Living the Faith: Patricia Frischhertz Arnold

• Who are you? Married to Clifton Arnold since 1984; the mother of one child, four stepchildren and 12 grandchildren; attended St. James Major, Mount Carmel Academy, Loyola University and UNO, where she earned a master’s degree in special ed and education administration; her 46-year teaching career included 19 years at Catholic schools, including Resurrection of Our Lord, Holy Cross and Christ the King. “I was one of those teachers who put in 70 hours a week!” Arnold said.

• What ministries are you involved in? A former parishioner of St. Maria Goretti, Arnold joined Our Lady of Lourdes in 2003, after moving to Eden Isles. She is an extraordinary minister of holy Communion, choir member and supporter of OLL’s perpetual adoration and pro-life efforts. The daily communicant also serves on her parish’s education committee and oversees outreach efforts of her Kaycee Ladies Auxiliary. “We say the rosary at every meeting and have monthly Masses that we go to together. It helps me develop my prayer life.”

• What guides your faith?“I take the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy very seriously. I just figure that’s what God wants me to do – feed the hungry, instruct the ignorant, comfort the dying,” said Arnold, a recently certified Notre Dame Hospice volunteer. “We give a break to the caregiver. You are there as an interested friend and visitor.”

• Why do you love Catholicism?“God loves us so much, he wants to be with us in a very personal way through the Eucharist. We can trace ourselves all the way back to Jesus through the popes, and even though we’ve had a lot of bumps on the road, the Holy Spirit has been with us the whole time.”

• What is your favorite hobby? Arnold has swum competitively since age 43, garnering national records in her age group in the 1,500-meter freestyle 200-meter breaststroke.  “(My sister and I) started swimming because our kids were swimming, and when they got out of it we just kept going!”