Yvonne Wenger Named as New Director of Community Affairs

BALTIMORE, MD – The Archdiocese of Baltimore has appointed Yvonne Wenger as the new Director of Community Affairs to replace Mary Ellen Russell, who is retiring on December 31, 2021.

Most recently, she served as the Director of Communications for Council President Nick Mosby, Ms. Wenger has nearly 20 years of experience as a journalist, including the Baltimore Sun. Her in-depth research and reporting on poverty and the root causes of challenges in Baltimore City often led to greater scrutiny of existing problems and improvements in policies and structural practices. Her award-winning creation of the multi-media presentation “The Wait,” which outlines her personal story of caring for foster children and eventually adopting her daughter Adeline, inspired numerous others to become foster parents.

“Yvonne brings a wealth of familiarity with elected officials, city leaders, nonprofits and every day community members in Baltimore City, as well as a passion for harnessing the extensive human and social service networks of the Church to address the needs of our local communities,” said Archbishop William E. Lori of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. “She has a heart for living out her Catholic faith in service to others, and will be a tremendous asset in our efforts throughout the Archdiocese to embrace our brothers and sisters in need as effectively and efficiently as possible.”

A graduate of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania with a double major in Mass Communications and Political Science, Ms. Wenger and her husband Artie are parishioners at St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Hampden. Prior to adopting their daughter Adeline, she and her husband served as foster parents to four children over three years. She is a native of Lancaster, PA, where she attended parochial schools as a child.

The archdiocesan Director of Community Affairs is responsible for developing and strengthening archdiocesan partnerships with local government officials, community leaders and others serving in the community. Ongoing efforts the Director oversees include maintaining the archdiocesan Grief Ministry to support families who have lost a loved one to homicide; establishing the archdiocesan mental wellness initiative; organizing local parish vaccination clinics; helping to establish a Boys & Girls club at a former Catholic school in Cumberland; staffing the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council; and a variety of other initiatives.