Doing the Lord’s Work Every Sunday and Beyond:

But when Father Dan Reardon nominated Wally Bauer to be a recipient of the Bishop’s Recognition Award this past August, he said it’s because Wally does everything every Sunday.

Wally grew up in the largely Catholic town of Montrose, Missouri. He is quick to give credit to his mother for instilling in him as a young boy the importance of attending and serving at Mass. “Thank God my mom was that way,” Wally said. “I look back and I think, ‘I don’t need any recognition for doing what I am doing because I don’t think it’s that big of a sacrifice.’ I enjoy doing it. I want to do it. I think that I’ve had a great life that God gave me and that I owe him. I want to give back.”

“He does everything at Holy Trinity every Sunday, sacristan, lector, server, opens and closes the church, secures the collection. Oh, and he is on the Finance Council, too, and he regulates the heat and air conditioning in the church ...”

Wally Bauer has had a long career as a service manager for a heavy truck company. He has been employed there for almost 40 years. You could say when he volunteers every weekend at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Urich, Missouri, he is, in a way, a service manager there, too.

By Christy Gruenbaum

If you ask Wally Bauer how he shares his gifts at Holy Trinity in Urich, he will tell you he doesn’t do all that much. And he is quick to give credit to others who help, like his wife Nancy and other volunteers like Frank Swift, who he says is handy and helps with maintenance at the church.

He and Nancy encouraged that same belief in giving back with their children. Both his daughter and one of his sons were servers at Holy Trinity for many years, and his son, Michael, served all the way through his college years until he moved to Warrensburg. Wally explained, “Father Richard Rocha, who is the priest for the Chiefs, was our priest for about a year. My son was a football player, and they got along well. I was proud of him for doing it, but really, Michael serving for so long was an inspiration to me.”

— Father Dan Reardon

Wally and his wife go every Saturday to prepare Holy Trinity church for Mass on Sunday. He takes pride in making sure the church is arranged beautifully and prepared for Mass. He is a lector, reading every week, so he prepares the lectionary and is also an altar server. Wally is a trained Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, “but Father usually dispenses Communion,” he said. He looks after the audio system and maintenance of the church with help from others in the parish. Wally encourages others to serve in whatever way they can. “I think when you see that there is help needed, go ahead and do it. And it will pay you back way more for what you do.”