by Gordon Nary
Gordon: When did you attend Loyola University Maryland, what degree did you earn, and what is your favorite memory when you were there?
Nicole: I attended Loyola University Maryland from 2009-2013 and graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in theology, double minoring in Italian Studies and Catholic Studies, graduating summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa.
Loyola was such a special place; there is nothing like a Jesuit university for the experiences of community and purpose! I have an overabundance of fond memories, like collegiate adventures with my core group of girlfriends with whom I am still close; active involvement in the Center for Community Service and Justice and the Office of Mission Integration, both of which heavily informed my own vocational discernment; my most formative semester studying abroad in Rome; and getting to live in Baltimore, a really fun city.
Gordon: When did you attend Yale University, what degree did you earn, what was your favorite course, and why was that course your favorite?
Nicole: I attended Yale Divinity School from 2013-2016 and graduated with my Master of Divinity. It is nearly impossible to pic ka favorite course, because for a “theology nerd,” the course listings were like an absolute buffet! Each semester, I marked about 16 courses I wanted to take and could take perhaps 1/4 of them!
Near the top of the list might be “What Are Biblical Values?” with Dr. John Collins. He is a titan in the study of Scripture, so any Scripture class with him would knock your socks off. But to explore the question of various social issues through the lens of the Bible alone and be challenged to make the case of whether or not something is a “biblical value” with one singular source was beyond fascinating. The class was always overbooked each semester, and the room was standing-room only. The discourse was incredible! It was truly an experience of why I chose divinity school and why I chose Yale.
Gordon: Tell us about your time working at the Archdiocese of Hartford.
Nicole: The Archdiocese of Hartford was my first job after I graduated divinity school, and it taught me a lot about how the proverbial “sausage is made” in the life of the Church. My ministry required working closely with the chancellor, judicial vicar, and tribunal on matters of marital impediments for RCIA, as well as the office of the Archbishop for major events and liturgies. Being witness to the inner machinations of Church governance was fascinating and challenging.
I was initially hired as the Media Specialist and Content Management Strategist, working with Communications and Pastoral Planning. I was later invited to the role of the Archdiocesan Director of Adult Faith Formation, where my responsibilities were myriad: I re-developed the Archdiocesan lay ministry formation program; I oversaw RCIA and Adult Confirmation and coordinated major Archdiocesan liturgies for adult sacraments; I created the Archdiocesan Women’s Conference for hundreds of CT women; and I collaborated with my colleagues in the former Office of Education, Evangelization and Catechesis on matters of adult faith formation and evangelization. We did a lot of incredible work and accompanied parishes through a great period of revitalized ministries. It was truly a loss for the whole Archdiocese when the Office of Education, Evangelization and Catechesis was restructured and many positions were eliminated.
Gordon: You currently serve as National Coordinator of ESTEEM. What is their mission, and what are your primary responsibilities?
Nicole: ESTEEM is a leadership formation program for Catholic young adults on college and university campuses across the country. It serves to prepare young adults for the transition from campus ministry to post-grad life through the lens of leadership. Founded on the notion that young adults already possess an abundance of gifts and capacities, ESTEEM endeavors to cultivate the faith component of their vocations by encouraging their meaningful engagement in the life of the Church in addition to their secular careers. We have discovered that a critical missing piece to their engagement is what we’ve termed “ecclesial confidence”: the capacity to enter a faith community confident in their own contributions, regardless of how older adults might respond.
ESTEEM is not religious education or catechesis, nor does it offer training in youth or young adult ministry. Rather, it is an experience aimed at young adult Catholics already knowledgeable and committed to Catholicism who command notice for their intellectual acumen, their innate leadership qualities, their passion for excellence, and desire to serve the Church.
ESTEEM aims to identify those young adults, cultivate their desire for service to the Church, provide a formation experience that encourages their leadership – especially in the temporal affairs of the Church – and offer opportunities for such service, gradually developing a network of talented, actively engaged young adult leaders serving the Church.
ESTEEM holds up a vision of faithful, ecclesially engaged young adults serving on parish and diocesan pastoral and finance councils and boards of trustees of Catholic organizations across the country.
My role as the National Coordinator means that I am responsible for leading the strategic planning and vision of the ESTEEM program, along with serving as liaison for each of the colleges with whom we work; maintaining and updating the ESTEEM materials; and planning and executing the annual Capstone Conference. I also serve as the representative of ESTEEM in various collaborations and partnerships that I endeavor to cultivate, as well as the point person for all fundraising or grants. Mine is both an operational and strategic role, meaning that I am able to engage so many of my strengths and gifts.
Gordon: What parish do you attend? Please tell us something about your parish.
Nicole: My husband and I are registered parishioners at Saint Aloysius in New Canaan, CT – the parish where we were married and where our daughter was baptized. It’s a really special community: top-notch music, high-caliber preaching, and incredibly vibrant ministries. However, it is about 40 minutes from our house, so having a toddler does not always allow for us to worship there! So, we might find ourselves at the Saint Ann campus of Saint Raphael parish in Milford, CT which is close to our home and the community is completely welcoming and gracious toward a small child at the Vigil Mass. We also sometimes worship at Saint Thomas Aquinas in Fairfield, CT, where the pastor is an especially cherished friend of ours. All three of these parishes “fill our cups” in different ways! For us, it’s important to model for our daughter the value of engaging in various communities and prioritizing Mass attendance in whatever way makes sense for your family.
Gordon: What is your favorite book and why is that book your favorite?
Nicole: That’s like asking me to choose a favorite child! I would divide them into two categories, because I read a lot of spiritual writings in my professional and personal contexts, and so that’s a whole area in and of itself, but I am also a voracious reader of non-spiritual tomes generally in my free time.
My favorite spiritual books are Henri Nouwen’s Discernment, Ann Garrido’s Redeeming Administration, and John Gehring’s The Francis Effect – but of course, Christus Vivit by Pope Francis is what I return to again and again and find something new each time.
My favorite non-spiritual books change regularly! I currently enjoy thrillers like The Last Mrs. Parrish or The Wife Between Us, but for a long time I was heavily into Nicholas Sparks’ extensive body of work. I am currently in a book club with a bunch of my girlfriends in our neighborhood, and read a ton of books I might never have picked for myself, so I’ve really come to enjoy the book club book each month as my “favorite” reading experience right now.
Gordon: Thank you for a great interview!