Pastoral Council
Church of the Incarnation
A Multicultural Catholic Parish · Charlottesville, VA
Patrick Decker
Chair
2023-2026Hello! I am excited and honored to join the Pastoral Council. A Charlottesville native, I joined Incarnation in 2022 with my wife, Marie, and our children—Emmett, Calvin, and Anastasia—and we have been grateful for the parish’s strong sense of community and family life. I would love to meet you and hear about your experiences, so please don’t hesitate to say hello!
Jency Sundararaja
Vice Chair
2025-2028Jency serves as our Vice Chair and is a professor at University of Virginia. A dedicated lector at Sunday Mass, she brings both thoughtful leadership and a deep love for the church to her service on the Pastoral Council.
Ofelia Alonzo
Pastoral Council Member
2024-2027Hello! My name is Ofelia Abundio Alonso, a proud Mexican from Puebla and a parishioner of Incarnation since 2009; I am a mother of three and carry a deep devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Michael, a faith strengthened through both joy and the loss of my daughter, Camila, in 2021. Since then, I have become more involved in parish life, serving as director of Labor Social and assisting with the Ministry of Funerals and Pláticas Católicas, and I am honored to serve on the Pastoral Council for the next three years.
Elena Riestra-King
Pastoral Council Member
2023-2026Elena Riestra King, affectionately known as “Nene,” is originally from Quito, Ecuador, and has lived in the United States for over 50 years. A member of the Pastoral Council, she also serves as a Eucharistic Minister and supports the Hispanic community, helping foster unity between our English- and Spanish-speaking parishioners. Grateful for the support she received after moving to Charlottesville in 2021, she is honored to continue serving our parish community.
Fran Slayton
Pastoral Council Member
2023-2028Fran Cannon Slayton is serving her second term on Incarnation’s Pastoral Council, having first served in the 1990s; she and her husband have been parishioners for most of the past 25 years, and her mother and daughter are also part of the parish community. Living with brain cancer has deepened her commitment to mercy, prayer, and creating a more welcoming Church, especially for those who feel on the margins. She hopes to foster greater inclusion, listening, and appreciation for all parishioners, with special attention to women’s voices and the role of the laity.
Stephen Ingram
Pastoral Council Member
2025-2028Stephen Ingram, born in Philadelphia in 1985, moved to Charlottesville in 2017 and now works as a Project Coordinator with UVA Facilities Management Hospital Renovations; he and his wife, Gretchen, married in 2019 and have one daughter, Mackenzie. Baptized at Incarnation during the Easter Vigil in 2025, with St. Joseph the Worker as his Confirmation saint, Stephen enjoys gardening in his free time and is honored to serve on the Pastoral Council.
Krisna Chisholm
Pastoral Council Member
2025-2026A proud Filipino mother, she is honored to serve on the Pastoral Council and is deeply grateful for the faith, family, and cultural traditions that shape her life. With a heart for hospitality and community, she hopes to help strengthen unity within the parish and ensure that every family feels welcomed and supported.
Leo Garcia
Pastoral Council Member
2024-2027As a member of the Pastoral Council, Leo brings a spirit of service and dedication to supporting the mission and life of our parish community. He is a valued voice who helps represent and uplift our Spanish-speaking parishioners.