Passing the torch

TIFFIN — After 38 years guiding the members of St. Mary Church, Tiffin, Rose Gaietto will retire this year as a religious education coordinator. Gaietto said she was offered the religious education coordinator position for the parish in July 1986 after receiving a master's degree in religious education from Seattle University. Having grown up in Columbus Grove, Ohio, she had wanted to come back to the Toledo Diocese. The position at St. Mary was a natural fit, and Gaietto said she began working to develop a religious education program to meet the needs of both youth and adult parishioners. She said her work over the years has included the parish's CCD (Catechism) program, vacation Bible school in the summer, the children's liturgy of the word, RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), and planning and coordinating retreats. Over time, she said, changes in parish size, opportunities created by technology, missions of the Church, and differing family dynamics all have impacted the programs she creates and implements. However, Gaietto said, the core purpose of her work has always been to help grow parishioners' "sacramental life of the faith." The continuing development of technology, she said, has played a substantial role in her work. Gaietto said that parishioners can now register for programs online, and program materials have become more accessible. One example, she said, is information and material from FORMED, which has been "very helpful" for the parish. Gaietto said to "keep updated curriculum," she has strived to mirror the church's voice, such as the current nationwide Eucharistic Revival mission. That emphasis, she said, is on helping all church members "see the importance of the Eucharist." This summer's vacation Bible school, Come to the Table, she said, is centered on the Eucharist. Gaietto said her direct interaction with families has expanded in recent years, and she has increasingly been called to help provide comfort and familiarity with a church that is in "continual and constant change." Working with parish youth, Gaietto said, has been her favorite aspect of her job. Second graders who are preparing to receive the sacrament of First Communion, she said, "come in very excited," and working with Confirmation students has allowed her the opportunity to help them "be witnesses for Christ." "I remind them that it's hard to live as a servant for others, but "you may not always know what that (service) does for somebody," she said. "I also remind them to pray." Gaietto said the St. Mary staff has blessed her through the years. The pastors at St. Mary "have always been supportive," she said, and have honored her vision and ideas. Gaietto said she is "really grateful for this parish," and thanks St. Mary and the community for their support. "A lot was accomplished with the help of adequate and knowledgeable volunteers," she said. Gaietto said she "will miss connecting with other people" as she steps down as religious education coordinator but looks forward to additional time with her husband, Dick, who is a deacon at St. Mary, their two daughters, and their grandchildren. The couple also hopes to travel, spend quality time with friends, and find more time for relaxation, she said. A new Director of Catechesis already has been selected, Gaietto said. DeAnna King, who was a teacher for Calvert Catholic Schools, has been named her successor, according to Gaietto. Gaietto said she is leaving guidance and instructions for King, and hopes King will be "open to new experiences, be available, and enjoy what you're doing." King said, "I am very excited to be the Director of Catechesis at St. Mary Church. I have worked with Rose in the past as my own children were preparing for sacraments, Christmas programs, and Vacation Bible School. She was very dedicated and worked so hard at all that she did." "I am hoping to bring that dedication and my love for the Catholic faith as a leader to our families at St. Mary. Leaving the classroom was not easy, but in my heart, I needed a change and wanted to move toward a leadership role. Many prayers and conversations made the decision easier to accept the position," she said. Rev. Matthew Radar, pastor of St. Mary Church, said, "For nearly 40 years, Rose Gaietto has provided unparalleled ministry to St. Mary Parish, St. Mary Elementary School (now part of Calvert Catholic Schools), as well as the local Catholic Community of Tiffin. It would be an understatement to say that her dedicated service has shaped multiple generations of Catholic Faithful and prepared them to share their faith with others. While sad to see her go, we wish her well as we say: 'Well done, good and faithful servant!'" Receptions to celebrate Gaietto's retirement will take place after the Masses on June 22 and 23. Refreshments will be served in Room 22.