My Journey in the Catholic Faith

​I was born into a Catholic family and baptized as an infant. I attended a Catholic primary school, where, along with my classmates, I received the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, before moving on to a public high school. I believe my faith has always lived quietly in my heart, yet I often wonder—was I truly paying attention in religion classes, or was I simply too young and immature to understand fully the message my teachers were trying to impart?

Regular Sunday Mass wasn’t a priority in my teens and early adult life. Were the sacraments just a ritual? Was transubstantiation real? Did I really believe in persona Christi? I don’t think I really thought about it, but something kept pulling me back.
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That pull became stronger when I married and had children of my own. There was a drive in my soul that said it was imperative to have my children baptized. There was no question; my children must attend a catholic school. I needed them to know and understand love – God.  Still, even then, I had not yet grasped the bigger picture of my own faith.

When my children were young, I wanted to volunteer at our parish. My parish priest reminded me that my role as a parent, teaching my children the faith, was more important, and my time would come to be able to volunteer. I began volunteering as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. When my friend who coordinated the ministry was dying of cancer, she asked me to take over her role. From there, I served with Inn from the Cold and spent time visiting the shut-ins. Each of these roles drew me closer to my faith and deepened my understanding of the love God offers each of us. 

​However, it wasn’t until Deacon Luis Hong invited me to join the RCIA team as a catechist at St. Luke’s parish that I realized just how little I truly understood my faith. I was embarrassed! I remember confiding in a priest about how inadequate I felt, calling myself a Catholic while knowing so little. He gently shared that, even as a priest, there were times when he, too, felt embarrassed about not knowing everything about the faith. In that moment, I realized there was hope for me yet.

​I am not a public speaker! I get up in front of a group of people and can’t recall what I was meant to say; I can’t even breathe. So, the thought of standing in front of a group of adults guiding them on their journey to learn and understand the Catholic faith was beyond my ability. Yet with the gentle guidance and encouragement from my RCIA team of catechists, I learned that I didn’t have to stand in front of a group of people to lend support or to share what it is to be Catholic. I could sit with the smaller groups, encouraging and guiding conversation through a lesson. I could ask questions that would bring out what that shy person at our table was afraid to ask in the larger group. I could add to the topic that my fellow catechist was presenting, encouraging others to speak out and get the conversation going. It was amazing to learn that there was more than one way to share what God has given us: to enlighten others of the gentle love that Jesus taught, to be able to open the eyes of others about how the Holy Spirit quietly speaks to us, if we only know how to listen.

In the seven years that I have been involved in RCIA my faith has grown, my personal understanding of my faith has blossomed, taking my heart and mind into greater heights in spreading the Good News in a gentle way that encourages others to see what God is offering each of us.

It was empowering to learn that I could teach by example and that a gentle word of encouragement could be a strong catalyst in helping another take that next step in their journey towards embracing the faith to which God has called us. I am humbled to know that when God called me, this time I had the courage to say: “Here I am, Lord; Your servant is listening.”

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Submitted by Carol D’Amico, St. Luke's Parish, Calgary. Photos courtesy of Carol D'Amico.