Credentials

Rev Susan Nagy was appointed a Designated Minister on November 3, 2022. Susan has demonstrated she is a consummate professional, a team player and a quick learner. Her skills and background obtained while working in a Toronto based Not-for-Profit community earned her a place with Clergy Support Memorial, with her ministry focus on the arts, wellness and pastoral care. We are happy to support her and encourage her engagement in her new rural community in the Pembroke area.

Community accolades

Susan has a strong sense of social justice, a calling to stand up beside those who need support and be heard. She is considered a good listener and has always found time for others. 

She is the recipient of number of awards that speak to her commitment to community.  

• LAMP Community Health Centre Award of Merit – This annual award by a local health centre in South Etobicoke recognizes local individuals who are making healthy and positive changes in the community. People are nominated by their peers, neighbours, and colleagues.
• Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal 2012 – A number of community members including Susan were recognized by the local MP for extraordinary service and dedication.
• OAEA – Ontario Art Educators Association, Art Educator of the Year Award 2015 – One of the mandates Susan instituted at Lakeshore Arts was ensure that all children had equal access to free arts programming, the challenge with after school programming in her area was many children had roles and responsibilities after school. As a group, she worked with a number of local schools to offer programming within the school, aligning with the curriculum to reach the widest possible audience. The programming they developed was innovative: hiring emerging and established artists in their fields to teach literary skills; spoken word, poetry, visual art skills; photography, drawing and Media studies; photoshop and illustration programs.
• Community Living Employer of the Year 2016 – In her role as the Executive Director of Lakeshore Arts, Susan fostered a relationship with Community Living Etobicoke to provide accessible programming for intellectually disabled adults and in 2012 and hired a part-time employee with their assistance. This individual continues to work with the organization to this date and has become an integral team member. In 2016, the organization was recognized for that partnership. There was no certificate, but they were given a painting by a Community Living member and it continues to hang in the offices of Lakeshore Arts in Toronto.
• Ontario 150 Sesquicentennial Award, Outstanding Citizen 2018 – Ten local community members including Susan were recognized by the local MP for extraordinary service and dedication.

Hobbies

Susan has come to enjoy gardening. Spending time outdoors in a rural setting seems right somehow. “You must be present and focused when planning, planting, weeding, and harvesting. A little bit of prayer goes into nurturing each new growth.”

Then what follows naturally is cooking! She loves cooking and sharing a meal with others. Gathering to talk, eat and laugh together. She follows in the footsteps of her late husband who was an amazing cook and who inspired their three sons to cook with his curiosity for traditional and international cuisine.

Wellness Ministry and Pastoral Care

Susan has held two roles over four years working as a volunteer with “Out of the Cold St. Margaret’s Anglican Church, New Toronto”. She was an overnight Intake worker and then Lead morning coordinator. Susan preferred the morning role as it provided her time to sit and break bread with the guests, listening to their stories and making sure that their bellies were full, their hearts heard as they ventured out to meet the day.

Although she had never worked or volunteered in a hospital, her mother was a nurse and instilled in her the necessity of kindness and patience in care. That wisdom came into play when she became personally involved with Cancer Care.

Susan has experienced how Mental and Spiritual health are critical to our wellbeing. Listening to others, sharing our inner thoughts and feelings, offering solace through our experiences, reading, learning, journalling and ultimately finding joy in our lives.