Announcement of a New Youth Minister
for St. Peter Parish
Kirkwood, Missouri
4 October 2021
It is with great joy I can announce that Sarah Kate Heyman will become the new Youth Minister at St. Peter Parish.
Upon my arrival at St. Peter this past July, the need for a Director of Youth Ministry quickly became evident. Our parish is blessed to have a vibrant community life with a culture that greatly supports the spiritual development of our youth. We have all the building blocks for a strong Youth Ministry Program: a robust school and PSR, an active adult community that seeks to evangelize, a great location in Kirkwood, and many teens who strongly identify with our parish.
As I conducted the search for a youth minister this summer, a number of people came forward to help Youth Ministry by joining the Core Team. The Core Team is comprised of adult volunteers committed to being at every youth meeting, so teens who come will have trusted adults consistently available to them each time we meet. Thank you to John Luetkemeyer, Erin Ferrone, Joe Lorms, David Gosser, Mary Dunn, Ben Allen, Katie Feise, and Jacquelyn Olympio for taking on this commitment. A dedicated Core Team is indispensable for a vibrant program. I am also grateful for the few who have come forward so far to help provide meals for Sunday nights, coordinated by Kristen Figge.
With such a strong foundation in place, our Youth Ministry is poised to become a staple of our parish life under the leadership of Sarah Kate Heyman. Sarah Kate has a background in ministering to youth, most recently serving as Counselor Supervisor for Camp Aldersgate, during which time she formed college-aged counselors to effectively lead middle school and high school students. In addition to her time as a camp counselor and supervisor, Sarah Kate has a wealth of experience in catechizing every grade from K-12. She graduated from the University of Mary in North Dakota with a degree in Catholic Studies and a minor in Catholic philosophy. Through her self-study, she is familiar with the fundamentals of Christian counseling for common teenage struggles. Her bachelor’s thesis is entitled, “The Role of Social Media in the New Evangelization”.
Sarah Kate was led to youth ministry through her experience of the Catholic community at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND. She had been pursuing a Bio-Chem double major before feeling the Lord calling her away from that field to more directly serve his Church. As a camp counselor, she discovered her gifts in ministering to teens, which led her to pursue degrees that would set her on a course to minister most effectively. After visiting friends St. Louis, she felt a deep affinity for this city that has led her to move from her home in Springfield, Georgia. Sarah Kate enjoyed her own high school experience in youth ministry and at her all-girls Catholic high school. We are immensely grateful to have her joining our team!
Sarah Kate will start October 11
th, at which time we will begin conversations about a long term vision for the youth ministry program. As I’m sure you are aware, a youth ministry program does not occur in a vacuum. A successful program requires more than one stellar youth minister and a Core Team; it takes the support of an entire parish to establish a lasting program. Along with this announcement, I ask that you support this program through your prayers and conversations. If you desire to be more actively involved, do not hesitate to reach out to me
carcher@stpeterkirkwood.org or to Sarah Kate upon her arrival.
Blessings!
Fr. Archer