This year’s recipient of the diocesan Catholic Man of the Year award describes himself as an accidental theology teacher.
“I’d always wanted to teach and started teaching history at Newark Catholic High School, my alma mater, right after graduating from Ohio State. I imagined that would be my career,” Christopher Grieb said.
“I spent about seven years doing that, then about eight years ago, I began working in campus ministry at the school. I don’t have any type of theology degree and it wasn’t a subject I anticipated getting involved with, but once I began the ministry work, I was asked if I could be a theology teacher. The request floored me, but I said I’d try and now I see teaching theology as a natural progression to my ministry role.”
Bishop Earl Fernandes was to present Grieb with the Man of the Year award, sponsored by the diocesan Catholic Men’s Luncheon Club, at the club’s meeting on Friday, March 7 at Columbus St. Patrick Church.
Grieb, 39, is a 2003 graduate of Newark Catholic, where he was senior class president. He also is the school’s seventh- and eighth-grade football coach, an assistant coach for its youth softball club and third- and fourth-grade basketball coach at the Newark YMCA.
He serves his parish, Newark Blessed Sacrament Church, as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist and a teacher for the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults and the Root family catechesis program. He and his wife, Mallory, have four children.
His campus ministry program includes planning all-school Masses on the first Friday of each month, holy days of obligation and other significant feasts, as well as an all-school retreat near the start of the school year and individual class retreats. There also is an annual Kairos retreat for seniors and select juniors, while sophomores take part in a three-day retreat in February at the Damascus Catholic Misson Campus in Knox County.
Grieb said he learned of his selection for the diocesan honor in a phone call received while riding a bus to Damascus with this year’s sophomores. “My wife let slip that I was being nominated, but I’d forgotten all about it until I’d gotten the call, which left me shocked and very surprised,” he said.
“Being a campus minister is challenging because of the way the culture is so apathetic toward faith. We’re not immune to that even here in a school where being Catholic is ingrained in everything we do,” Grieb said.
“Faith just doesn’t appear important elsewhere in society. As a campus minister, I’m always asking students to stand out from the crowd and live their faith in a way that might motivate others.
“We don’t just teach facts to be memorized but things students can apply every day to their lives. When I see students responding to the school environment by persisting in faith through prayer and Mass attendance and in other ways, I want to champion that.”
He said he hopes his students will have the same type of high school experience that led him to come back to Newark Catholic after graduating from Ohio State.
“I wanted to return because I wanted to give back to a community that gave me so much,” Grieb said. “During my time as a student here, I grew in faith, came out of the shell I was in and made lifelong friendships, and I wanted to share this with others. This school has always been my home.”
In a letter nominating him for the award, Lauren Bogner, also a teacher at Newark Catholic, said Grieb was deserving of the honor because of the way he leads others, particularly students, toward a deeper understanding and relationship with Christ.
“In a world where living out one’s faith is not always popular, and certainly not easy, I can confidently say that Chris never wavers in what he believes and constantly strives to bring others along with him in all the best ways possible,” her letter said.
“Chris can often be heard in the halls amongst our students saying, ‘make sure you get to Mass this weekend,’” the letter said. “When dealing with teenagers, this phrase sometimes gets the occasional eye roll or sarcastic comment. But, I know, as do the students, that Mr. Grieb is just looking out for them. He wants them to experience Jesus in the most intimate way possible, the Eucharist.
“Another phrase that often comes to mind when thinking about how important Chris’ faith is to him and how he constantly strives to share it with others is, ‘This is the most important thing that we will get to do today.’ That phrase is in reference to the times that we get to celebrate Mass together and other church-related events as a school.
“Before Mass, that reminder is one that commands an auditorium full of students instantly. The tone of both these phrases is calm, it is sincere, and it is compassion filled, just the way Christ ministered to his people. …
“It is evident that Chris perpetually challenges himself to become a better follower of Christ, not just for himself, but so that others may also come to know our Lord.”
Other nomination letters were written by his pastor, Father Anthony Lonzo, and his former students, Joseph Mummey, Sam Wendt and Kelly Wendt. Mummey also is a teacher at Newark Catholic.
He was chosen from 16 nominees for the Catholic Man of the Year award by representatives from the Catholic Men’s Luncheon Club, Young Catholic Professionals, the Catholic Men’s Ministry, the Knights of Columbus and the Serra Club.
Also nominated were Leonard Barbe, Jacob F. Froning, Jeffrey Gardner, Richard Gummer, Michael Kozlowski, Alex Milburn, Michael Stephen Myers, Thomas Nance. William Oberdick, Joseph Regan, Dr. Mwawaza M. Sanyika, Francis Schneider, Tony Stout, Gerard Tracy and Zachary A. Wooten.
The club established the honor in 1957, awarding it to John Igoe of Columbus St. Agatha Church, and presented it every year through 2020. No 2021 award was presented because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024 recipient was Henry Szabo of Hilliard St. Brendan the Navigator Church.
The club’s next meeting on Friday, April 4 at St. Patrick Church, 280 N. Grant Ave., after the 11:45 a.m. Mass, will feature a talk by lay evangelist Justin Fatica of “Hard as Nails.” No reservations are necessary. There is a suggested donation of $12 to cover costs of the lunch and meeting. The Joseph Group will sponsor the luncheon.