Excerpt from the May 8th Nativity of Mary Bulletin, Fr. Nathan LaLiberte
Dear Nativity of Mary Community, I come to you today with some exciting news for our parish community. Jacob Hornecker, who has worked as our Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization for the last year, has been given the opportunity to return back to school to finish his Masters Degree in Theology. Jacob will continue to teach part time for our middle school students at Nativity of Mary School. Knowing that this transition was in the works for the last couple of months, Jacob assisted us in locating an excellent new Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization, Emily Dalsky. To help us get to know Emily a bit, she kindly shared a photo and answered some questions about herself so that when she starts on June 14th our community will be able to be more familiar with her.
Where are you from? I’m from a small village in Wisconsin—about 300 people! I'm also proud of my Czech, Polish, and German roots.
What's your family like? Like my hometown, my family is small (just my parents and I). My parents are extroverted, hospitable, and love to host neighborhood parties. I believe their outgoing qualities rubbed off. :)
Where did you attend college, and what did you study? I attended the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul; I double majored in Catholic Studies and Communications and minored in Philosophy. I was blessed to study abroad in Poland and Rome during my undergraduate career. I am also finishing up my master’s in Catholic Studies. In the fall, I will begin my master's in theology at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity...I love learning.
What will be your role on staff? Director of Evangelization and Faith Formation.
What are you looking forward to at Nativity? I’m excited to meet and befriend parishioners as we journey together on the path of Christian discipleship.
Why do you desire to work for the Church? My desire to serve the Church flows from my relationship with Jesus. Jesus is the answer to the question on every human heart, and I'm humbled to labor with Him in the vineyard of souls.
What's your professional background? I have worked the past 3.5 years at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Wayzata where I've served as Director of Evangelization and Catechesis. I have organized various programming for parishioners to encounter the Lord such as: book studies, prayer vigils, speaker series, service opportunities, retreats, and the like.
Have you served anywhere else? In between my summers of college, I served middle and high school students around the country at various Catholic youth summ er camps including Life Teen, Camp Wojtyla, Catholic Youth Expeditions, and Totus Tuus.
Favorite place to visit? Door County, Wisconsin! Beautiful shoreline, hiking trails, cherry pie, and a peaceful retreat center—what could beat it?
What do you do in your pastime? Running, reading philosophy, going to the opera, learning Italian, and being with friends.
Fun fact? I’ve once flown an airplane (and didn’t crash it).
If you could meet one saint, who would it be and why? John Paul II: I'd love to look in his eyes and see Jesus.