This program nourished my mind and my soul.
I am honored to have this opportunity to share a little bit of my journey in the Lay Ecclesial Ministry Formation Program.
Anyone who works in ministry knows that serving the Lord will always bring challenges. This is a challenging program – that also brings important opportunities to learn, to grow, and to share our Catholic faith.
For the past 10 years I have served as the Director of Religious Education for our Catholic Community in our small town. I direct and manage both English and Spanish faith formation and Sacramental preparation for three parishes from kindergarten to Confirmation – to include our Adult RCIA and Marriage Preparation programs.
As a wife and a mother with three small children ages 5, 3 and 2, I was worried that the Lay Ecclesial Ministry program would take too much away from my work or my family, but the biggest surprise hasn’t been what it’s taken away, it is what it has given to my marriage, my children, and my ministry in our parish. The encouragement that I have received from my husband, my priest, my friends and catechists, and fellow classmates has been so beautiful and unexpected.
Learning side-by-side with seminarians, deacon candidates, and other lay leaders has helped me build relationships with other Catholics, and learn that we are all in the same boat.
We are often the face of the church to the world, and we need one another for support and encouragement to keep facing the challenges that the world sends into our lives.
As a participant in this formation, I have loved learning about subjects I had never known could be important. For example, learning philosophy opened my eyes to how faith and reason come together. I’ve always known that God’s truth is something we can believe, through philosophy I discovered that God’s Truth issomething we can know.
This program nourished my mind and my soul.
As a Catholic from a small-town, I am so thankful for the flexibility of the Lay Ecclesial Ministry program. The online component opened doors that I would not have been able to access in my rural community. As a virtual student, I was surprised by the connection I made to my classmates. We built authentic relationships with one another and experienced the larger body of Christ beyond our own parishes.
Thank you to the bishops for offering this program that brought us together as Catholics – regardless of our location, our culture, or where we are at in our faith journey.
Now as we continue our work as missionary disciples, I want to encourage my fellow Lay Ecclesial Ministers and all the faithful here today with the words of a saint I fell in love with during this course… John Paul, the Great:
“Be not afraid.”
Be not afraid to say YES when God calls you to a new challenge.
Be not afraid to share our Catholic faith in truth and love.
Remember, God loves YOU.
God has called YOU.
Be the YOU – God had made you to BE.
Anyone who works in ministry knows that serving the Lord will always bring challenges. This is a challenging program – that also brings important opportunities to learn, to grow, and to share our Catholic faith.
For the past 10 years I have served as the Director of Religious Education for our Catholic Community in our small town. I direct and manage both English and Spanish faith formation and Sacramental preparation for three parishes from kindergarten to Confirmation – to include our Adult RCIA and Marriage Preparation programs.
As a wife and a mother with three small children ages 5, 3 and 2, I was worried that the Lay Ecclesial Ministry program would take too much away from my work or my family, but the biggest surprise hasn’t been what it’s taken away, it is what it has given to my marriage, my children, and my ministry in our parish. The encouragement that I have received from my husband, my priest, my friends and catechists, and fellow classmates has been so beautiful and unexpected.
Learning side-by-side with seminarians, deacon candidates, and other lay leaders has helped me build relationships with other Catholics, and learn that we are all in the same boat.
We are often the face of the church to the world, and we need one another for support and encouragement to keep facing the challenges that the world sends into our lives.
As a participant in this formation, I have loved learning about subjects I had never known could be important. For example, learning philosophy opened my eyes to how faith and reason come together. I’ve always known that God’s truth is something we can believe, through philosophy I discovered that God’s Truth issomething we can know.
This program nourished my mind and my soul.
As a Catholic from a small-town, I am so thankful for the flexibility of the Lay Ecclesial Ministry program. The online component opened doors that I would not have been able to access in my rural community. As a virtual student, I was surprised by the connection I made to my classmates. We built authentic relationships with one another and experienced the larger body of Christ beyond our own parishes.
Thank you to the bishops for offering this program that brought us together as Catholics – regardless of our location, our culture, or where we are at in our faith journey.
Now as we continue our work as missionary disciples, I want to encourage my fellow Lay Ecclesial Ministers and all the faithful here today with the words of a saint I fell in love with during this course… John Paul, the Great:
“Be not afraid.”
Be not afraid to say YES when God calls you to a new challenge.
Be not afraid to share our Catholic faith in truth and love.
Remember, God loves YOU.
God has called YOU.
Be the YOU – God had made you to BE.
Patricia Gonzalez
LEMF Student