Jerry Mamrol

Before my wife Margie and I discovered St. David’s in 2004, our faith was an important part of our lives but one kept in a neat, tidy, Sunday-morning box. We were both raised as Roman Catholics, which provided us both with a clear sense of right and wrong from a very young age. However, as we grew into adulthood the practice of our faith was but one dimension of our lives; one that competed with two careers, travels abroad as expatriates, and then finally the hustle and bustle of raising 3 children. It is at that point, after having relocated to Northern Virginia in early 2004, that we started to attend St. David’s. It was the point at which our faith started to become an integral part of our everyday lives.

I was born and raised in the Philadelphia area, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Electrical Engineering, and accepted a job with GE Aerospace in King of Prussia, PA. Twenty-three years later, I am a Program Director in the same general business unit although the corporate name has evolved to Lockheed Martin. I met my wife Margie at Penn and we have been married for 18 wonderful years. After spending three years abroad outside of London, we returned to the USA and have been blessed with 3 incredible children: Derek (10), Justine (8), and Owen (5).

Upon moving to Ashburn, our first encounter with St. David’s was with Justine and the pre-school. We were very pleased with the nurturing environment and decided to attend services here. From the first time we attended mass we could tell that St. David’s was unique. We felt a real sense of community here that we had not experienced before. Since that time, our faith and commitment to St. David’s has grown each year. Today, we thoroughly enjoy celebrating at the Family Service and accompanying adult sermon each Sunday. Derek and Justine serve as readers (not just yet, Justine!), acolytes and ushers. Margie joined and now leads a Shepherd group, is a founding member of the GIRLS Group, and serves on the Communications Committee. I myself actively participated in the Truth or Consequences workshops and have recently joined a Shepherd group.

I have been incredibly blessed in my life, and want to share that blessing through service to the parishioners of St. David’s. The relevance that my faith now has in my everyday life is a gift that I hope everyone can discover for themselves at St. David’s, and I want to help them discover it in any way I can.