Clergy

The Reverend Patricia S. Downing has served as Trinity Parish rector since 2008, having previously served as rector of Good Shepherd Parish in Silver Spring, Maryland. She was educated at the University of Vermont and the General Theological Seminary, New York City. She serves on the Old Swedes Foundation board and helped negotiate the agreement by which Old Swedes became part of the First State National Historic Park. Mother Downing is secretary of the Program, Budget and Finance Committee of the Episcopal Church and a trustee of the General Theological Seminary. Within the diocese, she has served as president of the Standing Committee, vice-president of Council, member of the diocesan finance and personnel committees. She is a deputy to General Convention. Reflecting Trinity Parish’s commitment to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect (for) the dignity of every human being” (Baptismal Covenant), Patty is treasurer of ACLU of Delaware, on the board of the Coalition to Dismantle the New Jim Crow, active with Delaware Repeal of the Death Penalty, and Equality Delaware, among other community organizations.

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Called to Trinity Parish in 2018, Charles Lane Cowen holds a M.Div. from the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, and a B.A. in drama from the University of Dallas. He has served on various diocesan committees in the Diocese of Rhode Island, including two years on the Commission for Congregational Development. He also served as the interim director of the Episcopal Charities Fund of Rhode Island, where he oversaw the development of new volunteer training programs and promotional materials. Charles was trained as a theater artist and storyteller, which he has incorporated into his passion for studying and teaching Holy Scripture. Charles’ theological reflections on Holy Scripture have been published by the Episcopal Digital Network, Seminary of the Southwest, and Modern Metanoia—a lectionary-based blog for millennial church leaders. Charles is a passionate advocate for the arts and arts education, and he enjoys attending theater, music, and dance performances.

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The Rev. Dr. Marta Illueca graduated from the University of Panamá’s School of Medicine and specialized in Pediatric Gastroenterology at Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York, where she joined their faculty until 2003. She then worked for the pharmaceutical industry in Delaware until 2014. Marta is a graduate from Berkeley Divinity School, the Episcopal Seminary at Yale University and was ordained to the priesthood in 2019. By supplementing her theological training with a degree in Pain Medicine from Tufts Medical School, she is developing innovative programs for physicians and clergy on the spiritual dimensions of healing. She is the co-creator of a scientifically validated Pain-Related PRAYER Scale (PPRAYERS) in collaboration with experts from major academic centers and the lead for the diocesan Pain and Prayer Project. Her work will soon be expanding into the Hispanic/Latino space in the U.S. and Latin America. Rev.Marta is very fond of her Latin American heritage and is looking forward to her ministry at Trinity Episcopal Church. Marta began her ministry at Trinity Parish in February 2023.

Contact Rev. Dr. Marta Illueca