After resigning from my job as a teacher in Fall 2009 when Greg was born, I got the joy of staying home and raising Greg...and then came Maria in January 2011! I loved being at home with the two of them. The stay at home Mom life really suited me, and our family! Our days were filled with coloring, exploring, outings, and so much fun....being an assistant youth minister has not changed that...and that is my favorite part of my new job! As a part time employee, my Pastor has allowed me to do all of my administrative work from home! I head to Saint Brigid for one "long" day a week filled with meetings, planning, and wrapping up with our teen event, Pizza and Prayer. I am at Church on Tuesday evenings for a meeting for a couple of hours, and Sundays for Mass and Life Nights with our teens. The rest of the time...I get to be with my babies; raising them, watching them grow, and enjoying this toddler time with both of them!
So how did this all come to be? When the kids were little, I would help out Saint John Neumann and Saint Brigid with retreats, life nights, and Confirmation classes...and then before I knew it, Msgr David of Saint Brigid was talking with Mandi about hiring me as their needed assistant Youth Minister. Mandi is my best friend. We went to college together, and she knew youth ministry was not my first choice when it came to a job...but after that Confirmation retreat in the Fall of 2011 and the Winter Retreat in January 2012, God began to prepare my own heart for taking on this job, working with my best friend, serving the teens of Saint Brigid. I cannot even begin to describe the transition I went through in preparing to accept this job, but our God is good and faithful...He has a plan and knows what He is doing!
This year has been an amazing year, and I am thankful to all those who have helped to make this transition for my family and I so seamless, especially our parents who have helped to watch the kids when I am away in the evenings or on retreat.
SJN was the home for Greg and I for 20+ years...it was the parish our families attended, the place where we received all of our Sacraments, with the exception of our Baptisms...we were married there, had our children baptized there...it was home...and it was hard to leave the people, our community, and venture on to make a new parish our new home without our families beside us.
We were welcomed with open arms at Saint Brigid, and this Christmas season...Saint Brigid felt like home to us. The people of the parish were always so loving and each Mass when I thought the world was staring at us because Greg and Maria were a bit too loud or moving around too much, parishioners would come to remind us that our kids are where the need to be and that they remember how hard this stage was.
The staff of Saint Brigid has been so welcoming to me. I know that my loud and dramatic ways take some getting to used to...but, I think most everyone has warmed up to me! :-) There are several wonderful women who I consider to be my work moms...I laugh and joke around with them, but I know I can come to them for advice and that they are looking out for me, too! I have gotten to know Elizabeth even better this year, and she has become a very close friend. Elizabeth is in charge of the Confirmation program, and I have been helping her out over the last several years, speaking at classes and on retreats...but have really become great friends with her this year. We have fun joking and laughing, but she has become a great accountability partner for me on my own journey! We also like sitting next to her, her hubby, and little bit at Mass...it helps us feel less alone in the world of wrangling toddlers at Mass!
Working with Msgr David (Bishop David, tomorrow!!) has been a joy! He was there at SJN, and he was my security when I got to this new parish. Each day I am in the office, I swing by to give him hugs because I just love this man and love to see how God is working in this humble and faithful servant. Fr. Josh came not long after I did, and he has become the big brother I never had! He jokes around and picks on me...but, he also holds be accountable on my own faith journey. So blessed to have him as a spiritual director, confessor, colleague, and friend! Brian, our Seminarian, is pretty much amazing...if I need a good distraction at work...or to distract him...I go to his office to take a brain break! The ways in which each of these three men serve our teens is amazing! I will probably never find three bigger supporters (working under one roof) for Life Teen and serving the youth of the parish.
And Mandi...my dearest friend! Not many best friends get to work together, but we even share an office. Each day is a joy to be working alongside her. I just laugh looking at where we are, never guessing that when we met 9 years ago, God would place us together in ministry as a team. Her faithfulness and love is something to admire, and I love working with her!
This year has been full of some many blessings within this transition. The Lord has done wonderful things with our "yes" to this job, and I know He will continue to provide as our family moves forward and falls more in love with our new parish home.
Saint Brigid, pray for us!
I'm so glad you came to work with us! I was a bit nervous about the transition (at first) but that was just nonsense from satan. I've told Eric repeatedly that you're the missing piece that I didn't even know was missing at Saint Brigid!
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