|
| The Reverend Donna Manocchio |
|
Donna K. Manocchio was born in Hartford and grew up in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Raised Roman Catholic, she attended Corpus Christi School and later Wethersfield High School. In 1978, Donna graduated from Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts, and then spent a year as an Apostolic Volunteer, teaching language arts at a small Catholic school in Chicago, IL.
Upon returning to Hartford, Donna was employed at Aetna for five years as a computer programmer before heading back to the Boston area to receive a Masters in Pastoral Ministry from Boston College in 1986. She then worked as the Director of Parish Social Ministry, helping parishes develop leadership and programs to respond to community needs. Donna later joined the staff at Hartford Seminary, serving first as the Assistant Dean for Continuing Education and later as the Associate Director of the Women’s Leadership Institute. She received certification as a spiritual director in 1992, and continues her ministry of individual spiritual companioning and retreat facilitation affiliated with the Spiritual Life Center in Bloomfield, CT.
Soon after Donna and her family joined Asylum Hill Congregational Church in the spring of 2000, she began the formal path toward of ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ. She began seminary at Andover Newton Theological School on September, 11, 2001, and graduated with honors in 2004. While at Andover Newton, Donna served as the student coordinator for the Interfaith Dialogue between students at Andover Newton and Hebrew College. She was elected to the Jonathan Edwards Honor Society in April, 2003 and received the Herbert Gerzok Award for Christian Social Ethics at graduation.
During her first two years of seminary, Donna served as the Director of Stephen Ministry and student minister at Asylum Hill. Her ministry included worship leadership, pastoral care, and ongoing training of lay pastoral care ministers. She began a weekly prayer service for peace, developed a volunteer ministry at Peter’s Retreat, a residence for persons with HIV/AIDS and helped to develop and lead women’s spirituality programs. Donna was ordained at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in November 2004.
In addition to her ministry at Asylum Hill, Donna has also served as a chaplain at Avery Heights and as the Director of Christian Education for Children and Youth at South Congregational Church in Hartford.
Donna was called to Rocky Hill Congregational Church as part-time associate minister in May of 2004. Donna’s ministry at the church includes preaching and pastoral care, working with church boards and committees and teaching the confirmation class. She also provides support for the prayer shawl ministry and women’s fellowship, and helped form the African drum choir. She is active in ecumenical activities in the town of Rocky Hill, and serves as a co-leader of the Back Bay Mission (Biloxi, Mississippi) Partnership for the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ. She is an adjunct faculty member at Hartford Seminary in the areas of spirituality and interfaith dialogue.
Donna is married to David Lewis. David has been employed at Aetna for 26 years as a computer programmer. When not working, David enjoys playing squash and making music. David sings tenor in the church choir; he plays clarinet in the church orchestra and Capitol Winds. He also plays piano for pleasure and as an accompanist for Saturday evening services at RHCC.
Donna and David are blessed to be the parents of two daughters, Kathryn (age 15) and Rose (age 11). Kathryn is a voracious reader who sings in the church choir. She also plays cello and viola in the high school and church orchestras, and assists in teaching Sunday school with kindergarten and first grade students. Rose enjoys writing, playing soccer and singing with the Rocky Hill ecumenical choir. She plays the oboe in her school band and in the church orchestra. In her spare time, Donna enjoys reading, biking, and playing in the church drum choir. Donna, David, Kathryn and Rose are avid sports fans (Go Huskies!) and enjoy traveling (often by train) around the country.
