How The Evangelist helped a woman to come home to Church

When Roberta Alexander, 76, was away from the Church for a number of years, she kept herself informed by reading The Evangelist.

"I have no idea why I was getting The Evangelist in the mail," she said. "Someone from the parish enrolled me, I guess. Week after week, it was there in my mailbox. Thank God, because it kept me going."

As a result, when the time was right for her to become an active Catholic again, she felt a certain familiarity with her surroundings.

Drifting away

Mrs. Alexander had been away from the Church for personal reasons for several years.

"I was actually at the point where I felt I'd been away for so long that it might be impossible for me to ever go back," she said.

She returned through an invitation from her daughter-in-law to attend a Welcome Home program for lapsed Catholics at St. Mary's parish in Glens Falls.

"I was impressed with it because it dealt with some of the same issues that had kept me away," she said.

Volunteering

Once the mother of five and grandmother of four opened the door back into the Church, there was no stopping her. She became a volunteer at her parish, St. Joseph's Church in Greenwich.

She said that the pastor at the time "was responsible for empowering our entire parish. He made us understand that we are the Church, that it's up to us to do God's work. That was an entirely new concept for me. I decided to become a volunteer."

She has been a greeter and facilitator of the ministry to the hospitalized and homebound.

"I also got heavily involved with Renew," she said, noting that it was just what she needed for getting back in touch with her faith.

Bigger step

As time went on, Mrs. Alexander considered enrolling in the Albany diocesan Formation for Ministry program, a two-year program that prepares Catholics for leadership roles in parish ministry. She completed it last year.

"I felt pulled to complete that program, not just for myself but also to give back to my Church," she explained. "We all need to work together. FMP is a great way to prepare for this kind of work.

"Involvement in ministry makes your faith stronger. Involvement and participation is an enriching experience. It opens your eyes about your faith, your call to ministry."

Fully involved

At St. Joseph's, Mrs. Alexander continues as facilitator for the ministry to the homebound. She also serves as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist and member of the RCIA program, which prepares catechumens and candidates for initiation into the Catholic faith.

"People seem to be losing heart when it comes to the Church," she said. "So many don't come to Mass anymore because they aren't getting what they spiritually need. I would encourage anyone that is thinking of coming back to try it out. Don't be afraid; it's never too late to rekindle your relationship with God. It doesn't matter how long or for whatever reasons you have been away.

"Come back; we want you! There is no reason to be afraid to come back to the Catholic Church. The longer you stay away, the harder it is to return. Human nature naturally seeks God; we yearn for God in our lives. God is waiting for you."

(2/8/07) [[In-content Ad]]