Lead Staff

Rev. Zac Patterson, Senior Pastor
Office: 847-639-1702
[email protected]

Pastor Patterson joined Holy Cross in June of 2022. He has a Master of Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN and has been a pastor since 2019. He loves preaching, teaching, and sharing the great comfort found in the Lutheran tradition. He and his wife, Emma, have been married for 10 years and have been blessed with 4 children: Sophia, Luke, Micaiah (Mickey for short) and Gaius. Pastor enjoys disc golfing, playing board games, and spending time with his family.

Ellen Gezella, Office Administrator
Office: 847-639-1702
[email protected]

Ellen has been attending Holy Cross since 1993. She has been involved in many groups and projects during these years. Ellen and her husband Mike have been married 40 years. They are blessed to have two grown daughters and one Son-in-law. Ellen lives each day knowing Jesus Christ is her Lord and Savior. Ellen enjoys her family, her dog Dazie, hiking, the Smoky Mountains, flea markets, and crafting.

Laurie Franz, Principal and Teacher
Office: 847-639-6533
[email protected]
www.holycrosscary.org/holy-cross-lutheran-school.html

Laurie has been a part of the Holy Cross family since July 2024. She has been a teacher for 30+ years and loves working with children. She enjoys foreign languages and different cultures and is excited about teaching Spanish to all of our students daily. In addition, Laurie is our principal and microschool classroom teacher for grades 1-8. Laurie has been happily married to Rick for 30 years and they have three grown daughters. She loves to spend time with her family, friends and pets. Laurie loves Jesus!

Laura Schmuldt, Music Director / Organist

Laura came to Holy Cross in 2008. She began playing piano at the age of six and sang in choirs her whole life. She studied voice, organ, and piano at Elgin Community College and Concordia University Chicago and now teaches music to students of all ages in her private studio in Elgin. She is also the director of the Elmhurst Harmonie Chorus and the Harlem Männer und Damen Chor of Forest Park. And for any organ nerds out there we think you'll want to take a look at the church organ stoplist and specs HERE.

Elizabeth Gezella, Contemporary Worship Leader
[email protected]

Elizabeth was baptized as a child at Holy Cross and has been part of the Contemporary Service as a singer since its creation in 2008. She has been the contemporary worship leader since 2015. She attended Concordia University Wisconsin and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design to study Graphic Design and Marketing and Graduated from Judson University in 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in Media Writing. She has been a part of music her entire life, both vocal and instrumental. Music and art are two of Elizabeth's biggest passions in life. She has been part of many different events and services at Holy Cross since childhood and looks forward to seeing you in service. Feel free to email Elizabeth for any questions about the contemporary service or for opportunities to serve in the L.O.F.T.