I received the sacraments of baptism, first communion, and confirmation on April 19, 1992. I was 27 years old.  Prior to joining my RCIA cohort, I had no religious background. My parents didn’t take my brother and I to church. My parents reasoned that my brother and I could choose for ourselves when we were grown.
   When my dad died in my senior year of high school, I really wished they would have made a different decision.

  My desire to become Catholic began in my junior year at the University of Washington. I studied early Church history under a professor who was a leading scholar on the Rule of St. Benedict. For my senior thesis, I wrote about the influence of St. Monica on the career of St. Augustine of Hippo. Though I approached my research from a secular perspective, reading The Confessions became something more—it was a search for guidance in my own relationship with God.

   My introduction to the foundations of our faith came through the works of St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope St. Gregory the Great, and, of course, St. Augustine. But I had no Catholic friends, no faith community to nurture my longing for God. I walked past the UW Newman Center every day without knowing what it was or that it could have provided the very support I needed. I kept my desire for faith private, and so I had no scaffold on which to build it.

   Even after my conversion, I can’t say that my faith shaped my daily decisions. My husband and I ensured our children received their sacraments, and we attended Mass regularly, but our parish was not the center of our lives. That changed when we moved to Chewelah eleven years ago.

    At St. Mary of the Rosary Parish, I found the support I needed to fully embrace my Catholic faith. Without our parish, my trust in God might have wavered. The years of living in a fifth wheel, the illnesses and injuries, the death of my mother, and the loss of a career in which I had placed my identity—each hardship had the potential to close me off from God’s grace.

   Instead, the life of our parish became my lifeline. Every conversation, every prayer, every dinner, every Mass, every catechism class reminded me of God’s love for me and His presence in my life. When I felt dejected, our parish lifted me up—not only so I could feel His grace but so that I could allow it to deepen my faith and to guide me.

    Now, hope encircles me because of my relationship with Christ and my connection to our parish community. In this Jubilee Year of Hope, we have the opportunity to embark on a spiritual pilgrimage together. Yes, some will make physical pilgrimages, but the journey of faith is equally powerful when walked within our rich parish life. Pray the Rosary daily. Participate in Faith Night. Invite a friend to the Mardi Gras Dinner. Volunteer for Vacation Bible School. Join the Prayer Chain. Commit to a Discipleship group. The journey begins with one step.

    As we sojourn through the upcoming week, let’s embrace this time of renewal and transformation so that when we hear the Lord ask, “Whom shall I send?” we can all answer with confidence:

   "Here I am, Lord. Send me!"