Last Updated on October 31, 2025 by Editor
ABOVE: Loraine and Scott Bolen at the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel in 2019.
Compared to many lifelong parishioners, Scott and Loraine Bolen are relative newcomers, having been communicants for less than a decade. Scott grew up in Detroit while Loraine was a local girl. They met on the job, worked in the federal government for years in important positions before retiring and settling down in the region. They found Mount Carmel / Blessed Sacrament and have made it their home worshipping and volunteering.
Scott
You’re not a local guy. You grew up in Detroit. What was it like there?
Well, actually, I was born in California, but Detroit is where I grew up and where my youth was shaped. My parents were from small Iowa farming families who became teachers — Dad taught high school math and science, and Mom was an elementary teacher. They both later worked with autistic children, which says a lot about their hearts for serving others.
My earliest memories are from the island of Saipan in the South Pacific, where Dad worked with the Defense Department, helping set up school systems. But when he got a scholarship to Wayne State University in the early 1960s, we moved to Detroit, first downtown, then to the suburbs after the civil unrest of the late ’60s.
Back then, Detroit was absolutely fascinating. It was the heartbeat of America’s auto industry. Every kid on my block or at school, their dads and mothers, and families, just about everyone had some connection to the “Big Three” or the companies that supplied them. It was a time when labor was king, and Detroit was this incredible melting pot. You had families from the Deep South who came north for those good-paying auto jobs, mixed with vibrant Polish, Italian, Black, and Arabic communities, plus our neighbors across the river in Windsor. We always considered the Canadians our dearest friends; truly like first cousins. Trips across the border were like visiting family, filled with warm visits and shared celebrations.
The diversity was amazing. I grew up listening to everything from southern country music (the old stuff) to Motown to Polish polkas, and the food was just as varied. The auto industry wasn’t just about factories; it was about innovation and technology, creating this energy that spilled over into the arts and entertainment, especially the music scene.
Looking back, I feel blessed to have grown up in a place that was so vibrant and real. The good times and the tough times both shaped who I became.
You came to our area when you got a job at the former Rome Air Development Center, which later became Rome Laboratory and Air Force Research Laboratory. What did your job entail?
When I arrived, I was older than most starting engineers. I’d just finished my master’s in electrical engineering at Michigan State University. I’ve always felt called to serve my community and country, so working for the government felt like the right path for me.
Rome Laboratory turned out to be an absolute treasure, a hidden gem right here in our little corner of the world. I couldn’t believe the caliber of scientists and engineers working there. I had the pleasure of encountering and working with the most brilliant minds who tackled the most complex problems you can imagine, all in service to our national security. Because of the classified nature of the work, most people never knew about the incredible innovations happening right in their back yard; things that not only strengthened our defense but eventually found their way into everyday commercial use.
The work itself was incredibly challenging and rewarding. I was part of a team developing advanced radar systems for military aircraft. I remember passionate debates about design concepts and theoretical approaches that often stretched into the early morning hours; the kind of intense collaboration happens when talented minds are totally absorbed in tackling problems that have never been solved before. Our research eventually led to breakthroughs that the Air Force patented, technology that revolutionized airborne radar and enhanced stealth capabilities.
The most humbling moment came years later, toward the end of my career, when I worked with an Air Force general who didn’t know my full background. One day, when he discovered I was the inventor behind the radar technology he’d used as a fighter pilot, I’ll never forget what he told me. He asked me about my work, looked me in the eye, and said, “You need to know the technology you invented saved the lives of countless airmen, myself included.”
That’s when it hit me how blessed I was to be part of something so much bigger than myself, right here in Central New York.
It was there you met Loraine. Tell us your love story.
Loraine truly is the love of my life; yes, I know that might sound like a cliché, but it’s anything but that for us.
I’d always believed in God. I grew up Catholic, went to Catholic school for first and second grade, and received my First Communion and Confirmation, all the things good Catholic kids do. But like so many others, I’d drifted away from active participation in my faith. I figured believing was enough; I didn’t need to attend Mass or get involved in parish life. I was completely absorbed in my passion for science and engineering; that was my whole world.
Then God put Loraine in my path. She worked at Rome Laboratory for my division chief, right down the hall, so whenever I needed to see the boss, she was always the first person I’d encounter. And she was always smiling; this genuine, radiant smile that just lit up the room.
At first, I noticed the obvious things: her beautiful smile, her lovely face and charming personality. But something deeper kept drawing me to her, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. For the longest time, it puzzled my logical mind. Here was this feeling I couldn’t quantify or explain, yet it kept pulling at me.
Rome is a small place (compared to Detroit), and I’d see her out with friends at the same places I’d go. Eventually, I realized I needed to get to know her better. My trips to the boss’ office suddenly had a different purpose! Those quick “good mornings” turned into little conversations about nothing in particular, which gradually grew into real conversations, until I finally found the courage to ask her out.
