Persons, places and things: Catholic Messenger staff reflect on lasting impressions

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By Barb Arland-Fye
Editor

Each year during our Catholic Messenger subscription drive, I ask our staff to reflect on a topic that I think would resonate with readers. Our topic for 2025: a faith-related experience that has made a lasting impression on each staff member. Here are their heartfelt responses:

Amacher

Anne Marie Amacher, assistant editor: My neighbor and now former parish nurse, Mary Milas, helped me and our family through my mom’s cancer diagnosis, gave us resources on palliative care when we got to that point, prayer shawls and a shoulder to cry on. It certainly helped that our families knew each other for decades. For those long six months, Mrs. Milas would come to my house or I could run over to hers, as we were two houses apart. She would drive a few blocks over to my mom’s to explain things and set her up with her red “racing” walker. The visits got mom to make decisions and her intentions in writing. I still have the purple prayer shawl that I cuddle up with on weekends while watching television. It brings a smile to my face, remembering mom and the love of Mrs. Milas.

 

Burken

Barb Burken, bookkeeper: Two people in my parish have made an impression on me from the day my husband Tim and I entered the doors of Assumption Parish in Charlotte (now Assumption-St. Patrick). Forty years later, I still feel a friendship bond with them and their family members. One of these men, Roy Sparks, has gone home to the Lord. The other is Ken Swanton. They came up to us that first day and welcomed us. This meant a lot to me, growing up in a neighboring parish where I knew everyone. Roy and Ken invited us to become part of the parish and to volunteer, which helped us to get to know many more parishioners over the years. We’ve always appreciated their commitment to their church and their faith in God. I truly believe they helped me grow in my faith and my commitment to helping where needed in the church. God bless them both, always! I pray for them and their families as well.

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Hart

Phil Hart, advertising representative: I went to church with Dave for over 20 years and this is a tale he told me that I have never forgotten. Dave was a small-town Iowa kid, a really good musician and a fine pianist who went to college to study music education. Dur­ing his first semester, he had no idea what the teacher was talking about in his music theory class. None of it made sense to Dave. About three weeks into the semester, the teacher showed an example of bad music theory on the overhead projector. It was Dave’s work. He slid down in his desk embarrassed and bolted for the door as soon as class ended.

The teacher called out his name. “Dave, would you come down here, please.” He complied, and she said, “You really do not understand this, do you?” Dave replied, “I have no idea what is going on.” The teacher said, “My office, Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at 2.” Dave went every week and in the third week, it all made sense. He tested out of music theory because he understood it so well. Dave went on to have a distinguished career in Music Education and Administration. I believe this is an example of radical hospitality. The teacher was willing to go the extra mile to help a struggling student and that extra effort changed a young man’s life. A lesson for all of us: be willing to go beyond what you have to do and do what you need to do.

 

Forlini

Tony Forlini, circulation coordinator/webmaster: A parishioner at St. Pius X Parish (Rock Island, Illinois) left a beautiful, hand-made prayer card of “Come Holy Spirit” in the pew. I looked at the prayer card and placed it back in the pew. That prayer card has inspired me to say the “Come Holy Spirit” prayer more frequently.

 

Steele

Lindsay Steele, diocesan reporter: My mother-in-law, Kay, was very close with her St. Mary Parish-Davenport family. They had been there for her during the hardest times in her life, as well as the highlights. She had been director of religious education for many years and was devastated when St. Mary Parish was merged with St. Anthony Parish downtown. During this time of grief and uncertainty, John Cooper, St. Anthony’s pastoral associate and business manager, called Kay and invited her to be part of the parish’s religious education team. It gave her a spark of hope that things would be okay and was one of many gestures her new parish made to welcome former St. Mary parishioners. A few years have passed since then and my mother-in-law now has a blended parish family to share in her joys and sorrows. I wonder where she and other former St. Mary parishioners would be if John and other St. Anthony parishioners hadn’t reached out to offer hope and welcome.

 

Arland-Fye

Barb Arland-Fye, editor: When I learned that Msgr. Leo Feeney would become pastor of my parish, Our Lady of the River in LeClaire, I felt a sense of dread. I had never met him but as a journalist, I heard that he could be difficult to deal with in his role as Chancellor of the Diocese of Dav­enport. However, one of my mentors, a member of the Congregation of the Humility of Mary, assured me that I would love him as a pastor. I doubted her, but she turned out to be correct! Msgr. Feeney loved being our pastor and greeted all of us enthusiastically by name before every Mass. I came to know him well through parish activities and work. In an article that I wrote in 2007, he said, “Being a pastor, you are allowed to love the people and the people in turn to love you. I truly love the parish and everyone in it.” Msgr. Leo died in October 2008 but remains in my heart.

(Contact Editor Barb Arland-Fye at arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org)


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