The diocese has announced several new appointments that will support parishes in their lifelong faith formation efforts, a key pastoral priority identified when parishioners met with Bishop Joseph Galante for Speak Up sessions in 2005 and 2006.
The new appointments augment staff additions that were announced last summer, which included new directors of Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, and Faith and Family Life Formation.
“We are working to eliminate the compartmentalization of ministry by integrating functions and resources in order to provide more focused support at the diocesan level as our parishes work to provide opportunities for parishioners across the lifespan to grow more deeply in the faith,” said Sister Roseann Quinn, SSJ, bishop’s delegate for Lifelong Faith Formation.
The appointments:
Lawrence M. DiPaul has been named director of the Office of Life and Justice, effective Dec. 4.
With the appointment, the Office of Respect Life and the Office of Social Justice have been united as the Office of Life and Justice.
While recognizing the right to life as the first moral response on life’s continuum, the new office also will seek to promote a consistent and seamless ethic of life from conception to natural death, with particular attention to those who are most vulnerable. The office will assist clergy, religious and laity in the diocese in the call to live in solidarity with all God’s people and creation mainly through on-going parish visitations.
“Our parishes are called to ‘hunger and thirst for justice’ and to be ‘peacemakers’ in our own communities,” said DiPaul. “This biblical call to charity, justice and peace — also affirmed in Catholic social teaching — must be embraced not only by individual parishioners, or a select few, but also must be reflected in the life of the entire parish community.”
DiPaul has been director of Social Justice Ministries for the diocese since 2007. In this role he directed the diocese’s efforts to integrate Catholic social teaching in the life of the local church through advocacy, service and faith formation.
From 2004-07 DiPaul was director of the Romero Center, a retreat and social justice education center in East Camden affiliated with St. Joseph’s Pro-Cathedral Parish. DiPaul also taught theology and was director of Christian Service Programs at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, Pennsauken (2004) and Malvern Preparatory School, Malvern, Pa. (1997-2004).
He was associate professor at Immaculata College, Immaculata, Pa. (2000-01) and Holy Family College (1986-99), teaching theology and social justice.
A former priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, he was associate pastor at Transfiguration of Our Lord, St. Malachy and Annunciation parishes (1973-88) and pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows (1988-96).
He was pastoral care and community relations coordinator for the Compassionate Care Hospice, Marlton, and has volunteered with the Bethesda Project, serving homeless men and women. He served on the board of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project and the board of Habitat for Humanity, West Philadelphia.
Born and raised in Philadelphia and a 1965 graduate of St. Joseph Preparatory School, Philadelphia, he holds a Masters of Divinity and a B.A. in philosophy from St. Charles Seminary, Overbrook, Pa.
Linda K. Robinson has been named associate director of Family Life Formation for the diocese. The appointment was effective Nov. 2, 2009.
She and her staff are responsible for the development of family life ministries, including marriage formation and enrichment, ministry to maturing adults, ministry to separated and divorced Catholics, consolation ministry, parenting issues, and family support.
In addition to her diocesan responsibilities, she is visiting spiritual director at The Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth in Wernersville, Pa., instructor and mentor for the Church Ministry Institute of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and project manager for the Philadelphia “Contemplative Leaders in Action” program of the Jesuit Collaborative.
Robinson previously served as pastoral associate for Ignatian Spirituality at Old St. Joseph’s Church in Philadelphia. In addition to lecturing in theology at St. Joseph’s University and de Sales University in Allentown, she served as principal of Lansdale Catholic High School (2003-08) and assistant principal for Academic Affairs of North East Catholic High School for Boys (2001-03).
She also was a theology teacher at Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster (1995) and later theology chairperson. Before that, she taught theology at both Father Judge and Archbishop Ryan High Schools, both in Philadelphia.
Robinson holds an M.S. from St. Joseph University, an M.A. from La Salle University and a B.A. from St. Joseph University. She received a certificate of advanced graduate study in spiritual direction (with completion of a post-Master’s program in holistic spirituality) and a certificate in the supervision of spiritual directors from Chestnut Hill College.
Mary Lou Hughes has been named associate director of Faith Formation for the diocese. She is responsible for the ongoing support, recruitment and formation of parish catechetical leaders and catechists. She will work with parish leaders of Lifelong Faith Formation and catechetical ministry and will review and update sacramental guidelines.
The associate directors will collaborate with Sister Kathleen Burton, SSJ, the director of Faith and Family Life Formation.
Hughes has been coordinator of the office of religious education for the diocese since January, 2009.
Previously, she served as coordinator of religious education at Holy Spirit Parish in San Antonio, Texas, managing a volunteer staff of 130 catechists and 36 weekly religious education classes for more than 700 students.
She has a B.A. in Asian Studies from Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan and will receive her Masters in Pastoral Ministry in May from the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas.
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
