3 minute read
Meet Our Area Catholic Community Faith Formation Coordinators
The Holy Family Area parishes are excited to welcome a new Faith Formation team. Ann Voller and Claire Weimann have joined forces to serve St. Andrew, St. James, and St. Joseph with a unified and updated Faith Formation program.
Ann has been serving St. James and St. Joseph and is excited to add St. Andrew to her ministry. Claire will be assisting Ann, managing much of the administrative responsibilities, to allow Ann to focus on the children, youth, and families of the parishes. While Ann will manage programs at each parish individually, she also looks forward to seeing the communities come together. She is especially looking forward to getting to know the families at St. Andrew.
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“We are one family in Christ,” Ann says. “I feel like a parishioner at all the parishes I’ve served.”
Ann, a parishioner at St. Joseph, has been a catechist for many years, a volunteer in the parish, and a committee member, so her move into the role of Area Faith Formation Coordinator seemed natural. Ann has a passion for leading kids closer to Christ.
“I’ve experienced every phase of faith myself,” Ann says, “and my faith has deepened through many God-moments. I want to help kids and their families see those God-moments and see God’s presence in their own lives.” Ann credits her husband, David, with bringing her deeper into her faith. Ann and David have been married for 24 years and have three children. Her background includes a bachelor’s degree in social work from Minnesota State University-Moorhead, but her path brought her to ministry in the Church.
“This is where God wants me, to minister to His kids who are desperately seeking something more,” Ann says.
Ann is inspired in her faith by saints who trusted deeply in the provision of the Lord. St. Monica and St. Joseph have both influenced Ann by their models of deep faith, prayerfulness, and trust. Just as the Holy Spirit led Ann into her ministry role, she also depends on the Holy Spirit to bring her a team of dedicated volunteers and catechists.
“The Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting and I’ve been so blessed with the Catechetical teams He has sent me,” Ann says.
Our Faith Formation Coordinators Claire Weimann (left) and Ann Voller
Claire, a parishioner at St. James, might be a new face to some of us.
“I grew up in a big Catholic family,” Claire says, “My parents were pretty adamant about us going to Mass and getting a good religious education.”
After studying accounting at Benedictine College in Kansas, she stayed in the state and worked for the Diocese of Salina. Claire and her husband, Nick, made the move to the Holy Family Area after they were married. They recently welcomed a baby boy, Dominic. In college, Claire served as a Totus Tuus missionary in her home diocese.
“I realized that I missed working in that ministry,” Claire says. “When this position opened, I took it as a sign that maybe that’s what I was supposed to move toward.”
While Claire will be handling much of the administrative work, she looks forward to meeting people and getting to know the parishes better. In her new position, Claire will be able to shape her role to whatever needs arise, whether administrative or interpersonal.
In the upcoming year, our families can look forward to First Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation preparation classes, faith formation classes, and youth ministry. This year, Ann wants to ensure that the middle school and high school students have regular access to Eucharistic Adoration with praise and worship.
“It speaks to everybody,” Ann says. “They can open their heart to the Lord and then have that silence too.”
This summer, Ann took a group of students to the Steubenville Rochester Youth Conference, and she also started a young women’s group for high school girls, which has been fruitful.
“We talk about all of the topics pertinent to young teen girls,” Ann says. “I’m really excited to see where that’s going to go and how that’s going to grow.”
Ann and Claire have been busy recruiting and training catechists, preparing the curriculum, and planning classes and events for the year. Sunday classes at St. Joseph begin on September 26 and Wednesday classes begin on September 29 at all parishes. Families can register online at www.holyfamilyarea.org. They are both looking forward to bringing their gifts together to serve the Holy Family Area parishes.
