Staff Member: Josylin Mateus
Josylin Mateus
Director of Religious Education
Phone: 248-649-5510, ext. 107
Email: Click Here to Email
- from "Introduction Article" in 9-24-23 Spotlight:
Josylin (pronounced Joe-sill-leen” or “Jo,” as she invites people to call her) Mateus, our new Religious Education Director, is not a master gardener – but she wholeheartedly believes in planting seeds.
When Jo - who arrived here with her family from the Philippines at the age of four – returned there to visit at the age of fifteen, she heard her aunt always talking about God and Jesus.
“The way she spoke about Jesus, she showed me what it looked like to have a personal relationship with Him,” Jo shares. “Though I didn’t realize what that meant for me until many years later, the seeds were planted.
“I was a cradle Catholic but, with my parents working hard to establish our lives here, I did not receive religious formation. When my own daughter was five years old, I guess you could say I started doing this ministry by deciding to teach her about the Faith while learning, myself, along the way.”
A parishioner of St. Anastasia Parish, Jo worked as an electrical engineer until the recession of 2008-9, and then was eventually let go.
“I was fortunate, when that happened, to begin attending Sacred Heart Seminary in 2009, where I earned a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Studies in 2017.”
Since that time, Jo has served in her professional ministry by kicking off the faith formation program at St. Isaac Jogues Parish, serving three years as middle school coordinator at St. Anastasia Parish and seven years as Director of Religious Education at St. Thomas More Parish.
“One of my most interesting ministry positions was working at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral.
“I wore many hats, meeting with families for weddings and funerals and doing Vacation Bible School, Religious Education, and R.C.I.A., one of my favorite ministries.
“I love to see the people who come to R.C.I.A. for so many reasons and then seeing them become ‘on fire’ with the Faith. I brought three nieces and a cousin through R.C.I.A. and a niece and nephew through the Confirmation program. For a while, I was everyone’s sponsor in the family.”
As a staffer who was part of the archdiocese “Called and Gifted Program” at St. Anastasia, one of Jo’s charisms was determined to be that of evangelization.
“I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to hear that,” she says, “but I was. I didn’t realize I actually had that charism.”
In her spare time, Josylin loves to roller blade, bike, travel, and spend time with her grown daughter.
“I also like to cook for other people, especially Filipino food. And, I started sourdough baking during Covid. I still have a starter batch of dough, named ‘Ethel.’”
Josylin looks forward to working with the children, students, and families at Christ, Our Light!.
“My goal is to help foster students’ – and their families’ – personal relationship with God, with Jesus, and to help it grow…and to say, ‘Don’t be afraid to plant seeds!’”
To contact Jo Mateus, Director of Religious Education: josylin.mateus@coltroy.org; 248.649.5510, ext.107
