Pastor welcomed to Salisbury Congregational Church

SALISBURY — Diane Monti-Catania was formally installed as “pastor and teacher” at an afternoon service at Salisbury Congregational Church Sunday, May 15.Kathleen Mera, the moderator of the Salisbury church, noted that it was the first such occasion in 30 years.On hand were several members of the clergy: Michael Ciba, regional minister of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ; Peter Hammond of the Bridgewater (Conn.) Congregational Church and David Peters of the Roxbury Congregational Church; Micki Nunn-Miller of the United Church of Christ in Cornwall; Denise Clapsaddle of the Riverton Congregational Church; Jacquelyn Hall of the Winchester Center Congregational Church; and Heidi Truax of Trinity Episcopal Church in Lime Rock.Monti-Catania came to the ministry in her 40s. As a busy professional and mother, with 25 years of working as an advocate for women and children, she had what she called (in an interview with The Lakeville Journal in January) “an interesting moment.”She was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2000, at age 42. Subsequent surgery was successful, and afterward things started to change in her life.During her recovery, she began “experiencing God’s presence in my life.”She decided to combine her work as a women’s advocate with her new spiritual consciousness, and went to Yale Divinity School with the idea of teaching religion to high school girls.A year and a half into her program she had the chance to preach at her church, where she was a deacon.It was the day after Christmas in 2004, and the pastor asked for a day off. So Monti-Catania volunteered, and on that day she “felt very strongly the call to ordained ministry.”She is married to Joseph Catania, a general surgeon at Sharon Hospital. Son Joey is a junior at American University, majoring in political communication, and Andrew is a freshman at Villanova. The family served as greeters Sunday. The program was enlivened by both the choir and the bell choir.