MARIA STEIN — The Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics board of directors recently added two new members, John Vermeersch, of Celina, and Pamela Fleck, of New Bremen.
Vermeersch received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and a Master Business Administration from Ashland University. He is currently employed as a continuous improvement engineerfor Eaton Hydraulics. His professional focus is on continuous improvement and lean manufacturing for the 13 plants in the Americas region.
He has been married to Mary Vermeersch for 17 years and they have three children. Katie is an engineer in Philadelphia, Sara is a lawyer in Columbus, and Alex is finishing his studies at Ohio State. Vermeersch is also an active member of Immaculate Conception Parish in Celina and served on the parish council for three years, including one year as president.
“With my role at work, I have been involved in strategy development and deployment, process improvement and problem solving. I would like to be able to use these skills outside of work, with a non-profit, and provide value to the Maria Stein organization,” said Vermeersch.
Fleck graduated from Marion Local High School and received an Associate Degree in Applied Business Management from Rhodes State College. She retired from Minster Bank in 2016 after 35 years of service, with her most recent position held being loan processing administrator. Fleck continues to work at Minster Bank part time on special projects and manages the bookkeeping for her family farm and trucking business.
She is married to Jim Fleck and they currently reside 1.5 miles from the Shrine. They have three children, Joshua, Olivia and Evan; as well as three grandchildren. She and Jim are members of the Precious Blood Church in Chickasaw.
“Growing up so close to the Shrine meant many visits with my family. The Convent, as I knew it then, was part of our everyday life and something we treasured. I have many childhood memories of the beautiful grounds and hope my grandchildren will too. I have a very deep desire to see the Shrine continue to thrive and be a blessing to our community and others,” said Fleck.
The nonprofit corporation, Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics, was established in 2010. At that time, five Sisters of the Precious Blood and three laypeople served on board of directors for the newly formed nonprofit. The board has changed and grown over time. It is now composed of eight laypeople and four Sisters. New members are approved by the current board and serve three-year terms.
The Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics provides faith nourishment and spiritual renewal through opportunities for prayer and pilgrimage and inspiration from the lives of the saints. People from around the world visit the shrine to explore and enjoy this environment rich in holiness and history.
The Shrine is located at 2291 St. John’s Road in Maria Stein. To learn more about the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics, visit www.mariasteinshrine.org.
