Parishioner Profile: Sara Lewis — Traditions Keep Family Rooted in the Faith

Parishioner Sara Lewis has never known a life without Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary! Born in Amherst and baptized at Nativity, Sara considers her faith community to be an extension of her family.

“I have gone to Nativity my whole life,” Sara says. “It’s small, and we’re like family there because we all grew up in such a small town.”

Growing up, Sara’s family always attended Mass on Sundays and holy days, keeping their Catholic faith at the center of life together. Sara continued this tradition when she married her husband, David, 34 years ago. Although David was raised in the Methodist faith, he began attending Mass with Sara and went through the RCIA process to join the Catholic Church in 2003. Sara and David have three grown children — Alan, Wesley, and Helen — so there were certainly times when life got busy! However, the Lewis family has always made time for the faith.

“We always say grace before mealtime,” Sara says. “I started the habit of prayer time with my children when they were little, and they still do that. There just wasn’t a question about going to Mass — you made time for it. We maintained a schedule, and church was a part of that weekly routine.”

When Alan and Wesley were taking classes through the Parish School of Religion, Sara volunteered as a catechist. She enjoyed having her sons in class with her and loved doing the arts and crafts with the younger students. Later, when Helen was preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, Sara helped with many of the group activities. She was always impressed with the many fun and faith-filled events that were planned for the Confirmation students.

Sara is thankful for a life built on a sturdy foundation of faith from the very beginning.

“I’ve always had a pretty strong faith,” she says. “A lot of kids get away from it, but I never did. I even went to Mass every Sunday when I went to college. It was just something my parents instilled in me, and I embraced it and never turned away from it. It really is a blessing.”

This month, as with every Christmas past and present, Sara is eagerly anticipating her family’s gathering for the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. The tradition comes from the Italian side of her family — Sara’s maiden name is “Gentile” — and was brought to this country by her grandparents in the early 1900s. Cooking and sharing the traditional dishes of fish and pasta is an annual ritual for the family, one that reminds them of the great love and importance of family as they celebrate the birth of Christ to Mary and Joseph.

“It’s something we look forward to every year,” Sara says. “We go to my brother Joe’s house and there are at least 20 or 25 of us. It’s a tradition that makes us remember our grandparents and our parents who worked really hard to make holidays special for us, so we want to keep those traditions alive.”

With the Lewis’ youngest child finishing high school this year, Sara hopes to become more involved in parish life at Nativity soon. Whichever parish group or ministry she may join, she knows she will be keeping alive the spirit and tradition of her family’s Catholic faith — a precious gift passed down by her parents and grandparents before her.

Sara Lewis looks forward to keeping alive the spirit and tradition of her family’s Catholic faith — a precious gift passed down by her own parents and grandparents before her.