MAT & TOB Instructors

Elise Abshire has been a part-time instructor for the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis since 2023.

She received her undergrad in theology from Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU) in 2021. She then earned her Master's of Theological Studies from the University of Dayton and is working towards her Ph.D. Elise's research is focused on theology and disability; her master's thesis was on St. Teresa of Avila and disability. For her doctoral scholarship, in addition to her coursework, she currently teaches an Introduction to Theology and Religious Studies course to freshmen students at the university. 

Carmel Acosta has been a part-time instructor for the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis since July 2015. She is the Adult Faith Director at St. Aloysius Church in Baton Rouge and an Ignatian-trained spiritual director. She previously was the Director of Christian Formation at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church. She also served at our Lady of Mercy School in Baton Rouge as the Director of Religious Education and as a teacher there for most of her career. 

Carmel holds a Masters in Theology from Notre Dame Seminary.  Her undergraduate education is a B.A. from Loyola University, New Orleans, in Psychology with a minor in Secondary Education.

Carmel enjoys spending time with her husband and three boys.  She is a member of the Women's Giving Circle. She has volunteered at both Most Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of Mercy churches as a Confirmation team member, Eucharistic minister, PSR teacher aide, and a member of the Meals for Moms organization. 

Claire Breaux is the Director of the Tribunal for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. She began working in the Tribunal in 2017. She earned her Licentiate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America in 2021. In 2022, she was appointed by Bishop Duca as the first lay judge for the diocese. 

Claire earned her undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and History from the University of Louisiana in 2007. She earned her Master's degree in Religious Education from Felician University in 2015. 

Claire has eight years of experience as a theology teacher at Catholic high schools in both Louisiana and Texas.

Edie Boudreaux was born the eighth of ten children. Her parents were founding members of St. Aloysius Parish. She grew up in that parish, graduating from St. Aloysius School and Lee High School. Edie has been a part-time instructor for our Office of Evangelization & Catechesis since December 2013. 

She graduated from LSU in 1982 with a BS in Elementary Education. She taught for three years at St. Aloysius and then five years at St. Jude. While teaching at St. Jude, she participated in the Loyola University Institute for Ministry Extension Program. She received a Masters’ Degree in Religious Education in 1990. She then returned to teach 7th and 8th-grade Religious studies at St. Aloysius School. In the fall of 1990, she became an instructor for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. In 2011, Edie became the Coordinator of Religious Education for St. Aloysius School.

Allison Dreher, MA, is the Director of Religious Education at Mater Dolorosa Church in Independence, Louisiana. Allison has been a part-time instructor for the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis since November 2017.  

Allison holds a Master’s in Religious Education from Loyola University in New Orleans, LA. In 2013, she trained as a Billings Ovulation Method teacher and speaker for FACTS (Fertility Awareness Collaborative to Teach the Science). Additionally, she is a monthly guest lecturer for an elective course on FABMs and their medical applications through Georgetown Medical School. 

Mrs. Dreher is also a team member of the NGO representing WOOMB International at the United Nations for its Commission on the Status of Women. Her responsibilities at the UN include lobbying and raising awareness about the Billings Ovulation Method and its benefits to women worldwide. 

Before relocating to Louisiana, Allison was the education coordinator for the St. Augustine Foundation, a charitable organization located in New York, whose mission is to provide education in Catholic Church teaching, especially in the area of sexual morality and Natural Family Planning.

Josie Duke has been a part-time instructor for the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis since November 2017. Josie began her journey as a theology instructor when her son, Michael, was born in the early 1990s. She knew that only she could answer any questions that Michael might have about the Catholic faith since her husband, a practicing Protestant, could not help in that arena. She picked up the Catechism of the Catholic Church and began to read and has been in love with Christ and His Church ever since! 

Josie has been teaching in the Diocese of Baton Rouge in various capacities for over 20 years. In addition to being an instructor for the Baton Rouge diocese, Josie currently teaches 6th and 7th-grade Religion at St. George Catholic School. She earned her Master’s in Religious Education from Loyola University New Orleans and her Master’s of Theological Studies from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. 

Josie and her husband, Keith, have been married for over 35 years and have four grown children and three beautiful grandsons.

Deacon Kirk Duplantis has been a part-time instructor for the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis since 2024. He is a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. He previously served as deacon assistant at St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in St. Gabriel for 7 years. Since July 2021, he has been a deacon assistant at Our Lady of Mercy Parish. He is also the Director of Christian Formation, ACTS Parish Liaison for the Pastor, and OCIA Director, in addition to his parish diaconal duties at Our Lady of Mercy. 

Deacon Kirk has a Certificate in Catechetical Studies from St. Joseph Seminary in Covington, a Certificate of Theology and Catechesis from Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU), and is pursuing further studies towards a degree in Theology. He studied for 6 years in the Diaconate Formation Program for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. 

