ABOUT

Deacon Susie McNiff

I’m a lifelong Episcopalian and grew up in the city of Chicago. My mother, two sisters and I worshipped at  Church of Our Savior. I knew from an early age that faith was an important part of my life.

In my early twenties, I worked for several Wall Street firms, passed my Series 7 Exam and  was planning on becoming a  stockbroker. But at the age of 25, my career took a detour. While on vacation in Haiti with my family, I visited  St. Vincent’s School for Handicapped Children in Port-au-Prince. I was immediately captivated by the Episcopal nuns and their work with blind, deaf and disabled children. I fell in love with the children and knew I had to return and work there. In the fall of 1985, I left the investment world in Boston and went to volunteer at  St. Vincent’s for a year. It was a turning point in my life. I found profound joy and fulfillment working with children and met lifelong friends. The country and people of Haiti blessed me in ways I could not have imagined. Six months later, my time there abruptly ended. The repressive, brutal Duvalier regime had ignited a revolution in the country. On February 7, 1987,  President Jean-Claude Duvalier was overthrown. 24 hours earlier, the American staff at St. Vincent’s was evacuated and I was on a plane home.  I realized two things; my commitment to Haiti would be lifelong and my career would be dedicated to working with children.

In the years that followed, I enrolled at Bank Street College of Education in New York City, where I completed my Masters Degree in Childhood Education. Charlie and I were married and started our family. On Sundays, I volunteered in my son’s toddler church school class at Heavenly Rest. What started as a volunteer job would soon become a career. I was offered a job as The Director of Christian Education at St. James in New York City. I discovered that I could combine my interest in children’s education with a passion for formation and spirituality. And the rest they say is history!  For the next thirty years, I have worked at churches both large and small. For the past twelve years, I have been the Director of Christian Formation for St. James the Less in Scarsdale, NY. Like most Formation folks. I can be found teaching a Holy Communion class, planning a trip to the Holy Land, leading children’s chapel, streaming a Morning Prayer service. No day is the same! I am a Community of Hope International facilitator, Godly Play facilitator, Chaplain to the Saint James the Less Nursery School, monthly preacher, teacher and committed Christian. In May 2019, I was ordained a Deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of New York.

Charlie and I live in Scarsdale, New York. We have two grown children: A daughter Gerogina and a son, Gordon. We have a daughter Eugenie, who is a senior in college. In my spare time, you can find me playing golf, walking our dog, or enjoying time with friends and family.