Darlene facilitates office volunteers and provides clerical support. She is
the staff liason for the St. Joan of Arc web site providing the webmaster with current information. She also acts as
backup receptionist to the Parish Secretary. Darlene grew up in South
Minneapolis. She and her husband have three grown children and 7
grandchildren. She enjoys craft work, spending time with her grandchildren
and cheering for the Minnesota Vikings. For more on Darlene, read this feature.
Nancy Becker, nbecker@stjoan.com, - a graduate of Regina High School and attended Bemidji State
University. She is member of St. Joan's, and began her position as parish
secretary in June 1999. Along with being the primary receptionist, Nancy
works closely with the Religious Education Departments and has a wide variety
of general office and staff support related duties. Nancy and her family
returned to South Minneapolis after living in the St. Cloud area for 10
years. Her hobbies include skiing, camping, music and spending time with her
3 daughters and her large extended family.
Fr. Jim Cassidy, jcassidy@stjoan.com, is St. Joan's associate pastor, most often presiding over Family Mass but occasionally "working the big room". Jim is active in the fight against AIDS and is co-captain of Team Oz. He is also active in hospice care work.
Lisa Irgens Chirpich, lchirpich@stjoan.com, is the Youth Director at SJA. She works with adults and
youth to coordinate faith formation for 7-12th grade. She has studied at
Mankate State University and St. Thomas School of Divinity. Husband Kevin and Lisa have been members of the St. Joan community for the past
four years and look forward to getting to know a lot of parishioners. Lisa
has always loved to travel and has spent time in the Dominican Republic
(Peace Corps 1987-89), Honduras, Mexico and Ecuador and is very excited about
the Sister Parish relationship with Tierra Nueva II. She welcomes you where
ever you are on your journey.
Dan Chouinard(assistant music director), dchouinard@stjoan.com, first came to St. Joan of Arc as a
child with his family in 1970, and was elbowing his way into the SJA music
scene as early as age 12. His family moved to the Chisago Lakes area in 1976.
Dan attended St. John's University and graduated in 1986 with degrees in
music and French. He moved to St. Paul, where he currently resides and has
quickly built a reputation as a pianist, accompianist and musical director in
the Twin Cities and beyond. In 1994 he launched the popular live radio series
"The Singer's Voice," broadcast Sunday nights on 88.5 - KBEM. In the same
year Anna Vagle began to call on Dan as an occasional substitute pianist at
St. Joan's. He's now happy to be an official member of the St. Joan of Arc
staff.
Peter Eichten, peichten@stjoan.com, is the St. Joan of Arc Parish Administrator. Peter, and his
wife Jane, are returned Peace Corps Volunteers (Iran 1970-72). They have five
children. Peter spent ten years in the retail shoe business and has been
working for the church since 1984. He came to St. Joan of Arc in 1989. He has
a BA in History & Education from St. Thomas and an MA in Theology from St.
John's University in Collegeville. Read Pete's thoughts on "Breaking Out of the Ordinary".
Kathy Itzin , kitzin@stjoan.com, is the Director of Elementary Religious Education and Sacraments.
She graduated from the College of St. Benedict in 1982 with a BA in Pastoral
Ministry and got her MA in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis in Social
Justice from the College of St. Thomas/St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity
in 1992. She has three children and has parented four foster children with
special needs. Kathy has worked in the diocese since 1982 and has been
employed at St. Joan of Arc for the past eleven years. There's no place she'd
rather be!
Doug Lohman is SJA's Director of Maintenance and his wife Catherine and son Martin have been parishioners since 1993. Doug oversees and schedules the maintenance staff and is responsible for making sure the physical plant is running smoothly. As a side job, Doug runs the sound during most Sunday Masses. Doug has played in several bluegrass bands in the Twin City area. For more on Doug, see this feature.
Julie Madden, jmadden@stjoan.com, took over the Social Justice/Pastoral Minister job in September 2000. Julie has a diverse background including everything from performing in “Tony and Tina’s Wedding” to working as Volunteer Coordinator at Catholic Charities. She has a history of promoting and working for social justice in her personal and professional life.
