PoP Family of the Month, February 2024
Our Family of the Month for February 2024 is the Barbara and Ray Emma family, selected for their inspirational role in supporting the Prince of Peace Catholic Community.
As founding members of Prince of Peace, Barabara and Ray are the proud parents of two adult children, four grandchildren and one great grandchild. The couple will celebrate their 58th wedding anniversary on Feb. 19.
Barbara has been an Extraordinary Minister for the Sick for 23 years and served as the Prince of Peace coordinator of the Hospital Ministry for seven years. At a local hospital, she regularly visits patients to offer them the Blessed Sacrament and pray with them and their visitors.
At Prince of Peace, she has also been a Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion coordinator for more than 20 years. Ray has also served as an EMHC for many years, and you can generally find them attending the Saturday, 5 p.m. Mass.
Both Barbara and Ray have been involved in the Empty Nesters committee. They also enjoyed spending time with other parishioners in the Prime Timers ministry. Barbara serves on the Funeral Reception Committee also known as the Bereavement Committee. As a volunteer, she sets up and takes down meal settings for guests after funerals and serves food to guests.
For 12 years, Barbara served as the wedding coordinator at Prince of Peace. In that ministry, she would work with brides and grooms to be, and their wedding planners, to ensure each wedding went smoothly and adhered to acceptable standards in terms of Catholic teachings.
As members of the Decorating Committee, Barbara and Ray have worked with others over the years to ensure the worship space looked great in all liturgical seasons of the year.
Ray and Barbara both previously served on the St. Vincent De Paul Committee and would assist local citizens in need of the service of SVDP. Given her love of distributing prayer shawls made by women of Prince of Peace, Barbara is an honorary member of the Prayer Shawl Committee