Parish Council Biography: Richard Kotwa | St. Marguerite d'Youville Catholic Church

Deacon Pete Ranft

Pete was born in Warner Robins Georgia and baptized Catholic at the Warner Robins Military Base’s Catholic Church. He is the 2^nd oldest of seven children. Pete went to Catholic grade school and high school in the Chicago IL suburbs. He met his wife, Carol, at Northern Illinois University where they both received their BS in Accounting. Pete and Carol have 2 adult children who live in the Atlanta area. Pete’s currently works full-time as an Account Executive in the computer software industry.

Pete was ordained in February of 2018 by Cardinal Wilton Gregory who was Archbishop of Atlanta at the time. He began his service to the Archdiocese at St. Lawrence Catholic Church and in June of 2021 was asked to transfer to St. Marguerite d’Youville where he serves today. Pete is a member of the Knights of Columbus, a prior Vincentian of the SVdP Society, and has served for years as a homebound minister and assistant to the youth ministry program.

Fr. Tomy J. Puliyan, MSFS

Fr. Tomy J. Puliyan, MSFS is a Missionary of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS-Fransalians) from the state of Kerala, India. He is from a family of seven children: four boys and three girls. He is the fifth of the seventh.

He made his first religious vows on December 15, 1986, and was ordained a priest for the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales on December 27, 1994.

He has worked in India as a pastor, high school principal, and minor seminary rector. He came to the United States in the year 2003. He has served as an associate pastor at Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Hendersonville, TN; pastor of Sacred Heart Church and School, Loretto, TN; pastor of St. Joseph Church, St. Joseph, TN; and pastor of St. Joseph Church and School, Nashville, TN, in the diocese of Nashville, until 2017. He also served as the Mission Director of St. Teresa of Calcutta Syro Malabar Catholic Mission Church in Nashville, TN, from 2008 to 2017.

He has served his religious congregation as one of the counselors to the Provincial Superior of the USA Vice Province and as the formation director of the Vice Province. He was elected as the Provincial Superior of the USA Vice Province of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS) on July 3, 2016.

He has been assigned to St. Marguerite d’Youville Parish at Lawrenceville, GA, as the pastor, since July 1^st, 2017.

Fr. Tomy is now a priest for twenty-nine years. He has Masters in Education and Political Science from Indian universities and a Masters in Counseling Psychology from Nashville, TN. He is also currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Performance Psychology.

He is currently functioning as the Provincial Superior of the religious order and Pastor of St. Marguerite d’Youville Parish.

His birthday is May 1^st.

Ordination anniversary: December 27th

Feast of his patron saint, St. Thomas the Apostle: July 3^rd

Feast of the patron saint of the Congregation, St. Francis de Sales: January 24th

Email: frtomy@stmdy.com, pastor@stmdy.com

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St. Marguerite d’ Youville Parish

Mary Lou Schwane

Mary Lou Schwaner is one of the founding members of St. Marguerite d’Youville Parish. She was the Music Director while the parish was still in the Store Front on Huff Rd. She and her husband, Keith, have four young-adult sons. She has been involved in Music Ministry leadership for more than 35 years, in various parishes and Catholic Schools throughout the Atlanta Archdiocese. She loves the Catholic Church and actively works to spread that love. She hopes that all who love to make joyful music will reach out to her and share their gifts and talents.

Alex Fuentes

Alex Fuentes was born on October 22, 1978 in San Salvador, El Salvador. He graduated from Life Christian Academy in 2019. Alex is a self-employed professional landscaper and handyman. He is married to Rosa, and they have three children: Yessenia, a rehabilitation aid in Duluth pursuing a career in physical therapy, Daisy, pursuing a career in criminal and international law, and Alex Jr., pursuing a career in mechanical engineering.

Keith Schwaner

Keith Schwaner was born and raised in New Orleans and graduated from Tulane University with a BS. Degree in Civil Engineering. He later earned an MBA from University of Phoenix. After serving in the US Navy, he eventually moved to Atlanta where he met his wife Mary Lou. He and Mary Lou have 4 grown sons. Keith is currently working as a Finance Manager with The Clorox Company. He was active in his previous parish in different capacities. He has been serving on the St. Pius X High School Finance Council since 2008. He looks forward to service at St. Marguerite D’Youville.

Dave Ogwu

Dr. Dave Ogwu is our parish Stewardship Council Chair, and he also serves on the board of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), Georgia Chapter. Dave is a professional Financial Advisor, Fraud Analyst, and Stockbroker, with over twenty years’ experience.

