Laughter, tears as rector leaves Marion church

MARION — With mixed gratitude and sadness, St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church said goodbye to its Rector, Geoffrey Piper, and Choir Director and Organist, Leslie Piper. Though there were many tears, there were also moments of levity, power tools as farewell gifts and Batman.  

After 34 years of ministry and more than 11 years in Marion, Geoffrey will retire from full-time ministry, serving as a minister at a parish in Florida for part of the year. The couple will continue to live part of the year in Rochester. 

Bishop Allen M. Gates joined the congregation for an afternoon leave-taking service for the couple on Sept. 29.

The service also offered the chance for parishioners and the Pipers to make remarks. Mattapoisett’s Amy Casi called Leslie a “model of kindness, love and acceptance,” and recalled a time when the choir director was organizing a Christmas pageant and asked children what they wanted to be. One child said “Batman,” and the Pipers went with it. So the pageant included Batman that year. 

The church’s Deacon, Cathy Harper, spoke to the impact that Geoffrey had on the congregation. She said that there was “something very special with this clergy team,” and described how Geoffrey had become like a big brother to her, complete with affectionate nicknames like “The Deaconater” and some brotherly pranking.   

In her remarks, Leslie acknowledged that she couldn’t have done most of what she did without her choir. She said she was “grateful to them for being a group of people I want to be with,” adding that she “will miss them all.” Though she was the group’s director in name, Leslie felt that she was able to “grow as a musician under their leadership.” 

In addressing his congregation, Geoffrey thanked them for the opportunities they had given him, including the chance to take a sabbatical and sing with his family. He believes one of the most powerful things in a relationship is being able to ask forgiveness, and asked it of his congregation for any slights he had given its members in the past. 

“Thank you more than we can possibly say,” Geoffrey said in his remarks. He then reassured his congregation that, “It’s going to be okay without us.” 

The service continued with prayer and, of course, song. 

At a reception for the couple afterwards at the Beverly Yacht Club, the church’s Senior Warden, Mallory Waterman remarked that the Pipers had changed St. Gabriel’s from a nice church to something that truly felt like a family. 

As a leave-taking gift, the congregation bought Geoffrey a planer, as he loves carpentry.