Congratulations to our own Catzel Bumpus, on receiving the Pope John Paul II award, the highest recognition that the Archdiocese bestows on a lay person in Youth Ministry. This award recognizes individuals for Christ-like service to youth in the style and spirit of Pope John Paul II. This is in recognition for her many years of service throughout the Archdiocese. She certainly deserves it!

Catzel has a long history of service in the Archdiocese of Newark. When she was in High School, she helped begin the Youth Ministry Program at Our Lady of Sorrows in South Orange, and then attended Franklin and Marshall College, where she was active in Catholic Campus Ministry. After college, she served at Our Lady of Sorrows as the Youth Minister, and then for the Archdiocese as the Bergen County CYO Director/ Director of Retreats and Spirituality.

Catzel then continued her ministry at St. Thomas the Apostle in Bloomfield as the Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, as she completed her Youth Ministry Certificate and her Masters Degree in Pastoral Ministry at Seton Hall University. She most recently served as the Campus Minister and Religion Teacher at Mount Saint Dominic in Caldwell for six years. Catzel is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the College of St. Elizabeth, and teaches theology courses to college students and those training in Lay Ministry.

We are blessed to have her here at Presentation as our Director of Youth Ministry!