Parish Staff

OUR LADY OF LOURDES CATHOLIC CHURCH

6149 Hill Avenue  |  Toledo, Ohio  43615  |  419-865-2345

Parish Staff

Pastor
Very Reverend Philip A. Smith, VF, STL

I am a native of the Diocese of Toledo. I grew up in Tiffin, Ohio, attending Calvert Catholic Schools. I completed my college education at Franciscan University of Steubenville and then attended seminary in Rome a the Pontifical North American College. 
During my ten years of priestly ministry, I’ve had a several unique assignments. I served as the “island priest”, providing Masses on Put-In-Bay, Kelleys Island, and Middle Bass Island. I completed a graduate degree in Theology of Marriage and Family at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Rome. I spent five years serving the students of The University of Toledo at Corpus Christi University Parish, while also ministering at Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in West Toledo. Since 2012, I have also been diocesan chaplain to CYO. Most recently, I have been the Director of the Office for Diocesan Priestly Vocations for the past four years, mentoring our diocesan seminarians and traveling to parishes throughout the Diocese of Toledo to encourage more priestly vocations.

Dave Lang - Parish Manager, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Parish Manager

Mr. Dave Lang

Dave Lang has worked for the Catholic Church in various capacities for the past 31 years. He has been teacher, counselor, principal, and currently holds the title of parish manager. Dave enjoys the various challenges and opportunities that church life presents him on a daily basis, and is excited to be a member of the staff here at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.
Gary Thrun - Deacon, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Deacon

Gary Thrun

Deacon Gary has been happily married to his wife Chris for forty eight years. They live in Maumee, Ohio and have four grown children and six grandchildren. Gary is a graduate of St. Francis de Sales High School, and the University of Toledo. He served two years in the U.S. Army, including a year in Vietnam where he was a medic with the 1st. Air Cavalry Division. Gary was a president and one of the owners of Kellermeyer Building Services, an industrial cleaning company with 6500 employees in 45 states, and annual sales of $125M at the time of his retirement in 2000. Upon retirement, he entered the Deacon Formation program and was ordained to the Diaconate Ministry in 2007. 

Over the years, Gary has been involved in nearly every aspect of parish life including nursing home ministry, RCIA, numerous retreats, parish missions, bible studies, adult religious education, sacramental instruction and formation, and marriage preparation. He is also a member of the Diocesan prison ministry team, working with the inmates at the Toledo Correctional Institution. 

Gary’s first diaconate assignment was at St. Thomas More University Parish in Bowling Green. In 2010 he was reassigned to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Toledo He has a great love for all of our OLL parishioners, and is grateful to be able to serve such a faith-filled community in his ministry as Deacon.
Sister Ritamarie Miller - Director of Liturgy and Music, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Director of Liturgy and Music

Mr. Robert Edwards

Robert Edwards is a well experienced musician, having served at several Catholic parishes on the East Coast. After moving to Ohio a few years ago, he has played regularly at a church in southern Michigan, while also serving as Principal of Saint Joseph Parish School in Sylvania. Robby serves our parish on weekends.

 

Lisa Pierson - Administrative Assistant, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Office Manager, Bookkeeper

Lisa Cousino

Lisa Cousino joined the Parish Staff in September 2010. For many years, Lisa coordinated the religious education program here at Our Lady of Lourdes and now is the Office Manager as well as the Bookkeeper. Lisa grew up in the Toledo area and now resides in Maumee with her husband, Jeff, and two children, Zachary and Elizabeth.



Lisa Pierson - Administrative Assistant, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Jennifer Okuley, Coordinator of Religious Education & Spiritual Life

Jennifer Okuley

Jennifer (Jenn) Okuley is our new Coordinator of Religious Education and Spiritual Life. You may recognize her as one of our cantors! Originally from Lewisburg, PA, Jenn moved to Toledo in the summer of 2019 and now resides in Lambertville, MI with her husband, Andy, and young daughter, Josephine. Jenn has spent the last six years in university ministry, working at DeSales University (Center Valley, PA) and Lourdes University (Sylvania, OH). She earned her B.A. in Communication with a Theology Minor (2017) and Master’s in Education (2019) from DeSales University. She also spent a semester studying abroad in Rome, Italy (2015). And got married at OLL in June, 2021! She’s excited to help parishioners feel a sense of belonging at Our Lady of Lourdes, just as others have helped her family find that same sense of “home” within the parish!



Weekend Celebrants

Rev. Joseph Newman, OSFS; Rev. Alan Zobler, OSFS

Each year, the Diocese of Toledo is required to undergo an audit to ensure that it is in compliance with the articles of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. This year’s audit examined the audit period of July 1, 2018 through September 30, 2021. Bishop Daniel Thomas is pleased to announce that the Diocese was found to be in full compliance with the requirements in the Charter following the audit.

 

The Diocese of Toledo remains committed to ensuring the protection of children and providing a safe environment for all young people. If you have any knowledge of abuse that has been committed by a cleric or by any personnel of the Catholic Church, you are urged to report the abuse to your local police department, Children Services, and to contact the Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at (419) 214-4880; or to write to the Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at 1933 Spielbusch Avenue, Toledo, Ohio 43604.


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