The Rev. L.A. Catherine Wagar
Deacon
An ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, The Rev. Catherine Wagar is currently attached to the parish of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Van Nuys. For the Diocese, she serves on the Deacons’ Council and as a mentor for Deacons in Formation. From 2013 to 2023, she served as a volunteer Associate Chaplain at Olive View UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar. From 2009 – 2021, Catherine and her husband, Bruce Rankin, provided housing and support for refugees and asylum-seekers from several African nations and Iran.
The Rev. Wagar has worked for more than 40 years with human service and nonprofit organizations. Besides consulting, she has held limited-term and transitional senior management roles for periods of six months to three years. As a consultant in private
practice, she has specialized in training managers in basic administration, strategy development, board development, fund raising and finance, with special emphasis on new or start-up grassroots organizations.
She has previously served as a board member for St. Joseph Center (1991-2006); Team Survivor Los Angeles (1999-2008); North Valley Caring Services (2000-2004); Jubilee Consortium (2014–2021); and Canterbury USC (2019-2022).
The Rev. Wagar received her A. B.degree in sociology from Brown University. She attained a C.Phil. in Social-Clinical Psychology at the Wright Institute Los Angeles, serving as a Pre-doctoral Fellow in the Yale University Department of Psychology in Psychiatry. She received
her certificate in Diaconal Studies from the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont (Bloy House) in 2009.
The Rev. Brainerd Dharmaraj
Associate Rector
Shortly after his ordination to the presbyterate, the Rev. Brainerd Dharmaraj started serving at St. Mark's from March 2020. Prior to his coming to St. Mark's, Brainerd served as Deacon at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Simi Valley, California where he was also in charge of the music ministry for a period. Brainerd's ministries include volunteer chaplaincy at the Adventist Hospital in Simi Valley. As a bi-vocational priest, Brainerd's other vocation is in Software Engineering.
Brainerd received his Master's Degree in Theology from the Fuller Theological Seminary and completed his Anglican Studies at Bloy House - the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont.
Brainerd and his wife Esther grew up in South India and were raised in the Anglican Church tradition. They enjoy hiking, watching British television shows, and good conversations around the dinner table.