PARISH STAFF

Father Jack Batykefer, Senior Parochial Vicar & part-time Chaplain at Quigley High School
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Father Jack Batykefer was ordained May 19, 1990. His first assignment (1990-95) was as parochial vicar at Saints Peter & Paul Parish, Beaver. He was also appointed chaplain at Quigley Catholic High School in Baden, CCD Director for the Beaver Deanery, and served on the Board of Directors for Beaver County Children and Youth. He has served St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish, St. Ann Parish, and in 2005 became pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Canonsburg, PA.

Father Michael Roche, Parochial Vicar
fatherroche@gmail.com
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Father Michael Roche was ordained on June 25, 2011. He loves serving Jesus and sharing everything about life in Christ. He especially loves celebrating Holy Mass and bringing the Holy Eucharist to the people of God. Most recently he has served as the chaplain at the Allegheny County Jail while residing at Epiphany Parish in Uptown, Pittsburgh. He is thrilled to be coming to the parishes of the Great Grouping, and was assigned to Our Lady of Peace in Conway during his days in seminary.

Father Joe Carr, Parish Chaplain
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Father Joe Carr was ordained on May 20, 2006 at age 48.  Before entering seminary, Father Joe worked for the Diocese for 11 years as Director of Programs for the Unemployed and staff to the Justice and Peace Commission. In addition to many other jobs, he also served as a corporate outplacement consultant to U. S. Steel. He is a 1975 graduate of Central Catholic. Father Joe served as parochial vicar at St. Kilian Parish and St. Bernard Parish in Mt. Lebanon and as pastor of Good Samaritan Parish and St. John the Baptist in Baden.

Deacon Jim Olson, Permanent Deacon
jolson@sts-jp.org
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Jim Olson was born in New Jersey and grew up in East Brunswick. He is the oldest of 11 children of Robert and Willie Sue (Bunny) Olson. Jim came to Pittsburgh to attend Duquesne University, where he received a BS in Business Administration with a major in accounting. He also has an MS from Robert Morris and a JD from Duquesne University. Jim currently practices law with the firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP in their Pittsburgh Office. Jim is married to Judy (Ference) Olson and they have two children, Grant and Sophia. Both children are now attending college. Jim was raised in the Episcopal faith and has attended Saints John & Paul since 1994. In 2004, Jim was received into the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon on June 15, 2013 and was assigned to Saints John & Paul Parish for his ministry of the Word and Altar. He is assigned to Heritage Valley Hospital in Sewickley for his ministry of Charity.

Deacon Tony Giordano, Permanent Deacon
agiordano@diopitt.org
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“Serving in ministry as a deacon is really the desire to do more to serve God’s people, wherever and whenever. The heart of a deacon is the strong desire to serve at the altar, to pray and serve God’s people in many ways, again being that example of Jesus’ presence on earth.”

In addition to his parish work and diaconal assignment, which includes health care ministry at Heritage Valley Beaver, one of the hospitals in the Heritage Valley Health System, Deacon Giordano assists with formation of pastoral councils at various parishes and serves as a representative on the diocesan Catechetical Leadership Committee for Districts 2-5, Vicariate 3.

Karen Walker, Pastoral Minister
kwalker@sts-jp.org
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Karen Monro Walker comes to us from Bishop Canevin HS where she has been employed for the past ten years as a Math and Computer Science teacher and as Assistant Principal.  As a Catholic school administrator, she was the administrative representative to the Campus Ministry Team where she participated in planning class retreats, the annual Kairos retreat, and school liturgies.  In addition, she chaired the school’s Faith Formation and Catholic Identity Committee and was the founder and facilitator of the annual school Mission Trip.

Prior to this she taught at Trinity Middle School in Washington, PA, was a stay-at-home mother while her two daughters were younger, and also worked as a freelance ASL interpreter.

