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Sean Agniel graduated from Truman State University
(Kirksville, Missouri) in 2000 with a BA in Philosophy
and Religion. After college he served in the Jesuit
sponsored Alum Service Corps teaching high school for
a year. Sean spent a total of four years at Rockhurst
High School (Kansas City, MO) teaching Theology, running
retreats, and coaching Ultimate Frisbee (!). He earned
a Master of Divinity at Notre Dame in 2007 and now serves
as the Provincial Assistant for Social Ministries and
the Director of the Alum Service Corps for the Jesuits
of the Missouri Province. Sean lives in St. Louis with
his wife Susie and son Theodore. |
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Rhodora Beaton is New Hampshire native currently living
in South Bend, IN.
After completing an M.Div. from Notre Dame in 2002,
Rhodora served as Campus Minister and Theology Instructor
at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Terre Haute, IN.
In 2009, she completed her doctorate in Systematic
Theology, writing a dissertation on the sacramentality
of words in Roman Catholic theology since Vatican II. She has been working with STEP on and off since 2001.
In her spare time Rhodora enjoys traveling, entertaining
friends and family, and the occasional hiking trip. |
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Allison Blay hails from Gainesville, Florida where
she spends most of her time caring for her young son
and helping to run Friends Across the Ages, a nursing
home volunteer program that she and her husband started
in 1999 (www.acrosstheages.org).
She graduated from the University of Florida in 1998
with a BA in English and minors in religion, music,
and secondary education. In 1999 she earned her M.Ed.,
also at UF. She then spent four years working at St.
Augustine Church and Catholic Student Center in Gainesville,
primarily as a
youth and campus minister. In 2003, she began working
full time as Executive Co-Director of Friends Across
the Ages. She completed her MA in theology from the
University of Notre Dame in late 2004, and has continued
to pursue her passion for theology through reading,
writing, scripture seminars, and STEP classes.
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A native of
Florida, Mike graduated from the University of Florida
with a BA in History in May 2002. He received the Master
of Divinity degree in May 2006 from the University of
Notre Dame. Currently, he works as Director of Youth
and Young Adult Ministry at Prince of Peace Catholic
Church in Ormond Beach, FL. Mike has 8 years of experience
in youth ministry, including involvement in a number
of Catholic schools, parish youth ministries, and retreat
programs. Mike has spent time as a catechist in RCIA,
and has a particular interest in liturgical theology.
He also teaches catechist education courses for the
Diocese of Orlando. He, his wife Megan, daughter Anna
and son Joshua are happy to live in Daytona Beach. |
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Tom graduated from St. John's University (Collegeville, MN) in 2000 with a B.A. in Theology. After graduating, he spent a year with the Catholic Charities Volunteer Corps in St. Paul, MN, working at St. Joseph's Home for Children. His educational experience is in both experiential and adventure learning (through Voyageur Outward Bound School and the YMCA) and classroom teaching (at Notre Dame). He completed his Master of Theological Studies at Notre Dame in 2006 and is currently working on completing his dissertation on justice in the theology of Thomas Aquinas. Tom lives in South Bend with his wife, Anna, and son, Sean. |
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Andrew Casad is Director of Liturgy and Catechumenate
at St. Thomas More in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He
holds a Master of Theological Studies in Liturgy from
the University of Notre Dame (2003) and a Master of
Arts in cultural anthropology from the University of
California, San Diego (2005). He has served for many
years on catechumenate teams and written on issues of
implementation of the RCIA. His academic interests focus
especially on ritual studies and Eastern Christianity.
He and his wife live on a small farm, where they are
active in social justice ministries, raise animals,
and brew beer. |
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Dan Cebrick lives in northeastern Pennsylvania. Since
completing the Master of Divinity degree at Notre Dame
in 1994, he has taken a few different paths with work
and life experiences in education, the corporate world
and ministry. Upon completion of the M.Div. Degree he
taught in the Religious Studies department and worked
in Campus Ministry at Stonehill College in Easton, MA
for one academic year. During the next several years
he worked as a computer analyst and programmer in the
health insurance industry in Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre,
PA. Over the past five years he has combined his computer
skills and love for education as the Registrar at another
Holy Cross sponsored institution of higher education,
King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA. In addition to his
administrative responsibilities he teaches part-time
in the Theology department. Over the past 10 years he
has been actively involved in ministry in the parish,
college, hospital and hospice settings working primarily
in RCIA, retreat and ministry to the sick and dying.
