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I have been doubly blessed in my life with family.  I have a large genetic extended family of more than 110 members — my Outreach family is composed of 28 coordinators.  While you can be a member of my genetic family only through birth or marriage, the only requirement to become a member of my Outreach family is a generous heart.

Continue reading "Come Join the Outreach Family Where There is Always Room at the Table" »

I have often written about my grandfather, John F. Berkemeyer.  This wonderful man played a significant role in the first three and a half-years of my life because he was one of few males I experienced in my young life.  My mother and I lived with him and my grandmother while my dad served in WW II.  No one who met John F. doubted he was a happy man.  He loved my grandmother, my mom and me.  This highly skilled carpenter had an infectious smile that could win over even the most hard boiled pessimist.

Continue reading "Happiness, Relationships, and Marriage" »

This past April, I had the pleasure of traveling to Peru with Coprodeli to participate in a service trip.  It was an extraordinary trip and I met an incredible group of big hearted folks along the way.  We started out as 12 strangers in a foreign country and ended up amigos — all in the name of service.

Upon arrival in Lima, I was driven to the Coprodeli boys’ orphanage where I stayed for the entire trip.  I was greeted with kisses and hello’s by 27 of the most beautiful children of Peru!   Then it was off to see the Coprodeli schools of Callao, followed by a meeting with the staff of this well run organization under the direction of Padre Miguel Ranera.  As the day went on, the other volunteers arrived and we began our bonding experience.

Continue reading "Coprodeli’s Service Trip to Peru" »

Dear Old St. Pat’s Friends,

On behalf of all of us involved in Harmony, Hope & Healing (HHH), we thank you for faithfully inviting us to pray and sing with you at the Sunday 11:15 a.m. Liturgy.  We especially acknowledge and thank Bill Fraher, Laura Higgins, and all the volunteers who generously give of their time and talent to make us feel welcome in the Old St. Pat’s community.  It truly is a blessing!  While many of you may be familiar with the HHH Choir because of our monthly connection, you might be interested to learn the rest of our story.

Continue reading "Harmony, Hope & Healing (HHH)" »

I think one of the greatest traps we fall into today is the mistaken belief that spiritual life is the part of our existence which is mostly about achieving stillness; we have this sense that spirituality should be the balance to the activity that characterizes our roles as parent, student, laborer, teacher, accountant, volunteer, caretaker,  …

But, to do faith and to go the way of Christ is not a spectator sport — it is a full-contact, hard-hitting, messy, arduous, intense, beautiful, compelling, mysterious, and grace-filled venture that — if engaged sincerely and with a full heart — is nothing less than transformational.  Be forewarned, say the saints: taking up the Cross of Christ in our day is costly.  It will require of us a tenacious spirit, a humble heart, and a commitment to strengthen and be strengthened by one another in community.  And in the midst of a culture constantly promoting the ideal of self-preservation by any means necessary, a life united to Christ and the members of his Body promises to leave us with scars.

Lest these warnings dissuade us, though, God has provided us shining examples of grace, courage, and joy to draw us back to our vocations.  Last weekend at Old St. Patrick’s, 16 adults proclaimed their “Yes” to this life of faith as they were baptized and welcomed into the Catholic Christian family; 22 adults followed their hearts as they entered into Full Communion with the Catholic Church and thus fully celebrating and participating in the Eucharist for the first time; and 18 adults completed their Christian Initiation as they were anointed and sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Just hours later, the same waters of baptism were poured over the heads of 13 infant children whose parents and Godparents said “Yes” to the honor and responsibility of helping form, guide, and nurture their children into their own identity as God’s beloved ones.

Each of us there for these moments prayed, cheered, and urged them on as these new members of our community – these new members of our family – entered into Christ’s life.  But, we did not do so as spectators.  In the midst of those Liturgies as each of those dozens of people proclaimed his or her “yes” to a life of faith, devotion to others, and participation in the paschal mystery

… the rest of us joined them with our own YES.  With Easter joy, we renewed and reclaimed our baptismal promises:  reaffirming those vows that were proclaimed as that water was poured over us for the very first time.

• We do refuse to follow the ways of sin, hopelessness, and despair.
• We do refuse to be mastered by the part of our world, which advances the values of self-indulgence and hunger for power only to result in human isolation.
• We promise to be people who imitate the attributes of our God:  compassion, solidarity, justice, mercy, and hope.
• We vow to live our lives in accordance with the example and the companionship of Jesus, our brother, who went the way of love (even through suffering and death) and asks us to join him.
• We vow to open ourselves to be vessels of the Holy Spirit – that we might act as the instruments and become mediators of God’s grace in the world.

This is our Easter Proclamation.  For the promise of a living faith is new life.  And new life IS here … dwelling among us.  And the celebration will continue for weeks to come: 
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Keara Coughlin is director of Young Adult Ministry at Old St. Patrick’s Church.