About the Department

Mission Statement

Sharing in the mission of the Bishop, the Department for Evangelization and Catechesis supports and serves parish and ethnic communities in their work of life-long faith formation within the Church which deepens relationships to Christ and nourishes lives of holiness that transform society and culture.

Resource Areas

DEC staff offers resources in the following areas of ministry:

• Adult Catechesis
• Apologetics
• Catechetical Resources
• Recursos de Catequesis Latina
• Evangelization
• Family Life Ministry
• Liturgical Resources

• RCIA
• Respect Life Ministry
• Small Christian Communities
• Pequeñas Comunidades
• Sacramental Preparation
• Social Justice Resources
• Youth and Young Adult Ministry

Formation Opportunities

In addition to various workshops and other events throughout the year, the department offers continuing formation through these programs:

• Serra Catechetical Institute
• School for Pastoral Ministry
• Escuela de Ministerios Pastorales

Contact Us

The team listed below may be contacted at 2900 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland, CA, 94610 and at (510) 893-4711, or by phone and email as below:

Keith Borchers	(510) 267-8340	kborchers@oakdiocese.org
Director
Dennis Purificacion	(510) 267-8386	dpurificacion@oakdiocese.org
Associate Director, School for Pastoral Ministry
Juan Carlos Gaviria	(510) 267-8385	jgaviria@oakdiocese.org
Associate Director, Escuela de Ministerios Pastorales
Rita Billeci	(510) 267-8392	rbilleci@oakdiocese.org
Marriage and Family Life
Tom Hollcraft	(510) 267-8389	thollcraft@oakdiocese.org
Youth & Young Adult Ministry
Colleen Knutsen	(510) 267-8394	cknutsen@oakdiocese.org
Respect Life Ministry
John Watkins	(510) 267-8379	jwatkins@oakdiocese.org
Social Justice
Mary Ann Wiesinger	(510) 267-8352	mwiesinger@oakdiocese.org
Catechetics
Jean Evans	(510) 267-8357	jevans@oakdiocese.org
Office Manager
Melissa Hyatt	(510) 267-8370	mhyatt@oakdiocese.org
Administrative Assistant
Peggy Maurer	(510) 267-8348	pmaurer@oakdiocese.org
Administrative Assistant
Laura Windham	(510) 267-8395	lwindham@oakdiocese.org
Administrative Assistant
SPRED (Special Religious Education) 3705 Dorisa Ave., Oakland | Website
Sr. Aurora Pérez, SHF	(510) 635-7252	spredoakdiocese@igc.org
Director
Mary Anne Crater	(510) 635-7252	spredoakdiocese@igc.org
Office Manager