BOCA RATON | Newly ordained Father Jedidiah Preble expressed his appreciation for those at St. Joan of Arc in Boca Raton who had prayed for him during his priestly formation. He celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving Feb. 22, 2026, with Father Nestor Rodriguez, pastor, and Father Peter Wojuaye.
The St. Joan of Arc community had been asked by Father Preble’s mother, Constanza Preble, who works at the parish and school, to pray for her son as he transitioned from ordination as a deacon to the priesthood. On Jan. 31, Father Preble was ordained a priest by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola and assigned to serve as parochial vicar at St. Juliana in West Palm Beach. “I want to thank everyone who prayed for my son,” she said.
“It’s not every day that we have a young man who has just been ordained a priest come to celebrate one of his first Masses at our parish,” Father Rodriguez said as he welcomed the faithful. “We are so grateful to God, and we welcome Father Jedidiah Preble. It’s wonderful to have you here.”
A jubilant Father Preble thanked Father Rodriguez, adding the Mass was a special event for him.
“My family has been involved as part of this parish in some way or another for over 20 years,” he said. “This is my parish where I got ordained (as a transitional deacon) right here,” and after becoming a deacon, “I have been involved in little ways here with the religious education, especially the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.”
Father Preble’s homily focused on making a good confession with a thorough examination of conscience. Explaining how to make a good examination of conscience, he advised, “At night, ask yourself three questions: What have I done poorly today? What have I done well? And what can I do better tomorrow?”
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a hands-on learning program for young children, was recently instituted at the parish by religious education director Andrea Lewin, who said, “I thought it was a good idea to get certified, and very few diocesan churches have this program established.”
Patty Delaney, director of parish administration and communications, said in an email to the Florida Catholic that “Father Jedidiah is the only priest in the diocese who has completed the training as a catechist for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Catholic-based Montessori classes that have launched in our parish, thanks to the efforts of our religious education program, led by Andrea Lewin and Constanza Preble.”
Lewin explained how the program started at St. Joan. “I began exploring the idea of bringing the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to our parish after Liliana Soto‑Cabrera from the Office of Marriage, Family Life, Faith Formation and Youth Ministry mentioned to me that the Diocese of Palm Beach offered the program.
“With the approval of Father Nestor Rodriguez, I took the initiative to begin the certification process and invited three people to join me — then-Deacon Jedidiah, along with Constanza Preble and Ines Amengual,” she said. “We began our training in July 2025 and officially received our certification in January 2026.”
On the second floor of St. Joan of Arc’s Mercy Center there is a learning environment called an atrium that contains child-size educational tools. “With God’s grace, we were able to complete the Level I atrium for children ages 3 to 6 in record time, and we began classes in October,” Lewin said. “The school currently has 13 students,” with the hope of opening “Level II as soon as possible.”
Father Preble said, “Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is obviously good for little children because it introduces them to a life of faith in a very practical way, and children learn in that way (hands-on). Most of us don’t learn in a classroom; we learn by living. But I also think it is important for adults.”
Asked if CGS makes the liturgy come alive for children, Father Preble answered, “Yes, that’s right, and I think that every sacristan and anybody who works in the church, anybody who works in liturgy, should go to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and should do at least the Grace and Manners part because it teaches you how to walk around the sanctuary,” and it teaches the difference between “sacred space and sacred time and your regular time.”
There was a reception in the Mercy Center following the Mass. Laurie Colbert, sitting at the check-in table, said, “I am so thankful to the Holy Spirit for gracing us with another priest, and Father Jedidiah is going to be a blessed addition.”
For more information on Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Joan of Arc, call 561-952-2868 or email delaney_patty@stjoan.org or visit the parish website, www.stjoan.org. To get started with CGS at your parish, contact Liliana Soto-Cabrera at 561-775-9549 or lsotocabrera@diocesepb.org.
