ST. FRANCIS DE SALES DEANERY — For Bill Otto, a member of St. Anthony Parish in Madisonville, no one is a stranger.

He is a welcoming presence in his neighborhood and faith community through his ministry of hospitality. He begins each day on his front porch at the crack of down and waves to cars that pass his home on Roe Street. Otto spends most of the day on the porch; Roe has a high volume of traffic, so he greets many people.

"As long as they look at me, I wave to them. They don’t always wave back the first time, but the next time they will," Otto said, his eyes twinkling.

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Through his front porch ministry Bill Otto is a welcoming presence in his neighborhood.

Occasionally someone will not only wave back, but also will stop and share his or her story. Otto told of an Indian Hill woman who stopped by and joined him on his porch. "Who the heck are you, waving at me?" she asked. Otto replied, "Well, who the heck are you?" The woman eventually poured out her story, telling him about the fire that had destroyed her house and how her dog had saved her life.

"One day a truck driver stopped by and told me his life story," said Otto. "It’s amazing what stories people will share with me. I’m proud that they have enough trust in me to share their personal stories."

"I’ve had several people tell me that God put me on this porch for a reason," Otto added. "With each person, I learn something new."

His love for meeting people is a common thread running through his life, whether through his work or his involvement at St. Anthony Parish. Otto is familiar face at the 8:30 a.m. Mass. He served as liturgical ministry coordinator until he could no longer fulfill those duties due to health reasons.

Still, he can always be found always in the back of church, greeting people as they enter with a smile and usually a joke. Most people are eager to stop and chat with Otto, sharing his spirit of faith and community.

Otto first joined the parish in 1983, immediately recognizing that it is a special place. "I walked into St. Anthony and sat in the back, where I sit today," he said. "As soon as I came in, I felt I had a family. I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’ve come home.’"

It wasn’t long before Otto began making friends at St. Anthony, including fellow parishioner Randy Bennett. Both men were encouraged to become active in the parish by then-pastor Father George Jacquemin.

Looking back on his life, Otto said, "My life has been wonderful I can’t think of anyone who is an enemy. There are things done for me that I don’t deserve."

Otto is one of the blessings at St. Anthony Parish. If you have the opportunity, chat with him after Mass.

Better yet, stop by his house and sit awhile on his porch.