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Remain in Me

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“Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord”, is the responsorial psalm for today. I don’t know about you, but I need this constant reminder. I must focus on the decrees of the Lord because it is too easy for me to think, ‘yea, yea, I know all that. Let me tell others what I think the Lord is saying to them in their own situations.’ Wrong! That is not the way to bear good fruit. As the Alleluia refrain reiterates, “Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit” JN 15:4a, 5b.

These passages always reminds me of 2 of my all time favorite saints. Mother Teresa (aka St. Teresa of Calcutta) and St. Francis of Assisi. As a member of the Secular Franciscans, I am part of 300,000 professed lay people who love and support the Church with a focus of the life and witness of St. Francis. St. Francis produced much good fruit because of his faithful obedience and love of God. Take a look at the following article to learn a bit more about the Saint and his charisms here

Mother Teresa bore much good fruit in her life by following the decrees of the Lord. This one young woman, who began by listening to the voice of God while traveling on a train, is a beautiful example of a good tree. St. Teresa’s commitment to “remain in me, as I remain in you”, was a testament to her dedication. In her book, “The Simple Path”, Mother Teresa shares a prayer that hangs on the walls of the Sisters of Charity homes around the world. I share it with you today because it has become a touchstone for me over the last 20+ years due to its simplicity. That being said, it is a prayer that has borne fruit for me; for you, dear reader, it may not strike an accord, or bear good fruit. It is for you to decide.

The Simple Path

The fruit of silence is PRAYER.

The fruit of prayer is FAITH.

The fruit of faith is LOVE.

The fruit of love is SERVICE.

The fruit of service is PEACE.

-St. Teresa of Calcutta

Beth Price is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and spiritual director who has worked in several parish ministry roles during the last 20 years. She is a proud mother of 3 adult children. Beth currently works at Diocesan. You can contact her at bprice@diocesan.com

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Trust in the Lord

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Imagine you are an ancient king, responsible for a vast area and the lives of many people. Neighboring kings have joined forces and are destroying nearby kingdoms, and now send the message that you are next. What would you do? Would you panic? Would you begin scrambling for a solution? Would you remind yourself that you are in charge and if something must be done, you must do it? Would you try to negotiate a treaty or run and hide yourself in the mountains and wait out the destruction? Would you rally your troops to defend the kingdom and lead them into battle or find safety for what you treasure?

This is the situation in today’s first reading from 2 Kings. And Hezekiah, king of Judah, did none of those things. When he received a message from the king of Assyria, who was threatening doom, Hezekiah went immediately into the temple of the Lord and put all his hope in the God of Israel. He first praised God as the One above all others, the One Who is over all the powers of earth. Then he begged the Lord to consider the threat of Assyria, and how they are a taunt against the one true God. And then he humbly asked God to save the kingdom of Judah from the power of the Assyrians – but not for their own sake, but “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.” Hezekiah begged the Lord to show his power so that others might believe. God responded with the promise that the Assyrians would not win, that the Lord himself would “save this city for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.” God, faithful to his promises in every generation, struck down 185,000 soldiers and sent them packing back to Nineveh. Hezekiah won by putting all his trust in the Lord.

This brings us, by an indirect path, to the Gospel for today. We know many of these words, as they have become adages in our language: pearls before swine, do unto others, the narrow gate. Our familiarity with the phrases might obscure for us some of the subtleties in the message. Jesus is very clear about something that we can be a little foggy about: “the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.” When I read that, I am shaken by the truth that many are following the way to destruction. This turns my understanding of the world on its side. I want to believe that most people are good and generous most of the time, that most people follow the rule to “do unto others,” and so they are on their way to eternal life. The Lord’s words tell a different story. “How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” How can this be?

It’s simple, really. The narrow gate and constricted road are not the way of niceness, or the way that our culture sees as “successful.” To understand it, we must look beyond the surface, so that we see it is the way of complete trust in the Lord, rather than self-reliance, no matter how “successful” that makes us.

