Teenager creates commemorative DVD for parish’s 150th anniversary
Ben Doll, a member of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Morris, spent
plenty of time at his computer to produce a DVD marking the
parish’s 150th anniversary. (Submitted photo)
By John Shaughnessy
When they hear the story of what 17-year-old Ben Doll has done for his parish, nearly everyone views it as a remarkable example of the way many teenagers today use their gifts for their faith.
Just don’t expect that reaction from Ben.
Blessed with a sharp sense of humor, Ben uses that approach to downplay anything special he has done. Instead of emphasizing his story, he prefers to focus on the stories he captured and recorded while creating a tribute to a faith community that has lasted 150 years.
The reality is that both sides of the story are special.
Like most American teenagers, Ben lives in an age where cell phones and computers are considered to be necessary and vital parts of life.
“Walking around with your cell phone, you’re never separated from the world,” says Ben, a senior at Batesville High School.
Yet, beginning in late 2006, Ben was asked to help with a project intended to make a deeper connection—a connection that would cross time and generations for a heartfelt story of faith.
In 2006, St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Morris in the Batesville Deanery celebrated its 150th anniversary. As part of the celebration, parish leaders wanted to create a DVD that would capture and preserve the history of the parish.
It was an effort that required a range of responsibilities, from copying photos from the parish’s past to recording interviews with many of the older members of the parish.
Parishioners turned to Ben, a teenager known for his talents in computer technology. He completed the project earlier this year.
“He accepted a huge responsibility and he never disappointed us,” says Joanne Schrimpf, the chairperson for the 150th anniversary celebration of the parish. “Ben scheduled multiple interviews with parishioners. He was gathering a unique and clear picture of Catholic Indiana history as told to him by his fellow Hoosiers.”
He also edited the photos and videos, put them to music and worked with computer companies to get the DVD created.
“He was a one-man production team, acting as producer, director, editor, writer and overall equipment lugger,” Schrimpf says.
Ben just describes the whole experience as “cool”— a great way to hear stories from a world that he has never known.
In his interviews with the oldest members of the parish, Ben learned that they had grown up in a time when a telephone operator had to place a phone call for people. He also learned that they lived in a time when huge blocks of ice were used to refrigerate food.
Their insights into their faith experience also intrigued him. They told him about a time when Mass was regularly celebrated in Latin, when Catholic schools were led by religious sisters, when faith connected people at every turn in their lives.
“Faith seemed to be a larger part of their lives back then,” Ben says. “It was the focus of their lives. Everything happened at the church. If someone’s house burned down, if someone needed help in the fields, people helped each other out. They didn’t hire a contractor.
“They talked about the church picnic. And how everyone dressed in their Sunday best when they went to church. And no one walked out of Mass after Communion.”
Ben’s mother, Carolyn Doll, noticed the impact the project had on her son.
“He’d talk about the
people and what they said
and did,” she recalls. “You
know how you know people
in your parish. You talk to
them, but you don’t hear their
stories of growing up. It was
wonderful for him. When he
got to interview these people,
he’d come home and say, ‘Mom, this is so cool.’ ”
Ben especially remembers talking to some of the Sisters of St. Francis who taught at the parish school.
“They talked about how they enjoyed being at St. Anthony’s, how they were inspired by God to do his work,” he says.
Ben shares that same sense of faith.
“Everything comes from God,” he says. “I think people are forgetting that today. They’re forgetting who gave them their gifts. That’s where I get my ability for technology. The biggest thing is to keep God in your mind.”
He also credits the faith influence of his parents, Jake and Carolyn Doll. They set the example for putting their faith into action. He tries to follow it.
“I serve at Mass. I help at the festival. I help whatever way I can,” says Ben, the oldest of six children. “We scraped sidewalks when there was ice. It’s the things that keep a parish running.”
As for the DVD, it runs 2 ½ hours long, offering a view of a small parish in a small town that has left a large impact on its parishioners, past and present. Every parishioner has received a free copy.
Schrimpf says Ben “has made a wonderful contribution to the preservation of the American Catholic experience.”
Ben prefers to give the credit to all the people who have contributed to the faith life of the parish for 150 years and counting.
“We wouldn’t have anything if it wasn’t for the hard work of the people from our past,” he says. “We think it’s important to preserve this piece of history. We’re looking back 150 years. It’s something we want to be around forever.”
(The DVD about the history of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Morris costs $8. Those interested in purchasing a DVD should call the parish office at 812-934-6218.) †
