Introducing: Jim Campbell
Our new Director of Evangelization and Catechesis, Jim Campbell, started at Holy Spirit on June 24.
Jim and his family are coming to Holy Spirit from Athens, Georgia, where he has spent the last five years. While in Georgia, he received a master's degree in languages and literature at UGA, where he also taught Japanese to undergrads. While studying, Jim had a strong conversion back to the Catholic faith mediated by the Blessed Virgin, especially under the title Our Lady of Sorrows. He persevered through academia and went immediately into the happier life of full-time lay ministry. For the last three years, he served as Director of Youth Formation at his home parish and was deeply involved in coordinating and teaching RCIA, one of his favorite parts of the work. Jim grew up in New York, and before moving to Georgia, spent a year living at the top of a mountain deep in rural Japan, teaching English to middle schoolers. His forty-minute commute for groceries during this time has prepared him mentally for the commute from Plymouth to St. Paul for work every day.
Jim has been married to his wife and best friend, Michelle, for three years. Michelle has in recent years taught high school theology, but will be returning to her professional background in science research as a middle school science teacher at St. Therese in Deephaven. Jim and Michelle have two boys: Fulton, who is two years old, and Jimmy, who is eight months. Fulton will be just down the hall from dad as a preschooler at Holy Spirit this fall.
Jim's hobbies these days almost entirely surrounded by his Catholic faith. He loves to pray the rosary and go to adoration. When not doing these things, he likes to play with his boys or read and watch movies with his wife. Now that he is here at Holy Spirit, he is entirely yours and is at your service. However he can help you come to know, love, and serve the God who knows, loves, and serves you, he is ready and willing to drop everything and do it for you. All you need to do is ask. Come by or reach out any time!
Outgoing & Incoming Pastoral Council Members
I would like to personally thank Vincent Chevrier and Patrice Speltz for serving on the Parish Pastoral Council over the several years. I am grateful for your wisdom and zeal to help our parish grow and live out our mission well.
I would also like to thank Eric Zorn, Sabrina Garbutt, and Maureen Modl for agreeing to join the Pastoral Council. I look forward to working with you all as we continue to advance our mission, especially in implementing the Enkindle the Fire pastoral plan. You learn more about our new members below.
Welcome, Deacon Rogers
Dear friends,
Photo provided by Deacon Rogers
Hi! I’m Deacon John Rogers. Though we have not yet met, I’ve been praying for you for a while! I was equally humbled and excited to learn in June that I would be your deacon, starting July 1. God’s ways are not our ways, but it’s pretty clear He’s been arranging this assignment for a while:
Father Nathan and I share a parish home–St. Joseph in West St. Paul
Father Nathan and my home pastor are both Companions of Christ
I had the good fortune to receive most of my formation under the wise mentorship of your previous deacon, Joe Michalak
Parishioner, Deacon Michael Lane, and his ordination classmates have been incredible “older brothers” to me and my classmates
I spent ten happy years as a Catholic school teacher in the Archdiocese–and Holy Spirit has a wonderful school!
A little about me and my family:
My wife, Sara, and I are parishioners at St. Joseph in West St. Paul. Our children, Anna (14), Josephine (12), Elias, and Jude (10), attend St. Joseph’s School. We live in South St. Paul and have happily been on “this side of the river” since 2009, though I grew up in North Minneapolis and my wife is from a small town outside of Rochester. We’re a pretty typical Minnesota family– we like camping, cheer for the Twins, play a lot of board games together, and own a small dog (Bosco). I am in the midst of a second career, serving as VP for a small fundraising consultancy and church software company. Prior to that, I was an English and theology teacher at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights (sorry, CDH grads!).
As I begin my ministry here, please know that the Archbishop has called me to be of service to you and your families. My primary role as your deacon is helping you to grow in your faith that we might all become saints. I’m excited to meet you, pray with you, and serve alongside you in the days ahead. Come, Holy Spirit, fill our hearts, and kindle in us the fire of your love…
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage
The celebration of the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith because through this gift we encounter Jesus Christ himself. Our part of the pilgrimage will begin on Monday, May 27 at 12:45 p.m. with Midday Prayer at The Saint Paul Seminary. Pilgrims will travel down Summit Avenue with the Holy Eucharist, stopping at parishes and ending at the Cathedral around 4 p.m.
Welcome to Holy Spirit
We are excited to announce that we have hired Jim Campbell as our new Director of Evangelization and Catechesis. Jim comes to us with great experience in youth formation. He and his family are relocating from Georgia to the Twin Cities this summer. Jim will start the last week of June. Please pray for him as he begins his ministry at our parish.