Parish secretaries balance, juggle and walk tightropes to keep parishes from becoming three-ring circuses
STAFF WRITER
Patricia Ricklefs, parish secretary at Sacred Heart Church in Sidney for about six years, holds "a busy job" that "is different every day. I love what I do. Right now, I wouldn't be anywhere else."
What she does is just about everything. She meets with the pastor, Rev. Gordon Polenz, for about a half-hour each morning to discuss what needs to be done. Since he is frequently out of the office, Mrs. Ricklefs is basically "on her own."
"I like the variety of my job," she explained. "During the course of a day, I get lots of telephone calls, greet visitors, and coordinate daily activities in the office and around the parish. I'm always learning something new, and I like that. Since I love to do new things, this job is perfect for me.
"We have a happy, active parish," she added, citing a "nice mix" of different age groups and the many parishioners who are actively involved in ministry. "People are always willing to help out whenever we do a fund-raiser or have a parish activity."
Mrs. Ricklefs' job can be challenging at times, especially when dealing with distraught or emotionally upset people. "You have to be able to be a good listener," she said. "A lot of my job is just listening."
As a result, she said, a degree of confidentiality is taken for granted and absolutely necessary when dealing with people and their concerns, especially over the phone.
"Sometimes, people just need someone to talk to, or someone to listen to their concerns. That's one of the things I love about my job: dealing with people, being able to help them when they call or come in with a concern, problem or issue," she said.
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IT'S 'LIKE A MINISTRY'
Patricia Viti of Our Lady Queen of Apostles Church in Frankfort said that being able to relate to people is one of the primary qualifications of a good parish secretary.
"I became interested in this job 16 years ago," Mrs. Viti told The Evangelist. She had little children and lived close to the church. "I had a lot of secretarial background, and I looked at it as an opportunity to be close to home if my children needed me, but also as being able to work at a job that I liked and that fulfilled my expectations."
She has seen three pastors come and go since she started her job 16 years ago. The current pastor, Rev. John Yanas, and the business administrator, Sandy Edwards, along with the pastoral associate for faith formation, Phyllis Luczka, work together to make the parish tick, she said.
"We have a monthly staff meeting, and that keeps all of us on track," Mrs. Viti reported.
She has had lots of business experience: She and her husband have owned their own business in the area for 40 years. Now that their children are grown, Mrs. Viti remains in the parish office position because "it is a pleasant and challenging place to work," and she still enjoys keeping the schedule running smoothly from week to week.
"Being parish secretary is really like a ministry," she noted. "I figure that I am not only serving the pastor and parishioners, but I'm also serving God in my own special way."
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JOB 'CHALLENGING,...ALWAYS FUN'
Joanna Macri, who takes care of the daily office business for Holy Family parish in Little Falls, credits the efficiency of the rest of the parish staff for why she likes her job as much as she does.
"We have a wonderful staff here," she said, referring to Rev. Charles Celeste, pastor; Sister Marilyn Hayes, CSJ, pastoral associate; and Deacon Joseph DeLorenzo. "We all work together. It's such a pleasure to have such a great staff. It makes all the difference."
Mrs. Macri was a parishioner of St. Joseph's until it consolidated with Sacred Heart and St. Mary's in 1992, resulting in the creation of Holy Family. According to the former religious education teacher, there are about 1,000 families in the combined parish, which gives her more than enough work to keep her busy.
"Some days, it is very challenging, but it is always fun," she noted. "You really have to be a 'people person' for this job, and that's what I am. I love it!
"I have the best of both worlds, really: I am helping my parish while working in a career that I've always enjoyed. The people I work with are wonderful, my boss is considerate and understanding, and our parishioners make my work very rewarding and special."