To: Clergy, Parish and School Staff, Lay Ecclesial Ministers, Curia Coworkers
Date: March 29, 2022
From: Dr. Marlon De La Torre, Executive Director of the Department of Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship
I am pleased to announce that Dcn. Fred Billotto has been hired to serve as Associate Director of Evangelical Charity in the Department of Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship (EMD). In this role, Dcn. Billotto will serve as a liaison between the Archdiocese, its partner organizations, and Evangelical Charity Directors ministering in Families of Parishes as they seek to provide a full response to areas of human need through the framework established by Markers 6.1, 6.2 and 8.4 of the Unleash the Gospel pastoral letter.
Ordained a permanent deacon in 2019, Dcn. Billotto previously served in the Archdiocese’s Department of Parish Care and Sustainability. Dcn. Billotto’s pastoral ministry experience includes homeless ministry, hospital chaplaincy, and prison ministry. In addition to his new role with EMD, Deacon Fred will continue serving at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Northville. His gifts and zeal for the ministries of evangelical charity are a tremendous blessing for the Archdiocese of Detroit and I look forward to working with him.
I also wish to take this opportunity to share with you that the Department of Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship has completed a reorganization of its offices and staff to bring our work into alignment with the Mission Direct structure of our Families of Parishes. The ministry areas are as follows, with associate directors of each area included in parenthesis:
- Office of Discipleship Formation (Sr. Kathleen Matz, CDP, matz.kathleen@aod.org)
- Office of Engagement (Anita Houghton, houghton.anita@aod.org)
- Office of Family Ministry (Nicole Joyce, joyce.nicole@aod.org)
- Office of Evangelical Charity (Dcn. Fred Billotto, billotto.fred@aod.org)
- Office of Sacred Worship (Sr. Esther Mary Nickel, RSM, nickel.esthermary@aod.org)
In addition to these five Mission Direct areas of ministry, Fr. Matthew Hood (hood.matthew@aod.org) serves as Associate Director of Campus Ministry, Fr. Michael Depcik (depcik@oblates.us) serves as Associate Director of Deaf Ministry, and Vickie Figueroa (figueroa.vickie@aod.org) serves as Associate Director of Cultural Ministries.
You can view a complete organizational chart for the Department here.
This new alignment will enable us to better serve our Families of Parishes and, ultimately, the people of God of southeast Michigan. We look forward to continuing our service alongside all of you.
