¡Felicidades al Grupo de Jovenes de Santo Tomás de Aquino!

This Saturday, the totally awesome youth group of Santo Tomás de Aquino in Los Tres Brazos celebrates its first anniversary!  I was blessed to be included in many of their devious adventures during my time in the Dominican Republic—including the Noche Cultural (a variety show of sorts), cleaning the church grounds, rosary pray-ins throughout town, many faith-building sessions, and even a retreat.

These absolutely inspiring teenagers started this really awesome youth group about when I arrived with my Coboss in the Dominican Republic last year.  (She is my Co-boss because between the two of us, we are a total boss!)  Co-boss and I got pretty involved with the leadership team, but really we played supporting roles.  The youths themselves do all of the organizing, fundraising, outreach, and planning.  It is quite the undertaking.  You should check out their website (it's even cooler if you know Spanish):

Sitio de web del Grupo de Jovenes STA

The grupo is totally devoted to serving the Lord together in everything they do.  Even if they're meeting for dinner, they begin and end with prayer.  From them, I am learning a lot about what it's like to be part of a community whose energy stems from Jesus.  When your love for each other comes from God Himself, you can't help but be positive and build each other up—and share that love with everyone you meet.  The friendship they—we—share is something really special.

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”  Matthew 18:20 (NRSV)

Growing up, I didn't believe having a faith community was important.  Going to public school as a Catholic on the East Coast, I had never really experienced it.  I knew I wanted to love Jesus, but I didn't know anyone else my age in my church who felt that way.  At school, I had a couple of Christian friends, but most of my friends were from other faith backgrounds and/or atheist/agnostic.  All of my friends challenged—and continue to challenge—me to be a better person every day.  I was (am) so blessed to have such wonderful friends!  

In middle school, I joined the contemporary music group at my parish.  Most of the people in the group were my parents' age or older, so I gained a lot of spiritual mothers and fathers—but I still didn’t have many Catholic friends my age, and as for the ones I’d found, I didn’t know how to share my faith with them.  

I thought God was calling me to be a lone wolf.  Even with my Christian friends, our discussions often became theological debates.  I was always on defense—which definitely increased my knowledge and critical thinking.  In fact, that helped me to explore my faith and really discern that I believe the Catholic Church is the truest way to the heart of God.

But sometimes it's lonely being Catholic.

When I lived in Ghana, everything changed.  Everyone I met in Ghana believed in Onyame (God), whether they were Christian, Muslim, or pagan.  And unlike in the United States, the stereotypical Catholic in Ghana is quite in love with Jesus; they dance the most at church.  It was there that I got involved in my first youth group at St. Francis Xavier parish in Asokore Mampong.  Sharing my faith helped it to grow in ways I didn’t know it could!

I finally realized that I have a global community.  All over the world, Catholics share in the Body of Christ and the Holy Word together—united in prayer, united in love, united in Christ.  Can you think of anything less lonely than that?

The Grupo de Jovenes at Santo Tomás de Aquino was the next faith community I experienced—a fresh new group built up because the youths there yearned for community.  There had been another youth group in days gone by, but everyone in that group was rather grown up already.  So this new leadership team started things up again!  And they are spreading God's love wherever they go.  

When I returned to the United States, I was hungry to participate in a faith community again.  By God’s grace, I found Christlife, an awesome group of Catholics who really love the Lord.  Christlife's youth community meets at the Shrine of Saint Anthony in MD every week to do praise/worship and discussion, and there are also spinoff men’s and women’s groups.  They are absolutely devoted to Jesus.  That's why they do such amazing ministry, inviting everyone they meet to share in the joy that is the love of God.  They have been a major blessing in my life too—and they're one of my lifelines even while I’m here in Texas!

Check out Christlife's website!

Additionally, God has continued to bless me with friends from all sorts of faith backgrounds with many different perspectives and ideas.  What a lucky girl I am!

Thank God for amazing friendships that draw us ever closer to His love.

¡Y felicidades al Grupo de Jovenes de Santo Tomás de Aquino!  Les extraño a toditos, y nos estamos todavía reunidos en la oración.