As his journey continues, he looks forward to being
a part of the STEP program through Notre Dame, learning
from and with others. |
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Jane lives in both Mishawaka, IN, and Harpers Ferry,
WV. Her husband, Barry, and she have been married for
26 years. They have two grown sons, Ben and Jeff. She
presently serves as Executive Director of Pastoral Services
for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, WV. She graduated
from the University of Notre Dame with a Masters in
Divinity in 2004. Her hobbies and interests include
enjoying the beauty of the outdoors, dogs, cats, sculpting,
painting, crafts, writing, boating, fishing, traveling,
and collecting fossils. |
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Annie Crew-Renzo hails from sunny California. Annie’s
undergraduate work was at St. Mary's College of CA in
the San Francisco Bay Area, and she completed the Master
of Theological Studies program in May of 2003. She worked
for STEP her second year in the Master's program, and
after graduation, she went to work for STEP and enjoyed
working at ND and facilitating several courses. During
the 2004-2005 school year she worked for Saint Mary’s
College (IN) in Campus Ministry. Now back living in
her home state of California, Annie is teaching theology
at St. Francis High School in Sacramento and enjoying
keeping current on her reading. Her husband Clayton
is also working for the Diocese of Sacramento in a local
Catholic grade school. She looks forward to again being
connected with STEP and fellow students across the country. |
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Catherine Crino is the Pastoral Associate and Director
of Religious Education at St. Alphonsus in the Lakeview
neighborhood of Chicago. Her responsibilities include
oversight of the religious education and formation of
adults and children, sacrament preparation, annulment
ministry, coordination of outreach ministries including
Peace and Justice and the Ministry of Care and responsibility
for parish communications. She has worked at various
parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago for over twenty
years, as well as having experience as a classroom teacher,
in retirement home administration and employment counseling.
In addition to parish ministry, she has also been a
faculty member in various archdiocesan institutes for
ministry training and formation. She is originally from
Tucson and lived in Los Angeles for some time. She has
a BA in History from UCLA, as well as completing the
Graduate School in education there. She holds a Masters
of Divinity degree from Weston Jesuit School of Theology
in Cambridge, Massachusetts. |
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Chris Culver completed his Masters of Divinity in 2000
from the University of Notre Dame. He has over ten years
experience as a catechist, and five years experince
as associate director in the Fort Wayne/South Bend Diocesan
Office of Youth Ministry. He has completed a national
certificate in youth ministry. He currently teaches
at St Joseph's Catholic High School in South Bend. He
loves the work and challenges that come with youth ministry.
He is married and has three children, Ben, Sophie and
Joshua. Chris is also an officer in the United State's
Naval Reserve. |
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Kelly Culver graduated from Saint Mary's College in
Notre Dame, IN in 1996, and from the University of Notre
Dame with a Masters of Divinity in 2001. After graduation
she worked on an extensive sociological study of the
implementation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of
Adults in six parishes and co- authored a book based
on the research, Real Stories of Christian Initiation:
Lessons for and from the RCIA, published by Liturgical
Press, 2006. She joined the STEP program in July 2002.
Most importantly, she is the mother of three small children,
Benjamin, Sophia, and Joshua. |
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Thomas C. Cummings graduated from the University of
Notre Dame in 1988. He served four years in the United
States Marine Corps as a Logistics officer. After his
military service, Mr. Cummings entered the Congregation
of Holy Cross and began his theological studies. After
two years Mr. Cummings left the Congregation of Holy
Cross and taught scripture at St. Stanislaus High School
in Bay St. Louis, MS. In 1996 he entered the Master
of Divinity Program at the University of Notre Dame
and worked in the Office of Student affairs as an Asst.
