Meet the Staff
Julie McCain
Pastor
Pastor Julie McCain (she/her/hers) is originally from Southern California but has lived in many other places. She graduated from California Lutheran University and studied abroad for six months in Thailand. She spent a year doing Lutheran Volunteer Corps in Seattle, as a case manager for with adults with traumatic brain injuries and dementia. She went to Luther Seminary, and did her internship in Alaska. She has spent the last eleven years as a pastor at churches in Santa Monica, CA, Thousand Oaks, CA, and Marshall, MN.
Pastor Julie met her husband at an event for high schoolers who were exploring ministry. He ended up as a pilot for Avelo Airlines, flying 737’s out of Burbank Airport. Pastor Julie is a certified Spiritual Director, and has a heart for walking with people in their lives of faith. She seeks to make the church a safe space for those who wrestle and wonder, enjoys collaborative work, and is committed to being authentic in our lives of faith.
Pastor Julie is always up for an adventure—be it food, outdoors, or otherwise. She loves travelling and learning about other cultures, good iced coffee, fun socks, Star Trek, hiking, reading, watercolor painting, and gardening.
Pastor Julie would love to get to know you anytime over coffee or tea!
Catherine Miller Popovic
Organist/Pianist and Choir Director
Organist Catherine Miller Popovic has served at St. Matthew’s since the fall of 2010. She is an active member of the American Guild of Organists and the Music Teacher’s Association of California. A graduate of the USC School of Music and the Juilliard school, she was also a Fulbright Scholar to the Liszt Academy in Budapest Hungary. She also enjoys a career as a piano accompanist for operatic singers, and is the Artistic Consultant for the Pasadena Opera Guild, a vocal coach for the Herb Alpert School of Music at the University of California at Los Angeles and a rehearsal pianist for Opera Santa Barbara. She has served as organist at St. Martha’s Episcopal in West Covina, Westminster Presbyterian in Temple City, St. James United Methodist in Pasadena and Faith Presbyterian Church in Sacramento. Email: cathy@stmatthewsnoho.org
