Surprises touch woman who views her work as a gift to God

Kristina Seipel gets a hug and a balloon from her 2-year-old son Michael after she received the archdiocese’s Excellence in Catechesis Award which has been re-named in honor of the late Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein. (Submitted photo)

By John Shaughnessy

The initial touching surprise for Kristina Seipel came when it was announced that she was the first recipient of the archdiocese’s Excellence in Catechesis Award that has been re-named in honor of the late Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein.

“He confirmed me when I was in high school,” says the 31-year-old Seipel who received that sacrament in 2005. “To receive this award named after someone who was part of my faith journey is really cool.”

The second touching surprise came after the award’s announcement, when Seipel’s parents came through the door with her 2-year-old son Michael, who was carrying balloons for her.

“I started crying when I saw my parents and my little boy,” she says.

That moment occurred on Sept. 29, shortly after the archdiocese’s “Co-workers in the Vineyard” virtual awards ceremony, a ceremony that celebrated the contributions of people who work in the areas of Catholic education, catechesis, youth ministry, and marriage and family ministry.

Faith and family have always been connected in Seipel’s life, and she shares the importance of both as the director of evangelization for St. John Paul II Parish in Sellersburg.

“I went into Church ministry to share the love of Jesus that I had experienced with others,” she says. “As director of evangelization, I get to do that, and I get to work with all the different age groups. I like the variety of working with people in different stages of their faith journey.”

Her own faith journey includes being married to her husband David in 2017, in the church where she grew up—St. Joseph Church in St. Joseph Hill, which is now part of Sellersburg.

Another distinctive part of her faith journey has been helping to bring together the faith communities of St. Joseph Church and St. Paul Church into the merged parish of St. John Paul II in Sellersburg.

In nominating her for the award, parishioner Lynell Chamberlain praised Seipel for “blending two programs into one, welcoming and encouraging teachers and participants from two separate religious education programs, two Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults programs, and two vacation Bible study programs to cooperate and create programs that far exceeded their predecessors.”

Chamberlain also noted Seipel’s efforts to help women deepen their faith, to guide high school students to become leaders in the parish, and help families grow in their love of God.

Seipel views all her efforts as a way of giving back.

“I grew up in St. Joe Hill. It’s where I came to know Jesus myself,” she says. “It’s really cool to be able to give back to the community that gave me so much.”

Most of all, she views her work as a gift of gratitude to God.

“Without Jesus and my faith, I’d be quite lost. God loves us so much.” †