Rector and Rector of an undergraduate hall. Mr. Cummings
completed his M. Div. in May 1999. He began work on
STEP during the 1998-99 academic year and has worked
full time in the Institute for Church Life since June
1, 1999. |
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Chris Daley was born and raised in Cleveland, OH. He
was in the U S Coast Guard Reserves from 1985-1993 and
graduated from Moorhead State University in Moorhead,
MN in 1995 with a Bachelors degree in History. Chris
attended Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia,
SC and graduated in 1999 with a Masters of Arts in Religion.
He taught at Cleveland Central Catholic High teaching
Junior and Senior Theology from 2000-2003, also heading
the Theology Department. He currently works as an insurance
agent while trying to get back into teaching. Chris
lives in Cleveland with his wife Bridget and actively
works with the Cleveland Diocese Young Adult Ministry.
He is excited to be a part of the STEP program and looks
forward to his role as a facilitator. |
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Marlene DeLeon concentrated in scripture and theology while obtaining the Master of Theological Studies degree at Boston College. At her parish in Foxborough, Massachusetts, she is a lector, responsible for the confirmation program; and will begin developing a faith formation program for adults. Prior to her current activities, she was an investment professional for twenty-three years, and for several years before that she developed college textbooks for a Boston publisher. She is happily trying to serve in various ministries around the clock now. Marelene and her husband have three children: Mark, a winemaker in Napa; Marie, who will enter a religious order in Spain this fall; and Matthew, a Notre Dame alum who is studying to enter medical school. |
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Mandy Dillon graduated from the University of Notre
Dame in 2000 with a B.A. in psychology and theology
and again in 2005 with a Master of Divinity degree.
Her work in ministry has included youth ministry, retreat
work, RCIA, social justice advocacy, high school religious
education, and campus ministry. Mandy is currently a
Pastoral Associate at Church of the Holy Spirit in Schaumburg,
IL, where she serves as the director of liturgy and
coordinator of young adult ministry. |
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Greg Doyle is originally from the Virginia suburbs
of Washington DC. After completing undergraduate degrees
at Notre Dame, he served in the Navy as a submarine
officer in Charleston, SC and then worked at a commercial
nuclear power plant in Maryland. He returned to Notre
Dame for theological studies, graduating with a Master
of Divinity degree. Greg began working with STEP while
a graduate student during the first year that STEP e-Courses
were offered and started full-time work there upon graduation.
He and his wife have two sons. |
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Colleen Dunne facilitates STEP courses from the mountains
of Western Montana.
Colleen's undergraduate degree is in speech communication
theory and public relations from Carroll College in
Helena, Montana. She completed her Master of Divinity
at Notre Dame in 2003. After finishing at Notre Dame
she returned home to work as the Associate Director
of Campus Ministry for Carroll College. In addition
to her campus ministry work she is the director of Legendary
Lodge, Helena's diocesan summer youth camp. Colleen
also teaches a course each fall in the freshman experience
program at Carroll College and helps with parish RCIA
programs and the diocesan CCHD committee. In her spare
time, Colleen likes to mountain bike, ski, go to movies
and spend time with friends and family. |
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Sara Dwyer, A.S.C., is a member of the Adorers of the
Blood of Christ, U.S. Region and is the NETWORK Education
Coordinator. (NETWORK is a Catholic Social Justice Lobby
that educates, organizes and lobbies for economic and
social transformation.) Her ministry has been primarily
adult education both at the Diocesan and parish level
in the mid-west: Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas.
Over more than 30 years of ministry, she has also engaged
in retreat work, campus ministry, and trained for ministry
among the elders of our society. Before coming to Washington,
D.C., Sara served on her Congregation’s Leadership
Team and, from 2003-2006, she was Chair of the Leadership
Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), Region 10, and
served on the National Board of LCWR. Sara has Master
degrees in Theology from St. Mary’s University,
San Antonio, Texas and in Education from Boston College.
She enjoys walking, hiking and reading.
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Monica Frazier is a native Texan who returned to her
home state after completing a Master of Divinity at
the University of Notre Dame in 2002. She also holds
a Bachelors in Theology from the University of Dallas.
