On June 1, 2008, Alex and Nancy began their ministry as the clergy at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Sooke, BC. 

They came from St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Borrego Springs, California where they had served for the last seven years. “Even though a congregation was there since 1975, we were the first clergy to serve there year round. As soon as we arrived as full time clergy, the mission qualified to become a parish.”  St. Barnabas was served first by visiting clergy who came on Sunday morning and returned home Sunday afternoon and then by two retired clergy from the Anglican diocese of British Columbia. The first resident priest who served during the six month winter season was The Rev. Canon Horace (Sheila) McClelland - retired chaplain of Shawnigan Lake School. He was followed by The Rt. Rev. Ron (Ann) Shepherd - retired bishop of this diocese.

Alex comes to Holy Trinity with 39 years of ordained ministry. From 1964/65 he studied graduate Philosophy at the University of Ottawa. He was present for the first unfurling of the maple leaf flag and the singing of the national anthem. He then went to Rome for his master’s degree in Sacred Theology. After priestly ordination in 1969, he joined the faculty of the graduate school of Theology for Ministry at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. For the next 13 years he lectured in Dogmatic and Moral Theology, Liturgics and for the last five years he also directed the Theological Field Education program. He earned a Ph.D./S.T.D. in Moral Theology in 1975 at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium writing a dissertation on Liberation Theology. He has ministered in Roman Catholic/Episcopal Hispanic and Anglo parishes in Texas, Oregon, Idaho and California.

Nancy, who is nearing her 10th year of ordination in October 2008 has been busy within her own expressions of ministry.  First she has been a spiritual director since the ‘70s.  While ministering in Idaho at Trinity Episcopal Church she created an after school program for high school students called “The Gathering Place” which won her recognition within the community as well as receiving a tri-state Leadership Award from the Director of the FBI.  She began visiting mentally ill prisoners for spiritual direction at Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center (PWCC) and has continued by returning twice a year since leaving Idaho in 2001.   While ministering at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Borrego Springs, Nancy began and directed a Retreat Center for the parish as well as leading the Women’s retreats for the Diocese for four consecutive years prior to moving to Canada. 

Both Nagys also received multiple awards from the Educators of the State of Idaho and were the only two clergy selected to serve on the ID State Governor’s Board for the Decade of the Child.

The Nagys were drawn to Holy Trinity by the welcoming congregation, their worship and outreach program, especially the weekly free Friday lunch program – Vital Vittles – that serves the community and the newly rebuilt parish building, as well as the just refurbished but already rented rectory.