The Rev. Ruth Carter-Crist offers the dedication Wednesday to the Divine Mercy Chapel at Putnam Heritage in Ottawa.
David Trinko | The Lima News
OTTAWA — Audrey Ruthman spent much of her life renovating chapels, completing 36 restorations of the quiet retreats for prayer.
Make that 37. More than a year after her death, people at Putnam Heritage Assisted Living on Wednesday afternoon dedicated her 37th and final chapel, the Divine Mercy Chapel at Putnam Heritage.
“Eternal God, let this chapel, which we dedicate to your name, be a house of salvation and grace where Christians gathered together may worship you in spirit and truth, may learn of you and may grow together in love,” Father Rick Friebel said in the opening prayer of the interdenominational service.
Ruthman, born in Columbus Grove as Audrey Schumaker who later moved to the Cincinnati area and married Thomas Ruthman, was a devout Catholic. The chapel, donated by Ruthman’s family, includes some of her own touches selected before she died Feb. 20, 2023, at the age of 89 as a resident of the assisted living facility. Her stepchildren helped guide the project to completion and were on hand for Wednesday’s dedication, along with several of her surviving sisters.
A crucifix on a stone wall demands your attention. So do the four stained glass windows — two of Jesus, one of St. John Paul II and one of Padre Pio — from nearby Window Creations in Ottoville. One includes the Divine Mercy image of Jesus, with beams coming from his heart and the words, “Jesus I trust in you,” which Friebel urged people to say every day.
The crucifix and statues of Mary and Joseph were imported in from Europe.
Still, the room, which seats 25, is a place of prayer open to all Christian denominations, said the Rev. Terry Porter.
“Protestant or Catholic, we can all gather together as we dedicate this chapel,” Porter said.
It’s already become a favorite place to pray for Dr. Charles David, the owner of Putnam Heritage.
“Sometimes I come here to relax and pray,” David said. “Sometimes it’s 2 o’clock in the morning, and it’s so peaceful.”
The Rev. Ruth Carter-Crist, of Pandora United Methodist Church, offered the act of dedication.
“Dear friends, now that we have completed building, let us dedicate this chapel and rejoice in its holy use,” she said.
