Community revived

When a Catholic congregation learned it would be closed, the members were not ready to leave one another. Instead of scattering, they formed a new Marianist lay community with the help of two Flyers. 

In 2022, the Queen of Apostles Catholic community in Beavercreek, Ohio, just outside of Dayton, heard the Society of Mary would no longer be able to provide a pastor for the parish. Members Meghann Heft Naveau ’10 and Matt Naveau ’08 stepped up to lead the founding of Spiritus, a Marianist lay community that has provided a new home for the Queen of Apostles family.

“The Holy Spirit movement of what this community could be as a model for the Church inspired us and the opportunity to create something new and different.”

Members of QAC since 2021, the Naveaus said they felt the Holy Spirit calling them to help the community.

“There was a spiritual draw for us,” Meghann said. “The Holy Spirit movement of what this community could be as a model for the Church inspired us and the opportunity to create something new and different.”

Spiritus is much larger than most lay communities, with nearly 100 members instead of the typical 10 to 12.

Instead of trying to offer a Mass-like experience without Communion, the community decided that Spiritus services would involve prayer, music, readings, reflections and social justice activities, including work with local service organizations like St. Vincent de Paul and Food for the Journey Project.

“It was a really good, creative exercise for the community to say what’s really important to us and what spiritually feeds us, in addition to Mass,” Meghann said.

The Naveaus’ experiences with entrepreneurial roles facilitated their ability to revitalize the community. Meghann has owned her own business, and Matt has worked in small organizations and start-ups.

“Building something new is scary, but we’ve done it enough times that we had some ideas of what the process could look like,” Meghann said.

Father Tom Schroer, S.M. ’65, a spiritual adviser for Spiritus, embodies the demographic of much of the community and said the Naveaus bring with them new ideas and the calling of UD to learn, lead and serve.

“They have helped us all learn and grow throughout the transition process. They have led us through numerous challenges, including figuring out where and how we would meet, when we would meet and what that structure could look like,” Schroer said.

Meghann and Matt, parents of two elementary school-aged children, hope their work empowers their children to achieve their own goals.

“In our adult life, we’ve had these times of discernment, decision — what do we do? — and we found ourselves often going back to campus for quiet and guidance."

The couple said their vocations would not have been possible without UD. Meghann studied communication, while Matt studied computer engineering. They attribute their professional experiences and friendships to UD and often return to the chapel or Serenity Pines.

“In our adult life, we’ve had these times of discernment, decision — what do we do? — and we found ourselves often going back to campus for quiet and guidance,” Matt said.

As they look toward the future, the couple knows their community will grow through their faith in the Holy Spirit.

“The community is named after the Holy Spirit, so we have to trust in that,” Matt said. —REBECCA SUTTON ’25

A version of this article appears in print in the Summer 2025 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 53. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE