Building a Life Together

After marrying and starting their family, Deacon Jerry and Sue eventually found their home at Holy Trinity Parish in Comstock Park.

It quickly became much more than the church they attended on Sundays. As their oldest daughter reached school age, they joined the parish and enrolled her in Holy Trinity Catholic School. Over time, the parish became the center of their family life — a place where friendships were formed, faith was nurtured, and a sense of belonging took root.

Deacon Jerry became involved in parish leadership and ministry, while Sue volunteered in countless ways, including serving in parish activities and eventually working at Holy Trinity as a teacher’s aide and librarian.

Looking back now, Sue smiles at how naturally those roles unfolded. “We were just happy to be involved in whatever needed doing,” she reminisced.

Eventually, Sue returned to nursing, beginning what would become a 25-year journey at Kent Pediatrics — one that came to a meaningful close this past August as she entered retirement.

Over the years, Deacon Jerry continued working in the tool and die industry while remaining deeply involved in parish life.

But something else was quietly unfolding behind the scenes.

A Prayer Beneath the Apple Tree

In the mid-1990s, Deacon Jerry was backpacking on North Manitou Island when he experienced a moment that would eventually change the course of his life.

Sitting beneath an apple tree, he remembers praying a simple prayer. “‘God, you have blessed me in so many ways,’” he told the Lord. “‘If you want me to do something, just let me know. Give me a phone call and I’ll do it,’” he joked.

And then, not long after, the diaconate came to mind.

When he returned home, Deacon Jerry wrote a letter to his pastor, Reverend John Wisneski, asking for guidance. Soon afterward, he learned the Diocese of Grand Rapids would be convening a new diaconate formation class.

Father John encouraged him to apply.

The journey took years of study and discernment, but in 2006, Deacon Jerry was ordained a permanent deacon — a calling that would eventually lead him to his current role as director of diaconate formation for the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

For Sue, the formation process was transformative in its own way.

The wives of men in the diaconate formation program
are asked to participate in part of the spiritual formation alongside them, and those years of study and prayer ignited something new in her own spiritual life.

“That really strengthened my faith,” she said. “Daily prayer has become an integral part of my day. It helps me place myself before God each morning and ask Him to be with me in all I do.”

Deacon Jerry smiles when he hears Sue say that. “One of the goals of the program is to help the wives grow spiritually too, so I guess it worked!” he laughed.

Even more importantly, the experience deepened
their marriage.

“It’s been a huge blessing for our marriage,” Deacon Jerry shared. “There are times when things get busy with ministry — funerals, parish needs, everything that comes with it — but even then, it’s still been a huge blessing for us.”

Grounded in Faith During Life’s Hardest Moments

While faith has brought many blessings into their lives, it has also carried them through some of their most difficult moments.

In 2002, Sue’s brother and his wife were tragically killed — a devastating loss that shook the entire family. The years that followed brought court proceedings, hearings, and appeals that seemed to reopen the wounds again and again.

“It never really goes away,” Sue said quietly. “But our faith sustained us through it.”

For her parents, especially, the grief was overwhelming. Yet even in the midst of that heartbreak, their Catholic faith remained the one constant that helped carry them forward.

Years later, the Roersma family would face another
painful loss when their granddaughter Riley was stillborn. In response, their daughter and son-in-law created The Riley Katheryn Foundation, a nonprofit that helps families experiencing the loss of a child by assisting with funeral expenses and providing emotional support.

What began by helping just a few families in its first year has grown to serve dozens of families each year — nearly 600 in total since its founding — becoming a living tribute to Riley’s memory and a source of hope for other grieving families.

“When they lost Riley, people stepped forward to help them,” Deacon Jerry said softly. “Now, they’re trying to help others.”

Through these experiences, the Roersmas say they have seen firsthand how God places people in our lives to help carry us through the darkest moments.

“We’re called to be Jesus to others, and sometimes other people are called to be Jesus for us,” Deacon Jerry and Sue reflected. “In the depths of our grief, God still loves us. He’s with us in the worst of times.”

Giving Back in Gratitude

After more than 40 years at Holy Trinity Parish, Deacon Jerry and Sue began reflecting on the role the parish had played in their lives and how they might help ensure it continues to thrive for future generations.

With that sense of gratitude in mind, the Roersmas decided to include Holy Trinity Parish in their estate plans. Through this planned gift, they became members of the Foundation’s Light of Christ Legacy Society, a community of faithful Catholics who have committed to supporting the Church through a legacy gift.

For Deacon Jerry and Sue, the decision felt less like a financial strategy and more like a natural expression of stewardship.

Founded more than 175 years ago, Holy Trinity remains a parish that continues to serve as the heart of its local community. In the surrounding rural area, many families — especially farming families — have belonged to the parish for generations, their roots stretching back decades.

That sense of continuity matters deeply to the Roersmas. The same parish that helped form their own family continues to shape the lives of new generations growing up in the area today. Through their legacy gift, they hope that Holy Trinity will continue to form families, strengthen marriages, and nurture spiritual life for many years to come.

An Invitation to Others

When asked what they would say to others in the diocese who may be considering a planned gift, Deacon Jerry and Sue return to a message rooted in both gratitude and responsibility.

For them, generosity is deeply connected to the values that have guided their marriage and their faith for decades — values reflected in the Beatitudes, the Gospel reading they chose for their wedding day.

Those words have remained a quiet guidepost throughout their lives.

“We think about the Beatitudes often,” Sue said. “They remind us how we’re called to live and how we’re called to care for others.”

That spirit of compassion and stewardship continues to shape the way they give back.

“There’s so much need out there,” Sue added. “We’re called to support each other — spiritually, financially, and as a community.”

Deacon Jerry agrees.

“God has blessed us abundantly,” he said. “It’s not a chore to give back. We enjoy sharing the fruits of what God has given us.”

For the Roersmas, leaving a legacy gift and becoming members of the Light of Christ Legacy Society is a meaningful way to continue living out the faith that has sustained them through every joy and every storm.

A faith that has held them through loss.

A faith that has strengthened their marriage.

And a faith they hope will continue guiding the Church and the community they love for generations to come.

“It’s not a chore to give back. We enjoy sharing the fruits of what God has given us.”

– Deacon Jerry Roersma