The nearby school playground is a good place for a break. Standing, left, is mom Hannah Novak, and at right is Erika Warning-Meyer holding her son, Forest. Also standing are Haley Novak (holding her sister, Hazalea) and Holly Novak. In the wagon, from left, are Haddelyne Novak, Rhys Meyer and Harper Novak. (Catholic Herald Photos by Mary Grieco)

Mary Grieco
Special to the Catholic Herald

Nativity of Our Lord Church in Rhinelander has a very kid-friendly office. If it weren’t for the fact that the little ones are welcome, two young, talented mothers would likely not be able to work for their parish.

Hannah Novak and Erika Warning-Meyer are coordinators for evangelization and family ministry. Both are busy moms who love their parish, and they feel fortunate that they can combine parenting with their church work.

Right after Hannah accepted the part-time staff position four years ago, she found out she was pregnant. She remembers that Fr. Chris Kemp, Nativity Pastor, was excited for her. “I had lost a baby before that, and it was a hard time. Father assured me that we would make this work.”

Hannah worked throughout her pregnancy, and when she came back to the office, baby Harper was welcomed with lots of open arms. Eleven months later, Haddelyne arrived, and just 10 months ago, Hazalea was added to the family. All are welcome to join their mom at work when the need arises.

Erika has two sons, 3-year-old Rhys and 1-year-old Forest. It was in the parish office that Forest took his first step!

“I had long felt called to parish ministry,” says Erika. “It was after I attended the diocesan women’s retreat in February that I started giving serious thought to following that call. I prayed and thought about it a lot, but wasn’t sure what direction it should take.”

A short time later, another part-time position became available at Nativity, her home parish, and she successfully applied. Erika emphasizes that Hannah was a good example in showing her how she could serve her parish and still be a dedicated mom.

Fr. Kemp, having come from a big family, is comfortable being surrounded by all ages, and he says the children bring so much joy and life to the office. The children and parish staff blend like family, and the little ones bring smiles to office visitors.

“The Catholic Church is all about families,” he says. “We need to be geared to the next generations and find ways to get them to experience Christ.”
Hannah and Erika admit that it can get chaotic at times, but they adapt and still accomplish their work goals. Their offices have a somewhat unconventional “décor,” which on any given day can include toys, playpens, wagons, etc.

All the little ones aren’t in the office every day. They often spend time with grandparents, and the dads pitch in whenever they’re not at their jobs. Hannah also has two teenage daughters, Haley and Holly, who are reliable babysitters as well as frequent Mass servers.

While a baby’s cry or giggle might not be what most people expect to hear in a church office, those are familiar sounds heard during the workday at Nativity while the moms are busy using their talents in evangelizing and working with parish families.

“All of this makes us relatable to families,” says Hannah.