The ranks of lay ecclesial ministers in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland increased by three on Oct. 24, when Bishop Edward Malesic certified the new ministers for service to the diocese.
The newly certified ministers are Lisa Belza, Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Grafton; Megan Lowes-Bolin, Mary Queen of the Apostles Parish, Brook Park; and Kathleen Ott, St. Francis De Sales Parish, Akron. Each received a pin from the bishop to signify their new ministry.
“All of us, through baptism, are called to be teachers, leaders and shepherds,” Bishop Malesic said at the certification Mass in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. That includes the call to help sanctify those around the world, he added. Attendance at the Mass, which was livestreamed on the diocesan website, was by invitation only because of the ongoing pandemic.
“It takes a variety of people with their giftedness who are called to do God’s will in unique ways,” the bishop said, noting that God gives us the people needed to do the work.
Lay ecclesial ministers helped form me as a priest and a bishop,” he told the newly certified. “Help encourage those who come your way to follow Jesus.”
Bishop Malesic commended the three women for learning the tools of the trade and the art of ministry, emphasizing that ministry is an art. He met with them and said each told him they believed the time and effort they put into the program was worth it.
“As St. Paul said, we’re not called to invent the Gospel; we’re called to proclaim it, to translate the Gospel to its fullness for others. Stay true to the Gospel and be a truth proclaimer to us,” the bishop said. “Do it for the salvation of souls. Offering the promise of eternal life is the greatest treasure you can offer to others.”
Bishop Malesic told the women that God is not done with them yet, explaining that they will continue to find new challenges and cautioning them to remember that they are not super humans.
“Remember the Gospel story of the gardener’s patience, waiting for the fruit to grow. The same can be true of the people around you. Trust in the Lord; serve the Lord with gladness. Do it with joy. Your work must be more than a job – it must be a vocation,” he said, noting that when we do what God asked us to do, it’s a vocation.
“And with the approval of a bishop, that vocation turns into a ministry,” he said.
He thanked those who walked with the three new ministers through their years of education and formation. “And thank you for answering the call,” he said to the newly certified.
“Remember: We did not chose God; he chose us. God is wise; he knows how to put his Church together,” the bishop said, noting that all legs or parts of the Church are needed to ensure that things don’t collapse.
He encouraged the new ministers and others to use their gifts to serve God and to remind people – especially young people – that God loves them. We all have a vocation – single life, married life or consecrated life – and we all should work to become saints, Bishop Malesic added.
After Mass, Ott gave a brief reflection on behalf of the three newly certified ministers.
“We have learned so much and are ready to serve the Church with confidence and faithfulness,” she said.
Ott recalled how in the Gospel, a tree or vine often is used to remind us of God caring for each of us. “Like the gardener, God is patient with his people,” she said. “Lay ecclesial ministers are called to serve in this vineyard of the Lord; we are called to serve, not to be served, and to use our gifts to serve the Church. It has been a blessed journey and we are ready to start the next chapter,” she added.
Belza earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Muskingum College and worked in the corporate world before earning an MBA from Lake Erie College. She volunteered at numerous parishes over the years. She and Diehl, her husband of nearly 20 years, have three children.
In 2015, she accepted a full-time position a faith formation director, including youth ministry, at Our Lady Help of Christians. She said the formation journey “has been enlightening and life-changing and will forever be a foundation for my journey with God.”
Lowes-Bolin is a graduate of St. Joseph Academy and John Carroll University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in nonprofit administration. She also earned a master of arts in pastoral studies from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois and a master of science in church administration from Villanova University. Lowes-Bolin is completing her doctorate in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University. Her dissertation is on “Engagement of Young Adults in the Catholic Church as Volunteer Leaders.”
She is a founding member of the Cleveland chapter of Young Catholic Professionals and served in leadership roles for more than three years. She also taught at the college level at Notre Dame College and JCU for more than two years. Lowes-Bolin served at St. Ambrose and St. Clarence parishes for more than seven years and currently is director of faith formation at St. Adalbert Parish in Berea. She is married to Bobby Bolin.
Ott, a native of Long Island, New York, lived in five states before her family settled in Ohio when she was 16. She and her husband Dennis have been married nearly 34 years and have three children. Ott said her Catholic faith has always been important to her and her family.
After working an insurance adjuster and spending some time as a full-time mother, she taught math and religion at St. Francis De Sales and volunteered with the youth ministry and PSR programs. Almost eight years ago, she took on the newly created position of youth minister and director of faith formation, which led to her seeking certification through the lay ecclesial ministry program. Although no longer working with youth ministry, she coordinates faith formation for the school and parish and is assisting with annulments as a procurator. She also facilitates RCIA, works with the diocesan Sacred Steps to Peace Divorce Recovery Program. Ott said being open to God’s call and direction led her to seek to grow both spiritually and educationally.
“He has led me to a better understanding of how to use the gifts he has blessed me with to serve his Church. My responsibility is to answer his call to the best of my ability,” she added.
More than 400 laity have been certified in the diocese for ministerial leadership in parish, diocesan and other Catholic ministerial settings since 1985, when the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops acknowledged and affirmed the place of lay ecclesial ministers in the U.S. Church.
Those interested in learning more about the diocesan lay ecclesial ministry program can contact Pattie Batchman, program director, at pbatchman@dioceseofcleveland.org or 440-943-7669.