Deacon Mark Shaw is the oldest of three children. He was born and raised in Montreal and has been active in his Parish community since he was a young teenager. When he was eighteen, his family moved into a different parish, where he joined the youth choir. It is in that choir that he met his future wife (and his sister met her future husband). Eventually, he became the choir director of that very choir.

In school, he studied Theology and Education and became a high school teacher at the Sacred Heart School of Montreal. After nine years there, he and his wife, Maureen and their daughter, Amanda moved to Waterdown where they have been members of the St. Thomas community ever since, and he has taught Religion for over thirty years. After leading the choir for over 10 years, he felt God’s call to take on a new role in the Church, that of Permanent Deacon..

He is very happy to be “stationed” here in his family’s parish of St. Thomas and being of service to the community in any way our Heavenly Father asks him to be.

Luisa Perini Parkes was born and raised in Chatham- Kent. Active from a young age in her Parish of St. Agnes, she participated in Youth Ministry, Choir and led Children’s Liturgy.

Luisa attended the University of Waterloo and received a Bachelor’s of Sociology. Post grad, she attended MIB - The Trieste School of Management, where she graduated with Top Honours as Valedictorian. She remained and worked in Italy until 2004 when she returned to Ontario for a career in the energy field. Completing night courses, Luisa obtained her Diploma of Human Resources - with distinction - from Sheridan College. Luisa retired from the energy world in 2016 to focus on her family and parenting duties.

Luisa is married to Mike and together they have two children, Grace & William. She is also a Bonus-Mom to Gavin. She is an active volunteer for the HWCDSB, serving as Chair of the Board’s Catholic Parent Involvement Committee, and has also served as both Chair and Parish Rep for St. Thomas the Apostle CES CSC.

Luisa is pleased to be part of this wonderful community and feels grateful to be answering God‘s call to further enrich the lives of her children, and also help strengthen the community partnership of ’home-parish-school’.