The Next Step in Our Journey
It's not good-bye, but see you later!
This article is appearing in this weekend’s parish bulletin.
It was December 1, 2020. Winter had already arrived in Wisconsin. Charlotte and I had just moved from New Jersey, after 18 and 1/2 years the Northeast, to the Midwest.
Fr. David Carrano and Good Shepherd Parish had invited me to join the staff to work in the area of evangelization. This was in the Covid era, so we only got to know people from the eyes up.
Being able to work in evangelization, as well as in marriage prep and RCIA (now OCIA) was like a dream come true. I had been a protestant pastor and missionary for over 30 years. We were received into the Catholic Church in 2016. To return to ministry as a Catholic was an unexpected blessing and a true gift from God.
For the past two years, our hearts expanded to include the former St. Raphael Parish, becoming part of Pastorate XXII and now Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. What a joy to work with Fathers Drew Olson, Andrew Showers, and José Luis Vázquez! And the evangelization team is tops, working with Amber Cerrato, Stacy Blang, and José Antonio Garzón López.
After two years working at Our Lady of Hope Clinic in Middleton, Charlotte joined the OLG team as administrative assistant at St. James School. It would not be stretching it to say that this role has been one of the most satisfying that she has had in her life. I get to watch up close how much she commits to it and the deep love she has for Principal Jeannean Eagon, the teachers, the staff, the children and the parents.
During our time in Madison I have had the joy to work with 51 couples in marriage preparation. OCIA (RCIA) gives me a fresh injection of life, as a convert to the Catholic Church, allowing me to accompany and guide people on their way into the Church or deeper into the Church. We have had 40 people draw closer to Christ as adults. Then there is the amazing team of people in both Spanish and English who have been trained in evangelization through Reach More.
Little did we know when we left our protestant world some ten years ago, that God was not done with us. He didn’t intend for us to sit on the sidelines. We consider ourselves blessed beyond measure.
Our 46 years of marriage have taken us far and wide: Kentucky, Michigan, Costa Rica, Peru, New York, New Jersey, and now Wisconsin. We have lived far from family, especially our parents, children, and grandchildren. We are to take the next step in our journey this summer. As we have prayed and discerned the future God has for us, we are “retiring” and moving to Indiana, still the Midwest!
We are not sure yet where in Indiana, but when we know you will have two Hoosier friends who will keep you in our prayers and expect you to stop by when you go through the Crossroads of America.