The Glass family of Muscatine, from left, Russ, Rusty, Winny, Milly and Cassy, will join the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil April 19 at Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish in Muscatine.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
MUSCATINE — Russ and Cassy Glass met as students at St. Ambrose University in Davenport and loved the school and its environment, which may have planted the seed for their interest in the Catholic faith.
They married years later and when their first child, Rusty, was finishing preschool, Russ and Cassy “felt an urge” to look into Saints Mary and Mathias Catholic School for his education.
“When I called the school, there was one spot left. We signed up Rusty (now 13),” Cassy said. Later, they enrolled their daughters, Winny, now 11, and Milly, now 6. “The kids always talk about what they learned at school. They taught us prayers. We learned about saints. It was important to them and it intrigued us,” Cassy said.
When their two older kids read during the school Mass, Cassy attended. “I kept getting drawn back. We went to church as a family. We felt drawn to the Church. It was important to us. Sending our kids to Saints Mary and Mathias is one of the best choices we have ever made,” Cassy said.
Sister Cheryl Demmer, PBVM, was principal at Saints Mary and Mathias when the Glass family enrolled Rusty. Now a parish volunteer, she said the family is deeply committed to growing in the Catholic faith. They continue to visit with Sister Cheryl in the parish’s Gannon Hall on many Sundays.
The family talked with her about joining the Church in 2023 and she referred them to the parish to begin the process. Sister Cheryl said the children’s enrollment in the parish school “has offered great preparation for them.” She also believes the school’s pilgrimages for middle and junior high students offer great experiences and formation for all students. “I love that family,” Sister Cheryl said of the Glass family. “I feel we have come full circle together.”
The entire family attended the Rite of Election of Catechumens and of Calling the Candidates to Continuing Conversion on March 9 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. “It was very meaningful. We have been on this journey for two to three years and we stood up with others who are making the same commitment. We were welcomed. We are a part of the Church,” Cassy said. “I feel incredibly blessed to be joining the Church and taking part in the sacraments as a family.”
Russ said, “Becoming Catholic is a meaningful step for me. It’s about growing in faith, understanding the Church’s teachings, and becoming part of a community that follows Christ. I look forward to this journey and all it brings.”
“I’m excited to altar serve and be involved in the Church,” Rusty said. Winny is “happy to be joining the Church so that my relationship with God will grow bigger and stronger.” And Milly said, “God is good so I am going to join the Church so I can follow him.”