Monica currently serves as the Director of Adult Formation
and Liturgy at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Wichita
Falls, TX. Her recent ministry experience includes coordinating
family retreats for a diocesan retreat center and training
parish ministers in family-centered catechesis. Monica
also spent four years with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps
directing the formation of young adults serving in poor
communities throughout the South. In her spare time,
Monica enjoys exercise, road trips, and being "the
cool aunt" to her six nieces and nephews. |
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Kevin Gary hails from El Paso, TX, son of an army family
who traveled North and East, South and West in the US.
Eventually he ended up at Notre Dame, studying political
science and pre-medicine. After graduation he decided
to enter Moreau Seminary at Notre Dame to explore a
possible vocation to the priesthood. Though deeply impressed
by religious life Kevin realized his calling was to
be open to family life. From Notre Dame he received
a bachelors in political science and a masters in systematic
theology. He left Notre Dame in 1996, landing a high
school teaching position at Loyola Academy, where he
is presently. At Loyola Academy he has been teaching
Ethics to Juniors and Scripture to Sophomores. In teaching
and family life (Kevin and his wife Heather had their
first child, Evelyn Clare on December 9, 2004) he has
found his vocation. In his picture he is holding little
Evelyn on Dec. 10 in her Mayan sling. In the meantime
he has pursued graduate studies at Loyola University,
completing a masters in education in 2001 and a Ph.D
in the philosophy of education this past spring. Kevin
has been a part of the STEP community for the past three
years and says it is a privilege to gather in an online
community and reflect on the riches of the Catholic
tradition. |
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After growing up in Florida, Betsy graduated from Southern
Methodist University (Dallas, TX) with a BA in Religious
Studies in May 1999. She received her Master of Divinity
degree in May 2003 from the University of Notre Dame.
Currently, she works as Director Religious Education
at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in Port Orange,
FL. Betsy has 15 years of ministry experience including
youth ministry, religious education and catechist formation
as well as brief but informative times in hospital chaplaincy
and RCIA. |
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Carol Guenther is a consultant with The Reid Group,
a consulting and mediation firm based in Seattle, Washington.
Carol served in parish ministry for twelve years as
the Pastoral Associate. Carol’s ministry focused
on formation and support of parish leadership groups,
adult faith formation, liturgy planning, stewardship
development and administration. Before locating to the
Pacific Northwest, Carol served at campus ministry centers
in Boston, Massachusetts and at the University of Notre
Dame, serving in young adult ministry and marriage preparation
programs. Carol has been an Instructor with Loyola,
New Orleans for 4 years, teaching courses in Stewardship
and Presiding Skills. She is also a member of the National
Association for Lay Ministry (NALM) and served two terms
on the Executive Board for the Association for Lay Ministers
in the Archdiocese of Seattle (1995-1999). Carol is
married and the proud parent of four children, whom
she considers one of her greatest sources of continuing
education. She also holds a Masters of Divinity degree
from the University of Notre Dame and certificates in
Diversity Training, Mediation Services and Bereavement
Ministry. |
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Hannah Hemphill was born in New Orleans and raised
in the Midwest. She graduated from Taylor University
in 2001 with a B.A. in philosophy. She spent 2002-03
in St. Andrews, Scotland, working with Rotary International
and studying for an M.Litt. in philosophy. She then
moved to Notre Dame to study theology, receiving the
M.T.S. in August 2005. Currently she lives in South
Bend, IN, and teaches for the philosophy department
at Indiana University-South Bend. She also works with
the RCIA program at St. Pius X Church in Granger, IN.
She looks forward to working with STEP and its course
participants. |
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Kristen Hempstead is currently the Director of Religious
Education at St. Teresa of Avila parish in Chicago.
She studied Music at Loyola University New Orleans and
later went on to receive her Master of Divinity from
the University of Notre Dame in 2006. She has been working
in Lincoln Park ever since. Prior to her graduate studies,
she served as youth minister and retreat facilitator
for Capuchin Youth and Family Ministries in Garrison,
NY.
