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PARISH PROFILE
 St. Michael’s, Glen Allen: Generous in time, talent and treasure
By Steve Neill
Of The Catholic Virginian
From its beginning just 15 years ago, St. Michael parish in Glen Allen has relied heavily on lay involvement to accomplish its various ministries.
And there is a little bit of something for everybody who wants to get involved. For example, there are 27 sub-committees alone under the umbrella of Human Concerns.
“Most people don’t know this because we don’t make a big deal of it,” said Deacon David Nemetz, pastoral associate. “We’re supposed to reach out to others because it’s the call of the Gospel and we do it.”
St. Michael’s, located on Springfield Road in western Henrico County about 12 miles west of downtown Richmond, has an estimated 2,200 families or 7,000 people. It is the third largest parish in Richmond, following St. Edward’s and St. Bridget’s.
The pastor is Father Daniel Brady, who arrived in June 2006 after spending 20 years being pastor of rural parishes in the diocese’s Region 10 (southwest Virginia). He came after the parish had been without a pastor for six months.
“There were priests who came in and helped out on Sunday and we have a wonderful staff,” he told The Catholic Virginian.
“Coming in after the parish was six months without a pastor, I felt my job was to invigorate the parish and to tap the spirit, energy and enthusiasm that was already here and give it some focus,” Father Brady said.
“They had to be ‘on hold’ for a little while because of just the way things happened.
 “I miss the mountains, but I understand why God called me here,” he continued. “St. Michael’s and I seem to fit well. We seem to be enjoying each other.”
Mass is celebrated on Sundays at 9 and 11 a.m. and at 5:30 p.m. There is also the vigil Mass on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
“We have anywhere from 2,500 to 3,000 people for Mass on a weekend,” Father Brady said.
“I know we have 7,000 people, but they all don’t get to church every week. I’m thankful they’re there when they’re there.”
Father John Leonard was the founding pastor of St. Michael’s in 1992. Before the church was built, Mass was celebrated Sunday initially at Short Pump Middle School with the altar on the stage in the auditorium and at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church on Saturday night.
“Father John laid the foundation and it has lived on,” said Marilyn Lewis, one of the founding members of St. Michael’s. “We’re keeping it going, but he got it started.”
Opportunities for outreach range from the Haiti ministry in which 500 parishioners each sponsor a child in a school in the twin parish in Dos-Palais to the Caritas program which serves homeless people in Richmond.
 In addition, one of the newest ministries provides help to four Catholic parishes in southwest Virginia. Father Gaudencio Pugat, known as “Father Gaudy,” recently visited St. Michael’s on the diocese’s mission co-op plan and spoke of the need for help.
“There was a desire to reach out to somewhere in our own diocese,” Father Brady explained. “We’re at the development stage in starting a ministry to Appalachia.”
St. Michael parishioners respond generously when they feel there’s a need, the pastor said.
“It’s an affluent parish, but it’s a generous parish,” he said, pointing out that Father Elizier, pastor of St. John the Baptist, the twinned parish in Haiti, gave an appeal which brought $22,000 in a second collection, and then Father Gaudy spoke two weeks later and the parish raised $16,000 in a special collection.
“Within a two-week period people gave $38,000 in special collections and there was no significant drop in donations to the church,” Father Brady said.
 St. Michael’s uses an auto-draft system in which parishioners can give to the collection with a check which comes directly from their checking account. About 10 percent of parishioners have chosen this option.
“Right now it generates $30,000 a month,” said Veronica Lowenhagen, bookkeeper.
Dave and Loretta O’Donnell, who chair the parish’s Haiti Ministry, said there are two parish-sponsored trips to Haiti each year. Approximately 25 people from St. Michael’s have made the trip, but the parish as a whole is well aware of their visits.
“The entire parish blesses them at Mass before they go on their pilgrimage,” Mrs. O’Donnell said. “When they come back, they give a brief witness talk at the end of Mass.”
St. Michael’s built a school in Dos-Palais which has an annual budget of $58,000, an amount which pays the teachers’ salaries and provides one meal a day to all students.
“To support that budget, we ask for $120 a year to support one child and we have 500 sponsors for 500 children,” Mr. O’Donnell explained, adding that each sponsor receives a photograph of the child he or she sponsors.
“You see a real face and that’s another way of keeping parishioners involved,” he said.
 St. Michael’s outreach to Dos-Palais has enabled the villagers to now have potable water instead of having to travel over a rough terrain to get water from a spring. Twinning between the two parishes is beneficial to both groups.
“It lets the Haitian people know that somebody in the United States is looking out for them,” Mrs. O’Donnell said.
A relatively new ministry at St. Michael’s is the Charismatic Prayer Group which meets on Friday nights beginning at 6:30 with the Rosary, followed by what Ed Murray, leader of the prayer group, calls a “Happy Holy Hour.” A group of 25–30 come regularly, but the first Charismatic Mass held on June 25 drew more than 200 people.
“For us as charismatics,” Mr. Murray told The Catholic Virginian, “we need to be open to the infilling of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives so we are open to the gifts — the charisms — we received at Baptism and were confirmed at Confirmation.”
Mr. Murray, who is also a lector, member of the choir and CHRP (pronounced “chirp,” an acronym for Christ Renews His Parish), moved to Richmond in 2004 through a job relocation.
“I found a home at St. Michael’s and I’m flourishing,” he said.
 The Music Ministry is a major component of St. Michael’s worship. Tom Kaczmarek, music minister, is among the founding parishioners of St. Michael’s and was hired for his role in January 1994.
“We use everything from chant up to contemporary praise music,” he said. “People here sing with great enthusiasm and joy.
“It’s a challenge to have the liturgy in the round,” he continued. “You don’t have the wall of sound behind you if you’re standing in the front.
“But to have all the voices focused on the table and each other in the community is a unique experience.”
St. Michael’s Music Ministry presented the Broadway musical “The Music Man” in February with parishioners in starring and supporting roles. All five performances were sold out.
“It elicited talents and epitomized what stewardship is,” said Mr. Kaczmarek, who served as producer and director. “People gave their time, talent and treasure.”
 Two of the parish’s three deacons are full-time staff members. In addition to Deacon Nemetz who is Pastoral Associate, Deacon Andrew Ferguson is Director of Administration. Kurt Hornstra, a financial adviser with Wachovia Securities, is the third deacon. All three were ordained for the Diocese of Richmond in 2004 after a four-year formation period whose classes were held at St. Michael’s.
The deacons preach the second Sunday of the month. They also perform a lot of weddings and baptisms.
Approximately 25 percent of St. Michael’s parishioners have attended the CHRP renewal weekends which are held in separate men’s and women’s retreats. The next men’s retreat is scheduled for July 28–29 and a women’s retreat is scheduled for Aug. 25–26.
Among the various groups at St. Michael’s is  the Joseph P. Solari Council of the Knights of Columbus. Jay Moore is the Grand Knight. There is also a Boy Scout troop sponsored by the parish.
Although the congregation is largely white, St. Michael’s has seen an increase in the number of newcomers from India and Hispanic countries.
The parish RCIA is directed by Annie McEntee. At this year’s Easter vigil 34 adults, 10 of whom were catechumens, were received into the Church. Inquiry sessions have already been held this summer with nine adults expressing interest, Ms. McEntee said.
“It has been a very gifted community from the very beginning,” Deacon Nemetz said. “The priest has always been able to draw that out and the people have responded.
“There’s been highs and lows, but we always remember that we’re Church.”
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Copyright © 2006 The Catholic Virginian Press. Articles from Catholic News Services, including Fr. Dietzen’s column, may not be reproduced here due to copyright considerations.
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