Bill Plato remembers that the seeds of advocacy for married priests began more than thirty years ago at a parish council meeting at The Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord in Solon, Ohio.

Fr. Louis Trivison was the first pastor there (1971) sharing parish ministry and leadership with Mary Lou Misciasci, CSJ and Rosemary (Rosie) Kuhns, CSJ. He taught theology at Notre Dame College and St. John College and was deeply influenced by his sister, Notre Dame Sister Mary Louise Trivison. In 1990, Fr. Louis J. Trivison co-founded FutureChurch with Sr. Christine Schenk, CSJ and Cleveland Catholics from 16 different parishes.

"I believe the shortage of priests imperils the Eucharistic life of the church," Fr. Louie once said. "The Eucharist is more important than the gender or the married state of the celebrant of Mass."

A man with an extraordinarily generous heart on a big mission, those who knew him said he was much more than a pastor.

"Louis Trivison was like a father to me," said Bill Plato. Bill was one of the early parish council members from Resurrection Parish and an early member of FutureChurch.

When asked how Fr. Louie would feel about the latest news from Synod on the Amazon regarding the proposal to open the priesthood to married men, Bill didn't hesitate, "Louie would be very happy; he was so dedicated to it."

"We talked about our hopes for married priests all the time," continued Bill. "And for Louie, it was all about the centrality of the Eucharist."

Bill laughed saying that the only complaint Louie might have is that the synod proposal to open the priesthood to married men didn't happen sooner.  "But, Louie knew it would be a long haul," said Bill. "He thought the door to married priests would open first, then the door to women priests would open, another issue he was passionate about seeing come to fruition."

"It wasn't always easy for Louie," Bill recalled. "While he had many close friends and priests who supported him, he also had his skeptics."  

Encouraged that a group of bishops in Brazil who understand the centrality of the Eucharist have been able to move this issue of married priests forward, Bill said, "This is what motivated Louie, and that is positive and hopeful."