Tammy Norcross-Reitzler

It was the sacraments celebrated in community that gave Tammy comfort in times of hardship. At the same time that they found out that they were pregnant with their 4^th child, Tammy’s first husband, Larry, was diagnosed with brain tumors. Shortly before Larry’s brain surgery was scheduled, just before Christmas, the family went to the Church for him to receive the Anointing of the Sick. Upon their entrance, they saw the chapel completely packed. “Someone asked me after the anointing if I was scared,” Tammy recalled, “of course I was scared, but I had a very deep feeling, after that anointing, that I wouldn’t be alone no matter what happened. There was something about that sacrament celebrated in community that gave me great peace.”

Larry’s brain surgery went well, but subsequent tumors returned necessitating an additional anointing of the sick. People present for Larry’s anointing came up to him individually to pray over him. Again, this experience was moving for Tammy as she received the same peace and reassurance from the Holy Spirit that no matter the challenge, she would not be alone. Tammy shared, “to know that I wasn’t alone meant the world to me, because it was also my deepest fear to be alone.” What God promised Tammy was true, even if it was true in a different way than she expected. “When Larry passed away, that faith community took care of us in many ways. Church community has always been so powerful to me.”

That same faith community that supported her through Larry’s death also supported her when she married her now husband, Chuck. When reflecting on this, Tammy recalled, “it was important to me that the parish, who supported us through the hard times, also got to celebrate the joys of life with us. Larry’s funeral was in the same church where Chuck and I got married. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I discovered that the same reading (Ecclesiastes: “there is a time for everything…”) was used at both Larry’s funeral and Chuck and I’s wedding. It is cool, because it shows that the whole cycle of life happens in the parish.” When asked what was special to her in having a faith community over any other type of community, she responded, “When relationships are rooted in faith, some of the other stuff doesn’t matter. We don’t all have to agree politically, for example, or on specific issues, there is something deeper and bigger that binds us. It’s like the Paschal Mystery. There’s a shared hope that even bad situations can produce good. We aren’t stuck in Good Friday. We know that Easter is coming.” Tammy shared that one of her deepest desires is for everyone to have that kind of community, that can support each other and grow together despite differences. Her motivation in her job as Director of Campus Ministry at St. Ambrose is to make people feel connected and to form leaders who form communities of connectedness and care.

                When asked what Tammy wanted for people to take away from this story, she responded, “I want people to know that building relationships is not always easy and doesn’t just happen by sitting in the pews, but rather it happens over coffee and donuts, serving on committees, participating in faith sharing groups, etc. It takes vulnerability and it takes time. We cannot care for each other if we don’t know what each other’s needs are. So, we need to share our needs, and that is hard. As my kids say, ‘you’ve got to show up.’ Presence is so important – you’ve got to start by showing up.” Tammy also emphasized the value of small, faith-sharing groups in her own life. She discussed how it is a comfortable and safe place to let yourself be vulnerable – to support and be supported. “You have to be willing to share what’s hurting you, only then can the community support you properly. When we acknowledge our weaknesses, fears, and challenges we realize that we need God, and we realize that we need community. I feel sad when people don’t have faith spaces that they can be vulnerable in, so I would encourage us all to create communities where people feel safe to share.” Throughout all of the challenges that Tammy has persevered through, she has continuously found comfort in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”

What do you do?
“I am the Director of Campus Ministry at St. Ambrose University. My roles and responsibilities include providing leadership and direction for retreats, overseeing the campus ministry team, training and scheduling liturgical ministers, making sure our students have ample opportunity to receive the sacraments, leading our RCIA program, and developing student leaders (specifically our Peer Campus Ministers). I also try to help students grow into good Catholic parishioners, so that when they get into a parish, they have a grounding in what Church community is and are empowered to lead in a parish, whether that be, for example, starting a faith-sharing group, participating in music ministry, or participating in a committee.”

What is your favorite part about your job?
“The students of course – watching them grow and ask questions. I love seeing the ‘lightbulb’ moments when they have new insights about God and God’s love and mercy. I also love watching good and healthy relationships being built among the students. An adjustment in moving from parish work to campus ministry has been having to say ‘goodbye’ every year. It’s so exciting to send graduates out onto their next adventure, but saying ‘goodbye’ is something that never gets easier. You grow to know and love the students so quickly!”

What do you love about the Diocese of Davenport?
“I really love that we have such committed people in the parishes. I love that there is a smallness to our diocese, not due to size, but in the sense that, even when we are spread out, it feels like such a tight-knit community. I’ve been in the diocese for so long that I know lots of people, so I love running into them and catching up. Vision 20/20 was awesome for me, because I love seeing people excited and passionate about the faith, and I get to meet new people in our diocese and catch up with the people that I’ve known for what seems like forever.”

What are your hopes for the diocese in the future?
“It’s been challenging in our diocese to support the formation of lay ministers, so I hope that we can continue to lift up lay ministry as vocation, but also profession. We should use people’s talents and skills for the good of the parishes, diocese, and larger Church. We should affirm that calling and empowering people to lead – and that people who work for the Church are compensated and treated justly. My hopes and dreams are that we really commit to supporting lay ministry. My worldwide dream is that the Church will ordain women to be deacons. I look at women in our Church who are so beautifully already doing many of the things that a deacon does.”