M. Angel Catalá - Our New Youth Director

M. Angel Catalá was born in Puerto Rico of Afro-Caribbean heritage. He grew up Catholic in Philadelphia, PA where he lived until his mid-twenties. He was an altar boy who eventually received his calling towards ordination in his Senior Year of high school. Instead of answering the call immediately he chose to wear a number of different hats first.

He became an artist, creating works in various media with some success, having gallery exhibits of his paintings from Philadelphia to Vancouver as well as a logo adorning a high end restaurant in Philadelphia. He attended the University of Delaware, earned a Bachelor’s in Geography. He focused on international migration. aiding a professor in the writing of a paper on the topic to the World Bank of the United Nations. He attended Marymount University garnering a Master’s in Special Education with Honors. While working as an educator in different capacities like Substitute Teacher, Teacher’s Aide, and finally Teacher.

Throughout he maintained his relationship to the church, finding spiritual nourishment in various denominations as his small family moved from state to state. In his early-twenties he attended a Southern Baptist church, became Presbyterian in his mid-twenties and Methodist in his thirties.

He was met with many challenges in his late-thirties that caused extreme stress. That period forced him to reevaluate his life and identity. He decided to give his life fully to God and within a short time answer his call towards ordination. He entered into Wesley Theological Seminary with a full-tuition Latinx Scholarship. There he has been heralded for his diversified experience in topics the church struggles with in these changing times, most notably the multimedia skills he has honed over the past couple decades.

M. now utilizes his creativity, international understanding, background as an educator, and knowledge of multimedia to benefit the youth of Tokyo Union Church.