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Katie Novosad graduated from the IMF in May 2024. She was in the Spiritual Direction program with the FOCUS alumni track and is from Houston, Texas.

Mary Martin graduated from the IMF Spiritual Direction program in May 2023. She has been in parish leadership for over 20 years, working in parishes, the diocese, and local non-profits. She has been a spiritual director for 10 years but felt a call from God to raise up spiritual directors for the Archdiocese of Detroit. Mary and a small group researched the Spiritual Direction program at the IMF and decided it would give them the most complete formation.

Jocelyn Perez graduated from the IMF’s Spiritual Direction program in 2023. She heard about the program through FOCUS, She finished the FOCUS program in 2020 and started working with campus ministry in Texas. She has been on mission there for the past four years. On campus, she has the opportunity to walk with college women discerning their vocation and learning how to pray.

Karen Monro Walker graduated from the Institute for Ministry Formation in the spring of 2024 from the Spiritual Direction program. She lives in the North Hills of Pittsburgh and works as the Pastoral Minister at Saint Luke the Evangelist Parish.

Jomel Brondial graduated from the Spiritual Direction program at the Institute for Ministry Formation in 2023. She is originally from the Philippines and currently resides near Bloomingdale, Ohio. She is a part of the Apostolate for Family Consecration (AFC), where consecrated lay people take private vows and dedicate their lives to mission. Jomel has been part of the AFC for over 30 years.

In this post we will be featuring Angela Rosson, who graduated from the Institute for Ministry Formation in May 2024. She completed the Spiritual Direction certificate and currently lives in Vancouver, Washington State. Angela is a lay Franciscan affiliated with the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. She works as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, providing therapy support to individuals and couples in a private practice. Angela also helps with seminary formation at Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon. She also does life coaching and has continued to provide spiritual direction.

Patty Chase graduated from the Spiritual Direction program at the IMF in 2023. She currently resides in Michigan. Patty found the IMF with friends after they experienced a calling to make spiritual direction more available in their diocese. As the group progressed through the program, they added more people from the Archdiocese of Detroit.

James Van Matre is a FOCUS alumnus and graduated from the IMF in 2023. He was a part of the Spiritual Direction program. He currently resides in Houston, Texas. James will be launching his own counseling practice in the coming months. Additionally, he is glad to have had the experience of attending Divine Mercy University. The program there prepared him well to embark on his “little v” vocation as a counselor.

Sheila Dwyer Grove graduated from the Spiritual Direction program at the Institute for Ministry Formation in 2023. Sheila is from Erie, Pennsylvania, and recently celebrated her 40th wedding anniversary with her husband Bill. They have three children and two grandsons. She is enjoying retirement from her career as a licensed psychologist. Before retirement, Sheila worked briefly with the Diocese of Erie in communications. Sheila owns a small spiritual direction practice, paints with pastels and watercolors, and happily volunteers in her parish, Saint Peter Cathedral in Erie.

Mark Richards graduated from the IMF in 2021 with a certificate in the Spiritual Direction Program. He resides in Calgary in Alberta, Canada with his wife, Patricia. Between them, they have six adult children. Mark has his own consulting company focused on leadership development for executives. As he begins to transition into retirement over the next few years, Mark hopes to do more spiritual direction, ministry, and volunteer work with his newfound free time.

Fallon Scanlan is a FOCUS missionary who graduated from IMF in May 2024. Through the IMF, she studied Spiritual Direction and now practices spiritual direction in Colorado. Originally born in Texas, Fallon grew up in New Mexico. In college, FOCUS impacted her greatly, and she became a FOCUS missionary after graduating. She served four years as a missionary at Texas A&M.