Dear Parishioners,
I am glad to announce that our search for someone to carry on the min
istry that Hans Mueller has been doing for the past three years has come to a happy end. After five
months of prayer, preparation, advertising, reviewing resumes, and many, many interviews, we end our journey with Julie Mercier.
Julie will begin in early July as the Coordinator of Youth & Young Adult Ministry. She just recently graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH. She earned a degree in theology and catechetics with a concentration in youth ministry. She has experienced leading retreats and chaperoning at youth conferences. Julie was with us several weekends ago when Archbishop Vlazny was here for our confirmations. She traveled from New York for an in-depth interview (her third interview with us), and introduction to the parish and surrounding area, and concluded by leading our Sunday youth night. Needless to say, she knocked our socks off. Her love for Christ, her passion for youth, and her humility were qualities that one cannot teach. After her whirl wind trip West, she returned home with an offer for our job. After several
days of prayer and discernment, she agreed to take the position. Our
search committee and myself, as well as those who met her when she visited all praised God for her acceptance.
When she arrives, please introduce yourself to her. More importantly, she will need your help in continuing the work begun by Hans. Please pray for her and especially for courage, as it will most certainly be difficult to move so far away from her home. Let her know how friendly we are here at St. Anne. Offer your time and labor to help her build upon the foundation already here in our youth program. It takes a Church to raise our children. Let us help Julie lead our teens and young adults to grow in their Catholic faith.
Congratulations, Julie! I am so proud and honored to have you on board our pastoral staff. I pray that St. Anne will be a place where your gifts can shine and our young people will catch on fire for our Lord.
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor