Fr. Richard Klingeisen, who serves both St. Mary in Clarks Mills and St. Michael in Whitelaw, began attending as a 15-year-old after his father purchased a farm in Clarks Mills.

“There’s so much history and there are so many wonderful people here,” Fr. Klingeisen said. “The older members have some great memories of their own reception into the church by way of sacraments, reconciliation, first Communion, marriages. It’s like they want to hand that on to their children and their grandchildren. There’s a pride in the church and seeing their younger relatives have an opportunity to be part of the church that means so much to them.”

Fr. Klingeisen, who joined the Salvatorian Seminary before his family moved to Clarks Mills, is the fourth son of the parish to have been ordained as a priest. The others were Gustave Salutz, Walter Tuschel and Andrew Linsmeyer. However, Fr. Klingeisen is the only one whose ordination ceremony (on June 10, 1972) was held at St. Mary. He was ordained by Bishop Aloysius Wycislo.