holy house
OF TIFFIN B Y E L I S H A VA L L A DA R E S - C O R M I E R
A small house in Tiffin has been home to three priests from three different families since it was built in 1940. The unique occurrence proves that fostering holy vocations requires both a healthy Catholic community and a strong domestic church.
T
o the ordinary passerby, Steve and Dena Schreiner’s home on Ella Street in Tiffin seems simple enough: three bedrooms, one bathroom, just over 1,100 square feet. There are close to two acres of land behind the house, a perfect spot to garden or for children to run around. All these observations hold true, but there’s even more than what meets the eye. Not only is Fr. Paul Schreiner, Steve and Dena’s only son, a priest for the Diocese of Toledo and pastor of St. Mary Parish in Vermilion, but he is the third priest over time to come from that same home. Fr. Eugene Miller, who was born in 1928 and died in 2012, grew up in the home and was ordained a priest for the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity in 1955, serving in several posts throughout the world. Additionally, Fr. Kenneth Alt, whose family sold the home to the Schreiners in 1979, was ordained a priest for the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in 1978 and currently serves as parochial vicar for a group of parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, which are northwest of Dayton. “Three priests coming from this little place … and it is a little place,” Dena said with a chuckle. “It’s a really neat story when you think about it.”
32 WINTER/SPRING 2024 | DIOCESE OF TOLEDO | GRACEFUL LIVING MAGAZINE
