Home really is the nicest word there is. The word “home,” has a welcoming sound to it that resonates with every human heart, mine in particular! My first home was in The Woodlands, TX, where I learned Southern hospitality from the best of the best. It was in my community in Texas (literally translates as “friend”) where my heart learned to find its true home in the Eucharist.
From there, I made another home in South Bend, Indiana, as an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame. Through studying environmental earth science and Catholic Social Tradition, I gained a deeper appreciation for our planet as our common home. Grateful as I am for my academic life, it pales in comparison to all the beautiful people who made Notre Dame home through the Center for Social Concerns, the DeNicola Center for Ethics and Culture, Notre Dame Right to Life, and Campus Ministry. These relationships all taught me how to live a sacramental life and see Jesus in others through seeking truth and beauty in human dignity.
With hospitality, friendship, truth, and beauty as my guiding lights, I have discerned that my next step is to make a home with Con-solatio! From the first moment I met Con-solatio in Brooklyn, New York, I was instantly consoled by the ministry of presence offered by its members. Through a rich prayer and community life, missionaries of Con-solatio get to adore Christ manifested in people all over the world. Loneliness, the greatest poverty, knows no borders, and so, like Mary at the foot of the cross, we stand in solidarity with people who deeply desire consolation and companionship.
I am beyond grateful for being called to spend fourteen months as a missionary in India. A thousand thank-yous a for your spiritual and financial partnership! I can’t wait to make India home with you all.