Meet the Members of the ICC Pastoral Council
Kaylor Garcia Gries
Kaylor has been a parishioner at Immaculate Conception since 2013. At Mass, you can find her either in the choir or serving as a Eucharistic Minister or lector. She is a member of the Promoting Human Dignity team of the Social Action Council and part of the prison ministry team. She also has been an assistant catechist for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Kaylor and her husband, Rob, have a young puppy named Iroh. In their freetime, they like to play board games, go on hikes, and check out Durham's breweries. Kaylor is serving as Chair of the Pastoral Council. |
Rosa Gaído Peña
Rosa was born and raised in Honduras. She has lived in Durham since 1990 and has been a parishioner at Immaculate Conception since then. She has dedicated her professional life to Catholic education in Honduras and at Immaculata Catholic school. She has been a teacher for over 36 years total. She has an AA in Early Childhood; a B.S. in Accounting and a Master in school administration. She is looking forward to being a Co-chair of the Pastoral Council and is ready to let the Holy Spirit guide her in this new endeavor. |
Cecilia Barja Chamas
Cecilia holds a bachelor’s in communications from Universidad Católica and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School. In 1999, she co-founded Movimiento Sin Miedo, a political party whose mission was the elimination of corruption and poverty in Bolivia. At age 23, she was elected councilwoman of La Paz making her the youngest council. For the past 20 years, Cecilia has led complex cross-border programs. Country Representative for Fundación Avina in Colombia, working in the Amazon and the peace process. Former Managing Director of Magis Americas in New York, a Jesuit endeavor. Yale World Fellow in 2004, Georgetown Competitiveness Leadership Program 2007, and Ash Fellow at Harvard 2007. Since moving to Durham in 2016, Cecilia has been a parishioner of Immaculate Conception Church, and a community organizer, working to create collective power to ensure fair treatment and equal opportunities for immigrants. She is a board member of El Futuro, a non-profit clinic that provides mental health services for immigrants. She writes regularly in Bolivian media and is the mother of three kids. |
Cheryl Jacobs Bedell
Cheryl joined the Parish in 2018 via marriage to her husband Gabriel. They have a blended family with five adult children. In non-pandemic times Cheryl serves as a hospital Eucharistic minister and a vessel for racial reconciliation on the Human Dignity Team of the Social Action Council. She's an advocate for safe, listening spaces for survivors of ecclesial sexual abuse, and for solace care for terminally ill patients. Cheryl is a Master of Divinity candidate and enjoys the great outdoors. 
Courtney Duffy Schnee
Chair of Finance Council |
Daniel Schudel
Daniel and his family joined Immaculate Conception in 2014. He is married to Vickie and together they have two children, Abigail attends high school at NCSSM, and Adah who is in middle school at ICS. He has been a software engineer for over 20 years and currently works at Extreme Networks. Daniel has enjoyed serving on the Parish Council since 2018. He also enjoys working to help provide rides to Mass for the residential NCSSM students. 
Juan Gabriel Ramon
Juan Gabriel Ramón is 45 years old, originally from Mexico City. He is married to Mónica Estrella with whom he has a son Gaddiel Ramón. Juan Gabriel attends the Charismatic Renewal Group in addition to helping other groups in the Church. For work, he does fine carpentry. Juan Gabriel also likes to play the guitar in addition to reading the Bible and praying the Rosary in the company of his family and of his fellow parishioners. |
Jana Welch Wagenseller
Jana came to Duke Hospital after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a nursing degree. Her professional career at Duke included Head Nurse Inpatient Hematology Oncology and Hematology Oncology Nurse Clinician. She later joined the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center as the Administrative Director of the affiliations program developing cancer programs throughout the southeast. Upon retirement from Duke, she formed a consulting company providing services in oncology program development and research. Her commitment and involvement with Immaculate Conception Church began when she was married by Fr. Donald Staib in 1986. She serves as a Eucharist Minister, Minister to the Homebound, Bereavement Committee, Stewardship Committee and Welcoming, along with participation in Adult Faith Formation bible studies. Jana also actively volunteers at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro having served as a former President of the Alumni Association. Presently she is a member of the UNC Greensboro Foundation Board of Directors and is Chair of the School of Nursing Advisory Board. |
Liza Genao
Liza Genao is originally from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where she lived until she completed medical school. She emigrated to the United States for further training in internal medicine and geriatric medicine. She has lived in NY, MN, and NC. She has attended Immaculate Conception since 2011 when she joined the young adult bible study group. She works as a geriatrician at Duke University and enjoys helping to train our next generation of medical providers for older adults. She is passionate about equity (racial, socioeconomic, gender) and justice, preserving the dignity of life especially in the older population and being a witness of the love of Christ in the ordinary life. |
Margie Burton
Margie was born on Long Island. She moved to Durham in 1996 and joined Immaculate Conception Parish. She has a MA in theology and has worked in parish ministry for 32 years in a variety of positions. She has been employed at Immaculate Conception since 2002. She served as the Youth Minister for the first 12 years and then began her work in Stewardship. She loves to connect with parishioners and find out where their passion lies and how they can use their gifts, talents and treasure to serve others. |
Dr. Pierre Osei-Owusu
Originally from Ghana, West Africa, Pierre received most his education in the US. Currently, he is working for the City of Durham as the Transit Administrator for GoDurham Transit.
Has been a member of the Immaculata Catholic family for the past 25 years and serves as usher during the 9:30 am Mass on Sundays. He is married with 3 children, all of whom have been Immaculata Catholic School students. Pierre’s two daughters are in college and his youngest son is currently attending Immaculata Catholic School.
Originally from Ghana, West Africa, Pierre received most his education in the US. Currently, he is working for the City of Durham as the Transit Administrator for GoDurham Transit.
Has been a member of the Immaculata Catholic family for the past 25 years and serves as usher during the 9:30 am Mass on Sundays. He is married with 3 children, all of whom have been Immaculata Catholic School students. Pierre’s two daughters are in college and his youngest son is currently attending Immaculata Catholic School.