About Lauren
lsanterre@christchurchcathedral.org
Lauren Santerre is a fourth-generation native Houstonian with deep family roots in the region. After leaving Texas to pursue her education, she returned home to the community and the people that shaped her—a homecoming that reaffirmed she is a Southerner after all.
Her spiritual journey began in childhood at a small United Methodist church in Hempstead, Texas, where she first felt the deep presence of God during the church’s children’s sermons. Her faith journey since then has been anything but linear. She has wrestled with difficult questions, worshiped in many different churches, and faced a period of profound doubt during her college years. That experience informs her work today. She understands that faith can be both a source of strength and a source of struggle. A significant turning point for her came in seminary, when her first spiritual director helped her embrace the truth that now anchors her life and vocation: that God’s love is unconditional and everlasting. While perhaps a simple idea, Lauren believes it can be very difficult to fully embody and embrace.
Lauren has returned to her United Methodist roots, but she also deeply appreciates and loves the traditions, theology, and community of the Episcopal Church. She is trying to learn the “terms” for all the things. She asks for grace and guidance as she becomes more familiar with all things Episcopalian. Lauren is deeply excited to be a part of Christ Church Cathedral and has a deep respect for the Cathedral’s history and institutional influence in Houston.
Lauren earned her Master’s in Spiritual Direction from Houston Graduate School of Theology in 2016 and has since accompanied clients from a wide range of backgrounds. Her areas of focus include spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction, the intersection of faith traditions, spiritual disciplines, and restorative theology. She is a writer and particularly enjoys writing spiritual reflections that help theology feel relatable and practical. She has been previously published in Houston Belief (Houston Chronicle), Spiritual Directors International, Swoon Magazine and currently writes for Houston Moms on the joys, struggles, and daily absurdities of motherhood.
Earlier in her career, she served as a hospice chaplain with Silverado Hospice, Executive Director of Brigid’s Place, and Director of Interfaith Relations for Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. She most recently served as a Senior PR and Account Strategist at Like Minds Communications, a Houston-based Public Relations and Marketing agency.
Lauren also holds a B.A. in Religion from The Colorado College and an M.A. in Urban Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She is deeply passionate about theology that inspires people to make the world a better place for all. She lives in West Houston with her husband, Randy, daughter Vivian Rose, and the cutest of all Cavapoos, Sage.