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A native of Texas, Liz LaFortune graduated from the
University of St. Thomas, Houston, in 1987, with a Masters
of Religious Education. She moved to Ohio in 1992, and
on to Granger, IN, in January of this 2005. Over her
years of ministry to the Church, she has served as a
youth ministry director, high school theology teacher
and department chair, campus minister and and as a parish
social action coordinator for the Diocese of Cleveland.
She brings a love of teaching to her role as a STEP
facilitator. Liz resides in Granger with her husband
Mike and their son, Matt, a sophomore at Marian High
School in Mishawaka. |
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Diana Matthews has roots as a “Valley girl,”
having grown up in Southern California. After graduating
from UCLA with a B.A. in Mathematics-Applied Science,
she spent time as a lay missionary in northern Sweden
before engaging in work as a Youth and Campus Minister
in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, later transitioning
to the business world. She earned an M.A. in Religious
Studies from Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles
in 1990. An avid folk dancer, Diana met her husband
in an international dance company. A series of moves
eventually carried them to Montréal (Canada,
eh?), Cleveland, OH and Knoxville, TN, where they currently
reside. Diana also holds an M.A. in Ministry from Ursuline
College in Cleveland, as well as Diocesan Certification
in Lay Ecclesial Ministry. She is currently completing
a spiritual direction training program offered by the
Ursulines in Maple Mount, KY. Most recently, Diana has
been serving as chair of the “Home Mission Network”
of the National Association for Lay Ministry, coordinating
the networking efforts of NALM members across the country
who minister in predominantly rural dioceses. Introduced
to STEP on one of the Network’s conference calls(!),
she looks forward to extending that collaboration with
the online learning community. |
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Claire McManus is
the Director of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Fall
River, MA. In this capacity she oversees the Office
of Catechesis and Formation; The Office of Adult Spirituality;
the Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry. Claire
also works closely with the Office of Catholic Schools
reviewing the religion curriculum and providing formation
to the Catholic School catechists. Claire has worked
for over twenty years in her parish in Marshfield, MA
doing ministry with adolescents and young adults. Born
and raised in NJ, Claire received a BA in Psychology
from Rutgers University. She received a MA in Pastoral
Ministry from Boston College Institute of Religious
Education and Pastoral Ministry, and a Licentiate in
Sacred Theology from Weston Jesuit School of Theology.
In her more than thirty years of marriage Claire has
lived in Washington State, Michigan, NJ, England, The
Netherlands, and Massachusetts. She and her husband,
Tim, have raised five children-two sons and three daughters.
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Caesar Montevecchio graduated from Georgetown University
in Washington, DC in
2000 with a bachelor's degree in theology and psychology.
He then attended Harvard Divinity School and earned
a Master of Theological Studies degree in 2002. From
2002-2005 he taught and did campus ministry work at
North Cambridge Catholic High School in Cambridge, MA,
a member of the Cristo Rey network of schools started
by the Chicago Province of Jesuits. In 2005 he moved
to Erie, PA and taught theology for two years at Villa
Maria Academy. Currently he resides in Erie with his
wife, Arlene, and son, Andrew, and is a member of the
religious studies faculty at Mercyhurst College. |
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Cindy Muenchrath is originally from Iowa and now lives
and works in North Platte, Nebraska. Cindy is Director
of Lay Ministry for the Diocese of Grand Island, Nebraska.
Cindy has her bachelors in Management and Religion from
Simpson College in Indianola, IA (1995). From there
she went to Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO to
obtain her Masters of Divinity in 1998. After working
in a down-town parish for five years she journeyed half
way home to North Platte to begin her current position.
