Dear St. Francis of Assisi Families and Community,

 

I first served Mass as an altar server alongside my older siblings, when I was in the fourth grade. Our family became parishioners at St. Vincent de Paul in Federal Way when I was about three years old, after my father retired from the Army. Our Sunday routine began early: up at 6 a.m. to deliver our paper routes, then off to 8 a.m. Mass. My older sister was also an altar server (she was the first girl to serve at our church), so my serving wasn’t out of the ordinary, but I loved it, especially serving with my family. The best Sundays were when we kids altar served and my parents were Eucharistic Ministers.

 

Serving and giving to others have been part of my family’s story across generations, whether through military service, ministry and religious life, as educators or through public service. It is also the call we share as Catholic Christians, that is to give back, to lend a hand, and to help others, whether through our careers or our responsibilities as citizens and community members. That is a big reason why my husband and I chose Catholic schools for our three children. Our Catholic school communities see a need and feel called to use our God-given gifts to make things better for others and to be a positive difference in the world. It’s baked into our DNA.

 

That spirit is so strong here at St. Francis, where our shared call is to act, to serve, to see Christ in one another, and to be the hands and feet of Jesus every day. It is a good feeling. It feels like home.