New campus minister feels at home at Notre Dame (even though he must root for his beloved Cleveland teams from afar).
New Notre Dame campus minister, Fr. Ron Nikodem, s.m., is looking forward to his upcoming tenure at the school. And while completely dedicated to his responsibilities at Notre Dame and at other stops during his Marist ministry, this Cleveland, Ohio, native manages to fit in what could only be described as a “rabid” fandom for all things Cleveland sports.
Fr. Jim Strasz, s.m., who teaches religion in Notre Dame’s upper division and serves as director of the school’s Marist Way initiative, with tongue firmly in cheek told others at a recent luncheon for school head Fr. Leon Olszamowski, s.m., that he thinks “Fr. Ron is at the restaurant only because he thought it was a luncheon honoring (Cleveland Cavalier basketball player) LeBron James.”
It’s not only Cleveland basketball for Nikodem though.
“I am a huge sports fan and winning the NBA title was great,” he said. “But, as you probably know (as of this writing), the Cleveland Indians are in first place and have won 13 games in a row! Maybe two championships in the same year?!”
Meanwhile, back in Pontiac, Nikodem, 68, is preparing for the upcoming school year. “I am very happy to be part of the Marist presence in the school at all levels,” he said. He also firmly believes in the significant role campus ministry plays at NDPMA.
“Campus ministry is very important,” he said. “Classes, sports and extracurricular activities must be grounded in something. This is where our faith and campus ministry come in. Without our faith, these other things have very little meaning.”
Prior to coming to Notre Dame, Nikodem had spent more than 20 years as a Marist serving in ministries mainly in the U.S. Most recently he served 10 years as pastor at Holy Rosary Church in Buckhannon, W.Va., where he ministered to families that include many former coal miners or lumber workers.
Holy Rosary is in an area of the country where the local economy does not always benefit from peaks in the surrounding regional or national economies, according to Nikodem. He remembers the Sago Mine collapse, which occurred in the area in January 2006 and unfortunately killed 12 of 13 miners who were trapped in the mine.
But despite that tragedy and the area’s relative small size and financial challenges, Nikodem said Holy Rosary was a hearty and dynamic parish where faith and selfless giving come together in service to the wider community.
In an article originally published in a Marist newsletter in 2013, Nikodem said he and others at the parish practice their ministry with the local soup kitchen and with other churches to help spread ecumenism. “We emphasize heavily the Marist spirit and charism at meetings, prayer services, gatherings and all that we do. We are trying to be the ‘hidden and unknown’ leaders of the area,” he said.
Prior to Holy Rosary in West Virginia, Nikodem was stationed at St. Louis Church in St. Paul, Minn., for five years, Marist School in Atlanta, Ga., for five years and St. Joseph Church in Marietta, Ga., for two years.
Nikodem said that while it’s summer and the Notre Dame campus is currently sparsely populated, he’s nonetheless felt at home and accepted. “Notre Dame and the community have been very gracious and welcoming,” he said. “So far, so good. It seems like a very good fit for me.”
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.