Cindy earned her Doctorate of Ministry from Drew University
in 2007. Her dissertation and project was focused on
Lay Ministry. Cindy's greatest joy are her 10 nieces
and nephews. Cindy's hobbies include wine, cooking,
tennis, martial arts, and movies. Cindy's has been facilitating
for STEP since 2006 and is honored to have this opportunity
and to learn with the Notre Dame community. |
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Josh Noem is originally from the Black Hills of South
Dakota. He met his wife, Stacey, as an undergraduate
of Notre Dame; they both graduated in 1998. After spending
a year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Alaska, they
worked for the Church in Florida, where Josh served
as editor of the diocesan newspaper in Venice. Josh
returned with his wife to Notre Dame, where they earned
their Masters in Divinity degrees in 2005. Josh serves
with Stacey in campus ministry at the University of
Portland, Oregon. They have two sons. |
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Lisa Orchen is a native of Southern California. She
graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BA
in 1988 and pursued a career in corporate life in Hartford,
Connecticut. After feeling a deep call to serve the
church she returned to Notre Dame where she earned a
Master of Divinity in 1994. She is a certified Chaplain
with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains
and has served as a hospital chaplain, Director of Campus
Ministry and most recently as a Pastoral Associate for
a parish in Connecticut for the past eight years. She
is married to John Baker. Lisa and John and their two
children live outside of Hartford, Connecticut. |
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After graduating from St. Hyacinth College and Seminary
in 1996, Ben joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, teaching
in Kingston, Jamaica and Omaha. Next, Ben came to Notre
Dame and graduated with a Master of Divinity in 2001.
Ben then spent a year working with street children in
Nairobi, Kenya, and another year working at a soup kitchen
in Baltimore. Ben returned to South Bend in 2003 to
start the St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker House and
join the staff of the Catholic Peace Fellowship. Ben
was also the facilitator of the Fall 2004 Long Loneliness
discussion.
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Trish Powers resides in Cleveland Heights, OH, where
she is a Research Scholar at the Center for Genetic
Research Ethics and Law (www.cgreal.org)
located in the department of Bioethics in Case Western
Reserve University's school of medicine. Trish was graduated
from Notre Dame in 1990, with a BA in Government and
International Relations. After 5 years as an Air Force
officer, in command and control, and search and rescue,
she returned to Notre Dame to enter the MDiv program.
Trish completed the MDiv in 1998, and remained at Notre
Dame as the director's assistant at the Institute for
Church Life (ICL), where she assisted with the development
of STEP. Since then, Trish has worked part- and full-time
at ICL while completing a PhD in Theology from Loyola
University Chicago, in Moral Theology (Christian Ethics).
Specializing in the area of medical ethics, her dissertation
is on the topic of human vulnerability. Trish completed her Ph.D. in December 2008. |
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Amanda Roberts grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina and
moved to Massachusetts with her family after graduating
high school. She completed her undergraduate degree
at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester MA and
her M.Div. at Notre Dame a few years later. After finishing
her degree, she spent two years in Gresham, OR working
as Director of Adult Education and RCIA before returning
to
Massachusetts to live closer to her family and friends.
She is the Faith Formation Director at St. Robert Bellarmine
Parish in Andover MA and the author of Saints Off
the Pedestal: Real Saints for Real People. |
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Tracy Rodenborn graduated from Bellarmine College (Louisville,
KY) in 1996 with an English major, Theology minor and
certification to teach high school. After two years
of teaching religion at St. Xavier High School in Louisville,
she went to Notre Dame to complete her studies for her
Master of Divinity. Since, then, she has been working
as a Pastoral Associate at St. Clement Church in Chicago,
IL where she coordinates the adult education and formation
for the parish - especially in RCIA, the young adult
community, ministry of care, baptism preparation, and
various faith exploration programs. She lives in Chicago,
IL with her husband, Steve. |
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Joel Schorn is an editor and writer living in Chicago.
He has a master’s degree in theological studies
and has taught at the Catholic Theological Union’s
summer institute. With Alice Camille he is the coauthor
of A Faith Interrupted: An Honest Conversation with
Alienated Catholics from Loyola Press as well as
two forthcoming books from Servant Books/St. Anthony
Messenger Press. He has worked in religious publishing
for 15 years, including stints as associate editor of
U.S. Catholic magazine and managing editor
of Martin E. Marty’s Context newsletter.
