Our Staff
CLERGY
Rev. Msgr. James M. Barker, M. Div. – S.T.B. Pastor
Our Pastor is assigned to the Parish by the Archbishop. He is responsible for the overall spiritual care of the Parish community, including the administration of the sacraments, counseling assistance to persons in spiritual need, instruction in the Gospel and Church teaching. He sees to the provisiions for adequate facilities for the liturgical, educational and social aspects of parish life, and to their financial support.
It is his responsibility to maintain a sufficient staff and volunteers to accomplish parish objectives and programs. He accomplishes this with the support of the Pastoral Council. The priority of parish obligations, needs, and long-range goals are determined by the Pastor withy the cooperation of his staff, the Council and parishioners.
Msgr. James M. Barker was ordained a priest for the Archiocese of Baltimore on November 29, 1980 and was appointed Pastor of St. Ignatius in July 2001. Prior to his appointment to St. Ignatius, Msgr. Jim was the Director of Vocations in the Archdioces of Baltimore for 10 years and Associate Pastor as St. Louis, Clarksville, MD and St. Joseph’s Cockeysville, MD. Msgr. Jim is a native of Baltimore and his mother currently resides in Havre de Grace, MD.
On May 1, 2006, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI named Father Jim a Monsignor with the title “Chaplain to His Holiness”.
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Rev. Kennard S. Muller – Retired in Residence
We are fortunate to have Fr. Ken in residence at our parish. He will occasionally be helping with weekday and weekend Masses.
After Fr. Ken’s ordination in 1966, he was assigned to various parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore, including Most Precious Blood in Baltimore and Prince of Peace in Edgewood, where he served as pastor. He was associate pastor at St. Michael the Archangel in Overlea and St. Rita in Dundalk. Fr. Ken also served as Administrator at St. Peter the Apostle in Oakland, while establishing the Center for Total Christian Education in Western Maryland. He enjoys having Mass at St. Ignatius and is pleased to be of assistance.
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Rev. Stephen R. Sutton, BA, M. Div., D. Min. – Associate Pastor
Father Steve brings a wealth of pastoral experience to his ministry at St. Ignatius. Ordained an Anglican Priest in 1970, Father Steve served as Rector of several Episcopal parishes before converting in 1983 to the Roman Catholic Church. Under the Pastoral Provision of John Paul II, Fr. Steve was ordained a Roman Catholic Priest on August 4th, 1984. Upon ordination he was assigned to St. Joseph Fullerton where he served for 19 years, coming to St. Ignatius in 2002.
Father has served as a U.S. Army Chaplain and later as a U.S. Air Force Chaplain retiring from the USAF-ANG in 2005 with a total of 22 years of service. Fr Steve has also taught Moral Theology and Scripture part-time at John Carroll School for 26 years.
Father Steve and his wife Barbara have three children and one grandchild.
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Rev. Mark S. Bialek, B.A., M. Div, S.T.B – Associate Pastor
Father Mark was born on March 7, 1979 and raised in Baltimore, Maryland where he grew up in Shrine of the Little Flower parish and attended grade school. After attending Archbishop Curley High School he was accepted into the priestly formation program for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1997 and attended the University of Scranton and Saint Pius X College Seminary. Upon graduation in 2001, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Theology. He attended Saint Mary’s Seminary and University from 2001-2006 and completed their Master’s of Divinity program. He was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of Mary our Queen by Cardinal William Keeler on June 24, 2006.
Upon ordination, Father Mark was assigned to Saint Joseph Church, Fullerton where he served for three years as Associate Pastor. He was appointed by Archbishop Edwin O’Brien to Saint Ignatius, Hickory on July 1, 2009 as Associate Pastor. Previous assignments as a seminarian and deacon include Saint Louis, Clarksville and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Ellicott City.
Father Mark has his own Blog, which can be found here: http://crumbsofbread.wordpress.com/
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Ralph Trautwein – Deacon
Coordinates the St. Ignatius Care Night Food Ministry and assists with Parish Masses, Funerals, Baptisms and Weddings. Ralph was ordained a permanent deacon on June 15, 1996.
Ralph and his wife Connie have been members of the St. Ignatius parish since 1973. He is a member of the Holy Name Society and the Knights of Columbus. Ralph is a retired Harford County teacher who taught at C. Milton Wright High School, Bel Air High School and John Carroll School.
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Peter J. Calabrese – Deacon
Deacon Pete assists with RCIA, Bible Study and with Family Home Ministry. Pete also works in the Business Office of the parish two days a week in addition to assisting with the duties of deacon around the parish, assisting with Masses, Funerals, Baptisms and Weddings.
Pete’s dear wife, Helen, went home to the Lord in February 2005. They are the parents of 2 daughters and a son who is a Barnabite Priest.
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Lee Benson - Deacon
Lee was ordained a Deacon in 2005 and served at our Lady of Grace for the next two years. In July 2009 Lee was assigned to St. Ignatius. Lee and his wife, Debra have been members of St. Ignatius for over ten years. Lee’s responsibilities include weddings, funerals, baptisms, occasional preaching and assisting at daily and Sunday Masses. Lee is a member of the RCIA team. Debra and Lee prepare couple for marriage with Pre-Cana classes and the sponsor couple program. Lee and Debra have 3 children and 4 grandchildren. Lee is very glad to be back at his home, St. Ignatius.