It is the radical trust that goes to prayer before mustering an army, that trusts in the Lord to fight our social and emotional battles rather than insisting on fixing everything ourselves, that entrusts all the people we love and all their situations to the goodness of God before reaching in with our very limited human resources. It is the deep trust of a child to her loving Father, even when that Father is unseen. It is the loving trust that allows us to finally let go of our worrying and questioning; the love that casts out fear and sets us free.

Most of the people I know ARE good and generous and kind. But God sees into the heart, and he knows the narrow places in each of us that we do not even know ourselves so He knows whether, deep down inside, we rely on ourselves and our own weapons and tools and resources or, like Hezekiah, truly put all our trust in the Lord.

This does not come easily to our fallen human nature, and it is certainly not “the way of the world.” Let us each ask God to show us the ways we insist on taking care of things ourselves, and to give us the grace to entrust each of these things completely to him, so that we at last truly trust in him and are set free to do His will rather than our own.

Kathryn is married to Robert, mother of seven, grandmother to two, and a lay Carmelite. She has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and also as a writer and voice talent for Holy Family Radio. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and presenter, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Faith Formation, individual parishes, and Catholic ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Learn more at www.kathryntherese.com or on Facebook @summapax.

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Called to Proclaim

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I recently attended a Steubenville Adult Conference in which a speaker took the stage and gave an extremely vocal, Catholic rally call. He shouted and asked us to loudly repeat after him. At first, I felt like I was at some protestant church with the pastor yelling, people clapping, cheering, and a constant murmur of “Amen” and “Yes, God.” I thought, this is not what Catholics do. This is not how we behave. We wait until someone says, “Peace be with you” to say anything. I felt so uncomfortable and completely out of my spiritual element.

Then I realized that this uncomfortability is exactly why the Catholic faith is dying. It’s exactly why the youth are leaving and not bothering to look back. Many Catholics are so complacent with the world around us that they are not even trying to make a change. Many Catholics are so apathetic that they are borderline nihilistic. Many Catholics seem to be so “whatever” that their values and beliefs are worth next to nothing.

We cannot become complacent with the world around us, especially when we live in a nation that is constantly rallying and protesting their beliefs. Everyone is protesting something, be it pipelines, marijuana use, animal cruelty, pro-life issues, and so much more. Change is made when voices are heard and we will not be heard if we do not raise our voices. Instead, we as Catholics will slip into the unknown and we will be forgotten.

So I tell you now that it is okay to get loud. It is okay to go into the public arena armed with God’s unending love to fight with. If we fight, we will win because we have God on our side. But we will not win if we never bother fighting. Besides, we were not created to be silent. We were created to love God and to boldly defend his creations.

Let us turn our responsorial hymn into a prayerful rally cry. Pray it loud. 

“O God, you have rejected us and broken our defenses; you have been angry; rally us! You have rocked the country and split it open; repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering. You have made your people feel hardships; you have given us stupefying wine. Have not you, O God, rejected us, so that you go not forth, O God, with our armies? Give us aid against the foe, for worthless is the help of men.” (PS 60:3, 4-5, 12-13)

If you are still afraid to be bold, pray Ephesians 6:18-20.

Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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Forerunner of Christ

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Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist and on August 29 the Memorial of his Passion, a requiem of sorts of his decapitation. Yes, as gory as that sounds we celebrate the day he was crowned with martyrdom through decapitation.

These feasts always remind me of the day 21 years ago that I consecrated myself to Christ through a lay Movement. I lived the life of a religious with 3+ hours of daily prayer, theological studies and missionary work. After three and a half years, I realized this life was not my calling, despite my deep desire to serve God, His Church and His people. Looking back, I wondered if perhaps the fact that I was consecrated on this bloody memorial was some kind of ominous foreshadowing that my vocation would die.

In the years hence, however, I have come to see death and memorials as more of a celebration of someone’s life, rather than a reliving of the way they died. I can now look beyond his decapitation and remember his legacy, in the same way I can look back on my temporary vocation as a time of personal growth and service to the Church instead of a failure.

