Saint Albert the Great University Parish

Father Larry Van Damme

Pastor and Director of Catholic Campus Ministry at Michigan Tech

email: fatherlarry@chartermi.net

phone: (906) 482-5530

Father Larry, ordained in 1993, has served as pastor of St. Albert the Great University Parish & Director of Catholic Campus Ministry at MTU since July of 1997. He is a native of Watson in the lower part of Marquette County in the central upper peninsula. Having earned an associate of applied science degree from Bay de Noc College in Escanaba and also a bachelors in business administration and masters in counseling and guidance from Northern Michigan University, Father Larry worked on his family's farm and in business and industry prior to entering Mundelein Seminary when he was 28. In July of 2001, he took on the additional pastorate of St. Anne Parish in Chassell. He also serves as the director of chaplaincy services for Portage Health System and director of Catholic Campus Ministry for the Diocese of Marquette. In addition to having a passion for Catholic campus ministry, Father Larry enjoys scuba diving, racquetball, downhill skiing and motorcycle touring. He presently owns a 1991 Kawasaki Concours sport-touring motorcycle (the Harley Sportster as shown with him on this page was raffled off in a parish fund raiser in May, 2003).

Sister Ellen Enright, IBVM

Pastoral Associate Minister

email: sisterellen@charterinternet.com

Sister Ellen Enright was born in Buffalo New York, the eldest of three girls. In 1965 she entered the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wheaton, Illinois. Her first assignment was at Loretto High School in 1968 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan where she taught mathematics and also served as director of the high school religious education in the Sault Area until 1973, when she became the Pastoral Associate at St. Mary Parish. In 1980 she moved to Menominee, Michigan where she served as Pastoral Associate at Holy Spirit Parish from 1980 until 2000. From 1992 through 2000 she served on the Regional Council of the IBVM Sisters. In 2000 Sister Ellen became the Regional Superior and the Acting Provincial of the IVBM Sisters as the North American IBVM Sisters re-united with the Irish Branch. This ministry granted her many opportunities to meet with worldwide leadership of the IBVM, taking her to Kenya, Australia and Spain.

A member of St. Al's Pastoral Team since July of 2004, Sister Ellen has a strong love for furthering her own on-going education and for mentoring others in their education and spiritual growth. She has had training in spiritual direction, hospital ministry, RCIA rites and ritual, and Loyola University lay ministry education, serving as a facilitator for the Menominee Deanery.

"Chapel Rat" Student Residents

From left to right:

• Chad Geurts
• Samuel Sokolowski
• Rhen Hoehn
• Karl Romanowicz IV

Chapel Rat residence phone: (906) 482-3974

St. Al's "Chapel Rats" are Catholic male students who reside in a student residence attached to the parish. In exchange for rent, all utilities, cable Internet, cable T.V., laundry machines and parking spaces for their vehicles, Chapel Rats perform 10 to 12.5 hours of maintenance work per week for the parish. They must be full-time male students at MTU who are committed to living a Catholic Christian life. Once applicants show that they are in the midst of completing a successful year of study at MTU, they become eligible to apply for Chapel Rat positions for the next school year. Applications are made available to students in December.

St. Al's Seminarians

• Tim Ekaitis (tekaitis@usml.edu)
• Dan Moll (dmoll@usml.edu)

Tim Ekaitis and Dan Moll are members of St. Albert the Great University Parish who are presently enrolled at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary near Chicago. They hope to be ordained priests for the Diocese of Marquette in June of 2007. Tim graduated from MTU with a bachelors degree in electrical engineering in 2001. Dan earned an associate degree in chemical engineering technology and a bachelors degree in business administration from MTU, graduating in 2002. Both Dan and Tim served as student resident "Chapel Rats" at St. Al's during their time at MTU.

Pastoral Council Members/Student Officers

See St. Al's Pastoral Council Page

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Ronald Gratz (rkgratz@mtu.edu)