NEW STAFF MEMBERS AT SAINT MARY'S
Fr. Renninger recently announced that Rebecca Oxenreider will retire from her staff position after more than 4 decades of ministry here at our parish. Rebecca’s retirement will take effect on July 1. As we look ahead to the future, we are pleased to announce that Marie Kolendo and Mary Alice Whitlock will join the parish staff and coordinate the two main aspects of Rebecca’s ministries.
COORDINATOR OF HUMAN CONCERNS & OUTREACH
MARIE KOLENDO: Beginning on July 1, Marie will serve as our
Coordinator of Human Concerns & Outreach. She will work with numerous ministry teams and volunteers in carrying out our Gospel-centered efforts to assist our neighbors and proclaim God’s justice. These efforts include our Haiti Ministry, Hopeful Smiles, Liberation Veterans, Caritas, ESL program and refugee outreach, direct assistance to individuals, justice advocacy, Thanksgiving & Christmas outreach, etc.
Marie grew up in West Point, Virginia, the youngest of 8 children. Marie and her husband, Wojciech, have been members of Saint Mary’s since 2012. She has been a sponsor in the RCIA program, a Volunteer for the Care-a-van program, and a member of the Finance Council. Marie currently serves as a lector, participates on the funeral ministry team, and serves as Chair of the Legacy Giving Committee. As a member of the Community Support Team she has coordinated the monthly Food, Faith and Fellowship luncheons for the past three years, and assists with other Community Support initiatives as needed.
Marie earned a BS Degree in Accounting and a Master’s in Nonprofit Management from VCU, and an MBA from Averett University. In 2015, Marie left a corporate career to focus on service to others and joined the Greater Richmond Alzheimer’s Association as Executive Director. She retired in July 2021 and has been enjoying spending more time with her husband and volunteering in support of our Saint Mary’s Parish.
COORDINATOR OF COMMUNITY LIFE MINISTRIES
MARY-ALICE WHITLOCK: Beginning on July 1, Mary-Alice will serve as Coordinator of Community Life Ministries here at Saint Mary’s. She will work with numerous ministry teams and volunteers to lead ministries such as our Weekend Coffee servers, Funeral Reception
team, Community Reception & Meal teams, Shepherd Center sessions, Confection Connection, Marywood Outreach, etc.
Mary-Alice was born and raised in Enfield, New Hampshire. Her parish Church was St. Helena’s, which was associated with the La Salette Seminary; her parents were very involved with both.
She graduated from the University of Vermont and moved to Richmond in 1986 to take a job at Chippenham Medical Center where she worked for thirty years as a physical therapist. She met her husband Eddie through mutual friends and started attending Mass at Saint Mary’s with his family (Eddie’s grandmother was a founding parishioner). Mary-Alice and Eddie were married here and all three of their children received their sacraments here. Their children graduated Saint Mary’s School and continued their Catholic education at Benedictine and St. Gertrude. Their grandchildren are following this tradition.
Mary-Alice has been involved in Saint Mary’s Church & School in many ways - including being a core team member of the Community Life Ministry, a Eucharistic Minister, an RCIA sponsor, a volunteer with Children’s Liturgy of the Word, Mass Nursery, and Vacation Bible School. She is excited about the opportunity to become further involved with Saint Mary’s and its ministries.