Deacon Kirk enjoys spending time with his wife, Rozalyn, their 9 children, and 10 grandchildren. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, where he served 12 years as a fraternal insurance agent and general agent of fraternal insurance for South Central Louisiana from 2002 to 2014. 

He has served in Youth Ministry for over 20 years, including as Director of Youth Ministry at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in New Iberia for 5 years and 4 years at Immaculate Conception in Denham Springs. He and his wife have been involved in Marriage Preparation for couples in the Diocese of Baton Rouge for 15 years. He is a member of the local chapter of the Saint Vincent DePaul Society at Our Lady of Mercy and is always willing to help anyone in need at the local parish. 

Wendy Enloe is the Director of Adult Faith Formation and a spiritual director at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in St. Amant, Louisiana. She has been an instructor for the Archdiocesan Spirituality Center Spiritual Direction Internship program in New Orleans and the Diocese of Baton Rouge Ministry and Theology Certification program since July 2015. Wendy shares her passion for spiritual direction, spirituality, and prayer with adults in formation. She meets with individuals for spiritual direction at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and offers Christian formation and spirituality programs. 

Wendy holds a Master of Religious Education from Loyola’s Institute for Ministry in New Orleans, a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Archdiocesan Spirituality Center in New Orleans, and a Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Creighton University.

Camile Gautreaux has been a part-time MAT instructor for St. Jude Catholic School since 2005.

Camile has been an educator for 50 years. He spent 34 years teaching in the public schools in Larose, LA, and 16 years in private schools in Baton Rouge. Camile spent fifteen of those years at St. Jude the Apostle School in Baton Rouge. 

Camile has served the Catholic Church in many capacities over the years, including a catechist, DRE, lector, and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Camile has also been a part of sacramental prep and prayer groups for his parish as a Confirmation team member, the RCIA team, Small Christian Communities, and Bible Studies. He has been a parishioner of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Baton Rouge for many years. Of notable achievement, Camile was even awarded the Bishop’s Medal from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux and the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal from Pope John Paul II. 

Camile’s educational background includes a BA in Elementary Education from Nicholls State University and a Master of Religious Education from Loyola University, New Orleans. He is happily married to his wife, Stella, and is the father of four sons (one deceased) and grandfather to five grandchildren (one deceased).

Olivia Gulino is a moral theologian with a background in philosophy who has previously served as the Associate Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the Diocese of Baton Rouge and as a Theology teacher at St. Joseph's Academy. As a teacher, she taught Scripture and Church History and developed and taught two courses on Philosophy & Faith and Theology Through Art. She is currently a Special Projects Manager at a consulting firm specializing in stakeholder engagement and governmental and regulatory affairs in Baton Rouge.

Olivia earned her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Dallas. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies with a concentration in Moral Theology from Notre Dame Seminary and Graduate School of Theology.

Angela King-Corkern is a dedicated educator and instructional designer with a diverse background in both public and religious education. She serves as an Online Instructional Designer at Southeastern Louisiana University and has been a part-time instructor and course developer for the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis since 2017. Her experience includes 22 years in the Tangipahoa Parish School System, where she served as a teacher, mentor, Title I Resource Liaison, and assistant principal. Angela is an active volunteer at St. Helena Catholic Church in Amite. 

Angela holds a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction and is currently completing her Educational Doctorate at Southeastern Louisiana University. She also earned a Master's degree in Theology from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.  

Angela and her husband, Stephen, have been married for 33 years and share two beautiful adult daughters and three wonderful grandchildren. 

Mark LaBelle has been a part-time instructor for the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis since 2024. He currently teaches religion and choir at St. Michael the Archangel High School. 

Christine Mendizabal is a native of Baton Rouge who left home to explore the world and receive her education. She has been a part-time instructor and course developer for our Office of Evangelization & Catechesis since March 2017.  

She has a Masters in Religious Sciences from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum and a Bachelor's in Developmental Education from International Anahuac University.  Since returning home, she has been blessed to meet her husband, have two children, and teach theology to elementary, middle school, high school, and college students, as well as adults for many years.

Amanda Milton has been the Director of Christian Formation at Immaculate Conception in Denham Springs since 2022. For the past ten years, she has been a part of the ICC Religious Education staff as a Catechist, Coordinator of the Parish School of Religion at the Mission of the Sacred Heart, and Middle School PSR Coordinator.

Previous to her assignment to Immaculate Conception Church, Amanda taught Earth Science to junior high students in Livingston Parish Public Schools for 20 years.

Amanda earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1995 and, after retiring, pursued her Masters of Religious Education from Loyola in 2020.

She is a certified SoulCore instructor and is involved in various other ministries at Immaculate Conception as well as at the Mission of the Sacred Heart. On her time off, Amanda can be found spending quality time with her husband and two adult children.

Frances Moody is a native of New Roads and the oldest daughter of fifteen children. She has been a part-time MAT instructor for Catholic Schools of Pointe Coupee for many years. 

