Meet Sharon Gerhart: Embracing Faith and Service, Fostering a Sense of Belonging

Sharon Gerhart knows that when you find the ministry to which God is calling you, it’s more than just a service project or another meeting to add to your schedule. A parishioner for 12 years, Sharon has found that being involved in a meaningful ministry is truly what has strengthened her faith and given her a sense of belonging.

Today, Sharon serves with the Ministry of Consolation, is an officer with the Catholic Ladies Relief Society, and is a lector and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Mass. However, this wasn’t always the case for Sharon. A transplant from North Dakota, Sharon found herself drifting away from the Catholic Church for many years. About 12 years ago, Sharon had slowly begun attending Mass again at St. Patrick. She heard an announcement at Mass about a meeting of Catholics Come Home, so she decided to attend. Through that group, Sharon was encouraged to get more involved with the church.

“That was a key for me, to be a part of parish life instead of left out,” Sharon says. “There are many that come to Mass and are not greeted, talked to, or welcomed, and they don’t always stay.”

When Sharon started getting involved, someone suggested that she talk to the coordinator of the Ministry of Consolation.

“The Holy Spirit was really working that day,” Sharon says.

Members of the Ministry of Consolation act as coordinators between a grieving family and all of the necessary contacts when planning a funeral — the priest, the Director of Music, the Helping Hands Ministry, and the funeral home.

“It’s being able to be there for the family,” Sharon says. “So many of them have no idea what to do, especially now when generations haven’t stayed with the Church.”

Ministering to the grieving and helping to bury the dead brings Sharon close with the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy required by our faith. “Being closer to the Works of Mercy confirms my faith and the reason that we’re here,” Sharon says. “Death is not an ending, but a beginning and the most important beginning.”

Serving through the parish has taught Sharon the true value of staying faithful to the Church and it has given her greater compassion for those she serves. Just as Sharon was once the one feeling like an outsider, not realizing that she needed so badly to belong to the community, she now recognizes how she can be that loving hand to others.

“I believe that in our everyday lives, what we share, what we talk about, and our behavior allows other people to see how our faith is important in our lives and what it really means to us and it serves as an example to them,” Sharon says. “Sometimes, there are no words needed.”

Sharon Gerhart