Special to The Message
Alexander Mingus has joined the Indiana Catholic Conference as associate director. Mingus, 24, recently joined the ICC from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Dayton, Ohio, where he served two years as manager of ministry formation.
The Alabama native is a 2018 graduate of the University of Dayton, where he pursued a double major in political science and human-rights studies. While at Dayton, Mingus had the opportunity to serve an internship with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Washington, D.C.-based USCCB provided him the opportunity to meet with legislators on Capitol Hill and witness how matters of faith can influence public debate and decision-making at all levels of government.
“It’s there that I learned about the work of the Catholic Church in public policy, and where I was first exposed to the idea of Catholic conferences like the ICC in general,” Mingus said. “I always had a great interest in my faith, as well as in public policy and government, and this internship helped solidify that bringing these areas together could be a future career path for me.”
At age 18, Mingus was named by then-Bishop Robert Baker of Birmingham, Alabama, as one of the first Catholic Agents of the New Evangelization. The prelate had noted the young man’s dedicated service to his parish and zeal for his faith in a state where Catholics represent only four percent of the population.
“This was something totally unexpected but something that I embraced wholeheartedly,” Mingus said. “And perhaps it put a mark on me to someday be working with Catholic bishops in some capacity.”
Mingus now works under the leadership of Angela Espada, who has served as executive director of the ICC since January.
“I am the parent of a millennial, and I know that this group includes many who are thoughtful, caring and compassionate people who want to do good,” Espada said. “Alexander is one of these people who also brings a passion for service to the Church that is both reaffirming and refreshing to see. His desire to combine service with upholding the Church’s social teachings in the public square will benefit not just Catholics but countless others in Indiana.
“As a younger person who is comfortable with and adept at utilizing social media, Alexander has already transformed our social media presence,” Espada said. “I encourage everyone to go to our website and social media pages to see the exciting changes.”
Espada and Mingus are also using technology in an entirely new way for the ICC. In a series of live webinars scheduled for Oct. 5, 7 and 10, the two will discuss important considerations for Catholics in this election year. (See accompanying sidebar for details.)
The webinars are scheduled for:
- Noon- 1 p.m. EDT (11 a.m.-Noon CDT), on Monday, Oct. 5
- 5:30-6:30 p.m. EDT (4:30-5:30 p.m. CDT) on Wednesday, Oct. 7
- 10-11 a.m. EDT (9-10 a.m. CDT) on Saturday, Oct. 10
To register, please visit indianacc.org/events. There is no cost to participate.