Muhammad Ali once said that service is the rent we pay for our room here on earth. In my lifetime, a person who has best exemplified Ali’s sentiment has been Sister Marietta Fritz, who passed onward on Aug. 12.
When I first heard her speak at the “Bishop’s Breakfast” in 1998, I was stunned by her humble honesty about Emmaus House of Saginaw. At that time, Emmaus House was only a decade old. It was formed out of necessity in a former convent on Fourteenth Street when Sister discovered that inmates leaving the Saginaw County Jail often had nowhere to go but back out onto the streets.
She knew all too well from her jail ministry about recidivism. Sister termed it as “the revolving door.” Inmates would serve their time, be released to the streets, and then run afoul of the law again.
Sister joined forces with Sister Shirley to form Emmaus House to help females being released, to provide safe transitional living for them. The need was tremendous, and soon word spread about the safe haven Emmaus House offered.
The program grew; it became a 501(c)3 nonprofit with by-laws and a volunteer board. Sister Shirley lost a battle with cancer, and Sister Marietta became the driving force of the organization.
Sister Marietta lived at Emmaus House as she led the work. Round the clock, 24/7. In service. My wife Joan and I began to volunteer there in August 2013 when Emmaus was a well-oiled machine.
Sister Marietta “ran” things by example; she modeled civility and decency for women who frankly had not had much of either in their lives. When we began there, Sister sat us down and explained her personal beliefs about the residents at Emmaus House. She politely stated we likely had loving parents and a good home to grow up in, and she pivoted quickly to say, “None of us get to choose our parents.”
Sister’s compassion is unforgettable. She had the uncanny ability to discipline and enforce rules and expectations while maintaining respect. Sister could deal with the disappointment of relapse or unexpected death due to her strong resolve and faith in God.
She moved in retirement with her order in Cincinnati, Ohio some six hours from here, yet her influence carries on, now and well into the future.
Craig Douglas has served as a community leader in Carrollton for nearly three decades. In between his K-12 superintendency and his township board service, he was dean of the College of Education at Saginaw Valley State University, in effect leading the way to teach and train our future school teachers. He is a frequent guest on WNEM, Channel 5 and has joined his wife, Joan, in longtime support of Emmaus House
