Rick Clark “In spring 2025 a sudden invasion of grace brought me back to faith after 27 years away…” I was baptized Pentecostal, then grew into a Bible Church Protestant in young adulthood. After a divorce at age 25, I rejected Christianity. God pulled me into the Catholic Church and I began attending Mass at SFACC and started OCIA. My family and I have lived in Dayton metro since the Air Force brought me her with my wife, son and stepson in 2006. My favorite habits are exercising, reading and going out for early weeknight happy hours with my wife. |
Ehren Bieder I was baptized and raised Methodist, and my Wife Connie and her family are Catholic. We have one son, Jakob, who made his first communion last May. His communion set in motion my desire to learn more about the faith and to become Catholic. We have been attending Incarnation for one year now and it has been an extremely satisfying experience. I enjoy the structure of the Mass and my fellow parishioners. I am excited to continue this journey and to continue learning about the faith. In my free time I enjoy golfing, bowling, skiing and going to the movies. |
Emma Daubenmerkl While I have been surrounded by Catholic friends and family my whole life, the prospect of marriage has encouraged me to seek full communion with the Church at this time. I have attended Mass at OLL since April 2025, often seen accompanied by James, my boyfriend, who is Catholic. I work as a pediatric physical therapist at Dayton Children’s Hospital with a special passion for Juvenile Arthritis and helping babies meet their milestones. In my free time, I can be found reading, crocheting, running, doing a puzzle or playing with Patella, my dog! |
Chad Ewing My interest in the Catholicism grew through family connections and desire for a deeper spiritual foundation for myself and family. Since beginning the OCIA, I have felt truly welcomed and supported by OLL and am grateful for such a faith-filled family. I grew up in Newport News, Va. after many moves with family due to my father’s military service. I settled in Wilmington, Ohio, where I met my wife. Five years ago we moved to Centerville where we now live with our two wonderful sons. I enjoy playing vintage video games, building Legos with the kids, and spending time outdoors. |
Sally Grigsby Growing up in Tennessee, I attended a Southern Baptist church, but had Catholic influence from my mother & grandmother. In college I was in a relentless pursuit of growing closer to Christ. A deep-dive into Christian theology & Church history brought me to the fullness of truth in Catholicism. I've decided to make the Catholic Church my permanent home. My commitment to the US Air Force brought me to Wright Patt in June, where I serve as an electrical engineer. I'm involved with the Cincinnati Alumnae Association for Kappa Kappa Gamma, where I oversee membership. I also enjoy running, reading, & wine tasting. |
Kelly Haws I am a mother of two boys, Maxwell (first grade) and Luke (kindergarten), who both attend Incarnation Catholic School. I also have a wonderful husband, Ben, and we reside in Centerville. I enjoy traveling, reading, listening to live music, watching my boys’ sporting events and spending time with friends and family. My sons will be baptized Catholic in June 2025 and I would like to join the Catholic faith alongside them. I look forward to attending mass as a family. I have very much enjoyed the OLL family and have learned lots by being part of the OCIA program and attending weekly sessions. |
Mark Horwitz My wife and I moved from Indianapolis in 1980 to this welcoming and loving community. We raised our family here. Our daughter now lives in Nashville TN and our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter live in Cincinnati. Our family has been going to Incarnation since we moved to Centerville in 1986. I joined OCIA to find my path to getting closer to God and learn the traditions and beliefs of the Catholic faith. This journey is a deep interpersonal exploration of my being. Now I'm retired and enjoy nature, biking, walking, having time to visit family and volunteering. Presently I volunteer at Carillon Park in the Restoration Department and as a conductor on the train. |
Joe Laurinaitis I have been married to my beautiful Catholic wife for over 18 years and regularly attend Mass at Incarnation & St France of Assisi with our family. The truth and love of Christ has captured me and I feel the calling to be in full communion with the Catholic Church. My younger kids go to Incarnation School and my eldest daughter did as well. I am originally from Minnesota and in my free time I enjoy going to my kid’s sporting events, being physically active, watching TV Series and movies and eating a wide variety food! |
Randi Michael I was always inspired by my grandmother’s deep faith and devotion. For years I have felt a steady pull to return to the Church, and after the birth of my son, I knew it was time to come home. I was baptized Catholic but grew up in church outside of the faith. Many of my extended family remained Catholic. My husband and I have lived in Centerville for six years. We’re both from Wilmington. We have two wonderful boys who keep our lives full and joyful. I enjoy clogging, hiking, writing, and reading. We’ve truly enjoyed getting to know everyone in the OLL family and are so grateful to be part of this OCIA journey! |
Herb Mullens Several of the influential people in my life are practicing Catholics. Since moving to Centerville, I drive by Incarnation on my daily commute. After doing that for several months, I started to feel God calling me to attend. Since that time, I began OCIA and enjoy learning about the faith. I have to say I love the friendliness of the community at OLL. Everyone has been very welcoming. I am the father of two great kids. My 20yr old son is a senior at Virginia Tech and my daughter is 14 yr old. I work as a software engineer at BAE Systems. |
Andrew Smith I was baptized into the Catholic Church, but rarely attended. The Holy Spirit kept pushing and pulling my heart to finally seek and embrace our Lord. I recently moved back to Dayton and have appreciated how friendly the OLL OCIA Team and parishioners are. Born in Dayton, I moved to Virginia until graduating high school. I served four years in the Marine Corps visiting Japan, Philippines and Thailand. I Graduated from Wright State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. In my free time I enjoy making scale models and reading about history. |
Heather Wadsworth I have been married to Matthew, my husband, for 15 amazing years! Our sons will be baptized Catholic in December and I would love to join the Catholic faith along -side them. I am a stay -at home mom of two energetic boys who are fun, loving and energetic! Caleb (3rd grade) who attends Incarnation and Connor (4) (preschool). We love traveling as a family and experiencing new things with the boys. In my spare time I love working on home interior design projects and renovations. I am enjoying attending the weekly OCIA sessions |