My name is Joan Kijek (maiden name is Ronewicz). I grew up in St. Peter and Paul Parish and attended grade school there. I went on to Rosary High School which was also located in Detroit, and then attended Mercy College of Detroit to pursue my teaching career. I received my B.A. degree from Mercy and my M.A. degree at the University of Detroit (now both of those universities have merged to become The University of Detroit Mercy). I taught in grades 2, 5, 7 and 8 at St. Anselm in Dearborn Heights over a period of twenty one years. Then I decided it was time for me to change my career from teaching to religious education. My religious education experience, besides teaching religion every day for twenty one years, includes my roles as catechist (since high school and college days), lead teacher, section head, RCIA coordinator and director of religious education. I was the director of religious education at St. Michael Parish in Livonia for three years before Fr. Kelly asked me to join him and a new staff in 1993 when he was appointed pastor of St. Thomas a'Becket. My husband, Gene (who is pastoral associate at St. John Neumann), and I have four children: Paul, Maria, Anne and John. My e-mail address is jmkijek@hotmail.com.