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Introducing Our New Director of Lifelong Faith Formation

Hello Our Lady of the Wayside parish! I am excited for this opportunity to serve as your Director of Lifelong Faith Formation. I bring with me over 15 years of experience in parish religious education and youth ministry. Most of this is in the Archdiocese of Chicago as I have lived in the Chicago suburbs all of my life. More accurately, I lived in Illinois all of my life since I lived in Urbana-Champaign and received a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois. “I-L-L” Alumni can respond to that when we meet and I’ll know who you are (wink). Later I also received a Financial Planning certificate at DePaul University and these pursuits resulted in over 12 years of professional experience in Software Engineering and Financial Services.

When my sons, Adam and Drew, graduated high school and I was working full time in faith formation I obtained a Masters in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University Chicago. My Masters was part of a 4-year formation program at Mundelein Seminary as a Lay Ecclesial Minister. I was experiencing my own adult faith formation at the same time as deepening my academic learning and ability to teach our faith. This is when I fully understood what “lifelong formation” means. God was leading me on my own journey of lifelong faith formation since my baptism as an infant. This is true for all of you as well and I can’t wait to walk with you in discovering how God has been there in your life and watching your relationship with the Holy Trinity grow. That is what lifelong formation is all about. A lifelong journey in relationship with God from baptism through life everlasting!

As I am putting together upcoming plans I will keep you posted with additional communications. I very much welcome your ideas and suggestions. Please feel free to reach out to me.

I am thankful, grateful and blessed to be welcomed into the community of Our Lady of the Wayside for the next part of my journey.

Peace,
Patty McCarthy