Barbara Cavin traveled to the Congo with the Peace Corps
The Reverend Barbara Cavin
The Reverend Barbara Cavin grew up in Minneapolis and attended the Cathedral Church of St. Mark. She has a twin sister and three brothers. For most of her pre-college schooling, she attended the University of Minnesota schools and still considers that university "the real U of M." She chose to attend Colby-Sawyer College (as it is now called) where she studied Medical Technology. While in college, she skied as much as she studied and was on the National Ski Patrol.
Prior to college, she spent a year attending the American School in Lugano, Switzerland; studying, among other things, the French language. She later put fluency in the French language to good use, when, after college, she traveled to the Congo with the Peace Corps, where she taught "Diagnosis of Tropical diseases" and the skills of Medical Technology. A knee injury suffered while in the Peace Corps caused her to return to the United States for surgery in 1973.
The missionaries in the Congo had re-ignited her spirituality and this led her to attend seminary in 1976, after the approval of the ordination of women to the priesthood at General Convention. Coincidentally, her first year advisor at Episcopal Divinity School was Kate Mead; who later would be the Vicar at Holy Cross in the early 1980s.
Barbara was ordained to the diaconate in 1980 at her home church in Minneapolis. She immediately moved to Ann Arbor where she trained to be a hospital chaplain at the University of Michigan Hospitals and assisted at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church. In 1984, she became the Assistant rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1988, she came to Holy Cross, Saline.
She became a Licensed Lutheran Pastor in 1995, so that she could also pastor the congregation of Faith Lutheran Church, ELCA, which shares our building with us and many ministries. When the Lutheran Pastor is away, she is able to be the Celebrant for both congregations. She often leads worship when the two denominations worship together and can lead the worship with either the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer or the Lutheran Book of Worship
She enjoys ministry in Saline with our two congregations. She has shared in the leadership of the Saline Area Ministers and has been involved in the Diocesan and National Church ministry.
Barbara serves Holy Cross as our priest, preacher, teacher; she is available for pastoral services.
