"We call ourselves a family," says Sister Joan Holmberg about Mary Queen of Heaven Parish in Brooklyn NY, where she serves as pastoral associate. In her words, and those of two parishioners:

Our pastor, Father Jamie Gigantiello, enjoys reminding me that as Pastoral Associate here at Mary Queen of Heaven, I have the opportunity to do everything that he does except to celebrate and administer the sacraments. He and I really work as a team to facilitate and animate the life of the parish.

I’m particularly involved in Adult Faith Formation, and all activities are done in a team context in order to draw on the many gifts and strengths of our parishioners. I believe that as women religious, we are being called at this point in time to empower the laity to take leadership in our Church.

  
     

 

Ours is a very diverse parish with a diminishing number of parishioners of Italian and Irish descent, and a growing number who have immigrated from the Caribbean, the Philippines and West Africa. One of the most difficult challenges I face is trying to provide activities and programs that reflect the different spiritualities of the people in our parish.

For example, once a year we have a significant evangelization process where we call people to follow the gospel, reach out to the community and bring people to the church in new ways. Last year we had a week-long, somewhat traditional mission. This year we sponsored a six-week highly charismatic Life in the Spirit seminar.

Saint Vincent de Paul admonished the Sisters of Charity of his day to "do what is before you" and I really feel that is what I’m called to do every day. No two days in the parish are anywhere near alike. Sometimes an interruption comes in the form of an emergency hospital visit, or sitting with a grieving family or finding a plumber to fix a leaking pipe. Whatever the day brings, I stop and attempt to do what is before me.

Yvonne Gabb serves with Sister Joan on the Parish Pastoral Planning Committee

Sister Joan keeps the parish together. We have a very active parish and a very active pastor, Father Jamie – he’s just vibrant. Sister Joan keeps it together for everyone, not only for him. She's there to connect all the dots.

Her approach is phenomenal. You can’t say no. She’s so nice about everything. You can go to her any time with your own problems and she has the time for you.

Mary Casatelli is a lay pastoral minister

I assist Sister in various functions in the parish. We do baptism class and RCIA together. There are so many activities that go on in the parish and we just all work together to get them done.

She’s like the mother of the family. She’s always there for guidance and wisdom. We have a very diverse neighborhood, with many different ethnic groups here, and she understands the differences and helps to bring us all together as one.

You can talk to her, you can approach her. If you need help she’s so compassionate, so giving and so loving. She’s also got a great sense of humour. She can open a Rosary Society Christmas party with a beautiful prayer and five minutes later she’s dressing up as Mrs. Santa Claus and dancing through the room!

Sister is spiritual, and her friendly, outgoing fun-loving personality helps other people achieve spirituality in their life as well. I think that she leads by example and you want to be with her and learn more.