Clergy & Staff
Priest-in-Charge
The Vestry is delighted that The Rev. Virginia Army is the Rector of St. Andrew’s. Virginia serves half-time. Her official title is Priest-in-Charge, which is the title for all part-time clergy in the Diocese of Rhode Island.
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Virginia is no stranger to us. She and her husband Tom have been St. Andrew’s parishioners since they moved to Little Compton in early 2022 and she has served as celebrant at numerous Sunday services while our interim priest was on leave. We know her well for her warm, guiding hand and her thoughtful and moving sermons.
The Rev. Virginia Army
Virginia has a great depth of experience. From 2008 to 2021, she was Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Vernon, CT where she transformed a struggling parish into a vibrant and financially sound one. From 1993 to 2008, she was Director of Pastoral Care and Volunteer Services for Day Kimball Hospital and Hospice of Northeast Connecticut and Hospice of Northeastern CT, where she pursued an abiding passion for pastoral care, dignity in dying, and empowering meaningful volunteer work. During those years, she simultaneously served as Priest Associate at Christ Church in Pomfret, CT. From 1983 to 1990 she was Chaplain and Theology Department Teacher and Chair at the Kent School in Kent, CT.
Virginia graduated from Wesleyan University in 1979 and from Yale Divinity School in 1982. She was ordained a priest in 1993.
Virginia lives in Little Compton with her husband Thomas (Tom). F. Army, Jr., Ph.D, who is a Professor of History at a university and a community college in CT. They have five adult daughters and two granddaughters.
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Virginia can be reached at: revedva(at)standrewslc.org
​​Choir Director & Pianist
Sebastian Bottone
Sebastian Bottone brings innovation and integrity to new heights as an artist. Admired for his “great sensitivity,” “remarkable control,” and “some of the finest hymn-playing imaginable,” Sebastian delivers commanding performances on both piano and harpsichord, along with deeply-inspired liturgical playing.
In 2022, Sebastian graduated from The Hartt School with a degree in Composition, in addition to studying piano with Paul Rutman. In the same year, Sebastian became acquainted with the harpsichord maker Steven Sørli, and has since brought harpsichord playing to the forefront of his work.
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A specialist in Baroque keyboard music, Sebastian is an immense advocate for the music of Handel, Haydn, and composers such as Pachelbel, Böhm, and Buxtehude, whose works are less known to many. His most recent album features several suites by Böhm and is the first commercially-available recording of these pieces on the modern piano.
As a pianist, Sebastian also holds contemporary music close to his heart. Tackling the monumental Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus by Messiaen is a life-shattering task, but that could not stop Sebastian Bottone, who performed the suite in all of its glory at the age of 24. As a composer, Sebastian juxtaposes the early and the modern, nuanced with his love for a wide range of genres.
Sebastian is deeply committed to bringing Baroque and contemporary music to a wide audience, beyond traditional norms. Outside of the concert hall, he attends open mics at Pump House Music Works in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Here, he has not only performed live music on harpsichord, but also given the world premieres of his piano works, such as “Sonata-Paragon,” “Three Romances for Denver,” and “The Six Murders of Charles Ives.”
An esteemed audio engineer, Sebastian has produced recordings for Ira Braus and Curt Cacioppo. He also works alongside Steven Sørli to engineer recordings of newly built harpsichords, including “Lautensweets,” dedicated to Steven’s 50th year of building keyboard instruments.
Sebastian is the Director of Music at St. Andrew’s by-the-sea in Little Compton, Rhode Island, and a regular collaborator at his alma mater.
Parish Administrator: Alicia Rodriguez
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Alicia can be reached at office[at]standrewslc.org