My name is Paulette Beasley. I have been a member of Redeemer for 40 years. I am married and have 3 daughters. I am a Recreation Therapist on the Polytrauma Unit and the Central VA Veterans Health Care System and have been there for the 30 years. My favorite thing is spending time with family and friends. 

Throughout my years at Redeemer, I have taught RE with my mom  for the 3-4 year olds for about 10 years and then for the last several years, I have taught the 4th and 5th graders which I think is my favorite because of their inquisitive minds. I love to help develop their relationship with God and becoming an active part of the church. I had a great experience as a youth and continue to stay active in the church. 

I was married here at Redeemer in 1994 and started coordinating the weddings for the church shortly after. I have even helped with the weddings of some of the kids I taught in RE. I was on a lot of different committees over the years, but currently I am part of the 50th Anniversary committee. My faith is a very big part of my life.

I am running for Pastoral Council because it is a changing time in the world and the Church and I would like to be part of the process.

My name is Julia Crowder and as of July 2024, I will have been a parishioner at Redeemer for 30 years. I began attending Redeemer in 6th grade when my family moved here from St. Louis. At the time, Mass was celebrated in what is now Genesis Hall, and we were seated in a circle of folding chairs! My husband B.J. and I have three sons, William, Joseph, and Henry, and we usually attend 8:00am Mass.

I taught and served as an assistant principal in Henrico County, taught at St. Bridget School and served as coordinator for educational programs for the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools. I currently own a small educational consulting business and work part-time for the schools of education at UVA and Liberty University. I also try to substitute as often as possible at Battlefield Park Elementary where my boys attend.

In my time at Redeemer, I have participated in many ministries including serving as a lector, Eucharistic minister, and catechist for both adults and children. I also enjoy helping with the Haiti yard sale and No Room at the Inn. Five years ago, I began a small faith group for young women and mothers called Women at the Well. 

I am honored to be an elementary catechist at Redeemer, in fact, teaching our Monday afternoon PreK-1st grade class is the highlight of my week, and VBS is the highlight of my summer. I was also fortunate to work with about 35 of our elementary children who participated in the Stellar Christmas Play last year. 

If elected to Pastoral Council, I hope my experience as a catechist and educator as well as my longevity as a parishioner will provide a unique perspective to the council’s work. As a mother with young children, I hope to work with the council to engage young families beyond enrolling their children in religious education. 

Jeff Decker has lived in some of the most vibrant cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Detroit, Cleveland, and Yorktown. He has called Mechanicsville home for nearly 25 years and has been a Church of the Redeemer parishioner since moving here.

Jeff dedicated 22 years to serving his country in the US Coast Guard, where he honed his skills, leadership, and resilience. He also served as a Eucharistic minister and prayer leader while underway at sea. He is currently a civilian employee of the Coast Guard and is the branch chief of the recreational boating office.

Jeff was married to his beloved wife, Terri, for 42 wonderful years. Together, they raised three amazing children who have since blessed him with four delightful grandchildren.

For 25 years, Jeff has been a committed parishioner at Redeemer. His involvement goes beyond just attending services; he actively participates in various church ministries and events. Some of his contributions include assisting with the annual yard sale and supporting the “No Room at the Inn” event. He has been an active Knights of Columbus member for over 40 years.

Jeff deeply values the friendships and support he receives from fellow Redeemer parishioners, which have been a cornerstone of his life. His dedication to his community and church highlights his passion for service and connection.

My husband, Jeff, and I came to Redeemer in 1997 as a young married couple.  For the first time since immigrating to the U.S. with my family as a child, I finally had a parish home with a warm, welcoming community.  Since then, we have been blessed with four children who grew into adulthood here, celebrating all of their sacraments with their parish family.  Over the years, I have served Redeemer as a catechist for preschoolers, elementary children, and youth.  I have also had the honor of serving once before on the Pastoral Council.

Should I again have the honor of serving our parish in this capacity, I seek to assist Fr. Jim in meeting the parish’s needs, along with the other council members, by not only bringing him information about issues that concern the community, but more importantly by following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Whatever your decision may be as a parish, God’s will be done.

My name is Richard Letter and I am originally from upstate New York. I was born and raised on a farm. I am a Vietnam Veteran. I moved to Virginia in 1982 where I worked for James River Corp. As their Aircraft Maintenance Chief. While in Virginia, I served with the Knights of Columbus at the Church of The Redeemer while my wife, Bonnie, was the church secretary. We also raised our three children in the church.

In 1997, my company moved to Chicago where I changed jobs when the company was sold. I finished my career with Bombardier Aerospace as a field Service Rep. I retired from aviation after 50 years and moved back to Virginia with Bonnie. She and I were married 47 years and during that time we had three children and seven grandchildren. Bonnie passed away in 2016. Six years later I welcomed my first great-grandchild.

In all, I have been a member in the Church of The Redeemer for a total of 25 years: 15 years before and 10 years after my move to Chicago. I am currently an honorary member in the Knights of Columbus. I help in the kitchen for the funerals, and cook meals and desserts for the Prime Timers lunches, Saint Patrick’s Dinner, and other events as requested. I help with the Haiti Yard Sale and the Craft Bazaars. I also spent two years with the children's religious education study. In addition, I serve at the Food Bank every week with the Knights.

I would bring to the council support for Father Jim and the parishioners of the parish. I cherish what all the ministries do for the church and the people of our parish. I work well with others and always strive to excel in leadership roles.

I grew up in a traditional catholic family, but I drifted away from the church in my early thirties. Eight years ago God led me and my husband Kenny back to the Catholic Church via the Church of the Redeemer. During that time I have been blessed to have been able to become involved in several ministries. I am constantly amazed at the love and generosity I have seen from the Redeemer parishioners. I would be proud to be on the Pastoral Council.

I currently work out of my home as an IT Manager for a manufacturing company. In my 30s, I volunteered at Big Brothers and Sisters helping with fund raisers and acting as a Big Sister. 

For the past seven years I have been working with RCIA (now called OCIA). The first year I was sponsor to my step-daughter Nikki and I have stayed on as a team member because I love meeting and working with new members of the church. Also, through RCIA I have learned a lot about the Catholic Church; things I seem to have missed when attending Catholic school as a child.

I have been involved with the Redeemer Haiti ministry and I was thrilled to join them on their 2019 mission trip to Haiti. I enjoy all of the events supporting the Haiti ministry, but No Room at the Inn is my favorite. I also help out every year at the yard sale and I was very happy to get to work with Nancy Malone for a couple of years in the estate room. 

I have been a member of the Redeemer Book club and the Engaging Spirituality group since joining Redeemer. Both of these groups have enabled me to grow intellectually and spiritually. 

I helped Redeemer out with two Habitat for Humanity builds. It was a fun experience and I learned a lot about building houses.  I have also helped out making and serving food to the homeless through CARITAS. I recently became involved with RISC (Richmonders Involved to Strengthen our Communities) and attended their Nehemiah Action event in March.

Last year, I attended a mass at of St. Peter's Pro-Cathedral Catholic Church located right in the middle of Richmond.  I was impressed with how St. Peter’s supports not only its members, but also the surrounding community. The church members work a community garden to provide fresh vegetables to those in need. Every week they prepare and offer hot meals. They also have showers available for the homeless. I love this idea of the church supporting the local community. I am hoping that membership on the pastoral council will enable us to investigate and identify needs in our parish community.

I thank you for considering me for this position on the pastoral council. The good news is that we have many qualified candidates this year and I am sure whoever is elected will do a great job.