Amanda Bielat is a Theology teacher who joined Nazareth’s staff this year. She teaches Introduction to Catholicism and Christian Morality. Bielat also works with Mrs. Rausch in Campus Ministry as Gospel Service Coordinator here at Naz. 

Before coming to Nazareth, Bielat taught in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and served as a Capuchin Corps volunteer in New York. She is currently studying at Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union to earn her Master of Arts in Theology. Bielat earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religious Studies at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

When Bielat was looking for a new job, she was excited to hear about an opportunity at Nazareth. She says, “When I interviewed, everyone was so great and so welcoming and I felt like it was a really good place to be… it felt like home.” Bielat describes how she likes the idea of teaching and being a part of Campus Ministry. She is very passionate about the mission of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and how their philosophy is incorporated into Nazareth’s mission. Bielat is excited to get to know her students, the faculty and staff better as she heads into the second semester.

Bielat’s first experience working with high school aged students was when she was a Capuchin Corps volunteer after she graduated college. She says, “I lived in a community with four other people and we were really youth ministers for a year.” They helped run a weekly youth group at a parish in the Hudson Valley in New York. They also coordinated service opportunities and ran retreats for high school and college students and young adults. Bielat recalls one particular service trip where they took an intergenerational group to Harlan County, Kentucky.

The professional path that led her to Nazareth wasn’t always obvious to her. After Bielat completed her undergraduate studies and after doing a year of service, she was a long term substitute in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and was conflicted on what she wanted to pursue next. She visited a former professor and was encouraged to pursue her dreams. 

After researching some options, she found the Catholic Theological Union and realized it was a perfect fit for her. “They had both a ministry and an academic study of other religions as well and I could combine them to be something really cool and special and really what I wanted to do,” she said.

Nazareth is lucky that Bielat’s journey has taken her to us and we look forward to all that she will bring in her new roles in the Theology and Campus Ministry Departments.