Money meets prayer in priest's life, but parishioners have his heart

Published: 2006-06-27

SPARTA, Tenn. (CNS) -- Following an old family tradition, on Father Fred Schmit's first birthday his grandparents, looking for a sign of what the future might hold, placed several items representing various careers on one side of the room and their infant grandson on the other. He crawled across the room, and the first thing he picked up was a prayer book, said Father Schmit. Just to make sure, they tried the process again. "The second time I picked up a dollar bill," he said. Father Schmit's destiny was set. Many of his 60 years as a priest have been spent in charge of fundraising for his order, the Society of the Divine Savior, also known as the Salvatorians. Thus in his work the money met the prayer book. But Father Schmit's most rewarding assignment has been as a parish priest, he told the Tennessee Register, newspaper of the Nashville Diocese. Father Schmit, who turns 86 July 7, has no plans to retire. "I could never have the satisfying life in retirement that I have here," he said. "I would just wither if I retired." He is looking forward to continuing his service to the people of St. Andrew Parish in Sparta.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .