RCIA Participants 2023-24
Catechumens
Tiffani Behymer
Tiffani is a catechumen seeking full reception into the Catholic Church. Tiffani grew up on the west side of Cincinnati and attended Colerain High School. She currently works at Good Samaritan Hospital where she oversees the medical assisting program and teaches clinical courses.
Tiffani is married to Ben Behymer, and is the mother of Blair and Rowen. In her free time, she enjoys reading, walks, working out, and being creative. She’s especially looking forward to visiting Disney World with her family for the first time in January.
Tiffani has joined RCIA because she would like to learn and grow closer to God. She has always been curious about the world, the beauty of earth, everyone’s purpose, and life’s meaning. Undertaking this journey is allowing her to explore those concepts more deeply and see them through a different lens. She’s especially looking to deepen her own faith so that she can help lead her family in knowing that they can always turn to God and they will never be alone.
Mariah Spitznagel
Mariah is a catechumen seeking full reception into the Catholic Church. Mariah grew up in White Oak and graduated from Colerain High School. She currently works at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist. Though the job can be emotionally demanding, she truly loves working with children.
Mariah has been married for 8 years to Tony Spitznagel, and they are parents to three children. In her free time, she loves to read. She also enjoys watching football with her husband, and any outdoor activity with her family.
Mariah has joined RCIA to help support her family in their Catholic faith. She and her husband decided to pursue Catholic education for their children based on her husband’s positive experience with it growing up. As her children grow older and are coming home with questions, Mariah is realizing that she would like to learn more and grow in faith herself to be able to be on this journey with her family.
Larry Stroop
Larry is a catechumen seeking full reception into the Catholic Church. Larry grew up in Blanchester, OH, and graduated from Blanchester High School. He currently works for the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens focused on HVAC and electrical building maintenance.
Larry and his wife, Diane, have been married for 17 years and are the parents to one son, one daughter (and son-in-law), and two grandchildren. Larry’s interests include history, movies, sports, family, and pizza.
Larry has been attending Mass at various churches for years with his wife, Diane, but now feels truly at home at Saint Ignatius. After years of God pointing him in the right direction, Larry feels like he has finally listened and moved to where he is now with a great group of people all striving for the same goal: to be with Jesus and honor God.
Candidates
Jill Brinck
Jill is a candidate who was baptized in the Baptist tradition and is now seeking Eucharist and Confirmation in the Catholic Church. Jill is a native of central Florida who has been living in the Cincinnati area since 2007. She is currently the executive director of CancerFree KIDS, a local nonprofit organization that raises money for early stage pediatric cancer research.
Jill currently lives in Lawrenceburg, IN, with her husband, Ben, and two sons. She enjoys outdoor activities, playing volleyball, and spending time with her family and friends.
Jill has been participating in the Catholic Church since moving to this area in 2007 and is excited to join as a full-time member.
Don Evans
Don is a candidate who was baptized in another Christian tradition and is now seeking Eucharist and Confirmation in the Catholic Church. Cincinnati-born and raised, Don graduated from Purcell Marian High School and Cincinnati Christian University. He currently works for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department.
Don and his wife, Michelle, are the parents of four daughters. Don’s hobbies include reading theology, philosophy, history, science fiction, trail walking, and he’s a lover of classic cinema.
After 30 years of following Protestant Christian tradition, Don says that prayer, independent study, and the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit has led him to realize the authority, beauty, and truth found in the one holy Catholic apostolic Church.
Michelle Evans
Michelle is a candidate who was baptized in another Christian tradition and is now seeking Eucharist and Confirmation in the Catholic Church. Michelle grew up attending various Catholic schools and graduated from Purcell Marian High School, which is where she met her husband. She currently works for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Michelle and her husband, Don, are parents to four daughters. In her free time, she is a Bengals fan who also enjoys gardening and spending quality time with her family.
Michelle is looking forward to being confirmed in the Catholic Church and is seeking to gain a better understanding of Catholicism and what it means to be a faithful Catholic and servant of Christ. She has found the journey to more deeply understand Catholicism to be fulfilling so far.
Ryan Nicley
Ryan is a candidate who was baptized in another Christian tradition and is now seeking Eucharist and Confirmation in the Catholic Church. Ryan grew up in Hamilton, OH and graduated from Fairfield High School. He is currently self-employed at his own company, Simpletech LLC, where he provides point of sale software solutions and IT services to restaurants and retail businesses.
Ryan and his wife, Mary, are parents to one son and one daughter. In his free time, Ryan enjoys hiking, walking, boating, trying new foods, and kayaking. He’s looking forward to celebrating his daughter’s graduation from Ursuline Academy in the spring.
Ryan is seeking to deepen his faith and better understand the Catholic Church. So far, he’s found the experience to be very positive and thought provoking as he’s been forced to reflect on various beliefs he hadn’t thought deeply about before.
Jared Olson
Jared is a candidate who was baptized in another Christian tradition and is now seeking Eucharist and Confirmation in the Catholic Church. Jared grew up in Fairfield, OH, where he graduated from Fairfield High School before attending Miami University for his undergraduate degree and the University of the Cumberlands for his graduate degree. He is currently the assistance principal at Amelia Elementary School in the West Clermont School District.
Jared and his wife, Aimee, have a one-year old son. In his free time, he enjoys watching, playing, and coaching sports as well as golfing with family and friends. He enjoys math and puzzles, and has previously taught math as well as volunteered as Vice President of the Southwest Ohio Council for Teacher and Mathematics. He is very much looking forward to the upcoming birth of his second child.
Jared and his wife are very excited to have joined the Saint Ignatius parish over the last year, and he’s hoping to gain a deeper understanding and connection with God after his RCIA experience.
Ben Pulda
Ben is a candidate seeking first Holy Eucharist and Confirmation in the Catholic Church. Ben grew up in Edgewood, KY, attending Dixie Heights High School before graduating from Eastern Kentucky University. He currently works at the Kroger General Office.
Ben is about to celebrate 15 years of marriage to Katie, and the two of them are parents to Taylor and Jonathan. He enjoys sports, hiking, camping at Red River Gorge, and spending time with his family.
Ben is feeling called to the Catholic faith through his wife and children. Katie is Catholic and both children attend St. Ignatius for school, which have led to him having increasing involvement with the church. Ben is looking forward to growing his faith with God in the Catholic Church.
Kerry Warner
