My name is Nathan Johnson and I am excited to serve the St. Josaphat community as your new Director of Faith Formation. I am passionate about ministry and looking forward to walking in faith with the amazing people at our parish, in our school, and around Lincoln Park.
I moved to the Chicago area last summer and just moved to Lincoln Park. My girlfriend and I both have apartments near the zoo, one of our favorite parts of the city. If you have recommendations on the best food and drink in the area, let me know as we love to try new things as we explore.
Before moving to Chicago, I lived in Mission Viejo, California where I grew up. I moved back after getting a degree in theology from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and began my ministry career at a local parish where I worked for almost 6 years coordinating their confirmation program and leading their middle and high school youth group. The move here happened as both my girlfriend and I were looking for an adventure while she finishes her undergraduate degree at Dominican University in River Forest and I am studying for my Master of Divinity at Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park. Don't worry, we made it through last winter and these two Californians have acclimated just fine and are quickly becoming Chicagoans at heart!
My favorite part of ministry is being a part of the transformative stages of people's lives, supporting them, and seeing how a relationship with Jesus Christ impacts those important moments. I love coming up with creative ways to share our Catholic faith that are fun and exciting. Expanding from my youth ministry background to include pre-K through 12th grade means I get to be a part of that even more, and I am looking forward to the possibilities that come along with it. I thrive off feedback and welcome your ideas for how our parish and faith formation programs can create meaningful encounters with God.
I look forward to meeting you in person and may God bless you, your families, and our whole parish!
