Dr. Christopher Gawel Joins Diocese as Director of Liturgy and Sacramental Practice

Bishop Wack is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Christopher Gawel as diocesan Director of Liturgy and Sacramental Practice. He offers the following remarks regarding this new position:

"Greeting in the Lord. I am pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Christopher Gawel as Director of Liturgy and Sacramental Practice. Chris comes to us from Michigan with 18 years of experience in professional ministry, most recently as the Director of Worship at St. Patrick Catholic Church and the West Oakland Family of Parishes, where his duties include preparing families to celebrate baptisms, funerals, and weddings along with forming parishioners to volunteer in liturgical ministries. 

Previously, he worked at St Regis Catholic Church as Pastoral Associate, in the Archdiocese of Detroit as Young Adult and Campus Ministry Liaison, and at St Frances Cabrini as a high school theology teacher. In all his positions, Chris worked with the teams to oversee the celebration of various liturgical celebrations in parishes and in the diocese including episcopal, presbyteral, and diaconal ordinations, Chrism Mass, Rite of Election, Holy Week liturgies, Confirmations, funerals, and weddings. He has a Masters in Theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, and a Doctorate of Ministry from the Catholic University of America, with a focus on evangelization.

With his passion for volunteering, studying, and concurrent work in athletics, hospitality, nonprofits, theatre, and community organizations, Chris, in his own words, 'is confident the Lord will allow me to share my charisms, experience, and zeal for the Catholic faith to continue to craft environments of encounter of Jesus Christ through our worship of the Triune God. I look forward to acquainting myself with the people of our diocese and work to form leaders made in the image and likeness of God and graced to share the good work our Savior has begun in them. Please pray as I transition into a new home and new vineyard knowing the promise kept in Isaiah 40:31– 'They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.’”

I ask for your prayers for Chris as he assumes this important position in the Diocese."

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