St. Thomas More University Parish
Serving the Bowling Green State University Catholic Community


Timeline: 1990 - 1999



1990, Feb. - Parish begins discussing a capital improvements campaign. The stated needs of the campaign are:
- $83,050 for roof support replacement, five furnaces, reshingling, recarpeting and new seats in the center section of the church. Improvements to commence over five years.
- $26,160 for new carpeting, furniture and appliances in the staff housing plus a roof over staff kitchen and dining room.
- $47,700 for upgrading auditorium, Antioch and library
- $42,510 for new hot water heaters, re-carpeting, remodeling bathrooms, replace ceiling tiles and replace furniture and appliances in student housing.
- $8,210 for new sidewalks
- $20,000 for storm sewer replacement.
- $22,370 for capital improvement endowment

End Summer 1990 - More than $200,000 raised for capital improvements.

End Summer 1990 - Student housing repairs completed.

1990, Sept. 2 - Fr. Joe Steinbauer leaves for Rossford All Saints Parish.

1990, Nov. 18 - Students participate in "Snack for Soldiers," a program to send candy and sweets to Operation Desert Shield soldiers.

1991, Jan. 16 - Fr. Weber writes in his weekly column that he and other staff members met with 8-10 students to pray for both sides on the night shooting erupted in the Persian Gulf War. A separate bulletin item invites students to meet with staff for a dialogue on the issues of the war.

1991, Feb. 24 - Reinforcement of support beams in chapel is completed. It took $18,850 to fill in 12-year-old termite holes with epoxy. "It�s now safe to sit in the West End of the church again," writes Fr. Weber.

1991, April 21 - Sr. Cecile Kaza, OSF, leaves to work with the poor in East Toledo.

1991, Summer - Roofs over staff kitchen, Fr. Weber and Marla's offices, the staff dining room and auditorium entrance is replaced.

1991, Summer - New furnaces and the first parish central air system is installed to everyone's great relief. Fr. Weber warns that sermons may get longer since everyone will be comfortable.

1991, July 7 - Fr. Nick Nigro comes in as associate pastor from Delphos St. John's high school. Tom Gorman also returns full-time as music director. Fr. Weber is happy to have an associate pastor: "We're so pleased, in fact, that we intend to give him an apartment that doesn�t flood."

1991, July 21 - Sidewalks north of the chapel are replaced.

1991, August - Religious Education room refurbished. Next up are the hallway, restrooms and nursery.

1991, October - Fr. Weber's apartment floods again. Students help Shop Vac and clean it out.

1992, February - For the first time, STM holds its Ash Wednesday services on campus, in the Student Services Forum.

1992, April 22 - The Peace Garden and Peace pole in front of the parish are dedicated.

1992, May 31 - Fr. Paul Mueller returns to STM as his retirement home. He will fill in at other parishes and continue writing columns and books.

1992, Aug. 9 - Seminarian Steve Rogers joins STM for his third year (pastoral year) in seminary.

1993, 27 June - Sr. Evelyn Craig and Fr. Nick Nigro both leave STM. Fr. Nick leaves for Sandusky Central High School. Sr. Evie moves to a sabbatical year.

1993, July 11 - Fr. Joe Weigman comes to STM after 2 years at Point Place St. John Parish. He is a 1983 graduate of Miami University and was ordained in 1991.

1993, August 6 - Sr. Mary Kuhlman, OSF, arrives from Upper Sandusky-Kirby where she served as pastoral associate. She is a native of New Cleveland, Ohio.

1994, Jan. 30 - Bishop Hoffman chooses STM as one of 11 parishes to study alternative parish leadership. Two or three parishes which have studied the concept are to implement it in the summer.

1994, June 18 - STM is open with staff on hand as a Ku Klux Klan rally is held at the courthouse.

1994, July 10 - Despite asking for an extension to stay at STM, Fr. Herb Weber is reassigned to Mansfield St. Peter's.

1994, July 16 - Fr. Dan Zak comes to STM after 12 years at Corpus Christi University Parish in Toledo.

1994, July 17 - Sr. Mary Kuhlman is installed as pastoral leader for STM. It is the first time in diocesan history that a non-priest pastor and two priests serve together in parish leadership.

1994, October - Changes over the summer: Church carpet was replaced, new roof installed, sound system installed and lighting behind the altar and the musicians is to be updated.

1995, June - Steve Rogers, who spent his internship year at the parish, returns shortly after ordination to say Mass.

1995, Fall - three meeting take place between parishioners and staff from STM and St. Al's to "dispel some of the fears which have sprung up between us and to heal some wounds which have festered for a long time."

1996, Feb. 1 - A meeting on parking determines two possible courses of action: Paving over the grass in front of the church or looking into buying the trailer court a few doors down. Majority of those at the meeting suggest paving over the grassy area.

1996, Feb. 18 - Draft vision statement created by Vision Team:

"St. Thomas More University Parish was created to nurture the faith journeys of members of Bowling Green State University's Catholic community.

Those not associated with the University are also welcomed here.

Ministering to the special needs of students and developing their ministerial capabilities are the primary tasks to which all members of St. Thomas More are committed.

Our mutual efforts will renew our commitment to the gospel�s good news, to spiritual and intellectual formation, to social justice and to innovative service to the University community, the Diocese of Toledo and the broader community, of which we are all part."

1996, March 23-30 - A group of students travel to Haiti for an immersion experience.

1996, May 19 - Bishop Hoffman gives a five-year, $200,000 loan to purchase the trailer park for use as a parking lot. Many of the late 1996 bulletins discuss payment and structure of the lot.

1997, April 6 - A week earlier, fire spread through the west end of the building. Opportunity presents itself in the form of new renovations in that end of the building.

1997, July 1 - Fr. Dan Zak leaves for Swanton St. Richard. His replacement is Fr. Ric Saelzer, pastor of St. Patrick's Toledo and a teacher at Toledo Central Catholic High School.

1998, April 19 - Fr. Joe Weigman announces he will be leaving at the end of summer to join the staff of St. Meinrad's Seminary in Indiana as associate director of spiritual formation.

1998, June 13 - Tom Gorman leaves as director of music and liturgy to record and publish music. Steve Postellon takes his place.

1999, June 30 - Fr. Paul Mueller dies after a long illness.



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