SCHERERVILLE – Active St. Michael the Archangel parishioner Cathy Bartczak believes God helps His people “find our way back.” As part of the hospitality ministry, she greets familiar faces and newcomers, some of whose journeys could be like hers.
When Cathy Bartczak moved to Indiana with her husband two decades ago, she was looking for greener pastures, but nothing “too far out.” Living near Route 30 made her feel connected to her roots in South Suburbia and the Southwest Side of Chicago
Driving down what’s also known as the Lincoln Highway, she found the church that would become her spiritual home. Bartczak, 70, reflected on the first motivation to attend Mass at St. Michael: a sense of trying to keep up a practice. “I had been back and forth from the Church,” she said. “Every so often I would say, ‘I’m going to start to go back to church again.’”
She continued, explaining that she was soon surprised by the warmth and energy of the Catholics gathered at the Schererville church, noting it was anything but rote.
“I walked in and saw the hospitality and the kind of excitement of people talking to each other and handing out worship aids,” Bartczak said. “They asked, ‘You haven’t been here before?’ I said, ‘No, I haven’t.’ And they kind of took me in.”
Reflecting on the vibrant worship she said, “Oh my God, it was beautiful.”
Bartczak grew up as a student at Chicago’s St. Rita grade school and then Maria High School. She was an all-Irish Catholic, and her dad and mom provided her with the structure to grow in the faith. “My parents brought us up in the sacraments and we all went to church, but it was kind of like you did these things because you had to.”
The days of her youth unfolded amid the changes in American culture and Catholic life during the rollout of the Second Vatican Council. Bartczak said she began to feel a disconnect with the practice of the faith. “It was easy to stop going to Church.”
In her heart, she felt as if she was on the right path, “I always believed in God, but I thought I was living my faith without going to Church. I knew the Ten Commandments … if you do those, you’re good.”
One tradition that remained strong throughout her life was her family’s sense of togetherness. “We had a great respect for each other. We are as close today as we were as children. We still get together … We look forward to family things. That was instilled in us (by our parents) that the family was important.”
Most of Bartczak’s siblings remain in the fold of the Catholic Church and the Schererville transplant said she and a late sister rejoined the Universal Church shortly before her passing.
At St. Michael, Bartczak said she felt confirmed in her faith more than at any time in her adult life. She heard a heavenly message repeated, “You need to be here.”
And make her presence known, she has. Bartczak joined the St. Michael hospitality ministry to return the kindness she received when she first walked into the narthex.
Amenable to the cause, she also joined the parish Respect Life group, promoting alternatives to abortion and helping expectant and young mothers with resources.
“It was the same thing, (group members) saw me looking at the (information) table and introduced themselves. ‘Would you be interested in joining us?” recalled Bartczak.
Seniors Gems provides a social outlet for seniors and meets twice a month at the Schererville church. Labor of Love is a “crafty” club that makes gifts for the less fortunate. Bartczak is a secretary for both groups, often assisting with transportation.
“I say, ‘I’m getting so much more out of this,’ when I get to talk to someone, or someone gives you a compliment,” Bartczak said. “It makes me feel so much better… I sometimes say, ‘I’m supposed to be serving the Lord and I’m getting all of this back.’”
When church friends noted her involvement across a spectrum of parish ministries, they also pointed out that Bartczak tended to avoid the limelight and work in low-key roles. For the volunteer extraordinaire, making things better for people through an energetic welcome, a useful donation or a convenient carpool feels better than holding an office.
“It was a little bit at a time. I was a little scared when I first started with these ministries thinking they were way over my head,” Bartczak explained. “I say this all the time: ‘I’m not a leader, I’m a follower and a worker bee.’”
She said she continues to build on her profound experiences of rediscovered faith and hopes her path crosses travelers with similar concerns.
“I let (Church members) know where I was and I found out more and more that I was not alone,” Bartczak said. “More and more people began to say the same thing that (some family members) don’t go to church, though we raised them in the Church.”
Meeting people where they are and guiding them back to a Holy Spirit-filled, Eucharist-centered faith is part of a personal journey home.
“I’m somebody who is happy, friendly and someone who is wanting to increase my faith,” Bartczak said.
Caption: Cathy Bartczak is seated before the altar in the Holy Spirit chapel at the Pastoral Center in Merrillville on Sept. 3. The St. Michael the Archangel parishioner is an active senior and volunteer in several church ministries, including one which had a positive impact on her returning to regular Mass attendance: the hospitality group. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)