Institute for Pastoral Initiatives News
When life comes full circle
In January 2001, Noelle Collis-DeVito, then Noelle Collis, began her journey as a member of the first cohort of the Forum for Young Catechetical Leaders through the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives (IPI) at the University of Dayton. With a passion for pastoral ministry, Noelle quickly found her calling and started building her career by volunteering at the young age of 19 with the youth ministry program at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Centerville. She was inspired by her time in the Forum and this inspiration evolved into a goal to one day work for the IPI.
Twenty-three years later, Noelle’s dream of employment with the Institute has been realized. She is the newest staff member serving as the English Curriculum Research Assistant, and she could not be more excited about this opportunity.
“The ability to use my passion for ministry to create and innovate, is something that has always been important to me," Noelle said. "Through this new position, I have the chance to share my gifts with a staff full of creative people who are incredibly supportive of my enthusiasm and desire to establish new avenues for catechesis.”
Noelle has worked in the field of Pastoral Ministry and Catechesis for over 20 years and is currently completing her master's degree in Pastoral Ministry with a certificate in Disability and Ministry. Her ministry career has spanned a vast array of demographics and styles including youth and young adult ministry, sacramental preparation, catechesis for children, retreats, intergenerational ministry, parish missions, conference leadership and Archdiocesan work, but through all of these experiences, ministry with persons with disabilities is what has claimed her heart.
After an eight-year hiatus as a full-time mother of four, Noelle accepted a position with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in the Office for Respect Life Ministries. It was there that she felt a strong pull toward ministry with persons with disabilities in order to create a culture of inclusion and meaningful participation within the Church. She wrote a proposal to the archbishop to establish an Office for Persons with Disabilities in 2020 and spent the remainder of her time with the Archdiocese working to build and grow that office. Ministry with persons with disabilities has become part of Noelle’s life mission. She currently serves on the Council on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and is a national speaker and writer on the topics of Sensory-Friendly Mass, adaptive catechesis and multi-sensory learning for accessible classrooms.
For her master’s practicum, Noelle chose to focus her energy on creating a fully accessible Eucharistic Revival for Children who were preparing for or who had just received their First Communion. The location of this project is St. Francis of Assisi Parish, where she got her start as a volunteer all of those years ago. She and her family are now fully embedded in this parish and it only seemed right to pilot a program that she hopes will become a model for accessible catechesis as a way to foster a sense of belonging in the Church. The program, entitled Encounter the Eucharist, offered an integrative approach centered around the Eucharistic Revival.
Inspired by her devotion to ministry with persons with disabilities and the 2024 Eucharistic Congress, Noelle wanted to create a space where children of all abilities could come together with their parents to encounter Jesus. She modeled her practicum to provide this encounter of the Eucharist through integration of diverse considerations, including multiple-intelligence learning theory, sensory-oriented experiences, a family model design and a Montessori feel, with the hope that the program would be reproducible and offer best practices for parishes who are exploring solutions for new catechetical approaches. Encounter the Eucharist culminated with a sensory-friendly and child-oriented Eucharistic Adoration that was a true example of pure devotion to Jesus in a beautiful and accessible way.
Overseeing this program has energized and revitalized Noelle's faith, as she witnessed how the Eucharist is seen through the eyes of children learning about Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. How wonderful it would be to understand how deeply and truly Jesus loves you for the first time all over again. This project showcases the exact reason why Noelle was the perfect candidate to work on the IPI’s team. They are thrilled to have her infectious enthusiasm for faith-filled inclusion & catechesis be weaved into the fabric of the IPI culture. Please give her a warm welcome today.