It was the best decision I ever made. As we grew closer and eventually married, I discovered her greatest gift. In those quiet, intimate moments we shared, beyond all the things that first attracted me to her, she revealed her deep, authentic faith in God. Through her love and gentle example, she brought me back home to my Catholic faith — not through preaching or pushing, but by opening her heart to me and showing me how God was woven into every fiber of her being.
Eventually, you continued to work in the federal government across multiple departments and agencies in the intelligence community and homeland security. Please describe what that career was like.
After my time at Rome Lab, my career took me through various roles in the intelligence community and homeland security, eventually leading to some very senior positions in Washington, D.C. I was blessed to serve in key leadership roles focused on securing our nation against a broad range of foreign threats, particularly foreign terror threats to the homeland. These were critical positions during our nation’s most challenging security periods, working at the highest levels of government to coordinate intelligence, develop counterterrorism strategies, and protect American lives.
The work in Washington was intense and consequential. I met and briefed senior government officials, policy makers, and congressional committees, coordinated with multiple agencies, and made decisions that could affect national security. I worked closely with the intelligence community, law enforcement agencies, and international partners to identify and neutralize threats before they could reach our shores. It was both humbling and weighty to be entrusted with such responsibility.
Later in my career, my focus shifted from counterterrorism to counter-illicit trafficking. My service required extensive travel throughout Central and South America, working directly with our partner nations and seeing firsthand the devastating impact of these criminal organizations. What I witnessed was heartbreaking: the atrocities committed by transnational criminal organizations and the immense suffering they inflicted on local populations. The drug and human trafficking trade is particularly insidious, destroying families and entire communities.
These experiences gave me tremendous empathy for those populations and for the immigrants seeking to come to America, often fleeing the very violence and chaos these criminal networks create. It’s one thing to read the news reports; it’s quite another to see the human cost with your own eyes.
You and Loraine volunteer in many capacities in our parish: usher, greeter, wedding rehearsal team, cut vegetables for the festival, lector (Scott) and past parish council (Scott). You also volunteer a lot in the community. Why do you do it?
I’ve always felt this deep need to help others; it goes back to my earliest memories as a young boy. There’s something inside me that just wants to be involved in helping my community. Those early days shaped who I am today; that’s probably a whole other interview!
But honestly, it comes down to the spirit of community and wanting to give back. God has blessed Loraine and me in so many ways throughout our lives, through family, careers, and most importantly, through our faith and this wonderful parish family. How can we not want to share those blessings?
When I look at all the ways St. Mary of Mount Carmel has enriched our lives, volunteering doesn’t feel like work at all. Whether I’m greeting folks as they come to Mass, helping couples prepare for their wedding day, chopping vegetables for the festival, proclaiming God’s word as a lector, or serving on the parish council, it’s all just different ways of saying “thank you” to God and to this community that’s given us so much.
What does our parish mean to you?
St. Mary of Mount Carmel isn’t just our parish, it’s truly our home in every sense of the word.
When I retired from government service, Loraine and I moved from Key West back to her family area here in Barneveld. Loraine grew up on a dairy farm in this community, so it was coming home for her. After living in Rome working for the Air Force, it was more like rediscovering a new home, and what a blessing that discovery has been.
We found a wonderful faith community here at St. Mary of Mount Carmel. The people we met were so warm and welcoming from day one. It felt like home immediately, better than home, because the parish has truly made Mount Carmel God’s home.
This parish became the place where I could fully embrace the faith journey that Loraine had started me on years earlier. Through her example, I had been converted from simply believing to living as a disciple of Jesus. St. Mary of Mount Carmel is where that faith has continued to deepen and flourish. The community here has nurtured both of us in ways we never expected.
St. Mary of Mount Carmel is where we’ve found our truest calling, deepest friendships, and spiritual home. We’re not just members here, we feel part of a family.
Loraine
Unlike your husband, you were born and raised here, growing up on a dairy farm in Barneveld. Please describe what life was like back then.
Growing up on our family dairy farm was a wonderful way to learn about life, responsibility, and the value of hard work. There were six of us — Mom, Dad, and four children — and we all had our roles to play in keeping the farm running.
Our “vacation” was right there in the fields during summer break from school, with plenty of farm chores to keep us busy. That was normal for farm families back then; honestly, we never felt like we were missing out on anything. What I treasured most was having our parents home when we got off the school bus each day — that’s something not every family had.
I spent plenty of time trying to separate my two younger brothers from their constant squabbling, and that got old pretty fast. But despite that, I was genuinely proud of what our family accomplished together through the years. Farm life gave me an enormous sense of responsibility and a deep love for family life that has stayed with me ever since.
You’ve worked all your life. Please describe what your career meant to you.