Julie was a participant in the 1997-98 RCIA group and made her Profession of Faith at St. Joan of Arc on Easter, 1998. She continues to be an active member of St. Joan of Arc along with her husband, Michael, and 8-year-old son, Joshua. For more on Julie, see this feature.
Joe O'Brien, is our resident caretaker and has been on staff since 1991.
Cristine Patlan, cpatlan@stjoan.com, is our Coordinator of Pre-School Religious Education. Cristine and her husband, Mike Fearing, have 3 children: Sabrina(5) and Gabriel(2) and baby Cecelia.Cristine has had previous job experience with the YMCA working with teenage youth programming.
Roseann Shaughnessy Rogers, rrogers@stjoan.com: primary work focus at St. Joan of Arc is
hospitality and pastoral ministry. This includes funerals and memorial,
working with engaged couples and their mentors, and working with other local
churches in the area of Separated & Divorce Support Groups and Grief Support
Groups, Annulments, Volunteer Appreciation Events, Lenten Soup Suppers, Seder
Meal, New Parishioner Welcome Dinners, the All Parish Picnic and Dance.
Lisa coordinates the Nursery Program at St. Joans.
Tom Smith-Myott, tsmith.myott@stjoan.com, is the SJA Adult Formation Director. He has an MA in Theology
from St. John;s University in Collegeville and the University of Notre Dame.
Tom has thirty years of experience in religious education and ministry. He
began by teaching religion at Derham Hall High School in the 1970's and has
been working in Twin Cities parishes since. Tom is married and has three
adult children. He is in his 5th year at St. Joan of Arc.
Echo Thoren, is in charge of the mechanics of making Sunday Mass work. For a story on how she does it, view this feature. Echo also is SJA's wedding coordinator.
Anna Mae Vagle, avagle@stjoan.com, is the St. Joan of Arc Director of Ministry & Liturgy. She
grew up in rural, central Minnesota with strong family and church community
ties. She graduated from the College of St. Benedict with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in music, voice performance and education. Anna sang professionally
for 15 years with her husband Fred concertising, recording and publishing
their original music. As a member of the SJA music staff for over 25 years,
Anna has acted as consultant on children's and adult liturgies and designed
and coordinated special, creative services. She now directs the music
program, coordinates liturgies and has a special responsibility for directing
the "Family Mass" the adult choir and the yearly St. Joan of Arc concert
series. Anna Mae and Fred live in South Minneapolis, have five children and
two grandchildren. For more about Fred and Anna, see this feature.
Kevin Weiser works maintenance at St. Joans.
Fr. George Wertin, gwertin@stjoan.com, has been Pastor of St. Joan of Arc since July, 1992. He is a
native of North Dakota and a graduate of St. John's University, Collegeville,
MN. He has a graduate degree in theology from the Gregorian University in
Rome where he resided during the exciting years of the Second Vatican
Council. After his ordination in December, 1963, he returned to North Dakota
where he taught high school and served in parish ministry. He was also
actively involved in Campus Ministry through those years as well as promoting
social justice issues.
In 1978, he became Chaplain and Director of Campus Ministry at the College of
St. Benedict in St. Joseph. He also taught theology classes at St. Ben's and
St. John's. In 1986 he moved to the Twin Cities and became affiliated with
the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis. He has also served in parishes in
North St. Paul and Faribault prior to coming to St. Joan of Arc. His
interests include cooking, travel and outdoor activities. For more on Father Wertin, read this feature.
| Staff Book Discussions are an ongoing part of broadening our experience. Many parishioners have asked for a list of books that we have discussed. |
St. Joan of Arc Staff Book Discussion
- Berry, Thomas. The Great Work: Our Way Into the Future. New York: Bell Tower,
1999.
This book reminds us very convincingly that we are not the center, or the reason, for creation. Berry maintains that unless we begin to think and act differently we could easily destroy human life on the planet. A spirituality that is based in creation and the creation of a new cosmic story for our time are ways for us to respect and participate with The Great Work of the universe.
- Crossan, John Dominic. Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography. Harper San Francisco,
1994.
In this very readable short version of Crossan’s larger work we meet a human Jesus and the environment and times in which he lived, worked, suffered, and died. Crossan is very passionate that Jesus was a revolutionary for his time, and that his death was an execution for the crime of sedition.
