Parish Life Coordinator

Meet Our New EMCC Parish Life Coordinator

Hello! I would like to take a brief moment of your time to introduce myself. I am the Parish Life Coordinator and I have just moved into my office at the Basilica.

I, and a portion of my family, are brand new members of the EMCC family. My husband, Mike, was hired at SBU in April of 2024 and I followed him here at the end of July. We relocated to Allegany from Cleveland, Ohio, with our youngest daughter, Maddie, who is a junior at Olean High School. We are currently renting the rectory at St. Bonas parish while we are having a house built out on Four Mile Road. 

My primary vocation has been raising our children. We have seven biological and 5 adopted children. Our family is loud, lovely, faith-filled and diverse. We have children in-law from four different states as well as England, the Dominican Republic and India. Our 12th grandchild was born in December!

However, more relevantly, my avocation has been teaching my faith. I began by volunteering in faith instruction through sacramental prep programs and RCIA. In 2006, I began teaching theology at a Catholic high school in Reading, PA. 

While my undergraduate is in Biology and Natural Science, my Masters, from Regis University in Denver, CO, is in Religious Studies. I have my Master Catechist from the diocese of Harrisburg, PA. In 2014, I was hired as the Pastoral Associate for Our Lady of Lourdes in St. Louis, MO. While I was in that position, I coordinated school age sacramental prep and created and ran baptism prep and pre-marriage mentoring programs. The monsignor I worked with commissioned me to write several columns on our faith that ran in the bulletin. These are a few of the resources and experiences that I will bring to my position as your Parish Life Coordinator.

It is my joy to be able to work with the people of the EMCC family. I have only begun to meet people from the member parishes and visit the three churches; each holy, beautiful and faith-filled in their individuality, but those I have met are devoted, and inspiring members of the Body of Christ. I hope that I can assist you good, God-loved and God-loving people as we all join together to build the Kingdom of God here, surrounded by the beauty of the Enchanted Mountains.
Peace,
Cathy Pressimone
Parish Life Coordinator
[email protected]