It was the summer of 2006, and Father John C. Cregan had a problem.
As the newly assigned bishop’s delegate for clergy in the diocesan clergy office, he had hoped that his predecessor’s secretary would help him learn the dynamic of the busy office. But then the secretary retired.
“In the middle of that, my youth minister stuck his head in my door in my office over at Blessed Sacrament, and said, ‘Hey, Father, I don’t know if you’re interested, but Sam Sheetz’s mother is looking for a job.’ And I said, ‘Tish Sheetz? Perfect!’ ” he remembered. “I see the Holy Spirit working through all that now.”
That summer, Patricia “Tish” Sheetz was a parishioner of Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria, where Father Cregan — who was named a monsignor in 2018 — was pastor. The same day his youth minister paid him a visit, Father Cregan asked Sheetz if she wanted the job.
Now, after 18 years of service in the diocesan clergy office, Sheetz plans to retire.
She began her career in the diocesan chancery building with a three-day training and was amazed at the sheer amount of responsibility. “I took notes, and every day they’d say, ‘Don’t let it overwhelm you, and make sure you come back tomorrow,’ ” she laughed at the memory.
Even after her training, Sheetz still had much to learn. “I just had to find my way,” she said. So, she visited every department in the building, introducing herself and asking how she could best assist that department.
“She became the star of the ninth floor very quickly,” Msgr. Cregan said.
As secretary, and later, executive assistant, Sheetz’s responsibilities ranged from drafting letters to updating clergy files to assisting with the permanent diaconate program to compiling diocesan statistics for the Official Catholic Directory.
“She’s one of the sharpest ladies I’ve ever known,” Msgr. Cregan said. “She was so on top of things and such a great help to me. I could drive around the diocese and call her up and dictate a letter to her. And then I would come back, and it would be on my desk to be signed, not a comma out of place.”
Diocesan priests likewise grew to know Sheetz well over the years. “She had a very good reputation among all the priests. They all looked up to Tish as a professional,” Msgr. Cregan said.
“I first met Tish as a newly ordained priest at Blessed Sacrament, where she was a parishioner,” said Father J.D. Jaffe, pastor of Christ the Redeemer Church in Sterling. “I was delighted when Msgr. Cregan convinced her to serve the diocese in the clergy office. Her organization and kind professionalism has served so many of us priests through the many years of her service. She has a wonderful combination of generosity, perceptiveness and professionalism.”
Father Jaffe collaborated with Sheetz while serving as diocesan director of vocations 2013-18. When they weren’t working, they enjoyed discussing the Washington Nationals baseball team.
Father Michael C. Isenberg, diocesan director of vocations, said he first met Sheetz when he entered seminary in 2006. He said that through his work in the diocesan vocations office, he observed Sheetz’s devotion to the diocese and her “positive, joyful spirit.”
“Tish is wonderful at giving selflessly and putting in hours and work above and beyond,” he said. Father Isenberg said he observed her graciousness especially when priests placed last-minute requests for letters of good standing, which demonstrates to church authorities overseas that a priest is in good standing to celebrate the sacraments. “She just gives, gives and gives, even when priests don’t submit requests at the right time,” he said.
Sheetz also grew to know permanent deacons well. The year before she was hired, Bishop Emeritus Paul S. Loverde reinstated the permanent diaconate program, which had been suspended for further study in 1985. Sheetz witnessed the first class of permanent deacons in more than 20 years receive holy orders in 2011. Last year, she observed the formation of the Hispanic diaconate formation program, run by Father Jaffe.
Father Paul D. Scalia, episcopal vicar for clergy in the clergy office since 2011, recalled how Sheetz used to jokingly call the clergy office the “glass-enclosed nerve center” of the diocese, referencing the tagline for the local WTOP Radio.
“Since Tish has been here, there’s been an enormous increase in responsibilities,” said Father Scalia.
Despite the heavy workload, Sheetz could only describe her experience working for the diocese as “all blessings.”
Her long career now serves as a witness to the historic growth of the diocese. When she began as secretary, the diocese was home to 164 diocesan priests. Today, she oversees the records of more than 200 diocesan priests and many religious and extern priests. “God provides a lot of people, and a lot of people want to be here, because it’s a growing and vibrant diocese,” she said of the clergy’s growth.
The hardest part of the job is learning about the death of an older priest, Sheetz said. “It’s very hard, especially ones you’ve known for a very long time, but that’s God calling them home.”
The Eucharist is what keeps Sheetz going, good days and bad. “I’m a daily communicant. I go to Mass every morning with my husband,” she said. “Working here has increased my faith.”
The day Sheetz decided to retire, she knew just who to call. “I called Msgr. Cregan and I said, ‘I had to call you first,’ ” she said.
As her professional career is coming to a close, Sheetz looks forward to the adventures ahead. She plans to travel to Rome next year for the Jubilee 2025. She also plans to visit her son, his wife and granddaughter on the West Coast, and her son in Texas. And, she is excited to return to gardening.
“I have 18-years-plus of things to do,” she said with a smile.
