Salome as a Devout Catholic and Faith-Filled Woman
Loving God and caring for His people was deeply ingrained in Salome Reymann, a devout Catholic and faith-filled woman. Grandson Richard (Dick) Reymann remembers his father, Martin, reciting his nightly prayers on his knees next to his bed. “I think it was a practice that he learned from his mother”, states Dick. Starting and ending the day with thankfulness and prayer was an example that Grandma set for her family. Adds granddaughter Christine Kovesci, “When my twin sister Connie Roulett and I stayed with Grandma, we would peek down the grand hallway into Grandma’s bedroom in the early morning hours, where we would see Grandma on her knees saying the rosary”. As old as she was, she never skipped the opportunity to offer a few humble words of gratitude for her blessings, which were always plentiful.
Practicing the faith for Catholics in the early to mid-decades of the 1900’s was not easy, and certainly not so in Akron, Ohio where several hate groups flourished. “When working with the Cleveland Diocese to establish St. Matthew’s Church in Ellet, Salome and Charles secretly procured property and donated the land in spite of Catholics being unwelcome in the area”, said Dick. Nevertheless, Salome had a vision of fostering good, loving your neighbor, and erecting a church right across the street from her orchard of pear, cherry and apple trees.
Little did Salome know that two of her children would become priests, saying their first Masses immediately following their ordinations in St. Matthew’s Church. Father Albert Reymann was ordained in 1947, and Father James Reymann followed nine years later with ordination in 1958. Priests hold their mothers in special high esteem, which led to much notoriety for Salome within the Diocese of Cleveland. But for Salome, she gained many more seminarians and clergy for which to pray; a silent but welcome blessing for all.
And we know that Salome’s prayers were heard and answered. During wartime, seven of Salome’s children served in various branches of the armed forces, and they all returned home without significant injury. “At the time, many young men lost their lives and their families were devastated. The safe return of a loved one was not always the case, and Salome received all her sons back home, which was rare and unheard of,” states Barbara Reymann Strigle.
Testimony to the power of Salome’s faith and her dedication to God were witnessed by all who knew Salome. And many benefitted from her prayers, whether they were offered in silence, or spoken aloud in quiet moments. Certainly, the kind influence and guidance from Salome continues still, years after her passing in 1968.