The Reverend Canon Victoria Heard joined Redeemer as its Sixth Rector on August 22, 2016.
The Rev. Cn. Victoria Heard was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and Virginia. A graduate of the University of Virginia (where she met her future husband, then a graduate student) and the Virginia Theological Seminary, she was baptized, confirmed, married and ordained at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia.
Her first call following graduation from seminary and ordination was as Assistant Rector at St. James, Leesburg, Virginia. Later serving there as Acting Rector, she reopened Christ Church, Lucketts, Virginia, an experience that led to her interest in church planting and development. While a curate at Pohick Church, Lorton, she also served on the Virginia diocesan staff, and in 1989, Ms Heard planted St. David’s Episcopal Church in Ashburn, Virginia.
Shortly thereafter, she accompanied her husband, David Ridgely, who had accepted a position as a civilian attorney with the U.S. Army in Vicenza, Italy and Frankfurt, Germany. During this time, she served as Canon in Europe for the Bishop of the Armed Forces. Returning some four years later to Virginia, she became Associate Rector and then Interim Rector at St. George’s in Arlington, Virginia. In 1997, Ms Heard was called by David Jones, Bishop Suffragan of Virginia as full-time Missioner for Church Planting in the diocese. In 2006, she accepted an offer from James Stanton, Bishop of Dallas, to serve as diocesan Canon for Church Planting and Congregational Development. She concluded that ministry last September.
Canon Heard has served six times as delegate to General Convention. She is delighted to have accepted the call from Church of the Redeemer, Irving, Texas to serve as their sixth rector.
Victoria and her husband, David have three children: their elder son, Edward, lives in San Francisco and is a principle in a Silicon Valley start-up; their younger son, David Jr. will soon be beginning his sophomore year at Richland College in North Dallas and their daughter, Elizabeth, will be in her final year at Notre Dame School in Dallas.
Two aging cats and a yellow Labrador round out the family circle. Victoria enjoys travel, walking and swimming, is an avid reader and, to her husband’s dismay, a reluctant recycler of books.