Who's who on the staff of OEC

JEANNE SCHREMPF is diocesan director. Her duties include providing consultation to pastors, catechetical and youth ministry leaders, and other parish leadership on faith formation planning, hiring and personnel issues, and ministerial growth and development. She also represents the Albany Diocese to national and state religious education organization

Mrs. Schrempf, a native of Syracuse, has been a catechist since high school. She is the mother of four grown children and the grandmother of five. She has been married for 37 years and moved seven times within the first five years of marriage. When she's not working, she tries to spend as much time as she can with her children and grandchildren.

She also enjoys gardening and dreams of someday having a perennial garden that people will come to visit. Other hobbies include cooking, reading, the ballet and theater.

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SISTER PATRICIA CONRON, CSJ, is associate director: catechist formation. Her duties include working with the deanery associations in planning catechist formation programs, teaching in catechist formation programs and leadership training programs, and holding catechist certification workshop for new catechetical leadership.

Sister Patricia is a native of Troy who graduated from Catholic Central High School in 1959. This month, she celebrates her 40th anniversary of entering the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet.

Her hobbies include quilting, reading, shopping and cooking. "I do a nice marinara sauce," she said.

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DAVID AMICO is associate director: catechesis for persons with developmental disabilities and special needs. His duties include providing consultation with families and parishes regarding the assessment and placement of a child or youth with developmental disabilities or other special needs, such as learning disabilities, in the faith formation program. Assistance can be given to determine the most appropriate catechetical setting and the types of supports needed for a particular child or youth.

He is able to provide assistance in providing suitable, age-appropriate materials for the initial and ongoing faith formation of children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities or other special needs within the parish community. He is available to provide consultation with families, pastors and parish staffs to determine a particular child, youth or adult's readiness to celebrate the sacraments.

Mr. Amico, who grew up in southern Connecticut, considers Hudson to be his second home since his maternal relatives live there.

His hobbies include reading (especially mysteries), going to the movies, having dinner with friends, and spending time with his family.

He recently received a scholarship to attend the Institute for Pastoral Ministry and Religious Education at Boston College and is taking courses towards a master's degree.

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MARY HARRISON is associate director: youth ministry. Her duties include advocating for and offering consultation, resources and training for pastors, catechetical leaders and youth ministers in the areas of youth ministry; providing training and resources for parish, cluster or deanery peer ministry retreat teams; and resourcing youth ministry leadership.

Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island, she came to the Albany Diocese as a young adult when she took a teaching job with the East Greenbush School District. She and her husband of 37 years are the parents of seven grown children and grandparents to seven. Her hobbies include reading, playing golf, camping in the Adirondacks, spending time with her grandchildren, and ballroom and swing dancing.

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JOYCE SOLIMINI is associate director: catechesis for children youth and families. Her duties include providing consultations to parishes, clusters and deaneries on catechesis for children and families, on adolescence, and on the sacraments (including infant Baptism, the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Confirmation).

Mrs. Solimini grew up in St. Adalbert's parish in Schenectady. She taught Spanish, French and theology at the former Cardinal McCloskey High School in Albany before working in parish catechetical ministry. She holds a master's degree in theology from St. Bernard's Institute in Albany.

Mrs. Solimini and her husband are the parents of two teenagers. She recently learned to play golf. Other interests include music. She enjoys singing and, according to friends, knows all of the words to the songs of the 1960s.

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SISTER ANNA TANTSITS, IHM, is the associate director: evangelization and adult catechesis. Her duties include offering consultation and resources to parish leadership in all areas of evangelization and adult catechesis.

A native of New York City, she has ministered throughout the northeast, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. In her free time, she enjoys canoeing, hiking to waterfalls and reading. She is also involved in Bethany Ministries.

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MARY ELLEN COLFER is diocesan resource librarian. Her duties include receiving and preparing requests and orders for videos and other media items as well as making recommendations for appropriate resource materials.

The Diocesan Resource Library, she said, offers video programs that cover a variety of topics including prayer, Jesus, Catholic social teaching, parish, lay ministries, youth ministry, Scripture, parenting skills, AIDS education, evangelization, saints, Confirmation, Eucharist, human sexuality, world religions, nonviolence, children's stories, grief and children's liturgy.

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DIANE DEAS O'CONNOR, administrative assistant, serves as office bookkeeper and editor of office publications, among other duties.

She is the mother of a 13-year-old daughter. She has two dogs -- a Wheaten terrier and a Kerry Blue Terrier. She enjoys tole painting, doing crafts with her daughter, shopping, reading and playing the piano.

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MARIANN KERLS, secretary, is responsible for answering the phones, taking registrations for office workshops and providing support to the members of the staff.

She is the mother of five grown children and grandmother of four. She enjoys gardening, craft shows and decorating.

(09-16-99) [[In-content Ad]]