The Rev. Mara Dowdall is our minister.
Our Minister
The Reverend Mara J. Dowdall was called to the Unitarian Church of Montpelier
in May, 2009. A lifelong Unitarian Universalist and Philadelphia native,
Mara came to Vermont from the Boston area, where she served the First Parish in
Cambridge, the UU Society of Wellesley Hills, and the Youth Ministry Office of
the Unitarian Universalist Association. Before her call to ministry, Mara
lived and worked in Washington D.C., where she attended All Souls Church and had
eclectic experiences as a reproductive-rights organization staffer, a
legislative aide to Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a coffee shop barista, and a nanny.
Mara is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and Harvard College. She lives in Montpelier with her husband Ben, a Vermont native, and enjoys hiking, watching Mad Men, exploring new places, and spending time with family, friends, and their cats, Milo and Jack.
How to Contact the Minister
In addition to leading worship on Sunday, Mara's is generally in the office
on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. She is available by appointment for
pastoral care and conversation. To reach Mara or to set up a time to meet, you
can email her at minister@
Mara's sabbath day is Monday, and her writing day is Friday. On those days, as well as on Saturday, when her schedule varies, Mara does not check email or church voice mails. In the event of a pastoral emergency, Mara is reachable by cell phone (802-505-1248).
Unitarian Church of Montpelier (802) 223-7861