Woman takes long road to faith

If Phyllis Welsh's car sputters and coughs a bit lately, that's understandable. For four-and-a-half years, she wore a rut into the Northway between Warrensburg and Albany, making 120-mile round trips to attend classes at St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry.

While racking up more than 7,000 extra miles on the odometer, she earned a Certificate for Designated Ministry in a "double major:" catechetical leadership and youth ministry. Now, she is taking her knowledge into the North Country, teaching courses for other catechists who can't make the journey.

"I was determined to do it," she said emphatically. "I only missed one class!"

Changing lanes

The fast-talking North Carolina native wasn't always so driven. In fact, she wasn't always Catholic. Raised in the Southern Baptist faith, she liked the idea of becoming a missionary, a notion that faded during her teenage years.

Then she met her future husband, Richard. A New Yorker and a "cradle Catholic," he invited her to Mass with him -- "and all it took was one Mass," Mrs. Welsh recalled.

As she watched the consecration, "everything made sense to me: 'Jesus is really here!' I wanted to be a part of it."

Detour north

After converting, Mrs. Welsh still felt a thirst for more knowledge. When she and her husband moved to Warrensburg, where they owned a summer home, and became full-time parishioners at St. Cecilia's Church, she met Sister Linda Hogan, CSJ, the parish life director.

"Sister Linda has a way of seeing gifts before people even realize it," Mrs. Welsh remarked. "She encouraged me to continue with formation."

Mrs. Welsh enrolled in the diocesan Formation for Ministry Program (FMP), which prepares Catholics for leadership in parish ministries. In the process, she saw how many other parishioners in her 320-family North Country parish wanted more education in their faith but didn't have the opportunity to attend courses. It became her goal to fill that gap.

Driver's seat

As soon as Mrs. Welsh completed the FMP program, Sister Linda hired her as a pastoral associate for St. Cecilia's, responsible primarily for faith formation. The religious education program includes about 60 children and teens.

Mrs. Welsh also served on the parish's pastoral council, helped with the church bulletin and the children's Liturgy of the Word, and distributed communion to homebound seniors.

"Lay ministry is a very important part of the North Country!" she declared.

Bumps along road

But she still felt she had a calling from God to pursue yet more education -- this time, through St. Bernard's, the Diocese's graduate school for theology and ministry. In four years, she completed 21 courses in everything from Scripture to development of a catechetical program.

"It wasn't easy," she recalled. Some courses were offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays, others on Friday nights and Saturdays, and she still had her full-time parish job.

By the time she completed her coursework, Mrs. Welsh had lost both of her parents, and her husband had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Children on board

In addition to her other duties, Mrs. Welsh runs a summer Bible school for local children of various faiths. She remembers one incident where she gave out heart-shaped stickers to kids learning about Jesus' death and resurrection, just as a man dressed as Jesus entered the church.

She told the children that they could choose to keep their stickers or "give their hearts to Jesus." Every child eagerly came forward to stick a heart on the cross Jesus carried.

"It's those experiences when you realize the kids are getting it," Mrs. Welsh said. "There must be a million of those moments!"

(Mrs. Welsh is relieved to be finished with her time as a student, saying: "I was tired. I had six-and-a-half years of study, counting FMP. I am ready to stop for a while. I'm 57 -- that's enough for now!")

(6/8/06) [[In-content Ad]]