{Welcome}
Though enrolled, I managed to convince myself and my family that I didn’t need to make my Confirmation, and so was the beginning of my walk away from Christ and His Church…for a long time!It wasn’t until complete tragedy struck my life that I even looked for Him. At the age of 30, I became a military widow with three children 2 and under; one of whom was born 2 days after his father died. Though I had asurvivor’s spirit, I was grieving and coping purely on my own strength and then moving on with life on my own terms; never consulting with God those first few years.
As my heart began to open up more and more, I was invited to attend Mass with her at Our Lady of Good Counsel, pastored by the amazing Fr. John Riccardo. That one invitation, coupled by her gracious answers to my many questions, and her and her extended family’s life witness impacted my heart so fully that I came to God and said, “On your terms, Lord, not mine anymore!”
And on that drive home, she asked me what I thought! I cried hysterically and muttered, “I feel like I’m home. Where have I been all these years?” Months later, she sponsored me back into the Catholic church as I made my first confession in 20 years and then was Confirmed at The Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Detroit.
And that my friends was 7 years ago when I found God and my true purpose in life. Happily, both my friend and I have remarried, but more importantly, I have never been more fulfilled, grateful, or joyous walking with our Lord on His terms.
– Pope Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, 2010
