With trust and open eyes, we will see how wonderfully He blesses us daily
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I was so blessed to be able to spend a week in Minnesota and speak after the Masses at my home parish, Our Lady of Grace. I am so grateful to Fr. Kevin for supporting me and allowing me this wonderful opportunity. I also shared my vocation story with the 2nd and 8th graders at OLG School, the youth group, the Serra Club at OLG, and St. Lucy's Guild at St. Patrick's Church. I am so grateful to all those who worked with me and allowed me to speak to those groups. I am also so grateful to all those who I met with as well as those who felt called to support me after hearing me talk after Mass. Thanks to all of you, I greatly increased the amount I have raised! God truly blessed me through you.
On the Feast of the Archangels, Sep. 29, Kayla (pictured above) and I officially entered the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in Tyler, TX, as affiliates. This initial stage of formation lasts from six months to a year. I am so blessed to be able to start this stage while I'm working with Labouré. At our small ceremony, we received our beautiful affiliacy medals (it has the Holy Family on one side and our Mother Foundress on the other), our breviary, and our community prayer book. I was so excited to receive these simple yet beautiful items that I now use daily. Thanks to your support and through God's grace, I am getting closer to being able to progress through the other stages of formation!
Sep. 29 was so beautiful, not only because I officially became an affiliate, but because I experienced how true it is that your family grows bigger when you enter religious life. First of all, the sisters warmly welcomed me into their family. Second of all, Kayla's family, who lived close enough to drive for the ceremony, enthusiastically welcomed me into their family as well. They invited me to join them whenever they visit Kayla or when Kayla visits them. Being in a different state than my own family, that meant a lot. Often times, God uses people like that to make us feel welcomed and loved by Him. We just have to be open to seeing His hand in it. I am excited to get to know my new family additions and home with which God has blessed me.
