Dear Parishioners and Friends of Divine Mercy Parish,
I am very pleased to announce that Mr. Dylan Mitchell will join Divine Mercy Parish as our new Pastoral Associate/Director of Youth Ministry. Dylan will begin his journey with us on July 1, 2021 and will be working closely with Mr. Ryan Foulon during the month of July to ensure a smooth transition plan is in place as we continue the Lord’s mission at Divine Mercy Parish and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School.
As the Director of Youth Ministry, Dylan will be responsible for developing a parish based pastoral ministry with young people that includes goal implementation for those components outlined in the USCCB’s document Renewing a Vision: A framework for Catholic Youth Ministry. This program, which will reach out to all youth in the community, provides for formal catechesis, invites, and enables youth to serve others. Dylan will provide vision and coordination for the parish’s efforts in ministry to young people in middle school and high school (6th through 12th grade). Currently, this includes developing curricula, training, and staffing of middle and high school catechetical classes, sacramental preparation for Confirmation, and implementing a comprehensive Youth formation program.
As Pastoral Associate, Dylan will function as an integral member of the parish staff, sharing in the responsibility of the assessment, decision-making, planning, and implementation of parish ministries, operations, and pastoral care. Currently, this includes contributing to the faith formation and development of ministers and parishioners; demonstrating an interest in the initiation of new members to the parish community and in the process of evangelization and renewal; contributing to the initial formation and ongoing development of various ministers and parish groups; participating in the recruitment, training, formation, supervision, and empowering of others; assisting in the formation of the entire community in understanding the parish mission; and developing parish retreats, missions, and formation events.
Dylan currently serves as the Youth Minister and Confirmation Coordinator at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church (Mandeville, LA) and has previously assisted in campus ministry at Christ the King Parish and Student Center at Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA). He has ministry experience with the Salesian Fathers and has served as a Core Team Member with the Life Teen Program at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church (Baton Rouge, LA). Dylan holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from LSU (Baton Rouge, LA) and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership from Notre Dame Seminary Graduate School of Theology (New Orleans, LA).
Dylan is newly married to his wife Gabby (December 2020), and they look forward to becoming active parishioners of Divine Mercy Parish. Dylan’s great enthusiasm, joyful spirit, and spiritual maturity, coupled with his many talents and gifts, will be a tremendous blessing to our parish family. His desire is to share his love for the Catholic faith and the Church, and his experience in parish life with all of us.
As Dylan notes, “In all that has happened over the past year, I am excited to be able to assist Fr. Cooper in bringing the Divine Mercy Parish family forward and closer to Christ. It is my belief that pastoral staff members are not only called to build disciples but to also help those disciples build more disciples for the kingdom. That is the mission that I want to be a part of and aid in its growth.”
Join me in welcoming Dylan to our pastoral staff! Let us hold each other in prayer in this time of transition and new beginnings.
Fr. Robert T. Cooper, Pastor
Divine Mercy Parish and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School