His ministry and service experience has involved work
with a parish RCIA catechumenate team, ESL tutoring,
the Catholic Peace Fellowship, and the metropolitan
tribunal of the Archdiocese of Chicago. He is married,
and is a cooperating member of the Teresian Association,
a Catholic lay association of the Christian faithful. |
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Vicki Schwab was born in Indianapolis, IN and moved
to South Bend in 1984. She has been married 22 years,
and has two children, Dominic (16) and Maria (14). She
attended Catholic schools all her life, and completed
her Masters of Arts in Theology at the University of
Dayton in 1998. She has worked in various capacities
within the Church as an employee and a volunteer. She
has been a full time Theology teacher at Marian High
School in Mishawaka, IN for eight years and the Departmental
Chair this year. She is the moderator of Marian's Junior
Civitan Club with 164 members who do service on campus
and in the community. In the local diocese, she is an
Adult Education for the Diocese of Ft. Wayne/South Bend,
presenting at institute days as well as Catholic School
teachers and also a presenter for the Diocese's two
year accreditation program for parish ministers for
10 years. At her home parish, Vicki has served as a
RCIA catechist, taught 2nd grade religious ed and sacramental
preparation, Spiritual Advisory board, Religious Ed
advisory board, part time assistant to DRE, Parish School
Board, Lector, Disciples in Mission Group leader, and
Minister of the Eucharist to the Homebound. |
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Megan Shepherd is a 2001 graduate of Notre Dame’s
Masters of Divinity program. She currently lives in
Chicago, Illinois and serves as the Assistant Director
of Pastoral Ministry at St. Ignatius College Prep in
Chicago. Prior to this she worked for three years as
a parish Director of Youth Ministry. She is also involved
on the national level as part of the Leadership Team
for the National Association of Catholic Youth Ministry
Leaders (NACYML) - a professional organization for those
involved in ministry with adolescents. |
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John Serop Simonian graduated from Loyola Marymount
University in 1999 with a BA in English and theological
studies. He served a year in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps
(JVC) in Cleveland, Ohio, and not long after began graduate
work at Notre Dame, where he earned an MA in theology
in 2003. He completed an MFA in writing from the University
of San Francisco in 2005. When he's not facilitating
STEP courses, John works with emotionally troubled teenagers
in Seneca Center's San Francisco Community Treatment
Facility. He also teaches creative-writing classes through
Tamalpais Community Education in Mill Valley, California,
and is an adjunct faculty member in the English Department
at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose. John loves
to write, especially short fiction, and has thoroughly
enjoyed the STEP courses he's facilitated. |
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Charles Strauss is a PhD Candidate in the Department
of History at Notre Dame. His research and teaching
interests include the political, diplomatic, and religious
history of the U.S., particularly in the post-World
War II period. Charles was born and raised in suburban
Pittsburgh, PA. He ventured north for college and earned
his BA at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester,
MA. After college, Charles headed south (way south)
and completed an MA in Historical Studies at the University
of Cape Town in South Africa. Charles and his wife Liz,
another History PhD Student at Notre Dame, are currently
researching and living in Washington, D.C. |
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Greg Sweeney comes to STEP as a facilitator and co-developer
of Youth Ministry 101. With a BA in broadcasting from
the University of Northern Colorado, he completed his
MA in Pastoral Ministry from St. Mary's University of
Minnesota. An adult convert to the faith, Greg began
his journey into the Church through the evangelization
of a high school youth ministry program in Colorado
Springs. He has spent the better part of the last 19
years ministering to young people as a volunteer and
professional. Currently he serves in two parishes near
the Notre Dame campus. Greg, his wife and son recently
moved to South Bend from Phoenix, AZ. |
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Regina Wilson currently serves as part of the campus
ministry staff at Saint Mary’s College. She received
her Master's Degree in Music and Worship from the University
of Portland and the Master of Divinity from the University
of Notre Dame. She serves on the RCIA Committee for
the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Prior to working
at Saint Mary’s, she worked at St. Joseph Parish,
South Bend, IN as Pastoral Associate. Ms. Wilson also
served as the Director for the Office of Worship for
the Diocese of Superior in Wisconsin. She has served
two other parishes in California and Oregon. Ms. Wilson
is married and has two daughters. |
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