Meet the Reichert Family:
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Following God’s Merciful
hen Matt and Sarah Reichert’s 9-year-old daughter, Katie, was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 3, the two parents weren’t quite sure where to turn, but God’s merciful hand guided them every step of the way. “We prayed a whole lot during that time, and it was a spiritual wake-up call for us to come back to God,” Matt says. “God showed us that He could bring a lot of good out of her illness. It was there for a reason.” Part of this divinely ordained reason was to revive the life of grace in their souls, particularly through the Renewals at our parish. “Through her sickness, I connected with a leader of the Women’s Renewal, which brought me to attend it in 2015,” Sarah says. “It was a great way to connect with other people who knew our family’s story and had been praying for us. In fact, Katie was weaned off of her epilepsy medication in 2018 and has been seizure-free since 2016. It is a real answer to prayer.” One good thing led to another, and Sarah ended up serving as the lay leader for the 2016 Women’s Renewal. “I still stay in contact with the women I was with at the Renewal,” Sarah says. “For Matt and I, being involved with the Renewals has helped us make more connections with our parish and our community. This has helped us find a home base here in Amherst, especially because neither of us grew up here.” Furthermore, Matt was inspired to go on the Men’s Renewal in 2016 and serve on the Men’s Renewal Team in 2017. “I have a group of men I met through the Renewal that I meet with to discuss spiritual things, as well as issues affecting my life as a husband and father,” he says. “Going on the Renewal helped my prayer life as well.” In addition to the Renewals, the Reicherts live out the stewardship vision in other ways as well. Matt is a member of the Knights of Columbus and an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. And this past year, Sarah enjoyed coaching Katie’s Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) page 4
Matt and Sarah Reichert with their children, Katie and Alex
volleyball and basketball teams. Katie’s twin brother, Alex, plays CYO sports as well. “It was a great experience for both of us,” she says. “I like the idea of kids learning together to be part of a team and work with other personalities. Sportsmanship helps people understand how to be good to other people.” “Being active in the parish helps me feel more a part of the community, and closer to the Catholic Church,” Matt says
