Meet Our Staff

St. Gabriel Parish is blessed to have experienced staff who are dedicated to the spiritual well-being of its parishioners. Click on the photos below to contact them! They would love to hear from you!

Fr. Tom Sutton

Pastor

Father Tom has been pastor of St. Joseph Church since 1997 and pastor of the St. Joseph/St. Anthony Parish Community (now St. Gabriel Parish) since 2003. He has served as a priest for nearly 48 years, during which time he served as Vicar of Administration for the Diocese of Saginaw and as pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Midland, St. Hyacinth Parish in Bay City, and St. Stephen Parish in Saginaw. 

Christopher Bierlein

Office Administrator

Christopher Bierlein started with St. Gabriel Parish on August 27, 2018.  He has a B.A. in Secondary Education in History and Social Studies from Saginaw Valley State University.  His home parish is St. Jude Thaddeus in Essexville, where he served as Eucharistic Minister, Sacristan, Lector, and Altar Server since he was in elementary school.

Janet Woronoff

Bookkeeper

Janet began working as Bookkeeper at St. Gabriel in September 2014.  She has a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Saginaw Valley State University and ministered through her work at the Bay County Sheriff Department for 30 years. She is widowed, a mother of grown twins, David and Rachel, and grandmother of three:  Micayla, Kate and Ryan. She is a member of Our Lady of Peace Parish in Bay City where she serves as Eucharistic Minister, Lector and Parish Council member.

Sandy DesJardins

Director of Religious Education

Sandy has been blessed to minister to children, youth and families since October 1991 in both a parish and a school setting. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from SVSU, University Center, MI and a Certificate in Pastoral Studies from Loyola Institute for Ministry, New Orleans, LA.  She and her husband, Ken, have been married since May 1981. They have four grown children, Nick, Dustin, Patrick and Lisa and one granddaughter, Payton. One of her favorite sayings is: “With God all things are possible."

Stephanie Schacher

Youth Minister

Stephanie has been a lifelong member of the St. Gabriel parish family and is enjoying her first year as the Youth Minister at St. Gabriel. She is a Clinical Dietitian at Covenant Healthcare and enjoys running and spending time with loved ones.

Connie Kaczynski

RCIA Director and Adult Education Coordinator

Connie Kaczynski has been a member of St. Gabriel since 1992.  She currently serves as a Lector and as the RCIA Coordinator.  Connie is also a missioned Christian in the World Lay Minister through the Diocese of Saginaw Formation program.
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Sue LeVasseur

Bob Milne

Music Director

Sue has been playing the piano in church and school since the 5th grade at St. Valentine. She has a Certificate in Sacred Music from Delta College and has over 43 years of experience in Music Ministry. She has been at St. Gabriel for 11 years, and her goal as the Music Director is to promote active and conscience participation in the Liturgy by all who attend Mass at St. Gabriel.

Auburn Area Catholic School Principal

This will be my thirtieth year in education as a teacher, coach and administrator.  My previous Catholic School experience included seven years as a teacher and coach and five years as a principal.  I hold a BA in Education and History from Alma College.  I also hold a Master’s Degree in Administration from Michigan State University and a Masters in the Art of Teaching from Marygrove College.
On a personal note, my wife, Celeste and I have been happily married for thirty one years.  Together, we have raised three wonderful sons, James (29), Luke (26) and Mitchell (22).  James and his wife Devon gave birth to our first grandchild, Clara, last February.  All three of our sons attended Catholic Schools K-12.  Celeste and I both appreciate how wonderful a Catholic school education is for a child, and the sacrifice it entails.
 (Picture coming soon)  :-)

Chris Kaczynski

Auburn Area Catholic School Secretary

  “Mrs. Chris” works as the secretary at Auburn Area Catholic School. She enjoys her work at the school and volunteering for various parish activities. ​Chris has been a parishioner at St. Gabriel's since 2001.