Dr. Jordan Haddad: Director of Lay Formation and Parish Renewal

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Divine Mercy Parish,

I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Jordan Haddad will join Divine Mercy Parish on a parttime basis as our new Director of Lay Formation and Parish Renewal. Jordan will begin his journey with us on May 1, 2022, and will work closely with our Pastoral Associate, Mr. Dylan Mitchell, and our Director of Religious Education, Mrs. Shannon Haddad, as we continue the Lord’s mission of discipleship formation and spiritual revitalization at Divine Mercy Parish and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School. 

In The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis calls for a ‘missionary option.’ In other words, he wants the Church to look outward and to reach beyond herself as she seeks to bring Christ to the world. Every day, we see signs of pain and immense suffering even in places where we use to find comfort. We are also bearing witness to the new life and new possibilities that God offers us in the death and resurrection of His Son which is why we must always turn and return to Jesus Christ, as He tells us, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). Through our personal encounters with Jesus in His community of disciples and His Church, we will find healing, forgiveness, and possibilities for new life that God offers us.

Every generation experiences challenges in faith, and in this day and age, secularism has seemed to push God out of the picture forcing us to focus on popular imagination. Secular culture leads us to think that all we have is ourselves and this moment in time. This has led to the breakdown of family life, respect for life, and a whole host of social ills. We need healing and redemption in Jesus Christ now more than ever. Today, many people do not know Jesus Christ and often reject Him and His Church without knowing who He really is. Even many believers in the Church have a weak sense of who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him as a disciple. We cannot assume that faith will automatically be handed on to a new generation. We must proclaim the Gospel in new ways.

In his apostolic exhortation, Christus Vivit, Pope Francis writes, “If you are to accompany others on this path, you must be the first to follow it, day in and day out” (n. 298). To address the challenges of our time, we are called by Jesus to rebuild and renew. This spiritual revitalization will reclaim what is most central and sacred to our faith and breathe new life into our methods of sharing the Gospel and living out the mission of Divine Mercy Parish. In this way, we can provide people a Church parish and a home for their faith that is marked by more faithful discipleship, a loving community, and an inspired source for witness. 

As the Director of Lay Formation and Parish Renewal, Jordan will be responsible for developing a parish-wide formation and revitalization program centered on the key pillars of the New Evangelization; nurturing a Christ-centered culture of evangelization and discipleship formation for parish leadership; providing formation and catechesis to strengthen the apostolate of the laity;  cultivating mission-focused leadership structures so that the theological, sacramental, and catechetical underpinnings of parish life are magnified; providing a deepening awareness of the importance of spiritual renewal in the life of our parish family; creating opportunities for encountering Christ and entering into a transformative relationship with Him; helping individuals to integrate their relationship with the Lord Jesus into every aspect of their daily lives; and empowering women and men to follow Christ's commission to "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matt 28:19).

Jordan serves as a Professor of Dogmatic Theology and the Director of Lay Ministry Programs and Lay Formation at Notre Dame Seminary (New Orleans, LA), and he is a Co-Founder and Co-Director of The St. Louis IX Art Society. He earned a B.A. in Philosophy and a B.S. in Psychology from Louisiana State University in 2012, a M.A. in Theological studies from Notre Dame Seminary in 2015, and his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from The Catholic University of America in 2022. He has previously served as an Assistant Campus Minister at Archbishop Rummel High School and a Theology Teacher at Mount Carmel Academy. He has a great passion for Christ and His Church and is very excited to work with the good people of Divine Mercy to create a truly evangelical parish culture centered on Christian discipleship and mission.  

Jordan and his wife Shannon, who serves as our Director of Religious Education, are parishioners of Divine Mercy Parish with one of their two children currently enrolled at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School. 

Join me in welcoming Jordan to our pastoral team! 

Fr. Robert T. Cooper, Pastor
Divine Mercy Parish and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School