Recently she has been involved in the Christ Life Program at St. Gabriel OSV parish in Whitehall and has participated in the Magis Collaborative Program offered through the Office of Ignatian Spirituality of the Society of Jesus.  She is the current president of Beginning Experience Pittsburgh and also serves on the Lay Apostolate Central Leadership Team for the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Karen is an avid Mission Trip participant, having traveled on mission trips to Webster Springs, WV, four mission trips with Bishop Canevin HS, and the diocesan mission trip to Chimbote, Peru.  She is the mother of two young adult daughters, Emily and Theresa, and the human parent of the family’s dog, Ignatius.

Karen tries to live her life each day dedicated to the phrase attributed to St. Ignatius of Loyola:  Ad majorem Dei gloriam—All for the greater glory of God.

Adele Scherer, Music Minister
ascherer@sts-jp.org
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With 35 years of experience, Adele joined the staff of Saints John & Paul Church on February 15, 2001 as the first full-time Music Director. Her home parish is St. Catherine of Sweden in Wildwood, where she was the associate music minister. She has been a sub-organist at several parishes throughout the Pittsburgh Diocese and the full-time music director at St. Mary’s Parish in Sharpsburg (now St. Juan Diego Parish). Adele is now in charge of the 50-member Adult Choir, the Resurrection (funeral) Choir, two children’s choirs, and the cantor ministry. She is also excited to encourage the talents of several young musicians who join her in playing for Mass. Adele enjoys meeting with the couples who are getting married to help them plan the music for their wedding. She also loves to teach the children about the Lord through their singing at Mass. Adele has been actively involved in the National Association of Pastoral Musicians for over 20 years, including holding office in the local Pittsburgh Chapter. Adele is also the mother of 7 children and has 20 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Josh Gawaldo, Worship Band Director
joshgawaldo@sts-jp.org
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Josh has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Technology and a Master’s in Digital Music Pedagogy from Duquesne University. Though he was given a full ride scholarship to Berklee in Boston, he is thankful he decided to stay close to home for college, spending more time with his ill mother who guided him in his faith from a young age (and passed in 2013). He also met his now-wife during that time, Mary Beth. They now reside in Josh’s hometown, Kennedy Township with their 3 children. Though Josh works full time as an IT manager, he is thankful for this faith based part-time position at this wonderful parish. He enjoys the contemporary Masses and quarterly XLT events, as well as all the wonderful people he gets to spend time with. In his free time, Josh enjoys writing music and working on the never-ending house projects his wife thinks up.

Jason Gawaldo, Director of Faith Formation
jgawaldo@sts-jp.org
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Jason has a passion for helping people of all ages develop a living relationship with Jesus and a meaningful understanding of our faith. He developed his own relationship with the Lord at a young age, thanks to his mother’s influence and the religious home life she created for the family. In college, Jason began asking a lot of difficult questions about his faith and his purpose, and in seeking answers, the Lord set his life on a path toward family life, parish ministry, and a two-year adventure selling life insurance.

Jason is a life-long native of Pittsburgh and lives in Kennedy Township with his wife and four children. He earned his M.A. in Theology and Pastoral Ministry from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and his B.A. in Philosophy, Classics, and Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. He is an avid Pirates fan.

Emily Belchick, Coordinator of Faith Formation
ebelchick@sts-jp.org
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Emily Belchick was born and raised in the East side of Pittsburgh.  She now lives in North Huntingdon with her husband Tom and their three kids Ray, Ryan, and Emma.    She graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.  She was a teacher for Frederick County Public Schools in Frederick , MD for four years with her husband Tom.  After the birth of their first son, they moved back to Pittsburgh to be close to family.  Emily began working as a parish youth minister where she has grown a youth group program for the past 18 years.  She has led World Youth Day Pilgrimages all over the world including (Rome, Germany, Australia, Spain, and Poland)  Emily also worked for the East Allegheny School District as a teacher for 17 years.   Emily has taught children in  Kindergarten, 2^nd, 4^th, and  5^th grades over her teaching career.  She really feels the Holy Spirit has brought her to this amazing parish to use her gifts and talents to serve God.  She is very eager to share her experiences and love of children with Saints John & Paul Parish.

