Witness to Love Mentor Couples
Dear engaged couples,
Welcome to building the foundation for your Catholic marriage! One of the first steps in your Witness to Love journey is choosing a mentor couple.
Why should you choose a mentor couple? There is an immediate benefit from inviting a couple whom you trust and admire to walk with you before and after your wedding day. Your relationship with your mentor couple will help provide ongoing renewal as well as the spiritual and relational support needed throughout your married life.
Rooted, lasting relationships are vital for every newly married couple!
​
*Couples marked as "currently unavailable" are actively mentoring an engaged couple at this time.
SHANE & ANNE PROVOST (currently unavailable)
-
His birthdate: 01.03.1986.
-
Her birthdate: 11.03.1984.
-
Marriage date: 09.08.2012.
-
Number of children: 5.
-
Converts to Catholicism? No.
-
His educational background & profession: Music; currently working as a web engineer.
-
Her educational background & profession: Tourism; house wife.
-
What ministries/programs are you involved in at St. Catherine's? Garden ministry; women's Bible study.
-
Special interests/hobbies/relevant information? We love making new friends, traveling, and growing in faith.
BRAD & DANIELLE SPITZNAGEL
-
His birthdate: 02.25.1987.
-
Her birthdate: 03.15.1986.
-
Marriage date: 05.25.2014.
-
Number of children: 4.
-
Converts to Catholicism? No.
-
His educational background & profession:BS Economics Supervisor for Fleet Group at Norfolk Southern
-
Her educational background & profession: BA English Literature Stay at home mom
-
What ministries/programs are you involved in at St. Catherine's? Before having kids of our own, we worked in youth ministry. (Arguably, we still do; just with a much smaller group!) We participate in Men and Women of Faith, and have kids in the preschool and grade school.
-
Special Interests, Hobbies, Other Brad grew up in Indiana, Danielle grew up in California; we met in Atlanta in 2013. 8 years and 4 kids later, we consider ourselves pretty rooted in Kennesaw. We enjoy spending time with family and friends, reading, finding new ways to be creative (drawing, painting, knitting), enjoying a good meal, and exploring things through the eyes of our kids. Brad likes to exercise; Danielle is trying to like it.
DANIEL & MICHELLE WEST
-
His birthdate: 06.21.1980
-
Her birthdate: 01.27.1982.
-
Marriage date: 07.01.2004.
-
Number of children: 8.
-
Converts to Catholicism? Yes, Michelle.
-
His educational background & profession: BS - GA Tech; MA -Franciscan University; Associate Director of Marriage, Family, & Pastoral Care for the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta.
-
Her educational background & profession: BS - GA Tech; MA -Christendom Graduate School (in progress); homeschooling mother, Headmaster of Regina Caeli Academy in Roswell.
-
What ministries/programs are you involved in at St. Catherine's? Pro-life Ministry and Greeter Ministry.
-
Special interests/hobbies/relevant information? We value God, family, friends, and coming together around a meal. With 7 little ones it is joyful chaos most of the time. When time and money allow, we like to travel. We lived in Prague and Dresden, Germany, when we were first married. Daniel has family in Italy with whom we keep in contact and visit on occasion.
RICK & CINDY GRUCA (currently unavailable)
-
His birthdate: 12.10.1966.
-
Her birthdate: 12.15.1969.
-
Marriage date: 02.20.1993.
-
Number of children: 3.
-
Converts to Catholicism? Yes, Cindy.
-
His educational background & profession: BS Biology; Director of Safety.
-
Her educational background & profession: High school; housekeeper.
-
What ministries/programs are you involved in at St. Catherine's? PSR, Lectors, EMHC (Cindy), Men of Faith.
-
Special interests/hobbies/relevant information? Rick enjoys watching soccer, running, reading, and spending time with family. Cindy enjoys shopping, reading, diamond painting, and spending time with family.
JAMES & LINDSEY O'SHIELDS (currently unavailable)
-
His birthdate: 11.01.1971.
-
Her birthdate: 12.19.1974.
-
Marriage date: 02.07.1992.
-
Number of children: 4.
-
Converts to Catholicism? Yes, both.
-
His educational background & profession: Masters & Paramedic; Firefighter.
