Campaign coordinators enveloped by parishes’ love in time of need

Steve Hauswald, left, his wife, Diane, and Father Daniel Atkins stand outside Most Precious Blood Church in New Middletown on Sept. 23. The Hauswalds serve as Legacy for Our Mission: For Our Children and the Future campaign coordinators for St. Joseph Parish in Corydon, St. Peter Parish in Harrison County and Most Precious Blood Parish, the three parishes where Father Atkins serves as pastor. (Submitted photo)

By John Shaughnessy

Considering what was happening with her mother, it would have been understandable if Diane Hauswald decided she couldn’t keep the commitment she made to the Church.

Diane and her husband, Steve Hauswald, had agreed to be the ­coordinators of the Legacy for Our Mission: For Our Children and the Future campaign for three parishes in the archdiocese.

Yet in the midst of their efforts this year, the health of Diane’s mother—Mary Edith Grantz—was getting worse and worse.

“For three years, she had been real sick at home,” Diane says. “She had diabetes, a lung disorder and heart problems. We had to put her in a nursing home. My dad was there from eight in the morning to eight or nine at night. And when he wasn’t there, one of us was.”

During that heartbreaking time, Diane continued to help Steve lead the campaign efforts for the tri-parish community of St. Joseph Parish in Corydon, St. Peter Parish in Harrison County and Most Precious Blood Parish in New Middletown in southern Indiana.

She couldn’t walk away from helping the Church because she saw how much it was helping her in her time of need.

“With the campaign going on, it was extremely busy and stressful to get everything done,” recalls Diane, who also serves as the office manager for the three parishes. “People knew what I was going through. There was a lot of praying and support as I was going through the meetings. Just knowing I had my church to go to helped tremendously. All three parishes were there to help me along with God and Father Dan [Atkins, the pastor of the three parishes].”

The support continued when Diane’s mother died in March at the age of 82.

“Diane’s mom passed away near the end of the campaign,” Steve says. “The number of people who were there for us was overwhelming.”

Diane shares those memories in the hope of making a point about how the Church has always been there for her family and how her family has always been there for the Church—a bond she has seen and felt since she was a child.

“I grew up in a very strong Catholic faith,” she recalls. “My parents were always involved in the Church. We went to Holy Family Church in New Albany. I learned from their teachings that it’s good to be involved in the community of the Church to get things done.

“My father helped build Holy Family. He and his brother were part of the labor. My father was also a choir director and he was on the parish council. My mother and father both worked at the parish picnics. There was always something needing to be done for the Church, and they did it.”

Now, their daughter follows the same approach.

“Diane just has a way about her,” Father Atkins says. “If you can explain to Diane what you need, she will do everything possible to make sure you have it. During the campaign, there was a constant need for information. Diane was always there for us.”

That kind of commitment echoed through the campaign, according to Father Atkins. More than 100 people from the three parishes were involved in the effort, creating a feeling of community.

St. Joseph Parish will use part of its funds from the campaign to help in the building of a new parish center. St. Peter Parish plans to expand its parish hall, while Most Precious Blood Parish wants to enhance its music ministry with a new keyboard or organ.

Father Atkins was pleased with the parishes’ generosity during the campaign.

“The overall response was good,” he says. “I believe our parishioners gave in a Gospel way. The Lord tells us to be cheerful givers, and they did that in the best possible way. It’s our Catholic faith that binds us together.”

That bond made all the difference to Diane and Steve as they led the campaign and suffered a great loss in their lives at the same time.

“That’s the one thing Diane and I have found—how much our lives have grown because of our Catholic faith,” Steve says.

Diane agrees.

“Part of our faith is not just coming to church, but giving up our time to help with whatever our Church needs,” she says. “Knowing that the Church was there for me meant a lot.” †