By Nick Norlen, Staff Writer
Maria Ramirez of Princeton
Youth Ministry Coordinator
St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church
214 Nassau St., Princeton
How did you get into this job?
You can call it a calling. A lot of soul searching. I had been going through a process of discernment between the job that I had previously and where God was calling me to serve him. And youth ministry was the area that I was interested in and I felt that God was calling me in that direction. Certainly Sept. 11 was a defining moment in my life and as a result I entered into the lay ecclesial ministry program with the diocese of Trenton. That is a three-year formation program for lay ecclesial ministers. I graduated from that program in December 2006, and I’ve been working here for the past five years.
What kind of education and training did you need?
A formal preparation program that involves college theology courses. I received a master’s degree in theology through this program. Spiritual formation, vocational discernment, spiritual direction. So it’s quite comprehensive.
Describe a typical day in your job.
A lot of planning, organizing, budgeting. This is on a weekly basis. I have a group of teenagers that I meet with on Sunday nights. We meet and we do various activities leading to faith formation for the teens. We do fun activities as well, outside of the church, but it’s mostly forming them in their faith.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love being with the teens, I love getting their feedback and just having that personal relationship with them. Seeing them grow from year to year and just to see how they get involved in the community.
What do you enjoy least?
Sometimes just getting the teens here can be a challenge. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, it’s just that it requires a lot of effort.
What is the key to success in your job?
I guess just being there, just being available, listen to what they have to say. They’re hungering to be recognized, and they may not get that. I really enjoy it very much. It has been very rewarding for me. I am extremely graced to be serving here in this parish.
