Faces of the Valley: Vandergrift pastor shows faith doesn't require eyesight

Oct. 1—A Vandergrift minister isn't letting a disability deter him from faithfully serving his congregation.

Pastor Brian Ralston, 53, is legally blind.

In January, he relocated from Modesto, Calif., to Vandergrift to serve as pastor of Vandergrift Presbyterian Church on Washington Avenue in the borough's historic district.

For Ralston, returning to Western Pennsylvania has been a goal after enduring years of eye-related health issues as a child growing up in rural Indiana County.

"I was diagnosed with retina blastoma, a cancer of the retinas. My mom noticed my eyes were glassy and not focusing, and she picked up on the concern," Ralston said.

Ralston's parents took him to Pittsburgh, where doctors removed his right eye when he was about 15 months old.

The vision in his left eye was saved.

"It was a very close call because, in those days, if retinal blastoma wasn't caught early enough, a lot of children died because the cancer can spread through the optic nerve," Ralston said.

Ralston grew up in rural Indiana County, earning excellent grades in public school, and was active in Scouting, chorus, band and church.

His ability to see with some visual impairment continued until his mid-30s, after enduring multiple surgeries in the early 2000s to attempt to stabilize his damaged left retina.

The medical intervention was unsuccessful, and Ralston found himself approaching the reality of diminished eyesight. By 2005, he was completely blind, the result of his remaining retina becoming fully detached.

Losing his vision proved to be a life-defining moment Ralston had prepared for spiritually and emotionally.

"I'm very thankful to be part of a Christian family, a strong church and collegiate ministry, and that really set the foundation so that, ultimately, when I lost my sight, I had been prepared," Ralston said. "The doctors told me when I was about 15 that my vision wasn't stable and at some point I would lose my eyesight."

Losing his sight later in life held its own set of blessings for Ralston.

"I was able to complete college and seminary and do things like the Grand Canyon," Ralston said.

"I remember seeing what a fully sighted person would see, but I had enough sight to enjoy the National Parks, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, all that fun stuff."

Ralston described the memories as very clear.

"I have very vivid memories of those areas, and it's helped me a lot now because I know what's it like to have seen. There's still grieving that happens because I can't appreciate the beauty now," Ralston said.

Professional therapy has aided Ralston.

"I was smart enough to get a lot of counseling, support and prayer ministry," he said.

Unexpected tragedy

Ralston faced a great personal loss in 2015 when his mother was killed in a vehicle accident caused by a drunken driver in Homer City, Indiana County.

"My parents were 12 miles from their house when it happened," Ralston said.

His father survived the accident.

"My dad had severe injuries and rebuilt his life and had to restart his life at 80 years old," Ralston said.

In a normal-sighted person's grief process, looking at photos and reading letters and recalling visuals of a loved one often is helpful.

But Ralston was unable to do that.

"God really showed up and got me through that difficult time," Ralston said.

Church member Kathy Waddell of Allegheny Township said Ralston's ministerial traits are many.

"The fact that he can deliver a sermon without any notes, sing hymns and recognize your voice while being visually impaired — it's amazing. He's very intelligent, witty and happy to be back in Pennsylvania," Waddell said.

Ralston replaces the church's longtime pastor, Neal Galley, who died during the pandemic.

Galley served the church for 16 years.

"He died of a heart attack during covid. It's been tough. We had a couple of transition pastors, and everyone hopes Pastor Ralston is here to stay," Waddell said.

Ralston brings 23 years of ministerial experience to Vandergrift, as well as a furry co-worker.

His seeing-eye dog, Rory, is never far from his side.

Rory, 8, a yellow Labrador retriever, was matched with Ralston when she was 20 months old. She came from Guard Dogs for the Blind in California.

"She's a guide dog and that means constant companion, 24-hour helper. When she's in her harness, she's a working dog," Ralston said. "She's my mobility negotiating this crazy little town of Vandergrift."

By crazy, Ralston was referring to the unique curved layout of the historic borough.

"Vandergrift is a challenge because it was laid out by a famous architect who thought he was developing a park," Ralston said.

The streets are curvy, without traditional intersections, so it's a challenge when you don't see."

Rory and Ralston enjoy daily trips to the downtown business district, which is a block away from the church.

Ralston said his wife, Kathy, is adjusting to small-town life and learning to navigate the hills.

One of the perks, Ralston said, is reuniting with a few of his favorite Pittsburgh foods such as pierogies and haluski.

"I have missed them terribly. I grew up with a mom who made pierogies and, I'm sorry, but frozen ones aren't the same," Ralston said. "And I love being back in the land of french fries on salads."

Ralston preaches from the pulpit relying on his memory to recall the prayers and sermons.

Rory is always near Ralston and has her own sanctuary dog bed for Sunday sermons.

"People don't know she's there," Ralston said.

Part of Rory's training taught her how to be comfortable in hospitalsettings and other places a dog wouldn't normally go since Ralston's ministerial duties can involve visits to the elderly and sick, as well as funeral homes.

Rory has a special diet but enjoys treats as part of positive training reinforcement.

"She loves her Greenie treats and she loves bananas. My father has a ritual of giving her bananas. She's ridiculous over bananas," Ralston said.

Recognizing the almost 200 parishioners in his congregation is accomplished by careful listening.

"You learn voices, accents and vocabulary," Ralston said.

Ralston has learned his way around the interior of the church, including the sanctuary.

His young churchgoers, however, often are the most curious and honest.

"I get a lot of questions about the guide dog," he said.

Ralston graduated with a bachelor's degree in speech communication and psychology from Penn State University in 1992 and has a master's of divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity Seminary in Deerfield, Ill., with a focus in pastoral counseling.

Screen-reading software aided Ralston in his collegiate studies and continues to assist him.

He taught himself how to type and used screen-related technology for eight years before completely losing his vision.

"That timing is not, in my view, coincidental. I had all that time to prepare, and God had prepared me for when I lost my sight. I'm human. I struggle with the grief and the 'why' and my disability, but I've seen often how God has provided and, if I can look past that 'why' question and focus on what resources I've been given and blessings I do have, it's a choice every day," Ralston said.

With a ministerial focus on equipping and encouraging Christians to build a strong relationship with Jesus, Ralston challenges others to remember that no matter what "weaknesses" someone may think are limiting, God provides the strength and courage for people to live lives that make a significant difference for Him and and his Kingdom.

As a pastor, Ralston has been very candid on his challenging life experiences.

"It's important to be appropriately transparent," Ralston said.

In his leisure time, Ralston and his wife enjoy long walks with Rory, swimming, listening to books, baking, traveling and cheering on the Steelers.

"As a Steelers fan, I'm very thankful to be back in Steeler Country. I haven't been to a game in a long time. I'd love to," Ralston said.

He extended a welcome to anyone looking for a place to worship.

"I think our church is a place of hope and connection and, after the pandemic, we need real connections, with real people. Our church is very strong on being connected and doing life together and helping each other through the good times and the bad times," Ralston said.

"The world is a difficult place right now. And we give hope. When people ask, 'Why church?' I think it's a missing piece in our world."

Joyce Hanz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joyce by email at jhanz@triblive.com or via Twitter .