MEET PARISHIONER ANNE MARIE HALVORSON: Joyfully Embracing the Catholic Faith

Anne Marie Halvorson didn’t have any significant event that caused her to stop practicing the Catholic faith — she just stopped attending Mass, being involved, giving, and praying. She grew up in a devout Catholic home, raised her two boys in the Church, and was married to her husband, Larry, at St. Joseph’s. But, once her two boys were out of the house, she fell out of her habits. She looked around at other churches and spent many years feeling like something was missing.

“I had a longing and an emptiness,” she says. “The first thing I missed was receiving the Eucharist.”

After about 10 years of being away, she went to church and knelt down and prayed, asking God to help her find the way back. She relied on the words in the Gospel of Matthew — “Whatever you ask for in prayer, you will receive it if you have faith.” Her prayer was answered relatively quickly.

“Fr. Paul met me to hear my confession,” she says. “He prayed over me, and I felt like I belonged. That is how quickly it happened. There was no crash of thunder or anything.”

Anne Marie says she blames “Satan” along with her own general “laziness” as the reason why she fell away from the Church.

“That whole time, everything was going my way,” she says. “I didn’t feel the need to go to Mass. The big part of it was that I was relying on myself — not realizing without God, I am nothing. I can do nothing.”

Anne Marie has been back for about two years. She was so happy to see the familiar faces when she returned.

“I looked around and saw so many people I knew,” she says. “They were here the whole time. Why did I leave?”

Since coming back to the faith, Anne Marie’s faith and stewardship have grown. She serves on St. Joseph’s Administrative Council and the Stewardship Committee. She also leads the Rosary before Mass, is a member of the Seven Sisters Apostolate, and is on the Prayer Chain Meal Train. She gets involved wherever she can. Anne Marie even brings her faith to her career as a dental hygienist.

“Now, I try searching for others who are hurting,” she says. “I try to be bold about it and not be ashamed because Jesus saved me. I am not afraid to say, ‘Let me pray for you.’”

Overall, Anne Marie has endless gratitude that she is back to attending Mass. She’s very thankful to everyone in the Holy Family Area Catholic Community.

“I am thankful to be back — to be home,” she says. “I have so much gratitude to God and the Blessed Mother — she takes care of us.”

Anne Marie and Larry have two sons, one daughter-in-law, and two grandsons. In her free time, Anne Marie loves to read, garden, run, work out, cook and host people. She and Larry also love to travel.

Since coming back to the faith, Anne Marie’s faith and stewardship have grown.