Pastoral Services Team
Sr. Honora Nolty, Director of Pastoral Services, describes herself as a first generation Irish New York Catholic, raised in Queens, New York. As a Dominican Sister of Amityville, NY, she ministered in Brooklyn’s inner city, Long Island, Seattle, the Pacific Northwest, and Central America. Her work as teacher, principal, associate superintendent of schools, director of an international volunteer program and a spirituality center in Southampton, NY, have all prepared her to be a Why Catholic?, RENEW, and ARISE Together in Christ presenter. As Director of Pastoral Services, Sr. Honora coordinates the activities of RENEW's Presenters, in both English and Spanish, and the implementation of all of RENEW's pastoral offerings. | Alma L. Garcia has been working with the Hispanic Community in this country since 1990. Originally from Mexico City, she received her pastoral ministry formation there. She has worked in Parish Ministry in Adult Formation, Religious Education, Liturgy, and as a Music Director. She holds certifications in Religious Sciences and in Hispanic Pastoral Ministry and Catechesis. As a Spanish Presenter for RENEW, Ms. Garcia travels to dioceses throughout the United States where she works with lay leaders to successfully implement RENEW's programs. She has also contributes her talents as editor and translator of some Spanish resources. |
Rev. Jerry Browne is an adjunct staff member of RENEW International and serves as the Director of the RENEW Africa National Office in South Africa. He also heads the Pastoral Development Office for the Diocese of Port Elizabeth. | Manuel Hernandez ministers in various dioceses helping to implement both the RENEW/RENACER processes and Why Catholic? /¿Por qué ser católico?. He holds a BS in Business Administration from Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY, and an MA in Pastoral Ministry from Fordham University. Currently Mr. Hernandez is a doctoral candidate in ministry at Barry University, Miami Shores, FL. Before coming to RENEW in 2002, Mr. Hernandez was involved in parish ministry in the Dominican Republic, in the Archdiocese of New York, and in the Diocese of Paterson. |
Irma Chávez implements RENEW processes in El Salvador and Honduras. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Bologna and one in Theology from Saint John's University, New York, and has been Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Don Bosco in El Salvador. For more than 20 years, Dr. Chavez has worked to promote small Christian communities in the United States and Central America. She has written on various theological topics and published many reflection materials for small Christian communities. | Father Alejandro López-Cardinale is a diocesan priest from Archdiocese of Caracas, Venezuela and serves as Hispanic/Latino Coordinator for RENEW International’s processes and resources. As a presenter, he is currently responsible for implementing Why Catholic?/¿Por qué ser católico? in six U.S. dioceses and including Ponce, PR. He also presents LEVÁNTATE Unámonos en Cristo. He holds an MA in Catechetical Pastoral Issues from Catholic University, Paris, and is in the Doctor of Ministry program at Laval University, Quebec City, focusing on the experience of small Christian communities and their impact on the Church. |
Sr. Maureen Colleary, FSP, a Franciscan Sister of Peace, has been with RENEW International since 1997. She is currently engaged with Why Catholic? in the United States and on U.S. military bases both here and abroad, as well as with ARISE Together in Christ and is the Project Leader for Longing for the Holy. Sr. Maureen has a BA in Psychology from Ladycliff College and an MA in Pastoral Ministry from Seton Hall University. She currently serves as a Council member on the Leadership Team of the Franciscan Sisters of Peace. | Sr. Verónica Méndez, RCD, a Sister of Our Lady of Christian Doctrine, serves on RENEW International’s Why Catholic?/¿Por qué ser católico? Team. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York City, Sr. Veronica has an MST in Hispanic Ministry from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, CA. She has been ministering with Hispanics for over 40 years, has been an active member of the National Catholic Conference for Hispanic Ministry, and has served as secretary of that conference for a number of years. |
Sr. Marie Cooper, SJC currently serves as Project Leader for the Why Catholic? and RENEW Africa in South Africa. For several years, she served as Co-Director of the Pastoral Services Team. A member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny, Province of USA & Canada, Sr. Marie holds an MA in Secondary Education and French and an MA in Theological Studies from Washington Theological Union. She is trained in spiritual direction and retreat work. | Kathleen Motyka, a member of the Young Adult Ministry Team, has an MDiv from the University of Notre Dame and an undergraduate degree in Theology from Notre Dame. She comes from an education background, having taught a variety of theology classes at the high school level. Other previous experience includes work with college campus ministry programs and serving in social service agencies that work with the poor and disadvantaged. Ms. Motyka works primarily with the development and implementation of RENEW’s Theology on Tap process. |
Juan Ramón Córdova is the Assistant Director of RENEW El Salvador. He coordinates “21st century Youth for Christ”. Mr. Códova holds a degree in Psychology from the Universidad Francisco Gavidia in El Salvador, a Master’s in Pedagogy from the Instituto Superior El Espíritu Santo in El Salvador, and another in Participatory Pastoral Planning from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Puebla, Mexico. He was a university docent in El Salvador, Colombia, and Mexico, has served as an advisor to the Pontifical Counsel for Laity in the area of youth, and was a member of the Latin American Episcopal Conference’s Latin American Pastoral Youth Team. He also contributed to the Latin American Pastoral Youth Proposal, “Civilization of Love, Work, and Hope” published by the Latin American Bishops. | Anne Scanlan serves on RENEW International’s Why Catholic? Team. She was an itinerant preacher for several years, served in Retreat Ministry, as well as Adult Faith Formation. She taught elementary and secondary school and was on the faculty at Gwynedd-Mercy College in Gwynedd, PA. Ms. Scanlan holds an MA in Theology and has extensive experience as a liturgist. |
Peter Denio, a New Jersey native, has been involved in Church ministry for many years. Previously he served at the National Pastoral Life Center and was the Secretary for the Catholic Common Ground Initiative. He was also on staff at the Church of the Presentation in Upper Saddle River, NJ. Mr. Denio holds a Masters in Pastoral Ministry from Boston College and a Masters in Public Administration from Seton Hall University. He continues to assist the Catholic Common Ground Initiative Committee, is an advisory board member of the Paulist Office of Reconciliation and of Fordham University’s Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education, and coordinates the Standards for Excellence program by the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management. He is married and has three children. | Sr. Patricia Thomas, OP, a Dominican Sister of Peace from Columbus, Ohio, recently served as a Residence Hall Rector at the University of Notre Dame and as Director of Campus Ministry at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut. Previously, she was involved in teaching and educational administration in parish schools in Ohio, New York, and Connecticut. Sister Pat has an MA in English from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in Pastoral .Studies with a concentration in Preaching from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO. She has begun work toward a DM in Preaching also through Aquinas Institute. |
Sr. Marenid Fabre, OP, trains lay leaders as they foster small communities of faith within parishes using ¿Por qué ser católico?. She holds an MA in School Psychology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, a Certificate in Spiritual Direction, and a Certificate in Cross Cultural Training from Maryknoll. A teacher for twenty years, Sr. Marenid also worked in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Long Island, as a Coordinator of Hispanic Youth and Young Adults. Her favorite ministry was as a missionary in the Caribbean Islands and in Colombia. | Cristina Garzon, Administrative Assistant |
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