Minister and Staff
Interim Minister
minister@uumiddleboro.org
The Rev. Peter Connolly will be serving as our interim minister through June 30, 2024. Rev. Connolly was born and raised in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, the son of Irish immigrants. He attended the Boston Public Schools and was awarded an A.B. in English and American Literature from Brandeis University in 1974.
Rev. Connolly’s work history includes eight years as a high school teacher of English and other subjects and sixteen years as a social worker with Kit Clark Senior Services in Dorchester, working with homeless and formerly homeless disabled adults and elders. He received his M.Div. degree from Andover Newton Theological School in 2005 and was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist minister in 2008.
Rev. Connolly served from 2009 to 2017 as the first settled minister at the UU Church of Bowling Green, Kentucky. He is very pleased to be serving the First UU Society of Middleboro where he served as a student intern minister from 2003-2005.
Office Hours
Rev. Peter Connolly’s office hours are Wednesdays,10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Rev. Connolly will not be available on the second Wednesday of the month as he will be attending the UUMA cluster meeting. He is available by appointment. Monday is the minister’s day off. He will respond to emails and messages beginning on Tuesday of the week.
Director of Religious Exploration
dre@uumiddleboro.org
Kelly A Lownds started as our DRE in September 2019. She has a BA in Hispanic Studies and American Studies with a minor in Educational Psychology from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., and an MEd in Mental Health Counseling from Bridgewater State University.
Kelly has her Yoga Teacher Certificate, with specialties in Meditation, Reiki, and Hatha Yoga. She has worked full time for 27 years in Child Protection Social Work.
Kelley has taught Sunday school in the church–all ages and stages–since 1995, and raised two daughters in the church. She became a member in 1997, and has served as an at-large member of the Parish Committee and as clerk for 12 years. Kelly has been part of the Spirituality Group, the Sangha Meditation group, and other small-group ministries.
Director of Music
music@uumiddleboro.org
Susan Land Hotchkiss has been an active UU musician since 1976. She was the first Music Director of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Boca Raton, Florida, where she founded the Fellowship Singers. Susan was an early member of the UU Musicians Network, serving on the Board of Directors and helping to establish a music leadership role in the district and national levels, particularly with the UUA General Assembly.
Susan is a teacher and collaborative pianist with bachelor’s degrees in English literature and music from UCLA and Florida Atlantic University. She has taught in elementary and secondary schools in California and Florida, and she was an adjunct professor of piano at FAU, also serving as staff accompanist for singers and instrumentalists. She had an active private studio in Boca Raton for many years and served as an adjudicator for festivals and competitions.
Shortly after moving to Middleboro, Susan became our music director in 2008. Her focus has been to build a musical community both within the church and in the wider community. She loves working with the Chalice Choir, Caring Choir, and Family Choir, playing piano and organ, and collaborating with others to craft meaningful worship experiences.
Church Administrator
office@uumiddleboro.org
Val has been at the church since 1994. She coordinates the administrative tasks that need to be done to keep the church running smoothly. She has four adult children and has been blessed with three grandsons. In her spare time, she loves socializing with family and good friends.
Steve Page has served as sexton at FUUSM since 2014. He is a long-time resident of Middleboro where he and his wife raised their two sons. He owns a small business where he works part-time repairing lawn mowers. Steve enjoys socializing with members of the FUUSM community.
