Katie Frame, along with her husband and four children, is a long time parishioner of St. John Vianney Parish in Colonia. With over 22 years of teaching experience in both public and Catholic schools, plus several years of experience as the PCL at St. Joseph’s in North Plainfield, Katie brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her new role as PCL. In addition, Katie also serves as a 2nd grade teacher at St. John Vianney School. Katie agrees with Aristotle, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” As a teacher, PCL, and parent, she truly believes “SJV is the place to be!” because St. John Vianney Parish and School are committed to educating the minds, heart, and spirits of the children each day.
Karen Kirkpatrick St. Edward the Confessor, Milford
Karen Kirkpatrick and her family have lived in the Milford area and have been parishioners at St. Edward the Confessor for about 10 years. No stranger to the classroom, Karen is also an 11th grade history teacher at Edison High School where she has taught for 18 years. When asked about her vision for the religious education program at St. Edward’s, Karen replied, “I hope that our religious education program inspires a life long journey of faith, knowledge, and compassion.”
Paula Kolakowski Duffy Church of the Sacred Heart, South Amboy
Paula Duffy took on the role as PCL at the Church of the Sacred Heart in South Amboy in May of 2024. Paula and her family have been parishioners of the Church of the Sacred Heart for 45 years. Her grandparents were also parishioners and even donated the statue of St. Anne that is in the church today. Paula received her master’s degree in education from Monmouth University and previously worked as the media coordinator at St. Stanislaus Kostka School in Sayreville. Paula reflects, “My goal as the parish catechetical leader is to impart a basic foundation of beliefs, prayers, and social concern in all of our students.”
Andrea Madonna St. Thomas the Apostle, Old Bridge
Andrea Madonna may be new to the role as PCL at St. Thomas the Apostle in Old Bridge, but is not new to parish catechesis at St. Thomas. Andrea was a catechist at St. Thomas for 13 years while her 2 children were in the program, eventually accepting the position as Elementary Coordinator and working in that position for 12 years. When asked about the religious education program at St. Thomas, Andrea responded, “Our focus is on the Mission Statement of our pastor, Father Jay Johnson: ‘To make disciples, as we know, love and serve God and one another.’ This statement refers to Jesus’ desire to make each one of us his followers. By being called, formed and sent by Jesus he invites us to use our gifts, talents and our entire lives to love and serve Him and each other.
Jenn Taylor St. Stanislaus Kostka, Sayreville
Jenn Taylor recently accepted the position as parish catechetical leader at St. Stanislaus Kostka parish in Sayreville after several years of being a parish catechist in the program. As a busy mother of two middle school aged girls, and with nine years as a middle school social studies and STREAM teacher at St. Stanislaus Kostka School, Jenn brings a wide range of experience and creative spirit to the position. When asked about her hopes for the parish catechetical program, Jenn replied: “I am looking forward to using a combination of modern catechetical tools and increased family involvement to engage our students in their journey of faith.”