PUT-IN-BAY—Living on an island three miles long and one mile wide might not appeal to everyone, but “it’s a fun life” according to Father Jeffrey Nordhaus, pastor of Put-in-Bay Mother of Sorrows and Kelleys Island St. Michael.

“I love being surrounded by water,” Fr. Nordhaus says. “I always used to kid how one thing about being pastor of the islands was I knew exactly where my parish boundaries were.”

The priest was no stranger to island living when he began his assignment six years ago. During his 16 years as a Navy chaplain, he lived on Oahu, Hawaii; Kodiak Island, Alaska; and Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean with a U.S. Navy support facility. He left the Navy in 1998 and served at Clyde St. Mary before being assigned to Mother of Sorrows and St. Michael.

Tourism is integral to life on two of the largest American Lake Erie islands, and just as vital to the Catholic parishes.

Mother of Sorrows and St. Michael each claim fewer than 100 year-round parishioners, but summertime brings more than a million visitors and temporary residents. The wintertime residential population of less than 400 people on each island swells to about 2,000 people on South Bass Island, where Put-In-Bay is located, and about 1,300 people on Kelleys Island.

Parish membership varies just as dramatically, according to Robert Reuter, a member of the Mother of Sorrows parish council for the past 20 years.

“There are three times as many summer members of the parish as there are year-round in the winter,” he says.

Mr. Reuter resides in Cleveland for most of the year, but has spent his summer weekends living at Put-in-Bay since 1981. Any summer resident who owns property can register at an island parish in addition to their home parish, and vacation season brings an additional 125 parishioners to Mother of Sorrows.

“We definitely rely on our summer parishioners,” says Sonya Dress, 69, a lifelong resident of South Bass Island and member of Mother of Sorrows who has observed a gradual decline in year-round membership at her parish.

From late May through mid-September, Fr. Nordhaus makes the short trek back and forth between his parishes to celebrate six Masses a weekend for residents and visitors. His last trip home is by ferry, but the rest of the time he takes a plane because of time constraints.

Crowds fill the small island churches for Mass, and a congregation from St. John at the Bay Lutheran Mission is permitted to use the worship space at Mother of Sorrows Church on Sunday afternoons.

Mother of Sorrows organizes several fundraising events during the busy season. Its annual 5K at the Bay race draws more than 300 racers to the scenic island in September, and three years ago the parish started the “Pooch Parade” contest to give island dogs a chance to compete for awards including cutest, most unusual and the dog that looks most like its owner. The parish also participates in an island-wide garage sale.

Fr. Nordhaus says he has to budget for the other eight months of the year, when care for the island churches falls to a small but dedicated group of members.

“I think almost everyone there has served on the parish council or somehow been involved in the parish,” he says. “They’re just good people.”

Many year-round residents are retirees, but there are also younger families. Put-In-Bay School, located near Mother of Sorrows Church, has about 100 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and Mother of Sorrows has four first communicants this year.

Fr. Nordhaus resides in the parish house on South Bass Island with his dog, a golden retriever called “Sailor,” and his cat, “Admiral.”

As the number of visitors dwindles with the arrival of fall, quiet descends on the islands. During the winter, “I can take my dog downtown, walk around the park and not see anybody,” says Fr. Nordhaus.

The number of Masses drops to three per weekend in the off-season: two at Mother of Sorrows and one at St. Michael. Weekend Mass attendance averages about 35-40 people at St. Michael and about 65-75 people at Mother of Sorrows. Fr. Nordhaus often celebrates weekday Masses in the parish house during winter.

“It’s not economical to heat that whole church for just a very small number of people,” he explains.
Weekend attendance fluctuates depending on whether the ferry is running. During winter break at Put-in-Bay School, Fr. Nordhaus says he loses more than half of his parishioners.

He compares winter on the island to an extended retreat, which he enjoys.

“The isolation sometimes puts you into a meditative and prayerful mood,” Fr. Nordhaus explains. “It affords the opportunity to do a lot of reading and a lot of soul-searching.”

Fr. Nordhaus says he will miss the islands when he returns to the mainland July 2 to begin his assignment as pastor of Custar St. Louis and Deshler Immaculate Conception.

“But,” he admits with a smile, “I’m going to like being able to get in my car and go places now.”