OWLS Having a Hoot in Retirement

Before moving to Baton Rouge to be near their grandkids, Becky and Ned Smith lived in Sunset, and for many years Franklin,  accustomed to the “small church setting.”  

When they began attending Our Lady of Mercy Church in Baton Rouge, they were overwhelmed by the larger setting. As with many larger churches  in the diocese, there are many vibrant ministries and lots of people to meet. The Smiths wondered where they would find their niche in their new spiritual home.

Becky prayed with people in Mass and saw them elsewhere and thought, “I don’t know (their name) but I remember seeing them at church.”

The Smiths decided since they were new the best way to make connections with people was to become involved in the ministries and life of the church. Surely, they could help guide them into parish life.

OLOM’s ministries such as Older and Wiser Saints (OWLS) responded. They invited the Smith to “come with us.” OWLS hosts lunches, talks, day trips and other activities for retirees and “wanna be retirees” of any age.

The group has traveled to places such as New Orleans to see the Blessed Father Seelos Shrine, viewed the recent “Michelangelo: a Different View” exhibit at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge and visited Le Petit Musée and the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Couteau, which the Smiths had personal history with and helped organize. 

Most recently the group biked the St. Tammany Trace trail that meanders through St. Tammany Civil Parish.

Mercy OWLS member Jeanne Smith enjoyed the trek on the St. Tammany bike trail on a picture-perfect day. Their eight-mile ride was free of vehicle traffic and featured wooded areas with flowers in bloom, nice homes to view and a stop at a bike shop and pub for lunch.

“I like to ride bikes; I take my bike on vacation when I travel so I can see sites that you miss driving by,” said Smith, who has biked through parts of New England and Europe.

There are also opportunities to pray and learn more about the faith, such when the group ate king cake and drank coffee while listening to a well-attended presentation on purgatory by Father Matthew Graham, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs.

No official membership to OWLS is required. If you want to participate in a trip or activity, simply sign up. The most important requirement is to have fun.

OWLS has helped people broaden their involvement into other ministries at OLOM. Ned Smith is a member of the Knights of Columbus, and the couple is also involved in the parish’s St. Vincent de Paul council. They also attended and spoke highly of the ACTS retreats offered for men and women.

 “Don’t be shy,” said Ned Smith. “The joy and reward of getting involved will outweigh reservations.

“God created us for unity, it’s taken me a lifetime for that to sink in.”

“When you’re sharing fun things with people that have similar faith lives it’s just a great place to be,” said Becky Smith.

Renee Tullier, another active member of OWLS, agreed. “It gets you more socially engaged and in a way it makes you more willing to invest in the parish.”

Through OWLS she has recognized there are many people looking for connections with their church parish.

“Invitation is important,” said Tullier.

And it is important for parishioners to look for those open doors of opportunity to enter church parish life at any stage in life.

“Don’t let age be a factor,” said Ned.

“We’re not ready for the rocking chair yet,” said Becky.

OWLS is currently exploring possibilities of taking a road trip to the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament and EWTN in Irondale, Alabama. It’s part of the group’s goals to keep searching for new ways to keep fun and faith alive.

“If we haven’t done it, we will do it,” Tullier said.