Phyllis Melhing

- Sacred Heart, Vincennes

 

People of Wisdom

Name: Phyllis Mehling

Parish: Member of Sacred Heart, Vincennes, for 39 years

Married, number of children: Widow of Robert Mehling, who died in 1993 after 37 years of marriage; two children and three grandchildren. I retired in 2001 after working 30 years at Northside Pharmacy.

Tell me three things about yourself that defines who you are. I like to volunteer as a Pink Lady at the hospital.  I like to help people. Family comes first for me.

Where were you born? I was born in Jasper, Ind. I had two older sisters and an older brother. We belonged to the Trinity Evangelical and Reform Church. A lot of my growing up centered around being active in our church. I used to play the piano for Sunday school. What I remember about growing up in Jasper is there were only 11 or 12 people in my class in the public grade school, but when I entered high school, we had a class of over a hundred. This past September, we held our 50th class reunion with over 70 members attending.

How did you meet your husband? We both worked at the same grocery store in Jasper – Rumbach’s.

What led you to join the Catholic Church? Most of my friends and neighbors growing up were Catholic. Bob and I were married at St. Joseph Church in Jasper, but I didn’t think about converting until after we had moved to Vincennes. I went to Sacred Heart Church with Bob for some time before I decided to join. After they did all the changes after Vatican II, the Catholic Church felt so much like being back home.

What do you like most about being Catholic? What I like about being Catholic is the Mass itself, but I think Holy Week means the most to me. At Sacred Heart at the Holy Thursday service, we now have the washing of everyone’s hand and anointing of oil instead of the washing of the feet. I like that because everyone gets to be involved.

Who is someone you look up to? Sister Gloria, who is our music minister at Sacred Heart. She has been a mentor to me as far as my music is concerned. I was already playing the organ at church, but since she has come to Vincennes, she has encouraged me to play more. She has always been there for me.

What are your hobbies? I like to play cards and belong to a couple of bunco clubs. I do a lot of walking in the spring and summer.

Where was your first job? In high school, I babysat, and I also worked at Newberry’s Five and Dime on the square in Jasper.

What are you or have you been involved with at your parish? I’ve been playing the organ at church for 15 or 16 years.  In addition to choir, I am active in the Spiritual Life and Worship Ministry, St. Ann’s Altar Society and the Seniors Club.

What is your favorite religious item? A Bible with my name on it that my grandmother gave me when I graduated from high school. That has always been my favorite.

Have you ever experienced a miracle or God’s intervention in your life? When I was 30 years old, I was severely burned. It was a miracle that I survived.

Describe what your faith means to you. I don’t see how people can get along without having God in their life. He is there to take us through every day. Everything we are and do is centered on our faith in God.

What’s the best advice you can give someone else? People need to get back to church. They need to take part in their church and make prayer and God part of their daily life.