Priest's mission: 'growing in holiness' with parishioners

FREMONT - As the Rev. Michael Roemmele settles into his role leading St. Joseph and St. Ann parishes as well as Bishop Hoffman Catholic Schools, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Roemmele previously served in churches in Tiffin and Sycamore, where he also headed up Calvert Catholic Schools, and most recently served in three Sandusky parishes and led South Central Catholic School.

“I’ve always been in schools,” Father Roemmele said. “Kids give you a lot of life and excitement, and your love of Jesus kind of ups the game.”

Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo assigned Roemmele to a six-year term in Fremont beginning July 1, which could possibly be renewed for another six years, if the bishop chooses.

“I’m here to serve the bishop and his mission to bring the gospel to the community,” he said.

Roemmele grew up in a Catholic family in Toledo and was drawn to the priesthood at a young age, but he nearly took a different career turn during his high school years.

“I thought success meant making millions, but then people starting asking me if had considered the priesthood,” he said.

He decided to attend Pontifical College Josephinum n Columbus, which he called “the only college in the U.S. the Pope owns.” During an internship in Delphos, he felt his decision to seek the priesthood confirmed, and he was ordained by Bishop Leonard Blair in Toledo in 2011.

His first few weeks in Fremont were busy as he finished up additional studies at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Those studies have focused on “New Evangelism,” which will give him a greater knowledge in bringing religion to parish children.

“It’s about how to speak the good news of Jesus Christ. How do you bring Jesus to the forefront? How do we help our kids encounter Jesus and have a conversion experience and empower them to go out and spread the gospel?” he said.

Now that his on-site studies in Detroit are nearly complete, Roemmele will have more time to focus on his new ministry in Fremont. He has been meeting with staff at both parishes to help determine the state of the local churches and create a vision for the future.

The two parishes have about 5,000 members combined, so Roemmele has also been participating in meet-and-greet events in the homes of parishioners.

“There will be 10 or 12 people there. It helps me get to know what their dreams are and determine how we are doing on our mission of growing in holiness together,” Roemmele said. “We have a good time. We dream together and share stories. I’m learning what it is like in the pew here.”

Roemmele is looking forward to learning more about the Fremont community. He said parishioners at his Sandusky churches encouraged him to try local restaurants like the Golden Dragon and Tackle Box, and he hopes to become involved in community development here. While in Sandusky, Roemmele served on a committee that worked to revitalize the town, and he would enjoy doing similar work here in Fremont.

Within the parish, Roemmele said he hopes to build on the “many great things” accomplished by his predecessor, the Rev. Mike Zacharias, and is thankful for the willingness to help he has already observed in parish members.

“It’s pretty amazing, the amount of involvement of the people here,” he said. “They believe in the mission.”

Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheri.trusty@gmail.com.