CAPTION: Cher and Joe Rago, with their daughters Grace (left) and Anna (right), joined the parish in 2016.
Cher and Joe Rago met when they were 16 years old and little did they know what their adolescent romance would blossom into later in life.
Cher attended Haverford High School and was a member of Saint Denis Parish while Joe attended Upper Darby High School and was a member of St. Laurence Parish. The neighboring parishes are less than three miles apart so it wasn’t surprising that the two ran into each other at a local ice skating rink while hanging out with their friends. It was almost love at first sight! Sure enough, the two married a few years after graduating from college.
Today, Cher and Joe are active members of Saint Elizabeth Parish and have two remarkable daughters – Anna, 16 years old and a junior at Villa Maria High School; and Grace, 12 years old and in 7th grade at Saint Elizabeth Parish School.
Anna played volleyball and softball until her sophomore year when she decided to pursue her desire to serve others through various volunteering opportunities (see article about her in this issue). This past October, she was named the Main Line Student of the Week.
Grace plays volleyball and basketball in the Saint Elizabeth Athletic Ministry (SEAM) and is active in Middle School Youth Group. The Ragos enjoy outdoor family activities such as hiking, rock climbing and biking. They also love to travel and recently explored the coast of California together. Next, they are planning a trip to Europe.
Cher is the Director of Communications for the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova and editor of the Augustinian magazine, which is published three times a year and highlights the missions and various ministries of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova. Joe is the Senior Vice President of Commercial Real Estate and Finance for Firstrust Bank.
The Rago family came to Saint Elizabeth Parish in 2016 after moving from Newtown Square and Saint Anastasia Parish. Cher is a member of Saint Elizabeth’s Pastoral Plan Implementation Committee. “Saint Elizabeth Parish is like a breath of fresh air,” said Cher, “The community is very welcoming and makes newcomers feel right at home. Father Mullin takes particular care to greet each person by name as they enter the church. There is nothing quite
like a genuine greeting as if to say you have arrived now, it’s time to rest and rejoice. Like most families, we are always on the go and Saint Elizabeth uniquely gives us the space to pause and regroup before entering Mass.”
Cher is interested in becoming more involved with our Adult Faith Formation ministry. “Saint Elizabeth has an impressive number of ministries, which open the door for a variety of personalities to get involved with a faith-filled group of like-minded people,” added Cher. Joe and Cher have also attended a few of the social activities like the Wine and the Bible event presented by Father John last year.
“The Saint Elizabeth community could not be more welcoming,” said Joe. “Everyone has been extremely helpful in transitioning Grace to her new school and we have the highest regard for the priests and deacons at Saint Elizabeth. Considering the times, they are truly beacons of light for us all and a symbol of Christ’s love.”
~ Lisa Barbadora