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Sousa's marching in to parish Going from being a "Bostonian" to a "Boltonian" might be a drastic life change for some. But Kathie Sousa, the new parish life director at Blessed Sacrament parish in Bolton Landing, sees it as a great opportunity -- and the work of the Holy Spirit. "God does work in strange ways," Ms. Sousa, a former resident of the Boston area, reflected. I guess you could say that, in my case, it was a strange journey that brought me here." Career changes In the 1980s, Ms. Sousa realized she wanted to be involved in service to God through work in her parish, "but not necessarily in a leadership role," she recalled. At the time, she owned and operated a real estate business, but it went "belly up, forcing me to sell my condominium and look for some other kind of work." She accepted a temporary job as a secretary in Boston but knew that wasn't what she wanted to do. Studies Ms. Sousa went back to school to earn a graduate degree in pastoral care and counseling from Boston College. She also earned a certificate in chaplaincy. "I was hearing a lot of good things about the Albany Diocese and Bishop Howard Hubbard," she said, so she decided to move to Troy, becoming a parishioner of Our Lady of Victory Church. She also accepted a position at St. Mary's Hospital as director of spiritual care and started teaching diaconate formation classes for the Diocese. Next step Meanwhile, Ms. Sousa began a serious discernment process for the position of parish life director because "I knew I wanted to lead a parish," she said. For five years, she was involved in ministry at Our Lady of Victory, serving as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, cantor, pastoral council president, lector and core team member of Generations of Faith. "I give a lot of credit for this [involvement and discernment process] to Rev. Randall Patterson, pastor," she said. "He encouraged me to become involved in many ministries there. I owe a lot to his counsel." Choosing Bolton Ms. Sousa heard about the parish life director program of the Diocese and applied. Once she completed it, her name was put into a pool with other candidates, and she was offered several options. She chose Blessed Sacrament. "I really am hoping to continue to celebrate the importance of family and community that's already here in Bolton Landing," she said of her new assignment. "I see this as a good place to begin. It's a good fit for me and the community." As for new plans, she said, "I'd like to see a greater collaboration with the ecumenical council in this region. I am excited about the possibilities and what we can achieve." (Ms. Sousa is the mother of four, grandmother of 11 and great grandmother of one. In addition to her graduate degree, she holds a master's of divinity and a bachelor's of science in business administration. She can be reached at 644-3861.) (2/8/07) |