I am thrilled to announce that Catherine Outten Olivo will be joining St. Columba's as the Director of Youth Ministries. Having a full-time staff member dedicated solely to youth is an exciting step for our future and reflects our shared commitment to this ministry. Catherine will spend a few days in June with SCAP -
St. Columba's Appalachian Project - and begin on
August 1.

 

Catherine is vivacious, thoughtful, clear-spoken, caring, organized, and a whole lot of fun to be with! To a person, the eight youth who interviewed her gave her top ratings. A life-long Episcopalian and graduate of The University of the South in Sewanee, TN, she has been a counselor and program director at Camp Kanuga, missionary and youth leader in South Africa, and lay chaplain at Sewanee. Some of you already know Catherine - as St. Columba's Operations Manager; if you scheduled a meeting or event at St. C's, it was Catherine who helped you do so. For her, this has been a job; Director of Youth Ministries is a dream job.

 

Catherine writes: "I'm thrilled to begin the next chapter of my ministry in this community of faith. I've gotten to know many of you over the past few years, and I'm particularly excited to get to know the young people of St. Columba's and their families."

 

Special thanks to Heather Jones for leadership above and beyond during this search and to all the members of our Youth Council for their commitment, wisdom, laughter, and care - Amy Cropp, Rick Dulaney, Susan Higgins, Kristin McNavage and Shelby Tarkenton. Thank you also to the youth who participated in this discernment process - Jason Beal, Josie Hale, Molly Johnston, Robert LeBlanc, Emil Massad, Max McGervey, Ella Schneider and Lina Stensland.

 

Please join me in a deep bow of gratitude to Keri Piester as Coordinator and those who worked with her to lead
all our youth ministries during the past year, especially Kelly Crabtree, Prentiss Lay, Joanne Lin, Kristin McNavage and Jane Ward. Thank you Keri! They not only maintained our ministry; they initiated new ideas and effectively created new opportunity for the years ahead.

Catherine is eager to build upon our now-thriving program and explore ways we can grow both deep within and out to others beyond. Happily, she will not be doing this alone! She'll be working in partnership with Pattie Ames and Amy Molina-Moore who share responsibility for Christian formation of all ages, with Anne Timpane and John Guenther who support youth in our choirs and as sacristans, with the many adults who participate as teachers, mentors or leaders of special projects, and, of course, with the youth themselves who have great ideas and passion about how they can practice their faith in their daily lives.