Dave, who is a member of the Knights of Columbus (K of C), holds a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Business Administration, with a concentration in Homeland Security and Leadership Policy, from the Northcentral University, Arizona, has two masters degrees; Masters in Business Finance (MBF), and Masters in Economic Crime and Fraud Management (MBA), from Utica College, Utica, New York. His hobbies include basketball, reading, research, writing, and crime watch. Dave is married to Ify Ogwu, and they are blessed with two boys.

Rita Carlson

Rita D. Carlson grew up on a farm in rural Minnesota. She graduated valedictorian of her high school class and obtained a B.S. of Medical Technology and M.S. public affairs degree. She has two grown daughters who are professional women. My extensive work experience includes the League of Women Voters, political campaigns, chair of a dinner group from the National Center of Atmospheric Science in Boulder, Colorado, member of the Head Start Board in DeKalb County and president of a neighborhood recreation club. She retired from Children’s Health Care of Atlanta after 27 years of experience as a medical technologist on the evening shift. She is presently chair of a book club for H2U, a volunteer group for Eastside Hospital and first vice president for programs and public relations for the Atlanta Post-Polio Association, a support group for polio victims. She is an avid member of the Gwinnett Quilting Guild. She has been a member of St. Marguerite parish for several years, and is a member of the Fransalian Associates and Archives Ministry. She enjoys affecting social change.

Mark Wirt

Mark has been a Certified Public Accountant for 38 years, and has had his own accounting practice for 14 years. He served on the finance committee for St. Oliver’s Catholic Church for 15 years, and prepared financial projections for the Archdiocese for the construction of the new church. Mark currently serves as a Board Member for the City of Grayson. He also served as an adult leader for the Boy Scouts of America for 13 years. Mark and his wife have been married for 35 years and they have two sons.

Diane Rutledge

Diane Rutledge is married to Mike Rutledge. She has a daughter and son that are both married and 4 grandchildren. Diane owned a business for 20 years and sold it in 2014. She is now a bookkeeper for a privately owned company

David King

David and his wife, Debbie, have called Lawrenceville home since 1992. They joined the Mission of St Marguerite in 1994. David brings over 30 years of Accounting and Finance experience to the Finance Council of which he has been a member for twelve years. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus and an usher at the Parish.

Carlton Hollis

Carlton Lyle Hollis was born and raised in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Saint Augustine’s University earning the Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. At St. Augustine’s, he exhibited natural leadership skills in various organizations, including the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Carlton has an extensive background in both the auto sales and hospitality industries, with over 30 years in the hospitality industry. He is presently General Manager of the Hampton Inn- Alpharetta-Roswell and the Doubletree Hotel-Alpharetta, with full responsibility for overseeing the total daily operations of the Properties. Carlton now serves at St. Marguerite as a Catechist, Usher, Fundraiser, and Volunteer. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and St. Vincent de Paul Society. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Donna, his children, and grandchildren.

Elizabeth Nkereuwem

Elizabeth Nkereuwem has been a parishioner at St. Marguerite d’Youville since 2000. She was born in 1962 to Chief (Elder) Ewa and Princes Magdalene Henshaw from Calabar in the South Eastern Province of Nigeria. Her primary education was at Our Lady of Apostles Private School, Yaba in Lagos, Nigeria. Her secondary education was at the Federal Government College Ijanikin, Lagos. Elizabeth attended Rivers State University of Science and Technology, where she began her college years. She went onto the University of Ibadan in Oyo state and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science in 1989. Elizabeth is married to Leslie Nkereuwen, and they are blessed with 3 wonderful young men. She works as a Training Coordinator for Alcon Pharmaceuticals. Elizabeth is the president of the Legion of Mary here at St. Marguerite d’Youville and is active in other parish ministries.

Cindy Morrill, Family Life

Cindy and her husband, Lenny, have been members of St. Marguerite d’Youville since 2002 after moving to Georgia. Cindy was raised Lutheran and converted to Catholicism in 2000 while living in north Texas. When her 3 children were young, she helped out with the Religious Education program and the VBS at St. Marguerite. For the past 10 years, Cindy has been an active member of the Martha’s Ministry group. In addition to other volunteer activities, Cindy works part-time for a physical therapy office in Decatur.

Bill Bruton , Chairperson

Bill Bruton and his wife Dorothy were one of the many founding families for the parish. Bill and Dorothy have three children and 10 grandchildren. He retired from the US Treasury as a Senior Special Agent in the Criminal Division. He currently works as a Forensic Accountant assisting both Government and non-Government agencies in investigating financial issues. Bill is active in the parish, having served as a member of the original building committee, past president of the Parish Council, President of the Finance Committee, and currently serves as the Parish Council’s Chairman.

Gaby Calero, Social Life

Gaby Calero has been a member of St. Marguerite since entering the RCIA program in 2018. Gaby is a Nicaraguan American, and she started her religious journey singing at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Atlanta, Georgia when she was 16 years old. Since then, she has always enjoyed singing and serving her church! Now, as a Family Physician, her ministry provides her with the ability to help the sick and the most in need. She continues to serve and sing as a volunteer with the youth at St. Marguerite D’Youville, her second home. Gaby also enjoys traveling and exploring new places with her husband, Marvin, and she relocated to Georgia after she finished her medical training. Now she practices medicine in Conyers, Georgia.

Hayley Russell – Youth Minister

Hayley Russell is a recent graduate of Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic School in North Carolina. Besides her years spent in college she has lived in Gwinnet Georgia her entire life. Hayley‘s passion is to inspire young adults and walk with them on their faith journey. She has always wanted to be a youth minister and teach young people about the faith. .

Tom Wetzel – Finance Manager

Graduated from St. Francis University of Loretto, Pennsylvania 1966 with a BS Degree in Accounting with over 40 years’ experience in financial management, business analysis, financial modeling, capital budgeting, P&L budgeting, P&L analysis, financial audits, cost controls, planning and office management. Served two years in the US Army from 1966 through 1968. While in college I was an intern at a CPA firm in Johnstown, Pennsylvania for two years. Most my career I held positions as a Controller, VP of Finance and CFO.

Richard Kohrumel – Administrative Assistant

Richard is a native of Wilmington, Delaware and Massapequa, NY. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration/ Accounting at Marist College (Poughkeepsie, NY), and a M.A. in Christian Ministry and Renewal (Theology/Philosophy) from Franciscan University of Steubenville (OH). His profession has been primarily in bank regulatory compliance. Richard and his wife Madeline moved from NY to Gwinnett County in 1989, and have three children – Tim, Rachel, and Sarah – and two granddaughters!

Louis Anthony D’Souza – Facilities Supervisor

Louis is a parishioner and service professional with over 30 years of experience in the field of HVAC, electrical and building maintenance in the government sector and in the hospitality industry. His most recent years were spent working for Fulton County Government; structuring and leading engineering teams; building a network of reliable vendors and collaborating with county officials to oversee the smooth operation of various HVAC and capital improvement projects.

Louis has a hands-on approach to all his undertakings and he hopes that with all his experience in operations and facilities maintenance, he can contribute to the maintenance and development of St. Marguerite d’Youville.

New Ministries Descriptions

Fransalian Associates
- A third-order group for the Fransalians [Missionary of St. Francis de Sales]
Dinner with the Pastors
- Once a month, parishioners bring potluck to church and eat with the pastors to get to know them better and understand personal relationships with their shepherds
Young Adults Ministry
- Ministry for the young adults of our parish and neighborhood to help them to stay focused on their faith and morals and lead a righteous life
Hospitality Ministry
- Team of people who would prepare food or snacks when we have priests coming for Confession or retreats or any other function
Welcome Ministry
- Team of people who welcome newcomers and walk with them and orient them to make them feel comfortable in the parish and get them involved by taking up ministries of their choice
Parish Nurse
- Person(s) in charge of first aid and immediate medical assistance for any emergency situations in the parish during the service
Lighthouse Media
- Making CDs and DVDs available in the parish through Lighthouse Media Publication
Adult Education
- Organizing periodical talks and discussions on relevant topics of faith and morals for enhancing Catholic way of life
Prayer Line Ministry
- It is a ministry where people can contact over the phone for special prayer intentions, where a group of people are available to pray especially for those intentions
Welcome Home Catholics Ministry
- A ministry where we try to bring the fallen-away Catholics to the Catholic fold
Alpha/Arise
- A ministry where we walk people to help them to discover/rediscover their faith in God
Singles for Christ
- A group where the singles (both men and women) can come together to support each other and live their faith the best way possible
Consolation Ministry
- Assisting parishioners and their families through grief/divorce/tragedies in life
Prayer Shawl Ministry [Knitting and Crocheting]
- Knitting prayer shawls; also scarves, hats, and blankets for the sick and terminally ill while praying for those in need that will eventually receive our gifts
Maintenance Ministry
- Team of people who offer timely help to the facility supervisor to take care of the facilities of the parish
Donuts & Coffee Fellowship
- Sharing donuts and coffee after Sunday Mass to promote fellowship and a sense of family and community
Church Picnic
- Organizing an annual parish picnic
Rosary Makers
- People who can make rosaries to be given away for the needy people
Neighborhood Catholic Communities
- Building up Catholic culture in Catholic neighborhoods
Evangelization Outreach
- Reaching out to the community with the Catholic morals and values

Scott Smith

Scott Smith graduated from Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York, with a B.S. degree in Mathematics. He moved to Gwinnett County in 1991. Scott graduated from Georgia State University with an M.B.A. and an M.S. in Finance. In his professional career, he has had over 30 years’ experience in project management, I.T. management, and financial management. He and his wife Daphne are active parishioners of St. Marguerite, with Scott presently serving on the Stewardship Committee.

Mary Ann Kurian

Mary Ann Kurian, a resident of Duluth, works as an Operations Manager with a tech start-up in Midtown Atlanta. She was born and raised in India and graduated with a Masters in Management before moving to the United States. Having worked in New York, Mary Ann moved to Atlanta in 2014 and has been a parishioner of St. Marguerite D’Youville Catholic Church since 2017. She has been involved with the parish St. Vincent De Paul Society Conference since 2018 and joined the Stewardship council of the parish in January of 2020.

Laura Calley

Laura Calley has been a member of St. Marguerite’s since 2008. Laura says she takes a very “Martha” approach to life and work: Do what’s needed, treat others as you’d want them to treat you, let your actions be your voice, and feed His lambs. She has worked in the world of Information Technology (I.T.) for the past 30 years, primarily in various forms of technical support for large businesses. In her free time, she and her husband, Gordon, have over the years been involved with supporting Life Teen, Christ the King Theatre Ministry, Knights of Columbus’ various activities, Habitat for Humanity, and are generally up for helping out wherever a hand is needed – especially if it involves cooking for a crowd! Laura and Gordon enjoy traveling whenever they can, and have a long list of places they want to see!

Barry Pierce

Barry Pierce has been a member of St. Marguerite since 1992. He and his wife Diane live in Lawrenceville with their three children. Barry received his undergraduate with a major in Finance and minor in Accounting, plus a Master’s in Business – Finance and Marketing. Barry is retired, having worked as an Auditor, Credit Manager, Distribution Manager, Sales-to-Sales Manager, and Director of Purchasing for U.S. Steel’s Agricultural Division. He also served as Director of Sales for Industrial Chemicals – Ammonia, Nitrate, then Chlorine- Alkali, as well as Raw Materials Director at Cabot Corporation. At St. Marguerite, he is a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society – where he serves as the Treasurer of our parish St. Vincent de Paul Conference, is a member of the Stewardship Council, is a member of the Knights of Columbus, and serves as an Usher.

Kathleen Brown

Kathleen Brown has been a member of St. Marguerite since 2009. She has two sons in college. Paul attends Kennesaw State, and Josh will start Columbus State in the fall. She is married to Marcus, who is a retired software engineer. Kathleen started a video editing business several years ago and enjoys working on all types of video projects. She is active in her community, serving on P.T.A. and H.O.A. boards, was room mom for several years, volunteered with the cub scouts, was a Drama booster, and was co-coach for her sons’ First Lego League robotic club. Kathleen currently teaches Sacramental Prep to second graders at St. Marguerite.

Deacon George Angelich

Deacon George Angelich was born on October 14, 1943, in Atlanta, Georgia. A graduate of St. Pius X High School in 1961, George completed his diaconal studies at Our Lady of the Holy Ghost Trappist Monastery in Conyers, Georgia, and was ordained to the permanent diaconate by Archbishop Thomas Donnellan on June 17, 1978, at Holy Cross Church in Tucker, Georgia. Deacon George’s education includes a Bachelor in Fine Arts degree from the University of Georgia in 1972, a B.A. in Sociology from Georgia State University in 1975, an M.S.W. in Clinical Social Work from Atlanta University in 1981, and a Master of Pastoral Studies from Loyola University, New Orleans in 1987. Professionally, George works as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) at the Professional Counseling Center of Atlanta since 2000, where he does individual psychotherapy and group psychotherapy. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966-1968, in the light infantry unit of the 3rd and 32nd in the Seventh Infantry Division, the Bayonet Division, in the DMZ in Korea. Deacon George is married to the former Terry Lowe who is a pediatric nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. George and Terry have four children: Dr. David Angelich, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Washington, D.C.; Dr. Regina Angelich Carlson, a clinical psychologist and R.N. at Regis University in Denver, Colorado; Kristin Youmans of Decatur, Georgia; and Leslie Derby of Atlanta, Georgia. He and Terry also have four grandchildren.

Deacon Kapya Ngoy

Deacon Kapya Ngoy was born and raised in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. He moved to the United States in 1990 for his undergraduate education. Kapya moved to Atlanta in 1999 to pursue his career as a Civil Engineer. He and his wife Maggie were married in 1998 and have three children. They became members at St. Marguerite D’Youville in 2009. Kapya was ordained a deacon in 2016.

Installation of Fr. Tomy to St. Marguerite Mass by Archbishop Wilton Gregory, October 1st, 2017

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: STMDY Staff

: STMDY Staff

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