She retired from serving as a campus minister, religion department chair, and religion teacher at Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee. Frances taught Religion and worked in campus ministry at various schools within the Diocese of Baton Rouge, including Holy Ghost Elementary and St. Thomas Aquinas High School. At one time, she was the Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. She has served as a lay missionary with Youth With a Mission in Ireland, India, Austria, and various Eastern European countries. 

Frances received her Master's in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University in New Orleans in 1996. Frances is the mother of two children and the proud grandmother of six grandchildren. 

Jennifer Prather, MATS is a veteran in Catholic education with more than 20 years of experience in the Theology classroom and parish settings. She graduated summa cum laude with her master’s degree in Theological Studies from Notre Dame Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

In addition to working as a full-time classroom teacher at St. Joseph’s Academy, Jennifer also founded Image & Gift Ministries, which strives to educate Catholic Christians in an authentic Christian anthropology through the lens of Theology of the Body. This ministry of teaching has taken her to several dioceses in the United States and has led to a certificate program offered online at the international level with students from eight countries. 

Through Image and Gift, she teaches courses on and presents on topics such as Christian Anthropology in Theology of the Body, The Feminine Genius, gender identity, same-sex attraction, How to teach TOB, and vocations at the parish, Diocesan, undergraduate, and international levels. 

Jennifer currently resides in Denham Springs, Louisiana with her husband, Duffy, where they are members of Immaculate Conception Parish. You can learn more about Jennifer and Image & Gift Ministries at www.imageandgift.com.

Jason Romero has been a part-time instructor and course developer for our Office of Evangelization & Catechesis since December 2013. He previously taught Theology at both the high school and college levels.  He graduated from LSU with a B.A. in Anthropology and Notre Dame Seminary with an M.A. in Theological Studies.  Jason has been involved in various aspects of ministry for over fifteen years, including leading worship, speaking, teaching, and facilitating retreats. 

 He enjoys LSU sports, hanging out in his backyard with his kids, and having dance parties in the kitchen.  Jason resides in Baton Rouge with his wife, Lauren, and their six children: Magdalene, Jude, Adele, Anne Frances, Joseph, and Catherine.

Scott Smith has been a part-time instructor and course developer for our Office of Evangelization & Catechesis since May 2016. Scott is a Catholic attorney, author, and theologian. He is a 13th-generation resident of New Roads, Louisiana, where he lives with his beautiful wife and four children.

Scott graduated from Texas A&M University in 2006 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, from LSU's Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2013 with a Juris Doctor and DCL, and Notre Dame Seminary in 2016 with a Masters in Theology. He is a former Jesuit seminarian and taught ministry and theology courses for many years at Angola Prison.

Scott is currently serving as the chairman of the Men of the Immaculata, an organization he co-founded with laymen and priests of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. The Men of the Immaculata host an annual Catholic men's conference, for which Scott publishes yearly editions of The Catholic ManBook.

Scott's other published works include: 

• Pray the Rosary with St. John Paul II 
• Pray, Hope, & Don't Worry: Prayer Journal for Catholic Women to overcome anxiety and stress, which he co-authored with his wife, 
• A new translation of St. Louis de Montfort's Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, 
• Lord of the Rings & the Eucharist about the Catholic theology hidden in Tolkien's works,
• The Theology of Sci-Fi: The Christian's Guide to the Galaxy, including the Catholic theology hidden in Dune, the Matrix, Star Wars, and more, 
• The Seventh Word, the first Pro-Life horror novel, 
• Prayer Like a Warrior: Spiritual Combat & War Room Prayer Guide 
• co-author with Fr. Donald Calloway of the Consecration to St. Joseph for Children & Families
• Weekly articles on Biblical connections on his blog, www.thescottsmithblog.com    

In 2014, Scott and his wife founded the Pointe Coupee Chapter of Louisiana Right to Life. He serves at his home parish of St. Mary's of False River as the Grand Knight of the local Knights of Columbus Council #1998.

Scott is also the co-host of The Catholic Nerds Podcast - Join him and his friends for quality Catholic nerdery!

 Tammy Vidrine is a graduate of Nicholls State University with degrees in Political Science and Education and Loyola University, with a Master's in Religious Education. 

Tammy is a certified spiritual director who graduated from the Archdiocesan Spiritual Direction Program. She has many years in ministry, including Certification Coordinator in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Coordinator of Youth Ministry at Holy Rosary Parish in St. Amant, and her current position. In her ministry, she develops and facilitates retreats and catechetical teachings for parishes and Catholic schools in addition to speaking at the GO! Gulf Coast Faith Formation Conference in New Orleans.

Tammy taught developmental English at Nicholls State and River Parishes Community College (RPCC).

Tammy was the Director of Campus Ministry at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU) for several years until her recent retirement. 

She is married with three adult children and two grandchildren.