Our Lady Of The Angels Parishioner Spotlight: Claire Rieland

When Claire and Shawn Rieland first met while working at the same grocery store as teenagers back in 1998, among the many things the two found they had in common was their Catholic faith — Claire’s family belonged to Our Lady of the Angels while Shawn’s family belonged to St. Paul’s. Today — 18 years of marriage and three children later — that shared faith continues to remain at the center of the Rielands’ life together.

Drawing on the early examples of the faith in which they were both raised, Claire and Shawn remain active participants in parish life. Claire is a member of the Christian Mothers and serves as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and Shawn began helping with church cleaning just before the pandemic hit. Both are always willing to pitch in and lend a hand with the Chow Mein Dinner and other parish-wide events and activities.

“I think it goes back to my parents passing it on to me, and what a big part of my life it was,” says Claire of her involvement in the parish. “My dad, Mark Welle, is a sacristan and my mom, Lola Welle, is a lector and the leader of Christian Mothers. They were good examples, so it was important for me to pass that on to my daughters. I feel you lead by example, and the more involved you are in Mass, the more interested you are in it, and that helps you grow in faith.”

These days, the tradition of an active faith life continues in the next generation as the Rielands’ daughters — Brooke, 15; Lucia, 12; and Maren, 5 — begin to follow in the footsteps of their parents. Brooke is in junior high and takes religious education classes at the Centre for Christ, while Lucia still attends Catholic school and participates in the Edge youth ministry program.

For Claire, giving back to the Lord with her time, talent and treasure is a way of acknowledging the many blessings He has so freely given.

“I think all things come from Him,” she says. “I don’t know what my life would look like without Him, but I know that it is better because of Him. Without Him, it wouldn’t be near what it is now.”

Of course, staying close to God through a stewardship way of life in the parish also brings its own unique blessings — a stronger parish, a closer sense of community, and a heightened faith life. With all the rewards to be found in an active life of discipleship, Claire would encourage anyone — especially our younger families — to dive into parish life and see how much our amazing faith community has to offer!

“I feel like we all should do a little something,” Claire says. “You need people to help out, and I guess what we do are small little things, but if everybody joins in, it just makes the parish better by having everyone involved. It gives you a sense of fulfillment.

“I’ve met so many great people that maybe I wouldn’t have gotten to know if I didn’t attend or get involved with Mass,” she adds. “So it opens doors to your community and opens your doors wider to Christ, too. It has brought me closer to Him, so I would recommend it to anyone who wants that in life.”

Claire and Shawn Rieland with their daughters, Lucia (12), Maren (5) and Brooke (15)