John the Baptist was known as the great forerunner of Christ, one who “prepared the way of the Lord.” He was not afraid to take on practices that must have appeared strange to others in order to proclaim his message. He was bold, unashamed, and straightforward. He did not beat around the bush. He was truly the Lord’s “servant from the womb”, a “light to the nations” and “a man after [God’s] own heart” who carried out His every wish (Ref 1st & 2nd Readings).

As Christians we are called to do the very same. By our actions, our words (when necessary), our service and our prayer we are called to boldly proclaim the truth of Christ just as John the Baptist did. Our very lives should shine with the truth of the Gospel. “I praise you Lord, for I am wonderfully made,” the Psalm declares. He made us, we are His. There is no room for fear or embarrassment. The Spirt of Truth will guide the way. So get out there and preach it! Oh, and enjoy the locusts and wild honey while you’re at it…

Tami Urcia is wife and mother to her small army of boys. She works full time at Diocesan and is a freelance translator and blogger (Blessedisshe.net and CatholicMom.com) She loves tackling home projects, keeping tabs on the family finances, and finding unique ways to love. Tami spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree. Her favorite things to do are spending time outside with the kiddos, quiet conversation with the hubby, and an occasional break from real life by getting a pedicure or a haircut. You can find out more about her here.

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The Real Cure for Stress

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Stress.

There cannot be one person reading this who hasn’t experienced it as a major factor in their lives. We’re all stressed, it seems, from the moment we get up in the mornings until we lie down for a troubled sleep at night. Appointments, deadlines, worries, fears all contribute to our levels of stress (and even more so when they’re missed appointments or forgotten deadlines!), and our diets and lack of exercise don’t help. Let’s face it, we’re a stressed-out nation.

That’s proven a goldmine for a plethora of professions and manufacturers who cater to the stressed. The same smartphones that keep us ridiculously connected also offer meditation and mindfulness apps. There are vitamins and supplements that claim to lower anxiety, exercises and yoga and gym memberships to counteract its effects, and promises that the next self-help bestseller will absolutely be the magic bullet to help us find wellness and calm.

As Catholics, we have a slightly different take on the whole question of stress. Oh, of course, we too should be eating more leafy greens and less sugar; we need to go for brisk walks and drag ourselves away from our computer screens like everybody else. But we’re blessed by the fact that Jesus knew all about stress, and gave us the one prescription for it that actually works.

It’s ridiculously simple, which may be why many of us find it hard to put into practice. But today’s reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew could not be clearer; we are called to be different. Followers of Jesus think and behave differently from the pagans. In particular this message can be boiled down to a few points:

  • You can’t love God and money both. Choose.
  • Worrying means that you’re taking life into your own hands instead of giving it to God.
  • God absolutely loves you. All the time, every day.
  • Don’t think about what is unimportant, but focus on heaven. Anything else is secondary.

The things that stress us out the most are generally the least important. What does that deadline have to do with your salvation? Will you get to heaven any faster by worrying about buying that new car?

We live in our culture and it makes some demands on us that we must meet. We have to have a place to sleep. We need to have food to eat. We’d like to have a good education, a decent job, a fun vacation. And these aren’t frivolous or unworthy goals; the problem is that we allow them to become our only goals.

We should have one goal: to be united with God. Everything else is secondary. Love God with all your heart; have faith that he will provide for you; don’t confuse essentials with nonessentials. You cannot serve God and money at the same time. If you spend your time worrying about accumulating money—and all the things that go along with it—then, Jesus tells us, your faith is small. You can do better.

Take a deep breath, trust in God, and… let go. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll de-stress!

Jeannette de Beauvoir works in the digital department of Pauline Books & Media as marketing copywriter and editor. A graduate of Yale Divinity School, where she studied with Adian Kavanagh, OSB, she is particularly interested in liturgics and Church history.

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Treasures of Heaven

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Jesus said to his disciples:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” –Matthew 6:19-21

I went to a minor league baseball game with one of the fellows I support the other day. It happened to be a “school day” which means most of the stadium was filled with elementary school-aged kids.

I was looking forward to watching some baseball. Before the first pitch left the pitchers hand, five beach balls were served into the crowd for the kids to hit and play with during the game.

