Waterloo Catholics


Adult Formation, Enrichment
and Spiritual Growth

 

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Rites of Christian Initiation and Reception
Information About Our Presenters


Bev Byford
is director of faith formation for Queen of Peace Parish in Waterloo.  Bev grew up in Waterloo and attended Sacred Heart Grade and High School.  She has a BA degree and Masters degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Northern Iowa and served as adjunct professor of Language and Literature at UNI 1990-1993.  Bev served as Director of Faith Formation for St. Mary Parish for eight years.  She was appointed Director of Faith Formation for Queen of Peace Parish in 2002.  Bev has 73 hours in continuing education credits for theology from Archdiocesan-sponsored inservices.  Bev has served for many years as secretary for Waterloo Diocore and the Waterloo Pastoral Leaders and as the faith directors' representative on the Cedar Valley Catholic School Board. She currently coordinates the Catholic Readers Book Club and serves as an instructor in the Rites of Christian Initiation and Reception of Adults in the Waterloo parishes.  Bev is the parent of four adult children, 16 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.  She is a member of Queen of Peace Parish, where she serves on the Liturgy Committee and assists with the worship environment. (10.10)
• Email: DBQ213re@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

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Fr. Jose Luis Comparan is pastor of Queen of Peace Parish in Waterloo.  (10.10)
• Email: DBQ213@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

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Dave Cushing is director of adult faith formation for the Catholic Parishes in Waterloo.  Dave grew up in Dubuque and attended Sacred Heart Grade School and Wahlert High School.  He has BA degrees in History and Sociology from Loras College and a Masters of Divinity degree from St. Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana.  Since 1981 Dave has served in full-time parish ministry as director of faith formation and education at St. John Parish, Waterloo; St. Nicholas Parish, Evansdale; Queen of Peace Parish, Waterloo and St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center, Cedar Falls and as pastoral associate for adult formation at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Waterloo.  He was appointed director of adult faith formation for the Waterloo parishes in 2006.  Dave has over 800 hours in continuing education, including participation in Illuminare, a formation program for lay ecclesial ministers, and the North American Forum on the Catechumenate.  Dave is a presenter in the Archdiocese's Lay Formation program and a member of the Lay Formation Board.  He also currently serves on the Archdiocesan Faith Formation Commission and the Evangelization Committee for the Archdiocese's 175th Anniversary.  He writes a bi-weekly column, "Faith Leaders' Corner," for the Archdiocese's Office of Education.  Dave and his wife Mary Lou are parents of two young adult children.  They are members of Queen of Peace Parish. (01.11)
• DBQ208s3@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

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Barb Duggan is director of faith formation for Blessed Sacrament Parish in Waterloo.  Barb grew up in Waterloo and attended Blessed Sacrament Grade School and Columbus High School.  She has a BA degree in Vocational Home Economics from UNI and a Masters Degree in Theology and Pastoral Studies from Loras College.  She has been employed as a home economics teacher at Columbus, a customer service advisor for Cedar Falls Utilities and an adult education instructor at Hawkeye Community College.  She served as Marketing Director for Cedar Valley Catholic Education from 1990 to 1999 and was appointed director of faith formation at Blessed Sacrament Parish in 1999.  Barb's continuing education includes participation in Illuminare, a formation program for Lay Ecclesial Ministers, and training for Generations of Faith and Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.  She is a member of the National Conference of Catechetical Directors and the National Association of Parish Catechetical Leaders. Barb has served on the Archdiocesan Stewardship Committee, and the planning committee for Pentecost 2000.  She has also served as chair of Waterloo Diocore and as the faith formation directors' representative on the Cedar Valley Catholic School Board.  Barb and her husband Dan are parents of two adult children. (10.10)
• Email: DBQ208re@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

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Sr. Michael Galles OSF is a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Family in Dubuque.  A native of Kingsley, Iowa, she entered the Franciscan community in 1954 and made her final vows in 1960.  She received her BA and MS degrees in Biology at Briar Cliff and her MA in Theology at the University of Notre Dame.  She did post graduate studies at Creighton University in Omaha, the University of Portland, Boston College and at Maryknoll.  Sister Michaela taught in Catholic grade school in Chicago and Catholic high schools in Dubuque, Cascade, Sioux City, Larchwood and Pocahontas, Iowa.  She served in parish faith formation ministries in Anthon, Oto, Moville, Holstein, Cherokee and Boone, Iowa.  She established a religious education program and was involved in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City and taught in the Diocese of Sioux City’s Church Ministry formation program.  She taught on the faculty of Briar Cliff for 28 years before retiring in 2010.  Sr. Michaela presently lives in Waterloo and is involved in various ministries for the Sisters of St. Francis.
gallesm@osfdbq.org

