Gulf Pine Catholic

10 Gulf Pine Catholic • December 9, 2022 Retired director of religious education looks back on how work cemented her faith BY DAVID TISDALE It is in giving, that we receive. -- Saint Francis of Assisi Linda Holtorf started her work in religious education as a volunteer at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Ocean Springs, motivated by a desire to reconnect with her faith. “I wanted to regain my Catholic identity after having been away from the church for a brief time,” she said. She transitioned from a vol- unteer to take on the role of director of religious education for her parish, and after recently retiring from the post, the fami- lies impacted by her work over the last three decades say Holtorf did the same for them -- cementing their own love and passion for Catholicism through a deeper understanding of and commitment to the faith in their daily lives. A native of Riverhead, NY, whose family moved to Ocean Springs when she was in ninth grade, where she became a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, attended Ocean Springs High School and later married her high school sweetheart. They moved to Virginia, near Washington, D.C., where they lived for about ten years and where they started their family. Never forgetting their roots, they decided to move back to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Ocean Springs to raise their children. Upon returning to Ocean Springs, Holtorf reunited with her church family at St. Elizabeth Seton, volun- teering in religious education by assisting then Deacon Martin Finnegan with a variety of tasks, including orga- nizing activities with parents, managing the religious education calendar as well as other resources, including scheduling of substitute teachers. After giving birth to her third child, she stepped away from volunteering, for a couple of years. Holtorf then returned to volunteer and after Deacon Martin retired and being hired by then pastor Rev. Bernard Farrell, became director, which was shortly before Hurricane Katrina. Holtorf said working directly with families in the parish through the many activities and programs she both managed and developed brought her tremendous gratification and spiritual uplift. “When this all started for me, volunteering in the beginning, it was a way to support my own spiritual Linda Holtorf is recognized for her three decades of service in religious education during a recent Mass at St. Elizabeth Seton Church in Ocean Springs. At right is St. Elizabeth Seton pastor Father Sergio Balderas. In the background is Deacon Michael Butler. Submitted photo growth and then it just evolved,” said Holtorf, who was also working full time at a local school in addition to her work at the church. “It started out as something for me, but it helped me by helping other families, helping them and me raise our children in the Catholic faith.” In addition to managing Vacation Bible School dur- ing her tenure, other activities included the popular “Night in Bethlehem” Advent activity that she started several years ago, a type of Vacation Bible School- themed family event, with the event featuring a market- place like might be found in Bethlehem, period food but with a modern flair, families coming dressed in period cos- tume. Another program, Saints Alive , featured parishioners dressed as saints and telling the story of the saint they portrayed as those stu- dents in confirmation classes began research- ing the saints to deter- mine their confirmation name, as well as a saint ‘scavenger hunt’ to find out more information about the saint each student chose. “Saint Thérèse (a patron saint of missions) was my Confirmation saint,” Holtorf said. “I’m not sure why, at the time, that I chose her, but now know that the Holy Spirit chose her for me.” Holtorf also assisted St. Elizabeth Ann Seton pastor Father Sergio Balderas in begin- ning “A family Called to Mission,” which is a family assignment for one of the non- scheduled classes during each month. This year, the parish has given families a schedule to perform specific Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy each month. “Our goal is to catechize the parents and students togeth- er, but more importantly to pro- vide examples for encountering Christ and making Disciples of Christ,” she said. Not operating solo, Holtorf’s family actively supported her work in religious education, with husband Ron serving as a teacher; her oldest daughter also teaches religious education to kindergarten students. Bill Oster and Lisa Greig, catechists at St. Elizabeth who have or have had children in its religious education classes under Holtorf’s supervision, praised her for her work with their families and the parish overall. SEE RETIRED DRE, PAGE 11