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PASTORAL STAFF
Deborah Czawlytko, MA, RN - Pastoral Associate/ Parish Nurse
Debbie’s duties as Parish Nurse include health teaching, health counseling, ministry to the sick and homebound, home and hospital visits, advocacy, bereavement programs, blood pressure screenings and various other programs. As Pastoral Associate, she is responsible for overseeing the parish’s outreach programs.
Debbie began working at St. Ignatius in 1999 after completing a year-long course in Parish Nursing. She earned a Master of Arts in Church Ministries in 2008. Her prior experience includes ten years as an ER nurse, and another five years in ambulatory surgery.
Debbie’s husband, Bob, serves as the Altar Server coordinator and they have been members of the parish since 1996.
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Mary Lou Hare, M.A. Theology – Director of Faith Formation
As Director, Mary Lou brings a wealth of experience to her position at St. Ignatius. She has worked in ministry with youth and adults since 1981 and as a Director of Faith Formation since 1995.
Mary Lou is responsible for the very active Faith Formation program at St. Ignatius. Her duties include but are not limited to the recruitment, support, and development of catechists, and planning and coordinating all related aspects of adult and child Faith Formation. She is also responsible for the RCIA program, and assists with the Youth Ministry Program and sacramental preparation.
Mary Lou resides in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania with her husband, Michael. They are the proud parents of four children and six grandchildren.
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Concetta York – Coordinator of Faith Formation
Concetta’s duties in the Department of Faith Formation include coordinating the Family Home Ministry Program, which is the home study part of the Faith Formation Program. She also coordinates the Pre-Cana classes for couples preparing for marriage. Officially coming on board in 2004, Concetta came to the staff with many years of parish leadership experience. She serves as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister, has been president of the Ladies of St. Ignatius for several years, and has served on the Pastoral Council, including a year as Chair and six years on the Regional Council. She has been a catechist for many years and has worked in Youth Ministry, Bible School, and in our sacramental preparation programs. Concetta is married and has 3 daugthers.
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Doris Wheeler – Administrator of Faith Formation
In addition to assisting with the Faith Formation program, Doris makes sure our children are well-prepared to receive the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, with a program which includes workshops and parent education. Doris also runs the annual Vacation Bible School.
Doris has been teaching Faith Formation since she was a junior in high school, and has been in her role at St. Ignatius since 1987. When she’s not working, Doris enjoys being with her husband and their three children. Doris is also active in the Ladies of St. Ignatius, and has been a member of St. Ignatius since 1982.
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Robert Kovacs, MA – Director of Adult Faith Formation
Robert joined the Faith Formation staff in June 2010 as the Director of Adult Faith Formation, a newly formed position at Saint Ignatius. Robert coordinates RCIA, Marriage Preparation, STAND, and any other adult parish groups. Robert earned his B.A. in Philosophy and Theology from Alvernia College in Reading, PA and his M.A. in Theology from Seton Hall Universty in South Orange, NJ.
When not working, Robert enjoys travelling with his wife, Sandy, and their dog, Padre. Robert and his wife reside in Forest Hill.
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Sue Strickroth – Coordinator of Religious Education
The goal of Youth Ministry is to empower young people to live as disciples of Christ, participate in a responsible manner in the life, mission and work of the Catholic faith community and to foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person
Sue has worked in Youth Ministry since 1987, beginning her career here at St. Ignatius. She has worked at several parishes as youth minister and has coordinated many archdiocesan events. Through her role as youth minister, Sue strives to develop the talents and gifts of youth, enabling each to actively participate as a whole person in the mission of the Church. This is accomplished through worship, social justice, and community building activities. Sue oversees our Parish Confirmation Program and strives to encourage our young people to take leadership roles in the Church. Sue has been a member of St. Ignatius since 1971.
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James Foxwell, SFO – Director of Music
As Director of Music, it is up to Jim to help make our worship experience joyful and meaningful through the use of appropriate music. In doing so, Jim works with our choir, cantors, and other musicians to provide the beautiful music that so well enhances our liturgies. Jim is also in charge of making sure music is a part of funerals and weddings at St. Ignatius, and works with families to choose just the right hymns.
Jim has been a member of St.. Ignatius Parish since 1987 when he and his family moved to Harford County. Jim has been an organist here at St Ignatius since 1992, and became Director of Music in 2005.
Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Loyola College. After earning a second bachelor’s in music with a concentration in keyboard performance from Towson University in December of 2005, Jim continues his musical studies in pursuit of a doctoral degree. In addition, Jim brings thirty years of professional experience in all styles of music through performance in the MD-DC-VA area. Jim has been a member of the Secular Franciscan Order since 2001.
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Fahey Scheuerman – Administrative Assistant
Fahey schedules weddings, baptisms, and Parish Center use. Fahey is also responsible for correspondence and projects for the Pastor, celebrant schedule and programs, taking minutes at meetings, and other duties. In other words, Fahey is in charge of making sure the parish runs smoothly.
Before coming to St. Ignatius, Fahey worked in a similar capacity for 16 years at the Church of the Annunciation in Rosedale. Fahey is married, has two sons and two granddaughters.
