MEET THE HELD FAMILY: Sharing Stewardship Gifts with Generosity

Few things bring greater joy than getting to share something you love with others. And often, teaching others about something that interests us also provides an opportunity to go deeper in our own understanding and appreciation of a topic. For St. Leo’s parishioner Melody Held, this has been her experience in serving as a catechist in our Religious Education program.

“I enjoy being a Religious Education teacher,” Melody says. “I like to think that I may be ‘planting seeds’ of faith in the small children that I teach.”

Born and raised Lutheran, Melody began learning about the Catholic faith while dating her husband, Virgil, a cradle Catholic, and became Catholic herself after going through the RCIA process. The couple was married at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church, in their hometown of Columbus, Neb., and recently celebrated their seventeenth anniversary. While Melody loves sharing her faith with her Religious Education students, for her and Virgil, there is nothing more important than sharing their faith with their own children.

“It was important for us to raise our children Catholic and to be good role models for them,” she says.

Melody, Virgil, and their daughters, Jacinda and Ivy, are involved in our community at St. Leo’s in several ways. Virgil, who is passionate about recognizing and using one’s gifts in service, is a member of the Stewardship Council.

“My family and extended families have been involved in parish life for as long as I can remember,” Virgil says. “We’ve all been given unique gifts from God, and giving back to our parish however we can — in time, talent or treasure — and being stewards of His Church is important.”

In addition to being a Religious Education catechist, Melody is also a Eucharistic Minister and member of the Ladies of St. Leo’s. Their daughters serve as Religious Education classroom aides, and as a family, they often serve as greeters for Sunday Mass. Both girls attend Youth Ministry events, and Jacinda looks forward to traveling to Detroit on a mission trip this summer, while Ivy is an altar server and part of the choir.

“Raising kids in today’s world is incredibly busy,” Melody says. “We attend Mass as a family every weekend and make our faith a priority, not only on Sundays but every day of the week.

“Children follow by example, and they will do as they see,” she adds. “As parents, I think it’s important to pray for our kids’ faith daily. Talking with them about our faith and praying together as a family is also really important.”

Amid the challenges of the past year, Virgil and Melody have found several ways to continue prioritizing their faith and relationship with God, even when attending Mass in person or taking part in their usual parish activities wasn’t possible.

“Not being able to physically attend Mass and receive the Eucharist was tough,” Virgil says. “We can use these situations to continue to rely on God and trust in His will, that He’s got this under control.”

“Prayer is extremely important in keeping your faith strong and draws me closer to God,” Melody adds. “One thing that I have found helpful is finding Bible verses that are fitting for the struggles that we are going through.”

The Helds encourage other parishioners to consider how they might use their particular talents in service to our community. In addition to helping our parish, Virgil offers a reminder that using our gifts to glorify God is an expression of gratitude for all the ways He has blessed us.

“God has given everyone very special and unique gifts,” Virgil says. “Recognizing our talents and blessings and being a good steward of the gifts given to us and giving back to our parish are acts of gratitude and appreciation for everything we have.”

Thank you, Melody, Virgil, Jacinda, and Ivy, for all the ways you give back to our parish community! We are grateful for your presence and generosity in service.

Virgil and Melody Held and their daughters love being part of the community at St. Leo’s.