“oh boy.”

The organizers are smart; they know that these kids need to have a memorable time so that they will come back with their families and buy more tickets.

It turned into two separate events: recess for kids in the stands and a minor league baseball game on the field.

In between innings, the announcer proclaimed to the audience

“WHO WANTS T-SHIRTS?!”

 Stadium staff then strut on top of the dugout to throw out whatever toy or memorabilia that they are giving away. The kids stand in a chorus of pleas and waving arms to receive a Frisbee or bouncy ball that is stamped with the home team emblem.

Even the fellow I was with that day couldn’t resist the hype. He caught a Frisbee that had a gift certificate to a seafood restaurant on the back.

I’ve never seen him throw a Frisbee in the year and a half that I’ve worked with him and he doesn’t eat seafood… but he decided to keep both anyway.

Perhaps it is because I’ve been to minor league games and received these little toys, but I’ve never prized the trinkets or shirts quite as passionately as I begged and screamed for them. And I have a hunch these kids might not either.

But it is so indoctrinated in us American folk to long for and rely on “stuff”. “Oh my gosh, it’s a bouncy ball, I need that bouncy ball in my liiiiiiiife!” “ It’s a t-shirt that might not fit me. I NEED IT!!!!!!!!”

 To their credit, they are kids. But the principle that they are following is seen in some adults as well.

“You should pick up a trade, plenty of money to be made there.” “If you went back to college you could increase your pay.”

 Just a few things “successful” adults have tried to suggest to me.

More things=more happiness

This formula is used in our commercials and arts. But it’s faulty.

But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.

 Invest in the things that won’t wither away. Save up the treasures of heaven.

During the week, Matthew Juliano is a mentor for individuals who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. On the weekends, he is a drummer for Full Armor Band. You can find more content by Matt and his band at www.fullarmorband.com.

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Our Father

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The Catechism of the Catholic Church ends with a study of the Lord’s Prayer and the final paragraph of that last section is:

“By the final ‘Amen,’ we express our ‘fiat’ concerning the seven petitions: ‘So be it.'” –2865 Catechism of the Catholic Church

St. Augustine concluded that you could go through all the prayers of the Bible and not find anything that is not completely contained in the Lord’s Prayer. (CCC 2762) Tertullian stated that the Lord’s Prayer “is truly the summary of the whole gospel.” (CCC 2761)

Let’s be completely honest, when heavy hitters like St. Augustine and Tertullian have weighed in on the Lord’s Prayer, what is someone like me to add? I find the whole section on the Lord’s Prayer some of the best reflection on prayer and living a faith-filled life that I have ever read. (If you haven’t read it yet, run don’t walk to grab your Catechism. It starts at paragraph 2759.)

And in that final 2865th paragraph, after 2864 paragraphs defining and describing what we believe as a community of faith, it seems appropriate that whole of the Catechism ends with our assent, our fiat to all that Jesus handed to us in this prayer.

We pray to Our Father, because through Jesus’s becoming man, we have a share in his family.

We pray for His kingdom to come because we are poor in spirit and long for that day, “as the deer longs for streams for water. (Psalm 42:1)

We pray for His will to be done because left on our own, we mourn and are in need of comfort.

We pray for our daily bread because we are poor, hungry, thirsty.

We pray for forgiveness of our debts, because we are called to be the merciful; to have already forgiven those who are in debt to us. Despite our limitations, we want to love with the heart of God.

We pray to avoid temptation because we want to be pure in heart.

We pray for deliverance from evil because we are persecuted and we desire peace.

Our infinite God’s entry into finite time and space, which began with Mary’s fiat, now continues each time we repeat Our Lord’s Prayer, with our own fiat. Our “So be it,” to God’s will, God’s plan.

No wonder the early Christians prayed it three times each day.

Amen.