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Fr. Louis Jaeger is pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Waterloo.  Fr. Jaeger grew up in Edgewood, Iowa, where he attended a public grade school and private high school.  He has a BA degree in History and minors in Philosophy and Latin from Loras College in Dubuque.  He has a Masters of Divinity from St. Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana, a Masters in Education from Boston College, and a certificate in teaching and administration from Clarke College in Dubuque.  Fr. Jaeger was ordained to the priesthood in 1973.  Since ordination he has served as associate pastor at parishes in Manchester, Dubuque and Cedar Rapids and as pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Winthrop; St. Francis Parish, Barclay; St. Joseph Parish, Raymond; St. Patrick Parish, Epworth; St. Henry Parish, Marshalltown and Immaculate Conception Parish, Haverhill. He was appointed pastor of Sacred Heart in 2006.  Fr. Jaeger has served on the faculty of St. Paul's School of Religion, Manchester;  Wahlert High School, Dubuque; LaSalle and Regis High Schools, Cedar Rapids; as principal of St. John High School, Independence and as assistant principal, spiritual director and teacher at Don Bosco High School, Gilbertville.  He has served as Dean of the Dyersville Deanery and on the Archdiocesan Priests' Council, the Priestly Life and Ministry Committee, the Seminary Review Board and various Archdiocesan task forces.  He has been a presenter for World Wide Marriage Encounter for 15 years.  Fr. Jaeger currently serves on the Board of American Martyrs Retreat House and the Board of the Archdiocese's Lay Formation program.  He is also Pastoral Coordinator for Cedar Valley Catholic Schools. (10.10)
• Email: DBQ209@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

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Pam Johnston is director of faith formation for Sacred Heart Parish in Waterloo.  Pam grew up in Waterloo and attended St. Mary Grade School and Columbus High School.  She studied Marketing at the University of Northern Iowa completed a certificate program in Religious Studies and Theology from Loyola University in New Orleans.  She was employed as a manager and buyer for women's specialty shops before becoming a resource aide in the Sacred Heart School Learning Center.  She was appointed Director of Faith Formation at Sacred Heart in 1989.  Pam's continuing education includes participation in Illuminare, a formation program for lay ecclesial ministers, the North American Forum for the Catechumenate, various diocesan and national conferences, and professional development opportunities sponsored by the Archdiocese of Dubuque.  She is a member of the National Conference of Catechetical Directors and the National Association of Parish Catechetical Leaders.  She serves on the Archdiocese's Church Design and Renovation Commission and has served for many years as chair of Waterloo Diocore.  She is currently the Executive Officer of the Waterloo Catholic Faith Formation Commission and the chair of the Waterloo Pastoral Leaders.  Pam and her husband Don are parents of two adult children and four grandchildren.  They are members of Sacred Heart Parish, where Pam also chairs the Liturgy Committee, directs a youth choir and is a music minister. (10.10)
• Email: DBQ209re1@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

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Fr. Jerry Kopacek is pastor of St. Edward Parish in Waterloo.  Fr. Kopacek grew up and attended public schools in Britt, Iowa.  He has a BA in political science and history from Iowa State University and a law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.  He practiced law in Des Moines for four years after graduating from law school.  He earned his Masters of Divinity degree from St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore and was ordained to the priesthood in 1988. Fr. Kopacek has served on the faculty at Beckman High School, Dyersville and Newman High School, Mason City.  He served as associate pastor at St. Francis Xavier Basilica, Dyersville; St. Joseph Parish, Mason City and St. Joseph Parish, Marion.  He has served as pastor of St. James Parish, Forest City; St. Patrick Parish, Lake Mills; St. Patrick Parish, Buffalo Center; St. Mary Parish, Marshalltown; and St. Francis Xavier Basilica, Dyersville.  He served as pastor of St. Edward Parish, Waterloo from 1999 to 2004 and was reappointed pastor of St. Edward in 2006.  Fr. Kopacek has served on the Archdiocesan Due Process Board, the Advisory Committee for Persons with Special Needs, the Seminary Advisory Board, St. Raphael Priest Fund Society Board, Priestly Life and Ministry Committee and Archdiocesan Priests Council.  He is currently serving on the Archdiocesan Review Board and as dean for the Waterloo deanery.  (10.10)
• Email: DBQ210@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

