Thank You

"God walks into your soul with silent step. God comes to you more than you go to Him. Never will His coming be what you expect. And yet never will it disappoint."         

- Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

When I came to Bremerton I never expected to love the place let alone its people. God has a funny way of putting us exactly where we need to be, for a reason He may never reveal. However, I think He sent me here to learn how to love. The situations, conversations, and groups I have been placed in always connect to a wound of my past. Over time these same connections proved to be the healing I needed.

The above quote rings true especially during this time of transition. Our Lady Star of the Sea wasn't what I expected, but she surely didn't disappoint. In sixty something days I am leaving for a permanent job in southern Oregon and I am going to miss this place so much. I will miss it more than Ohio, if that's even possible.

Now, I'm sure I'm going to say this a thousand times before I go, but Thank You. Thank You to each and every one of the hoodlums, parishioners, staff members, visiting priests, and friends I've made along the way. Without your openness & willingness to be God's vessels, the grace I've experienced here could not have been poured out. Continue to let God use you. He will continue to change lives and save souls through you.

I just had to take a minute and thank you all. These last two years have been amazing and I'll miss them. But I know that this next parish is where God wants me to be. Pray for me as I pray for you!

I love you,
Emma

Virtuous Friendship

In less than six months my time as a missionary will be over. I will have spent two years at the best parish I have ever been to. It will be the culmination of a crazy cross country journey that I never anticipated. I came to the the pacific northwest with a heck of a lot of baggage and in this time each and every bag has been lovingly unpacked and sorted. I've been given some of the most amazing people to help me with that. These are the people I think of when I read:

"Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter; whoever finds one finds a treasure. Faithful friends are beyond price, no amount can balance their worth. Faithful friends are life-saving medicine; those who fear God will find them." - Sirach 6:14 -16

These are also the people who I am forever grateful for. The theme of our Fidelis Winter Excursion this weekend is "Virtuous Friendship: Learning from the Saints". We've spent so much time talking about the qualities of this type of friend and the saints who exemplify that. Well, I think I know some of them personally. I have met and connected with so many people over the last year and a half. It's been a whirlwind, but it's been amazing. And in their own way they've each healed me in our time together.

When you come across people like this it's like your life brightens with their presence and even in their absence the very thought of them brings a smile. These friends will be frank with you, pray for you, and give you a ton of crap. More importantly, they'll love you with that love of Christ. A love that seeks truth in all things, even when it's hard. A love that pursues heaven with mighty courage. So when you come across these friends hold onto them because God clearly placed them in your life for some reason and never stop praying for them.

St. Theresa of Avila is said to have prayed for every soul she ever had an "intense connection" with until they reached heaven. That's a virtuous friend! Spend time praying for those people who have touched your life. They have been your partners on your path to heaven. No matter how long you've been together or apart your souls still have a unique bond that can never be torn apart.

"Pray for me, as I will for thee, that we may merrily meet in heaven." - St. Thomas More