Introduction from our New Faith Formation Director
On this Trinity Sunday it is a blessing to introduce myself to you. My name is Denise York and I am honored to serve as your Faith Formation Director. I was able to attend the First Communion and Confirmation Masses this month, and I facilitated the retreat for the Confirmands on April 27th. It was wonderful to pray with our young people and their families. This is truly a large and vibrant faith community!
For the past fifteen years I served as the Director of Youth Ministry and Faith Formation at Immaculate Conception Parish in East Aurora. The pastor I served with retired in 2023, and I promised to stay one year after he retired for the transition. Before that I served as the Youth Ministry Coordinator at the Diocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. I also served at St. Mary of the Assumption, Lancaster and St. John the Baptist, Alden. Both positions involved faith formation, Confirmation preparation and youth ministry.
In 2018 I completed my Masters Degree in Theology at Christ the King Seminary. My Associates and Bachelors Degrees are both in Education Studies. I always viewed those degrees as stepping stones to my Theology Degree. The first course I took at the Seminary was Moral Theology because I wanted to be as informed as possible to teach our young people.
Both of my children are in their 30’s and I have two nieces who are ages 16 and 7. My nieces help keep me connected to youth culture. This past December the 7 year old was excited to read our family print out of Christmas Carol lyrics. She enjoyed singing so much that she said, “This is better than my iPad!” Hope springs eternal!
This weekend’s Gospel is one of my favorites and so appropriate for beginning my time here with all of you.
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Making disciples includes deepening our relationship with our Triune God. It is an effort that includes both the head (religious education) and the heart (faith formation), and it is not done alone. The entire body of Christ, each and every one of us, helps every member grow in our faith. Pope Francis calls this the art of accompaniment. I look forward to journeying with all of you as we grow in our own discipleship and make disciples of our children and young people.