Our Clergy

Peter R. Walker, Incumbent

Peter Walker was born in Toronto, and educated at Lakefield College School. He is a graduate in Arts of Trinity College, University of Toronto, where he held the position of Organ Scholar. After studying theology at Oxford. he returned to Canada to spend a year in pastoral training; he was ordained by Archbishop Garnsworthy, and served a curacy at Christ Church Deer Park, where he met his wife Ginny.

Between 1982 and 1992 Peter served successive Incumbencies at St. George, Pickering, and at Our Saviour, Don Mills. Before returning to Toronto, Peter was Incumbent at St. Peter, Cobourg, for sixteen years.

Early in his ordained ministry Peter pursued more advanced theological education at TST. He has continued to teach throughout his career, especially at the Cobourg Campus of Wycliffe College, where he launched a Lay Diploma program in Theology.

Trained as an organist and choral conductor, Peter founded the Tallis Choir of Toronto in 1977 as a skilled ensemble specializing in the performance of Renaissance and Baroque music. For twenty-five years he served as Artistic Director, conducting choirs and orchestras, making recordings and managing an arts organization. As he states, “Unquestionably music is one of the prime tools of worship, evangelism, and outreach available to Anglican parishes and a key to resurgence.”

During his time in Cobourg, Peter led the congregation in a $6.7 million Millennium Project, which ultimately allowed expansion of the physical structure and the opening of a Pre-School in 2005. That same year, an outreach project centered in Malawi provided food, health care, and education for 250 AIDS orphans from St. Mark’s Church in Mzuzu.

Peter and Ginny have three adult sons who grew up largely in Cobourg, Ontario, during Peter’s Incumbency there. Ginny is a Primary school teacher specializing in French Immersion and Kindergarten. Peter's many leisure time pursuits include running, cycling, cooking, travel, and the arts.

Chris Caton, Associate Priest

After a full career in the insurance industry, Chris Caton retired from role of senior Corporate Executive with an international insurance broker. In 2004 he graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Trinity College, Toronto.

Chris first served at Grace Church as a Lay Pastoral Associate. In 2005 was ordained a transitional deacon and then priested in 2006. He is now Associate Priest of the parish and is responsible for the servers. Chris is an experienced pastoral counselor who specializes in helping people with workplace wellness and work/life balance. He is married to Maggie and they have two grown children, a son Neil and a daughter Jessica.

Rachel Kessler, Assistant Curate

Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Rachel Kessler came to Toronto in 2004 to pursue a PhD in Medieval Studies. After finishing her degree, Rachel felt called from academia to the church. Rachel received her Master's of Divinity from Wycliffe College and was ordained a transitional deacon in May 2011.

At Grace, Rachel is engaged with all areas of parish life, with particular focus on creating opportunities for Christian enrichment. Rachel is also at work on social media initiatives for the parish.

Rachel is married to Leeman, who is usually on stage somewhere in the city. In her free time, Rachel enjoys baking, books and movies, obscure board games, and hanging out with her boarder collie/lab mix puppy Bilbo.

Read Rachel's Blog!

 Marlene Carscallen, Parish Deacon

Marlene Carscallen has been the Deacon at Grace Church on-the-Hill for 14 years and a member for almost 30 years. She is a graduate of the Toronto General Hospital School of Nursing who later returned to school and received her BA from Woodsworth College and her M.Div. from Trinity College.

Upon graduating, Marlene joined the Flemingdon Park Ministry, before continuing on to be Chaplain in  Lincoln Place Nursing Home and then Coordinator for the Diaconate in the Diocese of Toronto. Although since retired as Coordinator, she continues to be active with the Community as their Pastor and Chair of the Review Committee for the Diaconate.

At Grace Church, Marlene is a member of the Cariboo Group, and does pastoral visiting.

 Marlene has four adult children and seven grandchildren. She likes to garden, read, listen to music, go birding, and spend time with her grandchildren

Catherine Hamilton, Honourary Asisstant

Catherine Sider Hamilton was ordained priest in 1994 while serving as Assistant Curate at Grace Church. She has also been Chaplain at Havergal College and Associate Priest at The Church of St. John the Baptist, Norway (Toronto).

She is currently a full-time doctoral student in New Testament Studies at Wycliffe College in the Toronto School of Theology. Her previous studies include a B.A. (Honours) in English and Latin from Trinity College, University of Toronto, an M.A. in Classics from Queen's University, Kingston, studies at Yale Divinity School and an MDiv from Trinity College.

Catherine enjoys writing, especially on church-related issues. She has been published in Best Sermons 5 (Harper/Collins 1992) and is the editor of The Homosexuality Debate: Faith Seeking Understanding (ABC Publishing, 2003). She also enjoys music -- she was a serious violinist and pianist and now delights in playing jazz duets on the piano and the Bach Double Violin Concerto with her son Robbie (13); she has sung with the Tallis Choir of Toronto and has sung with all of her children in turn in the choirs of Grace Church.

Catherine is an avid (if very amateur) tennis player and prefers walking, running, or cycling to planes, trains, and automobiles any day. She lives in Toronto's Greektown with her husband David and their four children: Caitlin, Nicholas, Sarah, and Robbie.

Susan Rodgers, Parish Nurse

Susan Rodgers joined our staff in October 2010.  She began her nursing career in 1970 when she trained at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto. After receiving  her BSc in Nursing from the University of Toronto in 1974, she began working for the Victoria Order of Nurses, a connection she still maintains.

While Susan was home raising her four children, she took courses at the Toronto School of Theology at University of Toronto that led to a Master’s degree in Ministry and Spirituality. After that, she enrolled in the Parish Nursing Program at McMaster University.

A parish nurse, Susan says, is one who looks at a person in a holistic way. “Nurses in the health care field are extremely busy, and it’s very hard for them to engage in a whole mind/body/soul connection,” says Susan. “People who are ill often find themselves in spiritual crisis.” Susan understands the interplay between physical health and mental/spiritual health and can take the time to see the connections in people’s lives and offer spiritual counseling along with practical advice.

Susan’s office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and every 4th Sunday. You can reach her at 416-488-7884, ext. 124 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .