ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
After 30 Years in the Corporate World , Sacred Heart Grad Cherishes Seminary Connections
Karla Dorweiler
Susan Kowalski graduated from Sacred Heart in 2022 with a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies ( MAPS ). If anyone had told Kowalski ten years ago that seminary studies would be in her future , she never would have believed it . But looking back , she can see the Holy Spirit was sowing the seeds all along .
Kowalski currently serves as the Pastoral Associate and Director of Engagement at St . Joseph Parish in Lake Orion .
While working as a project manager at Ford Motor Company , Kowalski was immersed in parish life at St . Irenaeus Catholic Church in Rochester Hills . Around the time she retired from Ford , she attended an event with a talk by Dynamic Catholic founder Matthew Kelly in which he challenged attendees , “ If you died today and went to heaven and God asked , ‘ Have you read my book ,’ what would you say ?’” She had read the Bible but never studied it in a serious way .
Kowalski had been praying for clarity about where God might be calling her in her retirement , and she took Kelly ’ s challenge as a response to her prayers . She enrolled in a four-year Bible study through the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan . From the beginning , she could feel God speaking to her through his word .
“ I came to have what I call my ‘ mature faith .’ I came to understand that this is truly God ’ s living word . Once I realized this , I knew I had to share it with other people ,” she said .
Kowalski was on fire to share the Good News . She enrolled in her parish ’ s Alpha evangelization program and then served as a leader . She brought the Christ Life program to St . Irenaeus and then signed up for “ Called & Gifted ” to uncover her spiritual gifts .
In her final year of the four-year Bible study , Franciscan priest Father Alex Kratz , OFM , came to the parish to speak about evangelization . Father Kratz asked her if she had ever thought about taking classes at Sacred Heart .
“ I thought the seminary was only for men wanting to be priests , not for lay people ,” said Kowalski . “ I also thought I was too old to go back for another degree , and I still had kids at home . How would I handle all of that ?”
Her husband , Paul , encouraged her to explore the idea . She decided to take a prerequisite class in the winter semester of 2017 , knowing she could stop taking additional classes any time if it wasn ’ t working out . Since two of her three daughters were still living at home and attending high school , they could all do homework together .
Kowalski took one or two classes at a time , pausing for one semester in 2016 when she was asked to be a member of Synod 16 . Her experience at the synod validated her desire to evangelize .
“ Having been at the synod , I ’ m so inspired to continue the work of the New
Evangelization and support the things that came out of it . To know what was discussed and see the fruits of “ Unleash the Gospel ” come through inspires me to continue the work at my parish ,” Kowalski said .
Kowalski chose to pursue the MAPS degree because of its concentration in evangelization . She wanted to avail herself of the opportunity to learn about the subject from internationally known professors such as Dr . Ralph Martin .
“ Before I knew it , it was April of 2022 , and I had a MAPS degree ! I thought , ‘ How did this happen ?’” Kowalski said . “ Once I started taking classes , I loved it . Some classes were challenging so that ’ s not to say it was easy , and my family and I had to make sacrifices , but God was there to support me .”
While a student at Sacred Heart , Kowalski cherished being in class with other like-minded students who wanted to learn about the Church and deepen their understanding of the Bible and Church teachings .
“ So much of my life was spent in the secular , corporate world ,” said Kowalski . “ To be with this group of people in my classes was awe-inspiring and humbling . I really enjoyed the camaraderie and the bond with others as [ we ] moved through the same classes together .”
She also appreciated learning alongside both laypeople and seminarians . As they shared stories from their lives in class , Kowalski could see the value of the
26 Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Fall 2023