While wearing many hats, Sheryl O’Connor is the wife and study buddy of Thomas O’Connor. Not having received the gift of having their own children, their home is filled with 2 large dogs and their hearts with the teens and youth with whom they work in their parish collaborative. Sheryl is the Director of Strong Families Programs for Holy Family Healthcare which means her job is doing whatever needs to be done to help parents build strong Catholic families. Inspired by the works of mercy, Holy Family Healthcare is a primary healthcare practice in West Michigan which seeks to honor the dignity of every individual as we would Christ. Find out more at https://www.holyfamilyhealthcare.org/

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With an Eye to Eternity

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How often have you, as I have, looked to human praise? How often have we manipulated someone, or some situation, looking for affirmation of our deeds? I am as guilty as the next person, doing or saying things that will cause someone to notice what I am doing.

Today’s Gospel is difficult to read. It points out to us that we must do our good deeds, as well as our prayer and fasting in secret. How that goes against our human nature!

I don’t like to believe that most of us are inherently prideful and struggle to practice humility. True humility. Because being humble can also turn into a prideful act if we are not careful. But we all do succumb to our human nature. We like to hear praise, no matter from where it comes. And I know that I, for one, can be manipulative in extorting praise.

Jesus tells us today to do our good deeds in secret; to fast in secret; to hide those things from the world even as we practice them.  To let God alone be the judge of what we do. It also has a downside. Because it means what you do good or bad. Have you ever stopped what you were doing and thought, “Be careful. God sees everything I do.” Yes, he sees the good as well as the bad. And he will judge both.

Why care? Well, some years ago I was asked to write a reflection for my parish based on a Jeremiah reading. I had a hard time finding inspiration. It came in the form of a car commercial (of all places!). The very last line of the commercial was “It is what you do when no one else is around that defines who you are.”  My head shot up, and I waited for the commercial to run again, to be sure I heard what I thought I heard. It was from that line that I was inspired to write the reflection.

It’s what you do when no one else is around. We often forget that God is always around and sees what we do. Are we aware? I like to think of it as keeping “an eye to eternity,” to keep to the Law of God written on the heart.  Why do we do what we do, or say what we say; buy or not buy the things we desire or participate in the activities we do? Do we ever stop to ask if what we are saying, doing or purchasing will get us into Heaven?  Or perhaps keep us out? Our life’s actions must be defined by our desire to be with God, for all eternity. It is a simple thing, really. God will see what we do; God will be the judge; God, alone, will bring us into eternity. The question then, becomes, will the human praise we receive here in this life bring us peace, or bring us to the ruination of our soul?

A little clarification here. We are going to, at times, receive praise from others. It is how we accept that praise and how it will color our lives that make the difference. A simple “thank you,” when it happens, is all that is necessary. And then move on.

If you aren’t now doing so, begin to practice what is written on the heart, “keeping an eye to eternity. “ I believe you will have more peaceful days.

Jeanne Penoyar, an Accounts Manager here at Diocesan, is currently a Lector at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Grand Rapids, MI. While at St. Thomas the Apostle, Grand Rapids, Jeanne was a Lector, Cantor, Coordinator of Special Liturgies, Coordinator of lectors and, at one time, chair of the Liturgy Commission. In a past life, secretary/bookkeeper at the Basilica of St. Adalbert where she ran the RCIA program for the Steepletown parishes. And she loves to write! When relaxing, she likes reading and word puzzles.

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Love One Another

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The verse announcing the Gospel today is crystal clear: “I give you a new commandment; love one another as I have loved you”. John 13:34   

So why is it that I have said, “I hate you” to even my sisters, my spouse, my parents and so many others? Today’s Gospel states this great commandment another way, ”But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”  

Just sit with that for a bit. Go ahead. Read it again and close your eyes. Clear your mind to focus on what Jesus meant when he said, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,… for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and unjust.”

God created each and every one of us out of love, made in His image. This is a universal fact. It doesn’t matter who my parents are, or what country I’m born in, rich or poor; I’m a member of the human race.

Each and every person has attributes both physical and emotional. We have physical and emotional needs to be met and nurtured. When a child is born a new creation comes into this world to be loved and cherished. When there is death, a light goes out and needs to be mourned. It does not matter if a child wasn’t planned or not perfect. It doesn’t matter if the person who died was your greatest antagonist or tormentor. That person was a child of God, just like you and me.

