Clergy and Staff

Vestry Class of 2023. Barbara has been a member of St. Martin's for over 15 years. She has chaired the forum committee, co-led youth pilgrimages to South Dakota, and sat on the community engagement committee. Barbara and her husband have been raising their sons (16 and 21) and building our spiritual lives while trying to manage the pressures of our professions, kids' lives, and other family relationships. Barbara is an attorney with a specialty in public transit transactions, with 30 years of hands-on experience leading government projects. She has found that the keys to her success have been respect and listening to each other so all can better understand our differences and find a common way forward. Barbara’s favorite hobby is taking long walks/hikes to settle her soul and following it up with coffee and laughter with a friend. Barbara has been blessed with the many wonderful people in her life she has met through services, activities, and prayer at St. Martin's, and she is honored to serve on the vestry.

Born and raised in Arizona, Noor (she/her) moved to Philadelphia to attend Temple University, from which she graduated in 2019. Her full name, Noor Sophia, is derived from Arabic and Greek and means “Divine Light and Wisdom”. In her free time, Noor enjoys reading (her favorite book is Beloved by Toni Morrison), practicing piano, and spending time outdoors. She is also a bilingual speaker of English and Italian. Throughout college, Noor studied a variety of religious traditions and she is now excited to learn more about the Episcopal faith through her work at St. Martin’s.

When St. Martin’s Church welcomed volunteer singers into the adult choir in 1981, Connie (she/her) volunteered. She is still singing, and the choir has grown from nine to 35. Her St. Martin’s journey has included choir librarian, three soup kitchens, board of Women of St. Martin’s, outreach committee, book room (now out of circulation) reorganizer and coordinator, clerk of the vestry and, her favorite, playing Peppermint Patty in St. Martin’s production of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown in 1986. Currently she works alongside over 100 parishioners as liturgical coordinator, with hopes that many more will come on board. A graduate of Cornell University with a major in English, Connie taught in Ithaca High School and in the Wissahickon School District for 17 years. She and her husband, Dick, a retired research chemist, have lived in their Fort Washington home for 46 years where they raised three sons. They are fortunate to have three grand-daughters who live nearby. When Connie and Dick are not busy at St. Martin’s, they enjoy musical events, visits with family and friends, and travel, near and far.

Anne Alexis Harra (she/her) was born and raised in Wilmington, DE. She and her beloved partner, Cole (he/him) currently live in Manayunk. Anne Alexis graduated from Washington College in May 2019 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Philosophy.

Anne Alexis has served on the Diocesan Council in the Episcopal Church in Delaware, as well as the Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission, and the Diocesan Assessment Committee. Since moving to Philadelphia in January 2021, she has served on the DioPA Youth Leaders Team and the DioPA Dismantling Racism for Youth Leaders Team. She is passionate about children's spirituality and using education as a force for good in their spiritual lives.

Beginning with the waters of baptism, Anne Alexis has devoted her life to serving God in the Episcopal Church. Raised on Godly Play in Sunday school and moving into a tight-knit youth group, she is aware of the positive impact that the Church’s presence can have in the life of a young person. She is passionate about encouraging children and youth to explore their faith on a personal level while also committing to a community-centered effort to enact change for the greater good.

Anne Alexis is passionate about racial justice and healing, as well as advocating for the rights of children in the context of the Christian faith. She hopes for a church where all of God's beloved are welcomed, heard, and included. She seeks and envisions a church where every member feels the true love of God in Christ. Anne Alexis is deeply aware of the profound impact of Jesus' unyielding love for all, including the most tender and vulnerable in our society: children. Hopeful for a day when all marginalized peoples are treated with equity, she continues "to seek and serve Christ in all persons." The Baptismal Covenant and Sacrament of Eucharist guide her ministry.

Anne Alexis’ father owns and is president of a local funeral home in Wilmington. Some of her earliest childhood memories include observing him engage with bereaved families in a way that can only be described as ministerial. Her mother is a hospice nurse who guides her patients and families through a dignified palliative care stage. Anne Alexis’ parents have left a huge impression on her heart. A ministerial goal she has at St. Martin’s is exploring the often taboo topics of dying and death in the hopeful context of the gospels.

In her free time, she enjoys weightlifting, reading, spending time with her family (notably her godson, Will), and watching new shows with her beloved cats by her side. She and Cole enjoy trying eclectic restaurants in their neighborhood -- observing COVID restrictions, of course!

James (he/him) worked as the weekend Sexton for many years at St. Martin’s assisting with set-ups, special events and Sunday hospitality before being hired on full time in December 2011. James lives with his wife Avis. Their adult son Joshua also lives in Philadelphia.

The Rev. James H. Littrell (Jim) will serve at St. Martin's to preside at Sunday services on a transitional basis in summer 2022. More detailed bio to come!

Tyrone (he/him) writes, “I am beyond excited to have been appointed as the next Director of Music at St. Martin-in-the-Fields and I cannot wait to begin working with you all. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work in such a faithful, progressive, and musical church with such a wonderful tradition. My husband, Sean and I look forward very much to meeting you all.”

A prize-winning organist and conductor, Mr. Tyrone Whiting is a graduate of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and the Royal College of Music, both in London, UK.

In September 2017, Tyrone was appointed Director of Music at Grace Church in Newark, New Jersey, USA and began work there in February 2018. At Grace Church, Tyrone extended the Chorister Choir School program, developed and expanded the adult choir, and founded a brand-new adult chamber choir, Brick City Chorus, raising the profile of music at Grace Church and the Arts in Newark, NJ.

He has been fortunate to perform at some of the top churches and venues including Westminster Abbey, the Royal Albert Hall, St. Sulpice and Le Mans cathedral in France, as well as featuring in Trinity Wall Street’s Pipes at One series last summer.

Prior to Tyrone’s arrival in the USA, he was Director of Music at St. Mary’s Parish Church, Battersea from 2012 to early 2018. At St. Mary’s, Tyrone established a biennial recital series as well as a new fully funded choral scholarship program, and conducted several large-scale concerts including Mozart and Fauré’s requiems, J. S. Bach’s St. John Passion, and Stainer’s Crucifixion. Collaborative work included conducting a recent commission by prominent British composer Simon Bainbridge written for the Choir of St. Mary’s, as well as working as accompanist for the Philharmonia Chorus under conductors Stefan Bevier and Yaron Traub.

Passionate about teaching, Tyrone was awarded the Licentiateship diploma of Trinity College, London (LTCL) in Instrumental/Vocal Teaching with a high distinction and worked in and around London as a teacher of organ, piano, and theory. He was formerly Head of Music at Elmhurst Independent School for Boys for 3 years and worked as an animateur in London schools and the London Mozart Players.

As a pianist, Tyrone has studied with Philip Fowke, Andrew Zolinsky, and Alvin Moisey. He performs often as a soloist, accompanist, and répétiteur, holding the Licentiateship diploma of the Royal School of Music (LRSM) in Piano Performance.

More information about Tyrone can be found at www.tyronewhiting.com.

Maya (she/they) graduated with a degree in religion from Haverford College in 2019 and has lived in West Philadelphia since 2020 after growing up in Wisconsin, California, and Massachusetts. She loves cooking big meals, making playlists, playing bass with her band, and praying with friends. New to the Episcopal tradition, Maya harbors a love for queer theology and a desire to grow attuned to the rhythms of church life.