Many of you have already seen Tricia and her wonderful family actively engaged here at Saint John. From their daughters reading the Word on Sundays to her husband Scott leading the Knights of Columbus, the Schwarz family is living the Parish Mission. Tricia in particular has been a member of Saint John since 1997. Her current title here at the parish is the Secretary to Father John. Her role, however, is much, much larger. Tricia assists with all marriage preparations and weddings, works with the Bereavement Team to ensure all families are supported in their time of need, and schedules all services and their celebrants, just to name a few of her focal points.
Scott and I were married at SJE in 1998 and began our family. Our beautiful daughters, Emily and Allison were both baptized here and became involved in Faith Formation, Allison also attended the SJE pre-school. I was involved in a bible study group for a few years when the girls were very young but it wasn’t until I accompanied Scott on his journey through the RCIA program that I became more involved. During RCIA, we developed relationships with our parish priests as they became our mentors and a great support to our family. After the amazing experience of being Scott’s sponsor, I had the rewarding experience of being a catechist for 4 years. We became very involved as a family volunteering and participating in Vacation Bible School, the Knight’s of Columbus, Night in Bethlehem, the May Crowning, the Youth Lector Program, and the Christmas Story. SJE has always been “home” to our family beginning with the celebration of weekly Mass and extending to the many friends we have made along the way. I am very excited to be a part of the future of SJE and continuing to grow in my Catholic faith.
Saint John would not function in its mission without the dedication and hard work that Tricia puts in every single day. It is her responsibility to engage the entire parish community to ensure all our “We Are Saint John” message will continue to flourish and all our needs are met by our priests, deacons, and other members of our team. I am delighted to have her here at Saint John and look forward to working with her for years to come.
As Fr. John’s assistant, I have had the pleasure to meet and work with many wonderful parishioners, volunteers, ministry coordinators, priests, and staff members over the past year and a half. I thank God daily for the opportunity he has given me to serve others through my job.