ABOUT US
We are AUCatholic
We are the Catholic Campus Ministry
at American University
We are a community of faith that calls, forms, and sends students to be salt and light in the Church and the Nation’s Capital.
By offering opportunities for spiritual formation, small group community, and social gatherings, we strive to welcome newcomers, strengthen disciples, and equip students for their mission in life.
our team
Fr. Iván Pertiné
Chaplain
Fr. Iván Pertiné is General Director of the Saint John Society (SJS – www.socsj.org), a Society of Apostolic Life of priests and missionaries that work in the USA, Italy, Argentina, and Uruguay.
He led the Catholic Newman Centers at Oregon State University and Portland State University for three years before coming to Washington, DC, as the Catholic Chaplain at American University. He holds a License Degree in Philosophy from the Universidad del Norte Santo Tomas de Aquino in Buenos Aires, an S.T.B. in Theology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and an S.T.L from the Angelicum, Rome.
Fr. Iván has been a Catholic priest for 24 years (16 in Argentina). During these years, he served as a pastor in a rural parish, worked with college and high school students, led different evangelization programs, worked in a state prison, and led evangelization missions in poor areas of various cities in Argentina.
Campus Minister
After graduating in 2020, I moved to DC to pursue my master’s degree in Latin American studies from George Washington. While I was a student there, I met the St. John Society and volunteer missionaries (VMs) at St. Ann’s and got connected with the AUCatholic community. After graduating from GW, I served as a VM here at AU, where I found my true passion for college campus ministry.
I’ve been working in campus ministry ever since and have loved seeing AUCatholic grow! I love to travel, meet new people, play tennis, get coffee with students, and talk about Jesus. Feel free to drop by my office any time!
SJS Missionary
Manuel Luna
SSJ Formation
Javier Presno
SSJ Formation
Kim Paquette
Volunteer Missionary
Colin Thibault
Volunteer Missionary
Zach Reese
Volunteer Missionary
Julia Hoover
Volunteer Missionary
Tess Owen
Volunteer Missionary
Allison Junker
Volunteer Missionary
Valeria Gonzalez
Volunteer Missionary
LEADERSHEAP TEAM 2025
Ella Bordwell
President
Joey Oliva
VP of Hospitality
Manuela Gonzalez
VP of Communications
Eric Baber
VP of Finance
Elizabeth Sherwin
Co-VP of Liturgy
William Massa
VP Outreach
Maca Barreto
VP of Service
Nick Youngquist
Co-VP of Liturgy
Matthew Vigneau
VP of Music
Gina de Jesus
VP of Socials
We have a missionary heart: we call, form and send. We want to provide opportunities for the proclamation of the kerygma that allow people to experience Jesus Christ alive by the power of the Holy Spirit.


