By The Rev. Tyler Frohlich, known as Father Tyler to the Carroll community, continues to inspire hearts and create relationships as his first year at Carroll concludes.
As Frohlich finishes his first year, students and faculty now have a better understanding of what the dynamic looks like between him and the rest of the school.
Frohlich was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 2022, at the Cathedral of St. Helena. He was initially assigned to Christ the King parish in Missoula, Montana, but has since been reassigned to be the chaplain of Carroll College.
“Your first assignment as priest is your first love, really,” said Frohlich. “There is a deep love for the people in Missoula and there still is.”
Prior to being at Carroll College, Rev. Marc Lenneman assumed the role of the chaplain of the college. In his 16 years at Carroll, Lenneman led hundreds of students to Christ as well as provided the sacraments for them and organized retreats each year.
July 1, 2024, will mark one year since Lenneman’s new assignment at the Cathedral of St. Helena.
“Father Marc is clearly the one who brought campus ministry to where it is,” said Frohlich. “In that sense he made it easy for me to plug in because a lot of things were already established.”
Deidre Casey and Christopher Yakawich have served as assistant directors of campus ministry at Carroll College, assisting Frohlich.
“I’ve been amazed at the way he’s dove right in,” said Casey. “He had big shoes to fill. He’s new to the priesthood and he’s new to campus ministry.”
“I think it’s cool that Father Tyler was a peer minister at Carroll and is now back as a priest,” said Yakawich. “He helped to start some events at Carroll. He knows this place deeply so it makes a lot of sense that he’s the chaplain.”
Frohlich, Casey and Yakawich are working together, building on Lenneman’s legacy and adapting to new challenges.
“I’ve had to step up more administratively and have to walk in more circles that I personally didn’t have to before… there’s a lot of things that Father Marc used to do,” said Casey. “Almost daily there’s something that Father Tyler and I encounter and he’ll ask ‘has this gotten done?’ and I won’t even know, so we’re still navigating.”
“Both Deidre and I have to show him what’s going on around here and the well-oiled machine of campus ministry,” said Yakawich. “At the same time he’s stepped right into it and he’s not hesitant at all.”
Luke Ostberg, a junior philosophy and Catholic studies major from Fairfield, Montana, has served as a peer minister. He leads small groups of younger students in their faith, and lives on a dormitory floor with underclassmen.
Ostberg describes Frohlich as “our Father here at Carroll.”
“He has a heart for reaching people and a heart for freedom and not being afraid. A heart of love,” said Ostberg. “Seeing his passion, there is good encouragement to go out and keep working hard as a peer minister.”
Reflecting on his first year at Carroll, Frohlich is both humble and grateful.
“I see the Lord’s presence clearly in this place,” said Frohlich. “You have to allow the Lord to do the work. I have seen how he has entered the hearts of students who are incredibly faithful. The grace is clearly present and perpetually flowing into the students’ hearts. The Lord is working, it’s obvious, and it’s been amazing to see.”
Frohlich is serving a three-year term at Carroll College, after which Bishop Austin Vetter can choose to extend his assignment or move him to another parish within the diocese of Helena.
“I’m really excited and optimistic about the future, what we can do, and continue to do with the legacy of Father Marc,” said Frohlich. “I’m ready to see what the Lord does as my heart opens to allow him to work more and more. The Lord is going to continue to bless Carroll, and the students especially.”