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Hazel Martin is director of faith formation for St. Edward Parish in Waterloo.   Hazel grew up in Webster, New York where she attended local grade schools and R.L. Thomas High School.  She has a B.S. degree in Education, Physical Education and Coaching from Drake University in Des Moines and a Masters Degree in Special Education from the University of Northern Iowa.  She taught middle high and high school and served as a special education teacher for 27 years.  Hazel was appointed Director of Faith Formation for St. Edward Parish in 2007 and earned her MA degree in Religious Studies from Loras College in 2010.  She is a graduate of the Archdiocese's Lay Formation program and a professed member of the Third Order Secular Franciscans.  She has been commissioned by the Archdiocese of Dubuque as a Lay Leader of Prayer.  Her continuing education includes participation in the North American Forum on the Catechumenate.   Hazel currently serves as chair and Leader of Faith Leaders for the Waterloo Diocesan Council of Religious Educators and serves as the faith formation directors' representative on the Cedar Valley Catholic School Board.  Hazel and her husband Linzy are parents of one adult child and one grandchild.  Currently, they are members of St. Edward Parish. Previous to this position, Hazel has served as a member and chair of the Liturgy and Education Committees, in parish music ministry, and as a member of the RCIA team at St. Mary Parish in Strawberry Point, Iowa.   (10.10) 
• Email: DBQ213re@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

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Fr. Thomas McDermott is pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Waterloo.  He grew up in rural Dubuque County where his family attended St. John the Evangelist Parish at Placid.  He attended grade school in the Seton Catholic System and Beckman High School in Dyersville.  He studied farm operations at Iowa State University and farmed on his grandfather's farm for eleven years before attending St. Mary Seminary and University in Baltimore where he earned his Masters of Divinity and MA in Theology.  He was ordained in 1997.  Fr. McDermott has served as associate pastor at Holy Trinity Parish in Dubuque and St. Edward Parish in Waterloo and as pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Maquoketa and St. Ludmilla Parish in Cedar Rapids.  He was appointed pastor of Blessed Sacrament in 2011.  He has an MA degree in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University in Omaha.  He has served as chair of the Archdiocesan Priests Council and currently serves on the Priests Pension Board, Seminary Review Board, St. Raphael Priests Fund Board and Priests Personnel Board.  Fr. McDermott is the pastors' representative on the Waterloo Catholic Faith Formation Commission. (10/11)
• Email: DBQ208@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

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Msgr. Lyle Wilgenbusch is the Archdiocese of Dubuque's Episcopal Vicar for the Waterloo region.  Msgr. Wilgenbusch grew up in Dubuque and attended Holy Ghost Grade School and Loras Academy.  He has BA degrees in Philosophy and Education from Loras College, a Masters of Divinity degree from Aquinas Institute of Theology and an Masters degree in Religious Education from the Catholic University of America.  He was ordained to the priesthood in 1966.  Msgr. Wilgenbusch taught religion at Newman High School, Mason City; Wahlert High School, Dubuque; and Regis High School (now Xavier High School), Cedar Rapids. He has served as associate pastor at St. Patrick Parish, Monona; Holy Trinity Parish, Walford and St. Mary Parish, Manchester; and as pastor at St. Mary Parish, Waverly and St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Dubuque.  He was appointed Episcopal Vicar in 2004.  Msgr. Wilgenbusch's continuing education includes a three-month Lilly Foundation study in stewardship and evangelization. He has served on various Archdiocesan boards and commissions, including the Archdiocesan Worship Commission, the Church Decoration and Renovation Committee, the Archdiocesan Stewardship Commission, the Archdiocesan Priest Council, the Seminary Board, and as Leader of the Colloquium Program for Catholic School Teachers.  He currently serves on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, the Personnel Advisory Board and the Advisory Board for American Martyrs Retreat House.  Msgr. Wilgenbusch lives in Waterloo. (10.10)
• Email: DBQcvgw@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

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Posted 10.14.10  •  Last Update 10.17.11

OUR COMMITMENT TO ADULT FORMATION
The Catholic parishes in Waterloo are committed to providing life-long faith formation and spiritual growth for adults of all ages. We value individual life experience, respect the diversity of personal convictions, and welcome the wisdom of every participant. We encourage conversation and dialogue. We will never intentionally embarrass or offend participants.


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