By Julie LaFlamme
For the past 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing one of the greatest blessings: walking alongside young people not only during their high school years, but long after they leave the youth group behind.
I’ve watched teens grow into college students, business owners, farmers, young professionals, spouses, parents and even coworkers. Some of the most beautiful moments have been when they circle back: marriages and baptisms in the Church, sending their children to religion classes, singing in the church choirs, helping at our annual “Girls Night,” sharing their testimonies, joining our Mom’s Bible study, distributing gifts to the less fortunate families at Christmas, chaperoning Steubenville, serving on TEC and jail retreat teams together, doing homeless ministry in St. Cloud and adventures mountain biking and snowboarding together.
One thing I’ve learned is that accompaniment often starts with the simplest gesture: an invitation. For years I’ve asked people “Hey, want to come with me?” That little invitation has opened so many doors. Some of the most meaningful conversations of ministry didn’t happen in a church building, they happened in the van on the way to something, while stacking chairs or laughing together over a spilled cup of coffee.
Those small, unplanned moments are where discipleship often becomes real, raw and beautifully human.
Along with inviting, at the heart of ministry is accompaniment. Sometimes that means celebrating joys, but often it means walking with people in their messy, painful, heartbreaking seasons of life. I’ve walked with people through grief that shattered them: losing loved ones, divorce, breakups, addictions, job loss and losing dreams. Lately I’ve walked with some who are grieving the changes in our parish communities and the closing of our beloved churches. Change can stir sadness, uncertainty and even a sense of spiritual displacement. Buildings hold memories; communities hold stories; and when things shift, our hearts feel it.
Although our church buildings carry years of treasured memories, the true heart of the Church is not brick and stone, but the People of God themselves.
We are the living Church. As we honor the past and embrace the future, let us remain united in prayer, charity and hope. May we trust that Christ is guiding us in the midst of loss, strengthening our communities and leading us deeper into his mission. Ministry is often less about finding solutions and more about simply being present; making the time for people to sit with them in their grief, anger or confusion and meet people where they are at. We are called as Christians to do this for one another. It is not on job descriptions. It is at the heart of ministry to accompany people on this journey to heaven together. To listen before we speak, to understand before we advise and to hold space for God to work in ways that are deeper than words.
Let’s continue to plant seeds of faith that will bear fruit in our parishes, families and communities for generations to come. Let’s make heaven crowded with the beautiful people of these parishes that have given so much of their time, talent and treasure to their Catholic faith and the people of God! The people of this community rally around each other when there is tragedy, you pack the churches to support one another when loved ones die, you pray countless rosaries for those who have died, you raise funds that far exceed expectations at benefits and you fully support the youth in every aspect of life. You, the people of this community, are the Church, let’s not let closures pull us apart, keep supporting one another through all the changes, keep supporting our youth and let’s run the race together to help get each other to heaven.
May we grow closer together as a community and be there for one another like we do when tragedy strikes a family. Keep the faith, through it all, and Christ will remain constant. Together, let us continue the journey, may we continue to invite others and accompany the grieving with tenderness. Let us strive to be a parish community that reflects the heart of Christ, a community where every person, at every age, is seen, loved, and accompanied on the journey.
Julie, thank you for this uplifting and inspiring message of support and unity.