Fr. Peter Fabre’s journey can be best described as a later-in-life response to a life-long call to ordained ministry.

 

Born in Mexico City, Mexico, then immigrating to the United States, blessed him with a multilingual, multicultural perspective on life. Life took him some unexpected places, all of which worked together to prepare him for eventual ordained ministry, though it might not have seemed like it at the time: A short career in travel agency management while taking evening college courses; being drafted into the US Army during Vietnam, then immediately enlisting in the US Navy’s Nuclear Power Program.  Marrying the love of his life, Barbara, early in what would turn out to be a full Navy career.

 

Serving with distinction aboard several nuclear submarines, and at the Nuclear Power Training Unit at Windsor, Connecticut; and teaching reactor principles, design and thermodynamics at the Navy’s Navy Power School in Orlando, Florida.  Graduating summa cum laude with a BS in Biology (pre-med) at Florida Southern College. Following retirement from the Navy, working at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station for 23 years; in a variety of supervisory positions in training, regulatory compliance, quality assurance, and human performance enhancement.

Fr. Peter engaged in lay leadership and ministry throughout those years whenever the opportunity arose: Vestry member and Jr. Warden at St. Mary’s, Phoenix; Sr. Warden, EfM mentor and choir member at St. Andrew’s, Glendale, including an 18-month period functioning as lay interim until a new rector was called; and Hispanic Missioner at the Church of the Epiphany in Tempe, during which time he embarked on a non-traditional seminary education through Fuller Theological School and Claremont School of Theology, while continuing to work full-time at Palo Verde.

He took an early retirement from Palo Verde in 2008 to undertake his last year of seminary in a residential setting at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. He returned to Arizona and was ordained to the Transitional Diaconate in June 2009. He was ordained to the Priesthood in January 2010, serving as Assisting Priest for Hispanic Ministry at Trinity Cathedral.

Fr. Peter celebrated his first Spanish Eucharist at St. Christopher's on Palm Sunday 2010, as Associate for Hispanic Ministry, later becoming Priest-in-Charge on an interim basis in 2011, following the untimely retirement of the Rector. In 2012, he became our long-term Priest-in-Charge.