Gregg Newmaster, Director of Youth Ministry
gnewmaster@sts-jp.org
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Youth Minister Gregg Newmaster graduated from Duquesne University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology in 2008, during which time he studied abroad in Rome, Italy which dramatically changed his life.

Captivated by the Christian history of Rome and the Italian cinema, Gregg was inspired to move from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles in 2008 to become an actor and musician. In the wilderness of LA, Gregg cut his teeth in youth ministry while becoming the worship leader at a Korean non-denominational church for six years. Through that wonderful experience, he developed a calling to serve God, reverting back to the Catholic Church with a passion for evangelizing the Catholic youth. Through a roller coaster journey, Gregg graduated from the world-famous Fuller Theological Seminary in 2017 with a Masters Degree in Theology with an emphasis in Biblical Languages.

Though he has many mottoes, he tries to live by “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength. And love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Furthermore, he likes to say “I’m not a saint, but I really want to be one,” and he is really looking forward to serving this amazing and incredibly unique parish!

Karen Landau, Faith Formation Office Assistant
klandau@sts-jp.org
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Karen joined the staff at Saints John & Paul in the summer of 2017. She earned her BA in Writing and Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh. She has had a variety of jobs from working in a law firm to owning three small businesses. Karen has volunteered in the Catholic Church in various ministries, including Religious Education catechist, leader of a Divine Mercy devotion, serving on the Eucharistic Adoration and Vocations committees, and leading Endow groups (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women). She looks forward to all the ways in which God plans to have us journey together here at Saints John & Paul and deepening our faith and love in the Holy Trinity as the mystical body of Christ.

Jen Katzfey, Outreach Coordinator
jkatzfey@sts-jp.org
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Jen is originally from Pittsburgh with stops in Ohio and Arizona before returning home. Her husband, Joe, and their four children Haley, Kelsey, Ryan, and Madisyn, reside in Wexford and have been parishioners at Saints John & Paul for the past eight years. Jen earned her BA and MA in Political Science from Clarion University and Miami University, respectively. Jen’s most recent work experience has been with small businesses, using web and online media as a way to better market their services. She has been involved in a number of volunteer efforts, including as a Faith Formation catechist, school volunteer, and a host for charitable events. She is actively involved in serving meals to the homeless through Mission from Mars and is excited to bring additional opportunities for all ages to show their faith through service.

Kirstin Cenk, Administrative Assistant
kcenk@sts-jp.org
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Kirstin has been a member of SSJP since 2002. She earned her degree in Public Relations from Miami University and was a Regional Manager for Kinko’s before choosing to stay home and raise her children. In addition to administrative duties and welcoming new members, Kirstin also leads the Small Groups initiative to help people to connect with one another and to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus. She loves being able to use her planning and organizational skills to support the staff, parishioners, and the many ministries and activities that define our parish community. Kirstin joined the staff in September 2014.

Marilyn Schroeder, Finance/HR/Payroll Manager
mschroeder@sts-jp.org
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Marilyn has over 20 years’ experience in public accounting, including non-profit work. She spent 15 years working for Bielau, Tierney, Coon and Company, Inc. as a Senior Staff Accountant performing all duties including auditing, tax preparation, and bookkeeping. She then worked for six years as a Customer Service Representative for Cranberry Township. Her most recent position for the last two years was Finance Manager for Sto-Rox Neighborhood Health Council, Inc. located in McKees Rocks. While at Sto-Rox, she managed the Finance Department, which included overseeing the billing department, preparing financial statements, preparing payroll as well as various Human Resource responsibilities. Marilyn received her BS degree in Business Administration with a major in Accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She began working at Saints John & Paul in April 2015; she thoroughly enjoys the staff, her work here, and is thrilled to be a part of this wonderful Parish!

