Question: Did you grow up a Catholic and how has your faith grown over the years?

From: Alexis from CA

Yes….I grew up Catholic. I was Christened, made my First Holy Communion, Confirmation and was married in the Catholic Church.

My faith journey is interesting when I think back about it. My parents, my brother, and I, did not attend mass as a family. I remember my brother Dominic and I going to church every Sunday….by ourselves. I think that gave my parents some “alone time.” Dominic and I could walk to church when we lived in the city but when we moved to the suburbs you had to drive. So I was not able to go to church unless our parents took/dropped us off. But, as soon as I got my license to drive I went to church every week. I always enjoyed the mass and went every week until my brother Dominic died suddenly, in 1970, in an automobile accident at the age of 21.

It was very difficult for me to attend mass after that. My faith was shaken. How could this happen? I would always go to mass and the first thing I did was kneel down and thank God for everything He gave me. I couldn’t do that after Dominic died. What could I “thank Him for?” Our family was broken. It took a few years for me to go back and be able to thank God again for everything I had.

My brother died in January and our first daughter Michele was born in September. Two years later our second daughter Dena was born….I began to heal the loss of Dominic and started to go to church again. And began to thank God for all my blessings.

My faith journey grew as I did. I wanted to learn more about the Catholic Church because as a child they told us not to read the Bible as we wouldn’t be able to understand it…..so I joined Bible Study classes. I really enjoy Bible Study….there is so much to learn and I’m still learning!

Although my faith was shaken again when my Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1991, my mom with multiple myeloma, in 2001 and Mike with lung cancer in 2021, all the prayers from those who loved us and prayed for us helped carry me/us through that difficult time. I know it’s hard sometimes for people to understand but with my brother’s sudden passing I never had time with him, however with my Dad, Mom and Mike I looked at their diagnosis as “a gift of time.”

We had time to just “be with them”….laugh together, cry together and spend time doing our favorite things together. We’d play cards, watch movies, go out to eat and talk.

I’ll never forget when my Dad told me how proud he was of me and everything I accomplished…..and I told him it was all because of him. Intimate moments, like this, that never would have been possible without “the gift of time” that we had. And I can thank God now for that.

I continue to grow in my faith. After Mike’s passing it was so difficult to get up each day and get my day started. Now….I get up and start each day by going to church, it brings me peace, comfort and renews my faith each day.

Each day at mass I pray for all my family and friends….and each and everyone of you here. “You are all a gift to me and our family.” Your love, comfort and strength have carried us through some dark times in our life. Your prayers have comforted us in ways you’ll never know.

I know the power of prayer as it has touched me and I pray for all of you and hope my prayers will/have brought you comfort, peace and healing.

God Bless you all…..Ladydi