Hello there, everyone, and welcome to the middle of Holy Week. Both the House of Brigid Wexford and HoB Dublin teams have been especially busy this week, making preparations for Easter liturgies and assisting their students with confirmation studies, but we also have some exciting news to share with you!
At the end of February of this year, HoB members Shane, Katherine, and Kelli met with program staff on Notre Dame’s campus to begin interviewing the candidates for next year’s teams. It is now our pleasure to introduce the seven members who will carry the banner for next year’s communities:
Clare hails from South Bend, Indiana and will graduate from the University of Notre Dame in May 2019 with a B.A. in the Program of Liberal Studies. She loves reading, writing, singing, listening to podcasts, running in below-freezing temps and getting coffee with people who bring her joy. Having participated in choir for almost two-thirds of her life, she is eager to take part in the musical and spiritual life of Clonard Parish in Wexford. She has been a member of the Notre Dame Folk Choir for four years and got to serve as the Social Commissioner in her senior year, bringing together two of her greatest loves: Folkheads and community. She is an avid Montessorian and loves the psychology of education, making her eager to try her hand at catechesis at the House of Brigid Wexford. Clare is excited to be a part of the House of Brigid community and looks forward to all that Ireland has to teach her!
Kati Byrne will graduate from the University of San Diego in May 2019 with a B.A. in History and Political Science. As a student, she has enjoyed being a member on her school’s Dance Company and serving on her executive board for her sorority. Additionally, Kati has loved being part of USD’s University Ministry where she served as a Eucharistic Minister, participated and led retreats, and sang in Founders Chapel Choir. In her free time, she likes to travel and binge watch The West Wing and Grey’s Anatomy. After living most of her life in Southern California, she is incredibly excited return to Ireland for these next steps on the journey of life. She is looking forward to growing deeper in her faith, embracing a new culture, and living intentionally in a community with amazing people.
Kelly Burke will graduate from the University of Notre Dame in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Theatre. She is originally from Seminole, Florida, where she grew up singing, playing piano, and loving all things music. At Notre Dame, Kelly called Cavanaugh Hall home and had the privilege of serving as a Resident Assistant in her senior year. She was a member of the Notre Dame Folk Choir and Our Lady’s Consort chamber choir; she was also very involved in the Pasquerilla East Musical Company and the Student Players as a performer, director, and crew member. Kelly loves card games, the book of questions, Brené Brown, and all things musical theatre (she will talk about this for hours!). Her previous experiences abroad include a summer spent teaching English in a small Ecuadorian town and a semester studying abroad in Santiago, Chile. She is thrilled to begin a year of service in Wexford and excited to embrace all parts of life with the House of Brigid community!
Andrew Skiff is very excited to begin his year of ministry in Ireland with House of Brigid’s Wexford community. He is the second oldest of eight boys, and grew up in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in a household of mixed religious tradition. From an early age, Andrew found the Scriptures to be a rich source of inspiration, and they soon became (and remain still) a source of contemplation and devotion for him. In May of 2019, Andrew will graduate with a B.A. in Music Performance and a B.A. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. While at Notre Dame, Andrew has enjoyed participating in a number of music ensembles, including Marching Band, Jazz Band, Folk Choir, Repertory Choir, and Pasquerilla East Musical Company. Andrew finds sincere joy in interacting with other people; he is immensely grateful to the family and friends that have supported and inspired him so far, and is excited to learn from the individuals he will encounter in Ireland.
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Shane Jenkins will be returning to Dublin for his second year with House of Brigid, and his first year as Dublin House Director. Shane is a 2018 graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in the Program of Liberal Studies and a supplementary major in Theology. He grew up outside of Denver, Colorado with his younger brother, playing ice hockey and spending summer weekends in the nearby mountains. Shane’s Catholic faith was formed by the education and community he experienced at his Jesuit high school and later at Notre Dame, both of which gave him an outlet to explore life’s challenging questions. Over the past year, Shane discovered just how much he enjoys participating in the community of Newman University Church, helping organize the Church’s soup runs, and teaching local students about the wonder of their faith. In his sparse spare time, Shane loves long, deep conversations, going rock climbing around Dublin, sharing great books, movies, and music, and gardening in the house’s back yard. But above all, Shane is most excited to welcome the new fellows of House of Brigid. His main hope is to help them feel welcomed as they use this year for self-reflection and development, and to goof around a little along the way!
Katherine Dunn is excited to be returning to serve with Teach Bhríde for another year! Katherine spent the last year volunteering in Wexford at Clonard Church and enjoyed her many mornings with the tea ladies, playing piano for weekend masses, and helping prepare students for sacraments at Kennedy Park School. Katherine is originally from Modesto, California and has five younger brothers and one younger sister. After graduating high school in 2013, Katherine traveled around the United States while serving with NET Ministries (National Evangelization Teams) as a missionary for a year. In May 2018 Katherine graduated from Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and minor in Philosophy. At Saint Mary’s she served for two years as president of the college’s right to life club, Belles for Life, studied abroad in Rome for two semesters, worked for Campus Ministry, and sang in the Collegiate Choir. Katherine loves baking, watercolors, and the Blessed Mother. She will miss goofing around, living, singing, and working with her Wexford community but is excited and hopeful for what is to come in Dublin at the Notre Dame Newman Centre for Faith and Reason!
Maddie Loftin was born in Savannah, Georgia and studied English and Italian at the University of Notre Dame as a member of the Class of 2019. She sang with the Notre Dame Folk Choir for all four years of her undergraduate career and planned music for Sunday Mass in her dorm, Welsh Family Hall. Maddie also participated in Notre Dame Vision for two years as a mentor-in-faith, and she’s incredibly excited to continue her love for music ministry in Dublin. In fact, she first fell in love with the city while on tour with Folk Choir in 2016. She has a soft spot for coffee shops, the beach, and her family’s one-eyed cat. She’s scared of heights and bears, but she loves writing, swimming, kayaking, and exploring.
