"The Spiritans have opened a window for me. They are very dear to me." "Go where the Holy Spirit leads you."

Each of us serves in our own way. Lay Spiritans are an energetic and committed group of people. There are as many examples of how they serve others as there are lay Spiritans. Take a few moments to reflect on their stories and discover all the different ways they strive to share their time and talents to make the world a better place. John Buettler, Holy Ghost Preparatory School faculty Guidance Counselor and former English Professor Bensalem, Pennsylvania "Lay people bring an energy to the community." John Buettler has been a faculty member at Holy Ghost Preparatory School for 33 years. He is an alumnus of the school as are his four sons. His wife is Holy Ghost's librarian, so his ties to this Spiritan school are strong. As a member of a Spiritan Lay Associate group that includes other faculty members, John works to uncover how Spiritan spirituality relates to teaching. "Lay people bring an energy to the Spiritan community that comes from being present in and aware of the world. The spirit goes where it will, which is compatible with the life of a lay person who has kids, family, a job. It is a spirituality that interprets life as it is lived. The Spiritans have had a vital formative role in my life. They have been more of a father to me than any other man in my life. They performed my marriage, baptized my children, celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary, and married my first child. They are very dear to me." Virginia Sedor, Administrative Assistant to East Coast Provincial Bethel Park, Pennsylvania A lifelong relationship with the Spiritans Virginia Sedor has had Spiritans in her life for as long as she can remember. She grew up in the Spiritan parish that her grandparents belonged to, attended school there, and was eventually married by a Spiritan priest in the same parish. "My long relationship with the Spiritans certainly helped bring me closer to the Holy Spirit and our Blessed Mother," she notes. "I have long admired the Holy Ghost Fathers for their commitment to work with God's poor and for their genuine kindness to all." Virginia is now the full-time assistant to East Coast Provincial Father Don McEachin and she spends her work days supporting the Spiritans in any number of ways -- from secretarial support and meeting organization to assisting visiting Spiritans from around the world. She, along with Mary Winkler the office secretary, had the chance to use their sewing skills making a one-of-a-kind banner for the Spiritan's 300th anniversary. One of her favorite projects was assisting Father Koren in the archive office with the production of a series of books that included a short biography of every Spiritan who ever worked in Africa and Brazil. Recently she provided support at the Spiritan Enlarged General Council which was held at Duquesne University. "I felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that along with my missions at home, in my own small way I am helping the Spiritans in their mission worldwide." Fran Tarkett, Campus Minister, Duquesne University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania "Ministry goes beyond an office." The Spiritans I know are truly involved and living their charism. Their level of commitment and dedication is impressive and, most important, they have a real sense of the worth of every human being. Fran Tarkett believes that being a campus minister at Duquesne University is more than just a job she shares with three other campus ministers. Our philosophy is that ministry goes beyond an office. Ministry on campus is service, so everyone who is fulfilling the University mission to serve God by serving students is doing ministry. Our ministry to each other and the world beyond the campus includes so many things, even the most simple, positive daily interactions, Fran explains. Fran has been part of the Duquesne community for many years, first as a student, then as Director of CARES, the alcohol and other/drug program. In her current role as part of the Spiritan campus ministry team, she participates in programs that involve social justice and peace issues, various aspects of student development, and faith formation. She also provides spiritual direction and pastoral counseling for many of Duquesne's 10,000 students and assists in the coordination of religious services and other campus ministry events. As part of their ministry beyond the campus, Fran, her fellow ministers and students travel to Appalachia each Fall and to Florida in the Spring to experience a way of life unfamiliar to them and to work alongside the people of the communities in the those locations. Fran also points out the importance of ministry in their own backyard, citing such volunteer efforts as outreach to the homeless in Pittsburgh and Spring clean-up in the city's neighborhoods. Peter and Judy Stubbs, Little Rock, Arkansas Use the gifts you have to serve where you are called. Peter and Judy Stubbs' work with the Spiritans has taken them many places -- Canada, Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas. They currently live in North Little Rock, Arkansas where Peter is Deacon at St. Patrick's and Judy works with the Director of Religious Education. Over the years, Peter and Judy have taught and served in the administration of a number of Catholic schools. They've also worked at the Spiritan seminary in Houston, Texas where Judy served as the Bursar and Peter was Director of the house, helping the seminarians with grants and financial aid. The Stubbs see more and more lay people becoming involved with the Spiritans. "The Spiritans don't mold you into what they want you to be," says Judy. "They encourage everyone to use the gifts they have and to go to the areas they have been called to. The Spiritans include everyone because everyone has something to offer." Parish of St. Mark's, Harlem, New York "Being a parish is also being open to the rest of the world." In the early 1900s, St. Mark's in Harlem was the only African American Catholic church in the area. Segregation and prejudice had chased many African American Catholics out of other parishes and they were in search of a place where they could worship. St. Mark's reflects the Spiritan belief in openness to other cultures in many ways. It was the site of the first jazz mass ever offered. The church's iconography and statuary includes pictures of an African American Jesus and Mary as well as a statue of St. Martin de Porres, the son of a Spanish gentleman and black freed-woman from Panama. "Being a parish is also being open to the rest of the world," says Father Leonard Tuozzolo, a former pastor at St. Mark's. He feels that there is a unique sense of spirit in the African American parish. "Worship within the African American tradition has a particularly holistic approach. The whole body is part of the worship and there is an emotional 'giving over' in an African American mass that you don't often find elsewhere," he notes. He also points to a strong sense of commitment to the community that is part of the Spiritan belief in living in practical union with God and is prevalent in the African American parish.