Laura Nelson joins diocese as Director of Faith Formation

Laura Nelson, the new director of faith formation for the Diocese of Fort Worth, on Oct. 7, 2024. (NTC/Juan Guajardo)

FORT WORTH — There’s nothing like a baby in the cradle to inspire a cradle Catholic to take a deep dive into her faith.

Despite being raised in a good Catholic family and years of Catholic education, Laura Nelson admitted her early faith foundation left some gaps. After having her first child, she recalled, “I suddenly felt this great pressure to know my faith better because I was responsible for this little soul. I realized I want to be able to answer her questions, so I started reading and seeking out as much information as I can” through books on Catholicism and groups at local parishes.

In the following years, her quest for answers and understanding, her aptitude for teaching, and the priority to know and practice her faith has propelled Nelson to teach preschool and to serve as a director of children’s catechesis at two local parishes. Now, she has been appointed the director of faith formation for the Diocese of Fort Worth.

In the new role, Nelson is responsible for kindergarten through eighth grade faith formation and adult OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults — the process for adults to join the Catholic Church.

Front lines of catechesis

Having served as the director of children’s catechesis at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Grapevine for seven years and coordinator of children’s faith formation at Good Shepherd Parish in Colleyville for two, Nelson can “really get inside the perspective of those DREs that are on the front lines,” according to Jason Whitehead, diocesan director of evangelization and catechesis.

He explained her background enables her to “figure out what is it that these directors and coordinators need most in order to effectively exercise their ministry, and she really shines in that area.”

Nelson’s first objectives include showing appreciation, building community, and providing practical support for parish DREs and faith formators who may be too busy “to look up and breathe,” she said, remembering her parish ministry experience.

“There needs to be more sharing of ideas and support across parish leaders, so they can bounce ideas off of someone in another parish if they don’t have anybody at their own parish they can do that with. Let’s not reinvent the wheel; let’s use somebody else’s great idea,” said the Good Shepherd parishioner.

“Especially in our faith with this amazing tradition of holy people and great thinkers, we don’t have to come up with the theology, praise God. We just need to tweak the presentation,” she continued.

Theory and practice

The mother of three grown children holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Texas at Austin and is currently enrolled at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, where she expects to complete a Master’s degree in catechesis and evangelization in 2025.

She has also earned certification in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd formation program for ages 3 – 12.

Teaching young Catholics the faith has given her a special appreciation for the incarnational aspects of the faith — the “bells and smells,” the symbols, and the movements.

Nelson said, “I started learning the meaning, and this points to something greater. Everything that we do in our faith has a deeper meaning and purpose.”

Along with her personal studies and formal education, she reflected that motherhood has helped prepare her to serve in this role. The struggles and needs of raising three children “helped me grow in compassion and in reliance on God and helped me to better understand the needs of children and parents,” she explained.

“My vocation as a wife and mother pushes you to your own limitations, and you have to get on your knees a lot to get through that,” she said with a laugh.

In dual roles as a mother and a catechist, Nelson wants to emphasize that God’s love is “so immense and vast. You can meditate on the love of God infinitely and never come to a full understanding until you’re in heaven. That’s something we don’t talk about enough. Part of my purpose is to help people to know that, because I need to be reminded.”