Looking back on my career, I feel incredibly blessed to have had such diverse experiences that taught me something new at every step. I started working at the New York Telephone Co,, then onto the mortgage department at Oneida National Bank, next as a bookkeeper at Poland Building Supply, and then at St. Luke’s Hospital. Each of these positions taught me the fundamentals of business and working with people, skills that would serve me throughout my entire career.
My federal government service began at Griffiss Air Force Base, working with the Office of Personnel Management for Strategic Air Command and later the Air Force Research Laboratory. That’s actually where Scott and I first crossed paths. Working at Griffiss opened my eyes to the incredible dedication and talent of the people serving our country. I was surrounded by very smart, dedicated military and civilian people devoted to their mission.
But it was my time with the U.S. Coast Guard that really defined my career. At the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, I served as administrator for the executive officer and commanding officer. The Coast Guard Yard was a fantastic place, a hub of innovation and excellence where some of the most talented people I’ve ever met worked tirelessly to support the Coast Guard’s vital missions. These weren’t just colleagues; they were truly heroic men and women, both military and civilian, who understood they were part of something much bigger than themselves.
Later, when I moved to Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., as the assistant to the chief financial officer, I got to see the organization from a strategic level. Working at that level of government, supporting the financial operations of an entire military service, was challenging and incredibly rewarding. The CFO and the team I worked with were exceptional; sharp, dedicated professionals who managed billions of dollars in resources with the utmost integrity and precision.
You both have taken volunteering to the next level, not only in our parish but in the community. What satisfaction do you get from helping out?
I have volunteered all my life, starting when I was a student. Even back in school, I passed out attendance sheets to teachers each morning, kept track of boys’ sports scores for the athletic director during study hall, and helped teach physical education to the younger students. I guess you could say the desire to help has always been part of who I am.
But perhaps most meaningful of all is our service here at our beautiful St. Mary of Mount Carmel. Scott and I are both on the Wedding Rehearsal Team; we serve as ushers and greeters and volunteer during our annual festival. Scott also serves as a lector and usher. We even have the privilege of occasionally entertaining Father Jim’s visiting ministers and pastors; that’s always such a blessing.
For the past nine years, we’ve also been deeply involved with the Good News Center on Cosby Manor Road in Utica. We participate in Bible study, seasonal events, dinners and speaking events with clergy. “Theology Uncorked” is always a favorite. We’ve been donors and volunteers there in so many capacities. Scott is currently serving as the chair of their Board of Directors.
What satisfaction do I get from all this volunteering? It’s simple, really – it fills my heart. Whenever I help someone, whether it’s welcoming a young couple at their wedding rehearsal, sharing God’s creation with tourists, or working alongside fellow parishioners at our festival, I feel like I’m living out my faith in a tangible way.
I think God calls us to use our gifts to serve others, and volunteering has allowed me to do that throughout every chapter of my life. The joy I get back is always much more than what I give. It’s how communities grow strong, how we build lasting friendships, and how we show God’s love in action.
When you first came to Mount Carmel / Blessed Sacrament, what was your first impression?
Coming back home to Barneveld after all those years away felt like such a blessing, and finding St. Mary of Mount Carmel made it feel complete. My first impression was how genuinely welcoming everyone was – and I don’t mean just polite, surface-level welcoming. People here truly cared about getting to know us.
What struck me most was the sense of real community. Having grown up on a farm in this area, I remembered what true community felt like — neighbors looking out for each other, people who showed up when you needed them. St. Mary of Mount Carmel brought back those same feelings, but in a deeper, more spiritual way.
Having been away for so many years during Scott’s career, I’d experienced churches in different places, but there was something special here. Maybe it was coming back to my roots, or maybe it was God’s timing, but St. Mary of Mount Carmel felt like home immediately — not just because I was back in familiar territory, but because it truly felt like God’s home.
I knew right away that this was where we were meant to be, where we could not only worship but really contribute to something meaningful. My first impression was simply: “We’re home.” And that feeling has only grown stronger with each passing year.
You’ve lived a very diversified life. Is there anything you would change or anything you still want to do?
You know, people ask about regrets, but I honestly don’t have any. That might sound surprising, but here’s how I see it: God has a plan for all of us. We are exactly where we’re supposed to be, exactly when we need to be there.
Sure, there were ups and downs like anyone else has, and perhaps at the time it was unclear how everything would work out. In the moment, we can’t always know why something happens or how it will all turn out. But now, looking back at where I’ve landed, it all seems to have been for the best. That’s the beauty of trusting in God and His plan. He always makes it “right,” even when we can’t see it at the time.
It all seems to have worked out just as God planned. Every job I had, every place I lived, every decision Scott and I made together, and even the challenging moments that didn’t make sense at the time led us to this moment, to this life, to this faith community. How could I wish to change any of that?