METRO DETROIT — When it comes to sharing the faith, few places can be as difficult to navigate as the workplace.

But being an evangelist doesn’t necessarily mean hanging posters and breaking out the rosary beads at your desk or during lunch.

Your Catholic faith is present “in the way you do business and conduct yourself and how you prepare, present, summarize and conclude,” explained Wendy Reedy, a principal at Clayton & McKervey, P.C.’s Southfield location.

Reedy, as a Catholic businesswoman in a secular workplace, said her faith life enables her “very much” to appreciate her co-workers, regardless of their personal beliefs.

“We’re all different but we’re all sons and daughters of God,” said Reedy, a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Grosse Ile.

Living her faith in a daily way involves “making sure my core values are reflected in how I act at work (and) at home,” Reedy explained, adding that her shared “commonality of understanding and respect” with her co-workers helps them work together well.

Faith should, in some way, be a part of everything a Catholic professional does, Reedy said. If someone removes their faith from certain aspects of their life, “I can’t see happiness that way,” she reflected.



John Sier, a Detroit attorney with Kitch Attorneys & Counselors, said he likes to begin his day with a two-minute meditation, and also has “little reminders around my office that will try and keep me coming back to why I’m doing what I do.”

Sier, who attends the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, and said the question shouldn’t be how to balance one’s faith and work life, but rather, “how does it infuse your work life so it is not a dichotomy or on two different ends of the spectrum?”

“It’s not ‘something else’ that you have to accommodate — it’s part of it,” he said.

Sier said especially in the legal environment, bringing up religion can make people uncomfortable in the workplace, “however, living faithfully and living according to the principles of the Gospel probably are as powerful a testament as anything else.”

Sier, co-chairman of the annual Mass for Commerce for the Metro Detroit business community, which is Oct. 15 this year, said he enjoys the stories of colleagues connecting at the event, who often don’t realize their acquaintances are Catholic, too.

“You do hope that at some point someone will say that through your living the Gospel … that’s a confirmation that you are a Catholic, not a shock,” he said.



Michele Pomante, who attends St. Hubert Parish in Harrison Township, said she makes her Catholicism part of her daily work by praying throughout the day, “whether it be prayers of thanksgiving, requests for myself (or) others.”

Pomante, a brand coordinator with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, said she also prays for God’s assistance related to work issues and assignments.

“I think one can evangelize (at work) in subtle ways … by being open about your faith and sharing with others examples of how your faith has helped you through difficult times,” Pomante said. “This could inspire those that are struggling with something in their lives.”

Pomante, who lectors at Greektown’s Old St. Mary’s every few weeks for daily Mass, said her faith makes her a better businessperson since attributes such as honesty, integrity and respect “are the foundation of the Catholic faith.”

John C. Prost, owner of an insurance company that bears his name in St. Clair Shores, said good business relationships are based largely on “what can be called relationship.”

“I live my life in trying to be honest in all of these things,” said Prost, who attends St. Amborse Parish in Grosse Pointe Park. “The way I conduct myself tells people the way my beliefs are.”

Prost said good business ethics also involve “trying to have a great deal of empathy for those who are far less fortunate than we are. … Most of us understand that a lot of people out there are hurting very badly. It’s part of the Catholic faith, not unlike what Christ said, to do what you can to help those in need.”

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21st annual Mass for Commerce

What: An annual opportunity for the Catholic business community to share in the Eucharist together; all businesspeople welcome. Bring a friend or colleague. After Mass, breakfast is offered for fellowship and networking.

When: Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 8 a.m.

Where: Sacred Heart Major Seminary chapel, 2701 W. Chicago, Detroit, 48206
More information: Parking available in seminary lot. No cost and no RSVP required. To learn more, visit www.aod.org/massforcommerce.