Jesus came into the world for the salvation of all, not just the ones that look like me, talk like me, or are born into my faith, or country. If they are persecuted and have no safe place to call home, do I care any less for them as a fellow human being? Where is my compassion and love for the refugee, asylum seeker, the person working 3 jobs struggling to make ends meet? Who loves the residual casualties in any violent conflict? How can we even think a person is ‘residual’?

God commands us to “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Mt 5:48 This boggles my mind. I have to be vigilant to make sure that at all times I am striving for perfection. I must constantly being on guard against the evil one and his minions who are seeking to creep into my daily life at any moment, ready to pull me and trap me into little lies and deaths to the truth, the love of God.In the perfect ‘Shalom,’ or peace, of God’s kingdom as he meant it to be (as in the garden of Eden before the fall) all can live in harmony: the lion lies down with the lamb, the family is together–not torn apart– as it enters into the garden.

We are created with so much potential to do and be good, to love all. Let’s try to remember, “love one another as I have loved you.” Pray it throughout this day, to remember our world needs this unconditional love poured out into each corner of the world.

Beth Price is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and spiritual director who has worked in several parish ministry roles during the last 20 years. She is a proud mother of 3 adult children. Beth currently works at Diocesan.

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A Lamp To My Feet – A Light To My Path

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In ancient pagan ceremonies, the lighted candles on Candlemas day had many meanings, one of which was to mark the middle of winter, looking forward to the coming of spring.  In the traditions of Christianity, the Feast of the Presentation (or Purification of Mary) on February 2nd is still known as Candlemas day. Over the ages, processions were held in our churches with participants carrying lighted candles to symbolize that Jesus Christ is the Light, the Truth, and the Way.  Even till today, we light candles at our altars as the symbol of Christ’s presence with us at every Liturgy, at every gathering for prayer. On Candlemas day, it has become a tradition in many churches to bless the year’s supply of candles that will be used at all Liturgies.

The lighted candle has many meanings for us: the steady glow of the candle we light for prayer, symbolizing Christ in our presence; the warm flame of the candles that welcome family and friends to our table. Or the birthday candles that gleefully flicker in celebration of life; the guiding light of the beacon candle that sees us through the darkness when our modern technology fails us.

I recall my retreats at Gethsemane Abbey in Kentucky. The church for the monks is a long space. I would rise at 4:30 am, dress, run to the kitchen for a cup of coffee (which was always available, thank you!) and wind my way through the corridors and staircases to the balcony of the church. It was dark. I would sit quietly in the balcony where the only thing visible was the glow of the Sanctuary light, waaaay up front, next to the Tabernacle. I cherish the memory of mesmerizing prayer in that space, until I would hear the first ruffle of a monk’s robes, coming in to prepare for Mass.

Before today’s Gospel, we pray the Gospel Acclamation:

“A Lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path.”  (Ps 119:105)

I have always found this to be one of the most comforting images in Scripture. Knowing that Christ is our Light, guiding us as the beacon through life. He enlightens us with His presence and his Word, always giving us what we need to get through the darkness of night, fear, despair, depression or uncertainty. I find that physically lighting a candle when praying goes a long way to calm my mind and uplift my spirit.

Not everyone travels in darkness, but all of us seek answers in one way or another. Keeping that light near will remind us we are not alone – ever! Christ is the Light to the Nations, the Dispeller of Darkness.

Light a candle today. Light up the rooms of your heart to feel the warmth of Christ’s presence. Use the Word of God to enlighten, strengthen and comfort you along your journey.

Jeanne Penoyar, an Accounts Manager here at Diocesan, is currently a Lector at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Grand Rapids, MI. While at St. Thomas the Apostle, Grand Rapids, Jeanne was a Lector, Cantor, Coordinator of Special Liturgies, Coordinator of lectors and, at one time, chair of the Liturgy Commission. In a past life, secretary/bookkeeper at the Basilica of St. Adalbert where she ran the RCIA program for the Steepletown parishes. And she loves to write! When relaxing, she likes reading and word puzzles.