I have been changed for good....


 Today is a weird day!

Partly because it's my last weekend at St. Mary's in Dedham....

Partly because I move to Rome in TWO weeks...

But mainly because of the changes that will be happening back at my home parish. There's been one face that I've associated with the Life Teen program at Immaculate Conception ever since October 10, 1999 when the Life Teen program was launched. And that face is the coordinator, Linda Pane.

Linda, one of the original CORE Members and a helping founder of SLT remembers well my first experience with Life Teen--- I DID NOT WANT TO BE THERE!!!!

However, I began to get involved with the events SLT offered, and I grew to LOVE this youth ministry program. I became a VERY active teen, and when I was mid sophomore year of college in 2005 I joined CORE team. The Church, particularly youth, became so much a part of my life that I myself became a Life Teen youth minister at a parish in Bridgewater from 2006-2011 before entering the seminary.

Tonight is a bittersweet night for the Stoughton Life Teen community as it will be Linda's last Mass as the Life Teen Coordinator. Over the past almost 14 years, COUNTLESS lives have been touched, changed, transformed and led closer to Christ because of Linda's "yes" to serve the youth of Stoughton.


My life is one of them...

So Linda, if you're reading this, I want to post some lyrics to a song that FM sang in 2004 when he was transferred, and let you know how true they ring for what you have done in helping me hear God speaking to me and inviting me to discern a call to serve the Church as His priest...

I've heard it saidThat people come into our lives for a reasonBringing something we must learnAnd we are ledTo those who help us most to growIf we let themAnd we help them in returnWell, I don't know if I believe that's trueBut I know I'm who I am todayBecause I knew you...Like a comet pulled from orbitAs it passes a sunLike a stream that meets a boulderHalfway through the woodWho can say if I've been changed for the better?But because I knew youI have been changed for good

Linda, THANK YOU for your service to Christ, to His Church and to the youth of Stoughton over the past 14 years. You are in my prayers as you move on to the next phase of your journey. I hope you hear the Lord saying to you tonight during meditation after Communion "Well done, good and faithful servant!"


Stoughton Life Teen CORE Team at the 2005 Training Conference in Mesa (St. Timothy's Catholic Church)

SLT--Alumni, Former/Current CORE Members at Carolyn and Brian's wedding 


SLT CORE Team with Lisa (Epperson) Garcia at 2005 Training Conference

Comments

  1. LindaJune 30, 2013 at 12:04 PM

    I carry you in my heart.....I carry you all, in my heart!

    much love to all

    Linda

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram ædificabo Ecclesiam meam...

Image
"You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build My Church" New Men entering 1st year at the Pontifical North American College Yesterday was the first full day for all of the 64 "new men" entering First Year at the NAC. The day began early, arriving to St. Peter's Square for a 6:55 am photo of the new men with Msgr. Checchio, the rector of the college. Afterwards, we went into the basilica, and at the altar which is above St. Peter's tomb, we all knelt down and professed our Catholic Faith in the Apostle's Creed--the same faith that Peter professed 2,000 years ago and was martyred for. (Of course, we also prayed an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be!). Next we went below to the altar directly in front of the burial place of St. Peter for the celebration of the Holy Mass. On Thursday night I asked for prayer requests on FaceBook, and I was very humbled to be able to bring so many peoples intentions to the Lord at Mass, and ask for St. Peter...
Read more

Week 1...almost done!

It feels like ages since we've been in Rome! Early Orientation is starting to become a distant memory...and I'm pretty sure I've forgotten every name of a guy who didn't go to language school in Siena. I didn't mention it before, but one of my favorite parts of EO was this thing I've heard before... but it reminds me of the "God is good...All the time!" call/response. Every so often, when a person finished speaking he would say "Praised be Jesus Christ" and we would all respond "Now and Forever!"...so if I ever sign an entry "Praised be Jesus Christ" I want you to say in your head, "Now and Forever!" Anyways, back to Siena...Tomorrow is Friday, which completes the first week of language school, though it feels like I've been here for a month at least. I really like one of the ways in which they teach Italian as a foreign language, and that is the one on one sessions in the afternoon. You get SO much atten...
Read more

Ao Norte!

As I had anticipated, our hostel did have WiFi, but it didn't reach our room, and there weren't any computers there. So...we catch up, 6ªFeira 6-julho: I bought new shoes before coming here, and silly me for not breaking them in. I woke up with an intense pain in my right foot (the same foot I "broke" almost 4 years ago on a Life Teen retreat...) It actually felt similar in degree of pain, and I was limping most of the day. After class and lunch, Mike and I made our way to Rede Expressos bus station for our 3 pm autocarro to Porto. We arrived at 6:30 and began walking. (I bought ibuprofen for my foot as it was throbbing) When we finally got to the hostel, our senhora de casa said (all in Português) that she had already heard we speak Portuguese... We had told Sofia (Portuguese professor from BC) where we were staying, as she was in Porto for her masters defense and as it turns out, she beat us to the hostel and left us a note saying where she and Sven would be w...
Read more