May 2019

I am a convert to the Catholic faith.  I was married to my husband Bennie at St. Angela parish in 1973, and, in the early part of 1974, I began instructions with two transitional Deacons who were assigned to the parish so that I could become a member of the Catholic Church.  This was before the current RCIA program.  The two men (transitional deacons) who assisted me in this process were Tom Kinney who became a Priest for our Archdiocese and who passed away in 2005, and Gregory Aymond who now serves as Archbishop of our Archdiocese.  I received my first communion and was confirmed at the Easter Vigil at St. Angela in 1974 by Archbishop John Favalora, now retired from the Archdiocese of Miami, and who was pastor at St. Angela in 1974.  I was blessed to have my mother-in-law as my sponsor, and my mother present at that Easter Vigil, and I have truly felt that this was the “best Easter ever”, until this year.
 
I am a part of the Prison Ministry Team here at St. Catherine.  I was part of the formative group that began a little less than a year ago, and which has now blossomed into a vibrant team with the support of the parish and beyond to support those among us who are imprisoned.
 
Along with several members of our Prison Ministry Team, through the Re-entry Program headed by Judge Scott Schlegel of the 24^th Judicial Court in Jefferson Parish, I am mentoring a young man from Angola who started this Re-entry Program the week before Thanksgiving.  I met him in Court the Wednesday after Thanksgiving last year and chat with him on the phone, or meet with him in person, on a weekly basis.
 
My mentee happened to call me on Holy Thursday and, in our conversation, he said that he did not have to work on Friday (Good Friday).  I told him I was joining the group from St. Catherine that was walking the nine churches, and I invited him to join me.  He said he had never done this and would like to.  My mentee has a daughter who just turned six in January and was out of school.  We ended the conversation with no pressure – just that, if he thought he would like to join our group, to send me a text.  And he did!!!
 
I picked him and his daughter up Friday morning and we met the group from St. Catherine at St. Stephen’s church to begin our prayer and walk.  Unbeknownst to me, this is where my mentee was baptized!  We can never question the work of the Holy Spirit! I introduced him to all as my friend, with his daughter, and everyone was so welcoming.  But I also shared privately with Father Tim that this was my mentee. At St. Alphonsus Father Tim invited my mentee to lead the Station of the Cross.  And, when we ended our walk at Immaculate Conception, Father Tim thanked him for joining us and told him that he was welcome at St. Catherine anytime.  What a blessing!!
The prayer and walk are one that I will treasure forever. 
 
As we rode the streetcar back to Napoleon Avenue we talked about the experience, the beauty of the day, the specialness of the churches, and the gift of faith.  I asked him if he was a little nervous leading the station and he said he wasn’t, that different people in the group had been asked to lead a station and he was comfortable and pleased to have been asked.  He said that he truly enjoyed the walk and visiting the churches and I said, hopefully, that he would get back to attending church.  In the car on the ride home his daughter fell fast asleep in the back seat!  She was a real trooper!
 
Early Easter Sunday morning he sent me a “Happy Easter” text.  When he called me during the week I asked if had made it to church Easter Sunday and he said “yes”!!
 The working of the Holy Spirit is so evident to me in this chain of events that I am still awed by what happened.  Now this is going to be treasured as “my best Easter ever”!!!