After moving from Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1875, Brenda joined St. Mary Magdalen - the same name as her home town Church in Grand Rapids! Believe it or not, Maria Elana Mundet, the Director of Religious Education here at St. Mary Magdalen, was her teacher and a nun in her high school in Grand Rapids! Jim is a native to Orlando and went to Boone High School. Raised a Methodist, he started attending the Catholic Church with Brenda after they met. They were married in 1988 in Hawaii and came home and had their marriage blessed here at SMM. Both have worked for Thomas W. Ruff & Company since 1974. They have four children and became involved with Family Life - Social Affairs when their children were young because they found being with families so important to them and their children. Says Brenda, "Families are the foundation of the Church. When Mary Dean started the Camping Retreat many years ago because it was so important to her, we became involved. Now it is as important to us as it was to her back then!" Jim
and Brenda are Eucharistic Ministers and are also in charge of busing the Seniors
for Sunday Mass. |
