Body of Christ

Is it correct that you got involved at St. Luke at a very early age?

I started at St. Luke in 1984, when I went to first grade there, and they have not been able to get rid of me since. My mom got me involved with helping her as she taught K-5 Christian formation classes. I would hand out papers for her. By fifth grade, I was cleaning tables at the fish fries, and it took off from there.  Today, I am the Pastoral Council chair. I am also the fall festival chair and a member of the auction committee. I also organize the three Lenten fish fries and our December Advent breakfast. I have coordinated bingo in the past, but we have not brought that back since COVID.

What are some other ways you are an active Catholic?

I am a past deanery representative to the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council and am the current parish rep to the APC.  I was a past member of the Archdiocese Planning Commission, but the commission was disbanded as there were groups duplicating work.  I am a current board member of St. Clare Management (now part of Capri Communities), a sponsored ministry of the School Sisters of St. Francis providing quality affordable housing and guidance to low-income individuals.

Tell us about your relationship with Jesus.

In order to have any strong relationship, you need two-way communication.  Talking to Jesus through prayer, not only during Mass but throughout the day, is important in developing my relationship with him. The other half is being able to recognize when Jesus communicates with me, whether that be through others, nature, events, etc. Without that recognition of communication, then there is no two-way communication, and there is no relationship.  So, in thinking about my relationship with Jesus, I like to think that it is both intra-personal and inter-personal.

How did you get involved in stewardship at your parish, and why?

For a long time, our parish did not have a formal Stewardship Commission.  As Pastoral Council chair, I encouraged us to develop one.  We contacted Cindy Lukowitz, Director of Stewardship at the archdiocese, for help in going through the process of forming a committee.  I felt that I could not ask others to be part of our new Stewardship Commission if I was not willing to be part of it myself. So, we selected a Pastoral Council liaison to the new Stewardship Commission and I joined the group.

What is the most common thing that people misunderstand about stewardship?

This is an easy question. The biggest misconception is that stewardship is 100 percent money, mainly asking for money or asking people to donate more money as part of their weekly sacrificial giving. The reality is that there are many aspects of stewardship, and money is only one part of it. For example, there is stewardship of our environment and promoting things as simple as recycling or the use of “green” cleaners. There is stewardship of the money we already have and the smart use of it.  Stewardship is welcoming, stewardship is giving of ourselves and our talents, stewardship is giving of our time and realizing our gifts came from God; it’s much more than just money.

What is your favorite aspect of parish life and why?

The community and who we are. This morning after Mass, a woman whose husband died about a year ago came up to me and said, “I am having a rough day, it’s not getting any easier, can I have a hug?”  The fact that there are so many opportunities to get involved and to know each other on a level of comfort and friendship is pretty special.

What do you like to do for fun?

I like to go out to eat and try new restaurants, go to movies and attend live theater performances.  Game nights with my friends are also high on the fun list.

What’s your idea of the perfect day?

Sleeping in and then getting up and going out to breakfast, probably with my mother, and then spending the day away from a computer.

What do you want to get better at?

Self-analysis, and identifying our own faults, is tough. I would have to say one of my biggest issues is procrastination.  Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow? Then tomorrow comes, and why do it, because you can put it off until tomorrow. Before you know it, it is a month later and the “to do” list is twice as long.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I tend to be an open book, so this is tough. I think that most people know that I collect Pez dispensers, but few know I have more than 600 of them.

What are you watching?

I like cooking shows on PBS’s Create TV, as well as competition shows such as “Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Summit” and “The Masked Singer.”

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

We always go to Mass on Christmas Eve and then usually out for dinner. On Christmas morning, my sister and her family will come over for brunch and gifts.

What is your favorite Christmas movie?

I would not say it is necessarily my favorite, but somehow, I end up watching “Home Alone” every year. I laugh out loud every year.