Lector is only one hat worn by very involved teenager

When it comes to being a lector, Brianna Bissell has a lot to say: "It gives me a more active role and makes me look at Mass differently."

But her involvement doesn't end at the podium. It includes being a food-pantry volunteer and member of the youth ministry at St. Matthew's Church in Voorheesville.

How much the 15-year-old sophomore at Voorheesville High School enjoys being involved shows in her schedule, which is crammed with sports, religion, academics and social service.

"Fridays, I usually come home and fall asleep," she joked. "That's when I get to breathe."

Reading skills

Brianna lectors at youth Masses, where other teens participate by bringing up the gifts, singing with the music ministry and greeting parishioners. She also helps out with the narration of the Christmas pageant and the Stations of the Cross.

Sometimes, she said, lectoring can be daunting. "It just seems like so many extra people come to Mass whenever I lector," she claimed. "You get that excited feeling, but I wouldn't call it nerves. People are more attentive when you have a youth lector.

"I get a lot of meaning out of the readings, especially when you're trying to interpret and deliver. Just getting up and reading something is meaningless if you don't take the time to understand it."

Pantry time

Recently, Brianna volunteered to help out at the New Scotland Community Food Pantry, which is co-sponsored by St. Matthew's. Her decision was motivated by prior experience bringing Meals on Wheels to shut-ins and serving dinners to senior citizens at St. Thomas School in Delmar, where she attended grade school.

Service "allows you to get to know the community really well," she noted.

The pantry historically has had a teen volunteer who keeps the pantry clean, stocked and ready for action. When the last volunteer left for college, Brianna answered an ad for a successor in her parish bulletin.

Every week, Brianna cleans the pantry from top to bottom, re-arranges food and "basically make things presentable for the people who go there," she explained. "I feel really good when I help others, and that's the greatest gift you get. Just to see people smiling and having fun, just to see their faces light up -- that feels really good."

Grass and hardwood

Brianna, an accomplished athlete, is currently playing basketball for Voorheesville High and served as captain of her soccer team this fall.

A captain, she said, has to be an encouraging and upbeat presence, and "must never get down on a teammate. You have to have good leadership skills, because a lot of players come to you if they don't feel comfortable going to the coach.

"I love [soccer,] and that rush you get when you score a goal. You're focused. Everything is out of your mind, and you're just playing the game. It takes the stress out. It relieves the pressure you feel."

Faith's role

Faith is something that teens can draw on every day to help them through stressful and shaky situations, she believes.

"Your faith tests you," she explained. "You see people made fun of, and are you going to take a backseat and laugh? Are you going to stand up for what you believe in, and say, 'Guys, cut it out'? The right thing to do is stand up," but it isn't always an easy decision for teens. "I like to look for the good in people. And sometimes, the mean people are hurting the most.

"You talk to God, and He'll always be there for you. When you pray, you put your trust in Him and really know He's always looking for the good in people. You put [your faith at] number one; and when times get rough, you fall back on your faith. No matter how much money you have, or what you do, or how many people you have or don't have, you always have your faith."

(At school, Brianna takes three advanced classes, and is involved in Key Club, the yearbook and the Model UN, where she's been given the daunting task of representing Germany in a WWII-era simulation. She hopes to become a doctor.)

(11/10/05) [[In-content Ad]]