Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park

On Reformation Sunday, our community welcomed two new members, Magdalena Piazza at the first service and Mary Snyder at the second service.

Magdalena Piazza

Magdalena Piazza is a graduate student pursuing her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Magdalena has one younger sister, and both grew up in a church family. She is from Noblesville, Indiana and moved to Hyde Park to continue her education in 2022. Magdalena loves old movies, live shows, and the 61st Street Farmers Market.

Mary Snyder

I started playing flute when I was 10 years old. Playing the flute opened up the world of Professional (Union) Musicians: playing in the pit orchestras for musicals, playing in small bands for the Summer Music in the Parks programs, playing for weddings, VFW functions and traveling with a State Department “goodwill orchestra” in England and Scotland.  Playing the flute was instrumental in my becoming a music teacher, meaning I taught Classroom Music, Band and Orchestra in CPS and many different church schools in Chicagoland.  I also worked with the gifted children in the CPS All City Performance Groups.  I was baptized Catholic, but found some teachings at odds with what I saw happening in the real world.  I came to Augustana for several of the events held in the church and decided that I wanted to worship God in a church that was inclusive and not punitive.