“Staying Home” Becomes the Fruitful Ground of This Couple’s Little Way

Her senior year, Katelyn Wesselmann found herself at a crossroads. Her next step could take her anywhere in the country as a missionary, or she could pursue her life’s goal of becoming a Catholic counselor.

“When it came down to it, there was just this feeling—I’m sure the Holy Spirit nudging—that I needed to stay at Lindenwood [University in St. Louis] or at least stay home and work with the people that are present now,” said Katelyn.

Little did she know that this decision would lead to her vocation and fruitful mission.

She met her now-husband Ryan when he came to Lindenwood as a first-year FOCUS missionary the following year. After getting married in December 2023, they’re staying in St. Louis as Katelyn finishes grad school.

Staying home meant deeper investment in some long-term relationships. One friend, Abby, whom Katelyn had met as a freshman, came into the church this Easter.

“This has been like, eight years of prayer,” said Katelyn, laughing. She’s awestruck by witnessing her friend get confirmed and have her marriage validated after so many years of walking with her.

“It’s just been really beautiful.”

The biggest fruit of their stability has been investment in family. Katelyn is the third oldest of four, and Ryan’s got an older sister. They see Katelyn’s family, who lives locally, often.

“It’s a lot of mission in the family setting,” said Ryan. “Like there was a retreat at our local parish and her brother-in-law was like, ‘I want to go, but I’ve never been to a retreat before.’ So I said ‘Okay, let’s go together.’ ”

Ryan has also attended men’s nights with her brother-in-law, and sometimes Katelyn’s brother and dad.

“Both of us are just so convicted of making the little differences in the people around us,” said Ryan. “If it’s this giant, huge thing, that’s great if that’s what we’re called to, but sometimes it’s just having a conversation with our siblings.”

Katelyn's immediate family at their December 2023 wedding

Being taught how to pray is another of those little things the Wesselmanns are convicted will change the trajectory of a person’s life. Having learned how to pray from a FOCUS missionary during college, Katelyn was able to share that teaching with her siblings when they lost her mom to cancer in October 2023.

“Obviously it’s hard and it sucks, but I have received so much fruit and grace from the Lord just because of how I’ve been prepared,” she said.

“[Katelyn’s siblings] could tell we were living differently,” added Ryan. “They could tell there’s something different about grieving in our Catholic faith, something desirable there, and they would come to us for advice.”

When her mom was in the hospital, her family said the rosary a handful of times together, the first time Katelyn remembers doing so. They also went to Mass. After her death, sharing Scripture or reflections from the Magnificat about grief with her siblings has allowed them all to better wrestle with the loss.

“The beauty is that the Lord is there in the really, really difficult times,” said Katelyn.

They reflected that the hardest part has been knowing that by choosing to invest in their local community, they leave others behind, whether that’s friends around the country or Ryan’s family, who lives eight hours away.

“I really want to walk with them and I see these great things that the Lord has for them,” said Ryan. “But it forces you to have more of a trust in the Lord and that he’s the one who does things, not us.”

Their Little Way in St. Louis has shown them the value in “planting seeds”, even if they’re are not ultimately the ones who get to see those seeds grow.

“That’s not the important part,” said Ryan. “Letting these people come to know the Lord is the important part.”

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