Brittany Halverson, current Master’s of Arts in Pastoral Leadership student, works as the Director of Faith Formation at the Church of St. Pius X in White Bear Lake, MN. She explains what led her to her work with faith formation and the MAPL degree program at The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity.
“I grew up in White Bear Lake where my family went to the Church of St. Pius X and I attended St. Agnes school for grades 6 through 12. Although I did not realize it at the time, the formation I received through weekly all-school Masses, Adoration, and Reconciliation at St. Agnes, as well as the witness of my parents and immediate family members, created a spiritual foundation in my life that would allow me to hear God’s call for me above the chaos of the secular word. The youth leadership group at the Church of St. Pius X that I was part of during high school allowed me to see that all voices matter in the Church, and where the Lord seemed to familiarize me with working for the Church, which would come to fruition many years later.
Right after high school, I enrolled in St. Mary’s University in Winona, MN. My time there was short because I did not know where my studies were going to lead. As I was considering what to do next, I began working at a retail store, which is where I met my husband, to whom I have been married for 15 years and with whom I have two sons.
A few various jobs followed until I ended up working at a bank for eight years. In order to advance in my career, I had to obtain a bachelor’s degree, so I enrolled in night school for accounting.
Right before graduating, I decided to leave my banking career to stay at home with my children. I obtained a degree in accounting, but had no idea what it would be used for. But, God knew, of course!
Around that time, I head that Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where we are parishioners, was hiring a part time accountant. I had the skills and time to take on the position, and we only lived a block away, so it seems like a great fit. Little did I know that it was God’s way of getting me through the door of working for the Church.
I was eager to learn as much about my faith as possible while working at Presentation. My eyes were opened to so many things about the faith that I did not realize I did not know! After almost a year in that position, my mom asked me to pray for The Church of St. Pius X. They had been searching for a Youth Minister for a long time and the tasks were becoming overwhelming for the current staff to maintain.
I immediately started praying that the right person might fill the position and started waking up in the middle of the night thinking about it. After a while, I decided to meet with the current Director of Faith Formation at St. Pius X to learn more about the position in Hopes that I could help them find the right person. The Director of Faith Formation eventually asked if I would be open to being their Youth Minister.
My first reaction was to laugh because I had not considered myself as someone who might be called to that position! But, after discussing it with her further, and adjusting the position so that I could continue to be an accountant at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I took the job.
The deeper I went into Youth Ministry, the more I realized that I finally found what God has been preparing me for. God was able to use every step of my journey, from meeting my husband while working at the retail store to getting my degree in accounting because of a banking career that ended before my degree was complete, for my current role in the Church.
What is beautiful is that my journey began as a high school student in youth group at St. Pius X, where I now find myself forming the next generation of God’s workers.
I did not expect to become the Director of Faith Formation a few years after becoming the part-time Youth Minister. However, I knew that it was needed, and that it was the next step that God was calling me to take. I pray that, God willing, I am able to be of service in the Church in this way for many years to come.”