Fr. Gene joined our staff within the past year. He hales from Massachusetts. He pursued his studies at Catholic Universities in Rome, Washington and Louvain and holds a Licentiate in Systematic Theology. Most of his ministry (30 years of it) has been spent teaching in educational institutions up and down the East coast – most recently (13 years) at D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY. Several years of multicultural pastoral work among Hispanics in Miami and Puerto Rico also enriched his ministry. Preaching (after teaching) has always been another passion of his.

Programs in Adult Faith Formation as well as involvement in the retreat house’s preaching ministry are what he brings to the mission of Immaculata. Some organizational and administrative skills he has acquired over the years of working in institutional settings should also help to advance and promote Immaculata’s mission.

Born in Mexico and raised in Oakland, CA, Fr. Chava was ordained to the priesthood in 2004 after completing his studies which he did in several countries. Fr. Chava has an advanced degree in catechetics and that is reflected in his love for youth ministry. He has international experience working with youth and preaching youth missions. During his seminary years he also ministered to prisoners incarcerated in many different correctional facilities including youth prisons in various countries.

At Immaculata, Fr. Chava has brought new life to existing youth programs and has developed new youth programs for the future. Hispanic ministry is also important to him and he is already conducting programs bringing Spanish-speaking people to Immaculata.

Paulette has had a long and loving association with Immaculata dating back to her teenage years. Her Oblate formation in theology and spiritual counseling began in the mid 1960’s and has continued to the present. Her past experience includes a good deal of work in lay spirituality and she has preached retreats in both English and French in the United States and Canada.

Her management skills were honed in the corporate world when she held people- centered positions in the Insurance industry and a middle management position in the Department of Homeland Security.

She became the Executive Director of Immaculata in 2003. Paulette is a widow with 2 grown daughters and will soon be married to Mr. William Melican.

A native of Berlin, New Hampshire in the White Mountains, Fr. Roger has taught moral theology and social ethics for 22 years at the Oblate Seminary in Natick, Massachusetts and at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During that time, he also served as Ethics Consultant for St. Joseph Hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts. Since 1983, he has been involved in full-time retreat ministry, first at the Oblate Retreat House in Hudson, New Hampshire, where he served as Director, and currently at Immaculata. He took a temporary leave from this ministry from September 1999 to June 2003 when he went to the Oblate mission in Tahiti, French Polynesia, to teach Moral Theology at the diocesan seminary founded by the Oblates there. Among his special interests are: spiritual direction, directed retreats and Engaged Encounter Retreats for those preparing for Christian marriage.

Fr. John, originally from Rhode Island, studied for the priesthood at the Oblate College and Seminary in Natick, MA. He did graduate studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. After his ordination he was sent to Haiti where he was a missionary for 40 years. In 1991, he was assigned to Tahiti for 2 years where he taught at the Major Seminary and did pastoral work. He worked in Boston for a number of years as coordinator for the Haitian Apostolate in the Archdiocese. At Immaculata, he is on the staff giving retreats. He also works in the ACTS Retreat Program. In addition, he is also active in organizing and giving retreats for the various Haitian Communities in the Northeast.

Diane came to Immaculata in April of 2007 after the completion of our renovation. Before lending her expertise to Immaculata, she worked as a Medical Receptionist and this sensitivity is reflected in her warm and welcoming manner at the front desk here at Immaculata.

Diane is responsible for coordinating contracts and is very happy to assist anyone who calls or visits the Retreat House. She also helps to manage the Gift Shop and Bookstore. Her skills in Desktop Publishing have been extremely helpful in creating flyers, brochures and booklets for various in-house programs. Diane and her husband live in North Windham.

Steve has enjoyed 29 years in the culinary field. His background includes service in hotels, restaurants and country clubs. His favorite style of cooking is traditional New England cuisine but he loves to venture into modern and international recipes. The kitchen design at Immaculata is state of the art with new cooking equipment and a layout which makes it a most efficient working environment. The dining room also boasts of assorted serving stations: juice machines, coffee urns, salad bar and desert case. Chef Steve says, “the newly updated kitchen and dining room is nothing short of a chef’s dream.”

Barbara has been working as the accountant at Immaculata Retreat House for 5 years. She was born and raised in Poland where she earned a degree at the Technical School of Electronics. Since moving to the United States, she completed an Associate Degree in Accounting at Manchester Community College.

In her spare time she enjoys cooking, gardening and tending the chickens at her rural home in Coventry where she lives with her husband and 4 sons.

Calista has been with Immaculata since 1979. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a DARC degree in Alcohol and Drug Counseling. She is dedicated to the 12-Step Programs. She also coordinates our contracts and reservations system. Calista lives in Chaplin, CT.

Sharon has lived in Coventry for 21 years and has two children. She is a 1994 graduate of the Connecticut Culinary Institute. She has done both large scale cooking and private catering with a special interest in dietary allergies and holistic nutrition.