Meet OLW’s New Interim Youth Minister
Hello OLW Parishioners!
My name is Claudia Wojciechowski and I am super excited to join Our Lady of the Wayside Parish as the Interim Youth Minister. I feel beyond blessed to have the opportunity to step into this role as the parish continues its search for a full–time youth minister. I have been involved with OLW’s youth group since 2021 and have been blessed with so many amazing opportunities, such as weekly peer ministry nights, bible studies, retreats such as Kairos, Catholic Heart Workcamp (CHWC), and the Steubenville conferences. This ministry has filled my life with so much joy and so many faith-filled friendships. I cannot explain to you all how much value this youth group has brought into my life. This last year I was also so blessed to help out with the 7th grade religious education program as a catechist and as an adult volunteer of the youth ministry program.
I am currently a sophomore at Harper College majoring in Exercise Physiology, in hopes of pursuing Physical Therapy in the future. I am a part of the track and cross country team at Harper, running DIII for the school. I am also currently working as a gymnastics coach and a personal trainer. The past two summers, however, God has blessed me with the amazing opportunity of serving on the CHWC staff. Though I worked mainly in the kitchen, the beauty of being on the Staff was I got to do a little bit of everything, including giving witness talks, dancing on stage, praise and worship, being in skits, interacting with and helping campers, setting up evening programs, moving and organizing everything in the truck, traveling each week to a new campsite and more. Despite getting very little sleep and long hours, this job truly allowed me to experience the beauty of God’s love in the people around me. He worked through me, my teammates and all those we met along the way, and He helped us complete CHWC’s mission to love, serve and connect. I hope to continue pursuing God’s mission for me here with the Wayside Youth Group.
I’ve noticed that as I continue saying “yes” to God, with retreats, job opportunities, service projects, opportunities for prayer, or whatever it is, He keeps giving me far more than I could ever imagine or ask for. And through the many miracles I’ve witnessed in my life, God has taught me to give until I have nothing left, and then to give some more. Because He has done, and continues to do so much for each of us every single day, what can stop us from serving our most beautiful and holy God?
I am beyond excited to take on this new role at Our Lady of the Wayside, and I cannot wait to work with the youth ministry, help OLW teens grow in their faith, and experience all the beautiful things this parish has to offer.
– Claudia Wojciechowski
email: youthmin@olwparish.org
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