University of Maryland, College Park Degree: B.S. in Family Studies Michelle brings to the Parish Staff a friendly smile, a kindly and patient personality, and many organizational skills. Her background in Family Studies greatly enables her to address the needs of the families and individuals who are Church of the Holy Apostles. She and her husband, Tom, live in Gambrills with their two daughters, Anya and Alli. They have been members of Church of the Holy Apostles since 2004.

Michele Dougherty  (K-8 Faith Formation, High School Ministry and Sacraments)  Education: California State University - Fullerton Degree: B.A. in Business Administration Michele's creativity, experience as a catechist, and attention to organization and detail are gifts that she brings to CHA ministries. Her love of children, desire to know God better and share that faith and knowledge with others are essential to her ministry. She willingly shares these gifts with the children, their parents and the catechists who minister at Church of the Holy Apostles. Michele, her husband, Jeff, and their two children, Emma and Sean, became parishioners of the Church of the Holy Apostles in 2001.

Katie Kauffman  (Liturgy and Music)  Education: Catholic University of America Degree: Bachelor of Music Katie brings her experiences in both teaching and music to our community. Her music education background, vocal and piano talent and teaching experiences have added to the Music Ministry program here at Church of the Holy Apostles. Katie has served as either the director of music or music minister at various parishes in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia. She serves as the accompanist for the music ministry team and also directs the Joyful Noise Children's Choir. Katie lives in Silver Spring, Maryland and teaches music at Beltsville Elementary School.

Annette Mulry  (Infant Baptism and Marriage Preparation)  Annette's ministry in the parish centers around preparation for the Sacraments of Baptism and Marriage. As Family Life Coordinator, Annette is building on her previous experience when she and her husband, Chris, served as a Home Host Couple in the Baptismal Ministry, and trained as a Sponsor Couple for Marriage Prep. Annette feels that this position complements her service to the various parish ministries in which she is currently involved. Annette and Chris live in Gambrills and have three children, Stephen, Anna and Elizabeth.

Nancy Lerch  (Middle School Ministry)  Education: University of Maryland, College Park Degree: B.S. in Family and Community Development Nancy brings her experience with children of all ages and her background in education to support and enhance the growth of the Blaze ministry. Nancy collaborates with the parish staff and the Blaze triad leaders to provide spiritual enrichment, outreach, and social activities for the youth of our parish in Grades 6-8. Nancy, her husband, Greg, and their three children, Christian, Bethany, and Jacob, live in Crofton and have been parishioners since January 2001.

Kelly Miller  (Parish Accountant)  Education: University of Maryland, College Park Degree: B.S. in Business Management Kelly brings her gifts for organization and detail and years of accounting experience to her role as bookkeeper. Kelly's professional independence is balanced by her cheerful attitude and willingness to work with the Council for Stewardship and Development and the various ministries to meet the mission and vision of Church of the Holy Apostles. Kelly, her husband, Rob, and their three children, Becky, Sam, and Elizabeth, reside in Gambrills and have been parishioners since Fall 1999.

Gisela Barry  (Bible Studies and Seniors Ministry)  Gisela brings an eclectic array of experience, knowledge, interests and resources to the Church of the Holy Apostles. A self-described “life-long student”, Gisela spent her earlier years in the medical administration field and later furthered her education with classes in finance, computers, and web design. Gisela came to Holy Apostles in 2005 while a student at Trinity University in the Education Parish Service program. Gisela completed her certificate from Trinity in 2006 and became a parishioner of CHA as well as remained a staff member. Gisela’s current ministries include working with the seniors of the parish, adult bible studies, lectures and other enrichment activities, and assisting with many outreach activities.

Most members of our staff can be reached via E-mail or please feel free to contact us through our contact form.