Four men in the diocese were selected by Bishop Earl Fernandes to receive the pontifical Benemerenti Medal.
Benemerenti, meaning “good merit,” is an honor given by the Church to well-deserving individuals. The medal has been conferred by popes for exceptional accomplishments and service.
Matt Schlater, Tim Botts, Bob Hetterscheidt and Matt Brown each received the special honor.
The Benemerenti Medal features an image of Christ in radiant splendor on a gold Greek-style cross. The Savior’s hand is raised in blessing.
On the left is a depiction of a tiara and crossed keys. “Benemerenti” is written on the reverse side of the cross.
The insignia suspends from a ribbon of yellow and white stripes, the papal colors.
Schlater, who received the award Wednesday, March 4 following a Diocesan Financial Council meeting, served as the diocese’s chief operating officer (COO) from 2021 to 2024.
The husband and father of 10 is co-owner of the Jones-Schlater Flooring company, which was founded in 2011, and resides in Johnstown with his family.
He co-founded Damascus Catholic Mission Campus in 2015 and has served as chairman of the board since its inception. The apostolate, based in Centerburg, Ohio, in Knox County, offers Catholic Youth Summer Camp, retreats for adults and youth, and other events.
Schlater continues to serve the diocese as an advisor to Bishop Fernandes and member of the Diocesan Financial Council.
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He described receiving the Benemerenti Medal as a surprise but an honor to be recognized.
“I think all of us Catholics are called to do what Christ asks of us for our communities, but no one could ever contribute to the Church what the Church contributes to us,” he said.
The Benemerenti was awarded as a mark of recognition beginning in 1925. People in service to the Church, civil and military, laity and clergy, can receive the honor. The medal is bestowed upon deserving individuals during Holy Years and special jubilees in the life of the Church and reigning pope.
Schlater, who was recognized for his leadership during a time of change and major strategic planning initiative in the diocese, was raised in Columbus and attended Franciscan University of Steubenville.
He helped start a college apostolate in 2000 known as Compass, now the Catholic Worldview Fellowship. Schlater served on college campuses, starting Bible studies in small groups and taking students to Europe for a learning experience with Catholic leaders.
He later married his wife, Virginia, “Ginny,” whom he met at Franciscan. The couple and their seven daughters and three sons are active members of Sunbury St. John Neumann parish.
“Through a beautiful inheritance of the faith from our parents, since before our marriage, through our engagement and our courting period, (we) have always had the life of the Church in Christ at our center,” Schlater said. “It’s always just very naturally been a really, really important part of who we are, what we do, how we allocate our time and resources.”
He noted several gifts his family received from the Church: a community, relationships with priests, friendships, a compass in navigating difficult experiences, and above all, sacramental graces.
“As husband and wife, and as family, I think we’ve been given a good perspective on how important our faith is – but really, how important the Catholic Church is – in the life of our family,” he said. “The Church is everything to us.”
In 2021, under the leadership of then-Bishop Robert Brennan, who was later reassigned to the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, Schlater assumed the role of COO for the diocese. He continued serving during the installation of Bishop Fernandes in May 2022.
Prior to assuming the role, he engaged in the strategy and execution of the New Evangelization, a term coined by Pope St. John Paul II. Schlater worked to implement the New Evangelization in the Columbus diocese, he explained, helping the local Church be a steward of growth.
“After having been with the diocese for three years, especially in the capacity that I was in with virtually unlimited knowledge of what was going on with the Church, now more than ever, I’m convinced that no one human being could ever give … in comparison to the gift that the Catholic Church is,” he said.
“In those three years, I received far more than I could have ever given. The Catholic Church is the greatest gift to humanity that God ever gave.”
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Hetterscheidt, of Galena, is a 40-year St. John Neumann parishioner.
He received the Benemerenti honor in recognition of his long-standing service on the Diocesan Finance Council and Diocesan Investment Committee since 2011.
The husband, father of two and grandfather of seven serves as a financial advisor at Edward Jones financial services firm. He has held the role for 27 years, serving clients and the Sunbury community.
Hetterscheidt is also active in his parish, serving as past president of the parish pastoral council and an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion.
Botts, also of Galena, is a retired certified public accountant and parishioner at Westerville St. Paul the Apostle Church. The husband, father of three and grandfather of eight has been active in the parish since 1996.
He has served on the Diocesan Financial Council since 2002, currently as chairman and member of the Strategic Planning Committee. He also served on the council’s Audit Committee.
Prior to retiring, Botts held the role of partner in an international accounting firm. He was active in various organizations supporting youth.
Brown, a husband and father of two, is a retired investment consultant from Dublin. He was recognized for his institutional knowledge and wisdom.
He served the diocese for more than 40 years in various capacities: chief financial officer, director of investments, diocesan investment committee member and finance officer. He also served as chief finance officer and secretary of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus.
In his profession as a senior investment consultant, Brown served dozens of Catholic organizations.