Stewardship Profile:
Sue Schenck
According to Sister Assunta, the parish contact for the Children’s Homily, the experience she is looking for is what every parent has with their own children.
Take Sue Schenck for example. Sue is the first to tell you that she is not an expert about the faith. So how does she do it? Sue takes the practical approach to the homily for seven to 10-year-olds. How would you apply this gospel story in your own life? How would you apply this to school? How would you apply this to who you sit with at lunch? In other words, what parents do with their own kids. "Besides," says Sue, "Sister Assunta is always available as a resource."
In addition to her work with the Children’s Homily, Sue has teamed with Jean Anderson to teach the Confirmation class a few years ago.
Kids
get to an age when they want their parents strictly at arms length, said Sue.
"But despite that, they actually want us involved. And it’s good for them
to see us doing this. They appreciate having their parents involved."
As a student at Middletown High Sue enjoyed things like writing on the school paper. After getting a BA in journalism at URI she went to work for New Visions. At the time it was a writing job - writing the grant applications that kept the agency going. Eventually she became deputy director. When the organization merged with East Bay Community Action Program Sue became Chief Operating Officer. She oversees the day-to-day operations of that agency - which includes writing grant applications - by now a familiar chore - but also involves the doctors, dentists, nurses, and family workers that assist the agency’s clients.
Sue is a member of St. Lucy’s Community Action Committee. "I consider myself a junior member of that group," says Sue. But because of her social service background she is sometimes able to point the committee to the right agency, the right resource within the state.
Sue and husband Kip (an engineer at Naval Underwater Weapons Center) were married in 1975. They have two children - Amy, 27, was a theatre major at Skidmore and now works in sales and catering for the Hyatt; Peter, 20, is entering his senior year at Springfield College ("The birthplace of basketball"), majoring in sports journalism with a business minor.
Four people are involved in the children’s homily, which happens frequently at the 10:30 Mass on Sundays from September to May. Terecita Delacruz and Sue give the homily to the 7-10 year-olds. Marje Levesque and Dina Levitre work with the younger children, 4-6 years old. In addition Terecita every week does what team member Marje refers to as "the hard part" - she goes through the set of literature compiled by librarian Jan Clayton and assembles the materials for the current week.
"These women have been a very dedicated group," says Sister Assunta. "But they’ve shouldered all the responsibility." And now, she says, they need and deserve some help. Sister Assunta offers to structure the job to suit new volunteer(s). For example, a new volunteer could team with an experienced children’s homilist to get started; or new volunteers could function as aids at the beginning; or people could volunteer as a couple and work as a team.
To volunteer for the children’s homily, or to just take a closer look at the job, call Sister Assunta at 847-6153. To investigate this and other opportunities - click on the List of Ministries.
Story and Photo by Ed Weyhing