Angie Weigand, Finance/Faith Formation Assistant
aweigand@sts-jp.org
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Angie began working at Saints John & Paul in February 2013. She has an Associate’s degree in Medical Laboratory Technology, but decided to change her career direction. What she likes about working at Saints John & Paul is “having the opportunity to help others while surrounded by an amazing staff.” She says she has “felt God’s presence in my everyday work here at SSJP and looks forward to getting to know more of the congregation.” She is the wife of Wayne and mother of two boys, Zachery and Benjamin. In her spare time, Angie enjoys crafting, reading, and camping with her family.

Trish Cerminara, Babysitting Coordinator
tcerminara@sts-jp.org
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Angela Manczka, Safe Environment Coordinator
amanczka@sts-jp.org
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Angela joined the Saints John & Paul staff in the summer of 2017.  She lives in Franklin Park with her husband, Mike, and their three children, Madeline, Zachary & Lucas.  She has a BS degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse.  After college she worked in public accounting at KPMG for 8 years and then as a controller of a gas and oil company for two years.  She then became a stay-at-home mom to her three children.  She is now enjoying being back in the work force and is grateful to be able to work with the amazing staff here at Saints John & Paul.  In her spare time she leads the Wedding Committee and tries to keep up with her kids’ busy schedules.

Betsy Shulkosky, Parish Secretary
bshulkosky@sts-jp.org
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Betsy holds a BS degree in Business Administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has spent most of her career as an Office Manager/Administrative Assistant for Hewitt Associates. She and her husband, Rick, have three children and have been parishioners since 1996. Betsy joined the staff in June 2009.

Carmel Kremen, Assistant Parish Secretary
ckremen@sts-jp.org
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Carmel grew up in Ellwood City and currently lives in Pine Township. She earned an associate’s degree in business and has worked in that field for most of her career, having been employed at Allegheny General Hospital and local business offices working in the medical field. Most of her prior positions involved front office management. She and her husband, Bob, have one daughter, Alexis. She is very active in the Cranberry Women’s Club and enjoys working on the charitable events. She has recently joined the staff in 2017 and looks forward to this new chapter in her life and the adventure of being part of such a wonderful parish.

Lee Adam Herold, Media & Marketing Specialist
lherold@sts-jp.org
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Lee joined the Saints John & Paul staff in September 2016. Prior to that he held a lot of different jobs. Prior to those, he went to Clarion University of PA and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Here at SSJP, he puts the bulletin together, maintains the website, assembles videos and does a bunch of other media-related stuff.

Mark Garrity, Facilities Director
mgarrity@sts-jp.org
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Mark joined the staff at Saints John & Paul Parish in 2012 in the maintenance department. Mark graduated from St. Vincent College in Latrobe. He worked in a sales before joining the staff. In 2014, he was named Manager of the CDC. Mark enjoys the staff and the family atmosphere at SSJP. He likes to golf, hike, camp, and listen to music.

Dan Yochum, Maintenance
dyochum@sts-jp.org
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Dan oversees building and grounds maintenance, including facilities preparation, cleanliness, and safety and security of the grounds. Dan accepted this position with Saints John & Paul Parish in October 2009. He is a registered electrician and formerly worked for 35 years at Jerry Horn Construction. Dan and his wife, Pam have three children.

Douglas Yochum, Maintenance
dayochum@sts-jp.org
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Doug works alongside his father, Dan, in the maintenance department. He graduated from Shaler High School and Beattie Tech. Doug also has experience in the construction industry, where he worked for 10 years prior to coming on board Saints John & Paul Parish in March 2010.

Bob Sweeney, Maintenance
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Bob has been working for Saints John & Paul since March 2012 in the Maintenance department. Prior to coming to the parish, Bob worked for Thought Form, which is a design company that is located on the South Side of Pittsburgh. While there, Bob was also responsible for maintenance, and he draws from his previous experience in carrying out his maintenance responsibilities here at the Parish. Bob has one brother, Bill. Bob also serves as a volunteer fireman for the Borough of Greentree.