Susan Answay - July 2025
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Community and the Knights of Columbus Council #6125 are proud to announce that Susan Answay is the Family of the Month for July 2025.
Susan Answay came to St. John’s from Ascension Catholic Church when our parish first opened in September 2001. Initially, she served as a lector, and in 2002, she began serving also as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (EMHC). In 2018, Fr. John asked Susan to serve as coordinator for the lead EMHCs as well as for the SJE EMHC Ministry. Susan also serves as a sacristan at weekend and special Masses as well as for funerals.
In 2018, Susan became the point of contact for the Christmas Giving Tree Ministry which provides Christmas gifts for adults and children served by five charities in Brevard County and the Holy Cross Missions in Peru. Under her direction and assistance, a crew of dedicated volunteers produces over 500 handmade ornaments that contain gift suggestions for the individuals who will receive them through this ministry. These are hung on Christmas trees in the Church narthex and the Parish Life Center lobby during Advent, where parishioners select them and purchase the gifts for distribution at Christmastime. In addition, she coordinates the collection and storage of these gifts and their distribution to the local charities.
Since 2019, Susan has served as one of the administrators for the Ministry Scheduler Pro (MSP) software program that St. John’s uses to schedule liturgical volunteers (lectors, EMHCs, etc.). Susan joined the Offertory Accounting Ministry in 2024, helping to count and record the parish’s weekly offertory and special collections.
Thank you, Susan, for your commitment to living a life of service and for your contributions to St. John’s. You are a blessing to the parish, and we applaud you for your dedication.
The Zimmerman Family - June 2025
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Community and the Knights of Columbus Council # 6125 are proud to announce that Mark and Roma Zimmerman are the Family of the Month for June 2025.
Mark grew up in central Maryland, while Roma grew up in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. They met on December 31, 1999, while working together at their community hospital in south central PA. Roma says, “I will never forget it. We met while working the critical midnight shift that was covering the Y2K transition of our hospital equipment into the millennial year 2000!” They married in 2003 and moved to Viera in July 2014, which is when they began attending St. John’s.
Mark works full-time as a prototype validation engineer for Embraer Aerospace’s Executive Jet sector. He came into the Catholic Church in April 2022 through RCIA (now OCIA) here at St. John’s. A gifted woodworker, Mark has used his craftsmanship to enrich our sacred spaces. He built St. John’s paschal candle stand and has repaired and restored a number of items both within the sanctuary and those used in liturgical celebrations. He serves as a cook and member of Feed My Flock outreach ministry and is a member of the Guardians of the Grotto and the Men’s Discipleship Group. When it comes time to relax, you’ll find him on the beach enjoying his favorite hobby—fishing.
Roma retired from L3Harris Technologies in 2021. She is one of two wedding coordinators at St. John’s responsible for helping couples prepare for a beautiful and reverent Catholic wedding ceremony. In addition, she serves as an EMHC and is a member of the Feed My Flock ministry, Gratia Plena, CCW, and the Spiritus Sanctus Lay Dominican Group here at St. John’s. Roma has sponsored several OCIA candidates during their yearlong preparation to become Catholic. She maintains close bonds with her CRHP sisters and treasures time spent with their families, especially attending their children’s school events. She is also active in planning several upcoming events for the church’s Silver Jubilee. When she is not busy volunteering, you are likely to find her curled up with a good book and her four small dogs.
Adding to their many roles, Mark and Roma delight our children as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus during the Christmas season. Roma extends the festive spirit into the spring through her role as the Easter Bunny for the celebration of Easter.
Thank you, Mark and Roma, for the way you witness your faith through ministry and service. We give God thanks and praise for your faithful participation here at St. John’s.
The Russo Family - May 2025
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Community and the Knights of Columbus Council # 6125 are proud to announce that Holly and John Russo are the Family of the Month for May 2025.
Holly and John married in 2006. As newlyweds, they went to Alabama for school, returning to Florida, and later moving to Colorado. In 2013, they returned to Florida. Holly is a Nurse Anesthetist; she has been practicing nursing for 20 years. John is an attorney with his own law firm here Brevard County.
The couple has three boys: Maximilian (13), Alexander (10), and Leo (8), who attend St. Mary’s Catholic School in Rockledge, where they participate in several Catholic Youth Sports. Max plans to attend MCC High School. Alex dreams of becoming a pilot. Leo received his First Holy Communion this month: his parents are so proud.
A member of St John’s since 2015, the couple has made many parish friends and deepened their faith and commitment to Christ. Holly serves as an EMHC and participates in the WINGS women's ministry. They are FOCCUS facilitators for couples preparing for a Catholic marriage, a ministry that grew from their gratitude for the marriage preparation help they received. Holly says, “We love helping other couples start their journey on a strong foundation.
All the Russos have participated in the Children’s Hunger Project packing events, and the boys have attended VBS each summer, for which Max will be a teenage volunteer this year. He also has volunteered at the International Festival and cared for younger children during his WINGS meetings.
The couple is also heavily involved at their children’s school: John coaches flag football for 4th and 5th graders, and Holly chaperones field trips and assists with various school events.
Thank you, Holly and John, for the way you and your children witness your faith. We give God thanks and praise for your faithful service and participation here at St. John’s