When Cap Corps became active in the Province, there was a Cap Corps site in Charleston, WV. While our brother Rich Zelik ministered as Guardian and Pastor at St. Anthony’s there, one of the three volunteers was Bernadette McMasters. She’s now Bernadette McMasters Kime, a wife and a mother of 2 little girls, who works in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston as Director of Worship and Sacraments, Director of the Diocesan Music Commission and Executive Secretary to the Building and Renovation Commission. In addition to those duties, she serves on the Diocese’s Executive Staff.
In recent years, Bernadette consulted Rich for advice in contacting clergy in the area and in the Greensburg Diocese (where Rich ministers for Mass assistance). With his help, Bernadette successfully completed her doctoral work in Instructional Management and Leadership at Robert Morris University (RMU) in Moon Township, west of Pittsburgh, with the acceptance of her completed thesis, Roman Catholic Priests: The Need for Leadership and Management Training.
On Friday, May 5th, Rich was present at RMU’s commencement as she received the honor. Rich noted that our Province played an important part in her professional success, thanks to her early experience in Cap Corps. Despite the administrative challenges in the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese in these years, Bernadette used her experience to achieve beyond even her own expectations. Our congratulations and prayers go out to Bernadette, her family and the friars ministering in the Cap Corps Program!
Have you checked out our Cap Corps pages lately?
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. . . and speaking of our Br. Rich Zelik, we have some photos on the St. Fidelis Alumni website and noticed that Rich was a freshman, as was Br. Bob McCreary (in his "freshman" year of teaching at the Seminary in Herman). See the page here -- the graduating seniors included our Capuchin brothers Bill Graham, John Harvey, Jim Menkhus and Tom Weinandy . . . .