About Me

Welcome to my blog!

I’m Hannah and I’m passionate about the question of how we help people meet Jesus and become his disciple. My dream is for the Church to become ridiculously effective at disciple-making. Join the conversation about how we make this happen here on my blog.

Here’s some of my story…

I was raised Catholic, but Jesus only came into my life in a head-over-heels personal way when I was 17, through Youth 2000. This was a weekend that would change my life forever.

Aged 23, I became Coordinator of Catechesis in a thriving and fruitful Catholic parish in south London. I arrived there only with a degree in Theology from the University of Cambridge, and not much catechetical experience. The next four years I discovered that, as much as I loved Jesus, I also loved teaching people about him. I completed a Masters in catechetics through the Maryvale Institute, and started blogging about my adventures in catechesis. (Click on Catechesis in the top menu to find hundreds of these tales!)

Now, ten years since I started out as a catechist, I feel the Holy Spirit is sweeping through the Church in a new way: Evangelii Gaudium, Sherry Weddell’s Forming Intentional Disciples and Fr James Mallon’s Divine Renovation point to a reality that is hard to face: despite all our best catechetical efforts, we have been failing – for decades – to make disciples.

Many of us, sometimes in desperation at our failure, are waking up to the need to shift everything – our methods, mindsets and models – towards mission. It requires a shift on a deep level: this is not just about superficial changes, this is about change of deep-seated assumptions and engrained behaviour.

Change on this level is painful and tough. All those who begin it in their parishes soon discover that they cannot “go it alone”.

My blog started in 2011 with the title, “Transformed in Christ”. Later, this came to be the title of my Confirmation programme. Now, it seems that “being transformed” is a new, deeper call for the Church in our nation. It is the deep transformation, clear-out, and renewal of a Church that rededicates her whole self to mission.

I am so excited about this transformation. It is tough, but Jesus is with us, he has died to save us from all sin, and beckons us to live in freedom in the Holy Spirit – now, today.

Since January 2018, I have worked for Divine Renovation in the UK, helping to connect parishes with this ministry that walks alongside them on the tough journey from maintenance towards mission. I am also working towards a PhD at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, studying the role of a parish’s culture in its ability to evangelise.

Please note, I blog in a personal capacity, and my views are not necessarily those held by Divine Renovation.

Want to get in touch? Just click here.