-
Her educational background & profession: College; Artist.
-
What ministries/programs are you involved in at St. Catherine's? Currently, none. We were involved as Sunday school teachers and youth leaders in the Episcopal church for years. Also served as an altar guild member and acolyte.
-
Special interests/hobbies/relevant information? James: bass, guitar, music composition and recording, weight lifting, and fire training. Lindsey: painting, public art, French horn, hiking, camping, and reading.
ANDY & KRISTEN LICHTENWALNER (currently unavailable)
-
His birthdate: 11.11.1978.
-
Her birthdate: 08.16.1978.
-
Marriage date: 08.12.2002.
-
Number of children: 4.
-
Converts to Catholicism? No.
-
His educational background & profession: PhD Systematic Theology, CUA; MA Theology, U Dallas; AB Religion and Philosophy, UGA. Director of the Office of Formation and Discipleship at the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
-
Her educational background & profession: BS Ed Recreation Administration, UGA. Stay-at-home mom.
-
What ministries/programs are you involved in at St. Catherine's? Men of Faith/Women of Faith/Couples of Faith; Bible study; Men's small group. Occasional speaker/music at events.
-
Special interests/hobbies/relevant information? Spending time with family and playing with the kids. Andy: Guitar and reading theology. Kristen: Exercise and decorating. Although we cherish our quiet family time, we also love to have our home filled with family, friends, and neighbors.
-
Our history: We met at the Catholic Center at UGA. We married in Augusta and then lived in Texas, DC, and Maryland before moving back home to GA in 2018. We love our Catholic faith and being members of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church!
JOSHUA & GABRIELLE RYSTEDT (currently unavailable)
-
His birthdate: 01.25.1992.
-
Her birthdate: 02.08.1992.
-
Marriage date: 06.22.2013.
-
Number of children: 6.
-
Converts to Catholicism? Yes, both.
-
His educational background & profession: Theology, Concordia Wisconsin. Small business owner, online marketing.
-
Her educational background & profession: BS Business Management, University of Baltimore. Homemaker/homeschooling mother.
-
What ministries/programs are you involved in at St. Catherine's? Various men’s, women’s and couple’s ministries.
-
Special Interests, Hobbies, Other: We love to read and spend time outdoors. Joshua enjoys exploring Carmelite spirituality and Gabrielle loves to cook and tinker with all types of crafty endeavors. We both grew up in northern Maryland and met in 2012, as we were finishing college. We were married in 2013 and relocated our small business (and not-so-small family) to Atlanta in 2019 and quickly fell in love with the area and community. With five children under 8 and our sixth due in February 2023, there is never a dull moment in our home! One of our greatest joys is to learn alongside our children in homeschool and all of the things we do.
JOSH & LUISA PRICE (currently unavailable)
-
His birthdate: 07.26.1989.
-
Her birthdate: 07.31.1990.
-
Marriage date: 12.28.2012.
-
Number of children: 5.
-
Converts to Catholicism? No.
-
His educational background & profession: Bachelor of Music in Church Music from Belmont University; IT Consulting Staffing Manager.
-
Her educational background & profession: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and French Studies from Emory University; Stay-at-home mom, Homeschooler, and Ministry.
-
What ministries/programs are you involved in at St. Catherine's? Music Ministry, Mom’s Bible Study.
-
Special Interests, Hobbies, Other: CrossFit, Specialty Coffee, Music.
DEACON JIM & STEPHANIE TRAMONTE
(currently unavailable)
-
His birthdate: 03.06.1951
-
Her birthdate: 08.19.1950.
-
Marriage date: 08.12.1972.
-
Number of children: 5.
-
Converts to Catholicism? No.
-
His educational background & profession: BS Accounting, Law school, Deacon formation; Attorney - estate planning
-
Her educational background & profession: BS Accounting; retired accountant
-
What ministries/programs are you involved in at St. Catherine's? Deacon Jim - deacon duties, annulment advocate, Knights of Columbus, finance council. Stephanie - EMHC. Both - marriage ministry, Eucharistic Adoration guardians
-
Special Interests, Hobbies: Marriage ministry to engaged and married couples has always been a top priority for us. We have 35 years experience in this area. We have a large family and enjoy spending time with our 21 grandchildren.