- Crossan, John Dominic. The Birth of Christianity: Discovering What Happened in the
Years Immediately After the Execution of Jesus. Harper San Francisco, 1999.
This is a difficult and thick read, but it is worth it. It took our staff a full year to plow through this one. Crossan paints a wonderful picture of what those very first years of Christianity were all about, and is very convincing in stating that the ministry of Jesus was first and only a social ministry.
- Eisler, Riane. The Chalice & the Blade: Our History Our Future. Harper San Francisco, 1987.
Eisler takes us way back to the time of Goddess worship. This book is very exciting and puts forth an understanding of being human that is rarely investigated. Eisler is very convincing in stating that Goddess worship in no way meant a matriarchal society. She terms this time in human history as a time of partnership. With the advent of a male god and the creation of the world’s major religions we moved into a time, and continue to be in that time, of domination. This book is a must read.
- McFague, Sally. Super, Natural Christians: How We Should Love Nature. Minneapolis:
Fortress Press, 1997.
We make a mistake when we separate ourselves from nature. McFague insists that we are a part of nature, not something separate from nature. If we are to continue to live on this planet we must take steps integrate human activity with the natural creative process.
- Moorwood, Michael MCS. Tomorrow’s Catholic: Understanding God and Jesus in a
New Millennium. Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 1997.
This is very refreshing view of the humanity and the divinity of Jesus. Moorwood does a masterful job in putting forth a Jesus that is indeed human and lived through many of the same human things that we all do. This book will give you a new understanding of Jesus, one that is very valuable for our time.
- O’Murchu, Diarmuid. Reclaiming Spirituality. New York: The Crossroad
Publishing Company, 1997.
This book is a WOW! O’Murchu maintains that human spirituality has suffered greatly by the creation of religion. Humans have been on the planet for well over 2 million years and have essentially lived in harmony with the planet. Since the Agricultural Revolution, 10,000 years ago, humans have devastated the planet and religion has been right there encouraging it. We need to reclaim a spirituality that is in harmony with creation.
- O’Murchu, Diarmuid. Religion in Exile. New York: The Crossroad Publishing
Company, 2000.
O’Murchu continues his theme from his previous book about the need for a creation centered spirituality. In this book he endorses the idea of a time when there was Goddess worship, and sees that as a possible way to a healthier spirituality. Religion is not the only thing in exile. For O’Murchu, religion has put us all in exile. We are in exile from really being in touch with the universe and the planet, because religion, for the most part, has thwarted the development of human spirituality. These two books by O’Murchu are important books in our time.
- Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit. New York:
A Bantam/Turner Book, 1992.
Quinn uses a novel to put forth some very interesting understandings of where we have taken ourselves as a human species. This book needs to be read with The Story of B. They are great for putting forth a new way to understand where we have been and where we may be going.
- Quinn, Daniel. The Story of B: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit. New York:
Bantam Books, 1996.
This is a continuation of Ishmael. However, the books do stand on their own. Quinn maintains that we have been lied to, and that human development did not begin only with the dawn of “civilization.” As a matter of fact, Quinn maintains that some ancient “abandoned civilizations” were indeed abandoned because civilization is not the best way for humans to organize themselves. These books by Quinn are informative, and easy to read.
- Russell, Peter. The Global Brain Awakens: Our Next Evolutionary Leap. Global
Brain Inc: Palo Alto, CA, USA, 1995.
Russell is a scientist that has very strong spiritual bent to him. He thinks the next step in evolution will deal with consciousness. He sees the booming interest in individual spiritual development as an important sign that something is happening to the universal consciousness of the planet. Russell understands the many problems that we are encountering on the planet, but he paints a picture of hope that is exciting and believable.
- Russell, Peter. From Science to God: The Mystery of Consciousness and the Meaning of
Light. Global Brain Inc: Palo Alto, CA, USA, 2001.
Blending physics, psychology, and philosophy, Russell leads us to a new worldview in which consciousness is as fundamental to the cosmos as space, time, and matter. He shows how all the ingredients for this worldview are in place; nothing new needs to be discovered. We have only to put the pieces together and explore the new picture of reality that emerges.
|
