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Meet your St. Mary Pastoral Council!
The purpose of the SMPC is to assist Fr. Jamie Weber in a consultative and advisory manner on any matters relating to the parish, including the church and the school.
Tom Arnold has been a parishioner since 2016. He and his wife, Ashley, have three children, all enrolled at St. Mary. Tom is a civil engineer with ODOT, currently heading the Brent Spence Bridge project. Tom is a soccer coach for the SMS Cougars and volunteers throughout the year for the school and parish in many capacities. His hope for the Eastside Family of Parishes is that we all come together as one family, preserving wonderful St. Mary traditions and creating new traditions with the East Side Family.
Chris Bergman has been a parishioner since 2009. He and his wife, Stacey Devlin, are involved in several faith groups at St. Mary. Chris is currently the Grand Knight for the Knights of Columbus and co-founder and co-leader of the Father's Team. Their three children are all St. Mary graduates. Currently, Chris is in Deacon Formation with his planned ordination in April 2025. He is the CFO of Dayton Children's Hospital. His vision for St. Mary and the Eastside Family of parishes is a highly engaged spiritual community filled with faith and on fire about the Gospel of our Lord.
Lisa Comello and her husband, John, moved here from Pittsburgh and joined St. Mary in 2015. They have two children enrolled at St. Mary. Lisa is an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and serves on the St. Louis and Zelie Commission. She volunteers with the school in multiple capacities, including the Mission Effectiveness Committee, Teacher & Staff Appreciation Co-Chair, and a substitute teacher, to name just a few. She was previously a 9th-grade English teacher and high school soccer coach before staying home with the kids. Lisa's parish in Pittsburg was part of a consolidation effort like Beacons of Light. Lisa believes that everything worthwhile, including the Eastside Family of Parishes, takes faith, hard work, hope, and love. She desires for the parishioners, employees, and school parents to all be examples of Christ, especially for the children of our parishes and schools.
Margarita "Marge" Garcia and her husband, Jason, have been parishioners for 23 years. Both of her children are SMS graduates. While her children were at SMS, Marge served on multiple committees, including co-chairing the Bid-n-Buy booth. Now, Marge volunteers with the Homebound and Elderly Ministry. Marge is a Project Manager at the Anderson Center Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. She hopes for continued spiritual growth for our parishioners and unity for our family of parishes. Marge also would like to see increased attendance at mass by families and stronger participation by the youth in the parish.
Ruth Kelly (Chair) and her husband Dan officially joined St. Mary as a couple in 2004. Her husband Dan is an SMS "lifer," and Ruth's grandfather, Charles Geraci, was a 1938 graduate of St. Mary. They have four children: one SMS graduate, two currently enrolled, and one future Cougar. Ruth's involvement with St. Mary over the past 19 years has included coaching many Cougar teams, volunteering at the festival, the walk-a-thon, being a volunteer reader, helping with the school musical, and many others. She also volunteers with the Mom's Club at Moeller High School. Ruth is an adoption attorney and advocate for adoption and foster children. Her hope for the Family of Parishes going forward is that we can always work toward the common goal of bringing people to Christ.
Tom Lieser, Sr., and his wife, Kathy, have been members of St. Mary since their move here from northern Ohio to be closer to their adult children in 2018. They are the proud parents of four, all XU grads, and five (almost six) grandchildren, three of whom are SMS students. Tom is a retired physician but still practices part-time. He currently serves on the Catechesis and Evangelization Committee, is in the Rosary Group, and serves as a lector. His hope for the St. Mary community is to continue the growth, guided by the Holy Spirit, fortified by sacramental grace, and inspired by the Truth, Beauty, and Goodness of the Gospel, St. Mary, and the East Side Family.
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