Meet Nancy Pekarek: Learning from the Faith Stories of Others

For many years, Nancy Pekarek mainly attended Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes and sang in the choir. She only knew a few parishioners and was mostly disconnected from the life of the church. Then she decided to “start showing up.”

“Getting to know each other as people of faith strengthens our own faith and gives us the confidence to learn and move forward on our own spiritual journey,” Nancy says. “Many people sitting around us in Mass on a Sunday are living lives of strong faith, service, and sacrifice, but if we never interact with them, we can never learn or be guided by their faith stories or share ours.”

Nancy joined Our Lady of Lourdes in 1985 when she first moved to Raleigh. Two particular things drew her to the parish, specifically the church architecture and the character of the celebration of the liturgy.

“The architecture so elegantly connects the spirit with God’s gift of nature through its windows and natural wood,” Nancy says. “Since grade school, I had been involved in both choir and guitar groups, so when I first joined Lourdes, and when I returned years later after living away from Raleigh, I took part in music ministry.”

When Nancy decided to “start showing up,” she started with a commitment to One Day for Him and to attend faith formation classes after the 10:30 a.m. Mass. Then she made a more significant time investment by participating in both Discovering Christ and Opening Your Heart, part of the Walking with Purpose series. The different programs encouraged her to think more deeply about the faith.

“Equally importantly, they offered me the opportunity to meet and engage with other parishioners who shared their experiences along the path of faith,” Nancy says. “The personal stories of other parishioners offered insights and inspiration that have strengthened my faith and encouraged me in my own efforts to seek a stronger relationship with Christ.”

Over the years Nancy has been a sacristan, a member of both the Pastoral Council and School Advisory Board, a choir member, and an adorer in the Adoration Chapel. She also spent a few years working to help establish the community garden.

“St. James tells us clearly that ‘faith without works is dead,’” Nancy says. “We are called to actively demonstrate our faith by giving back according to our talents and the needs of our neighbor. Starting small builds faith and community, and with the grace of God, guides us to other meaningful uses of our time and God-given talents.”

Nancy believes that the faith journey begins with a single step, but we have to take that step, which sometimes requires moving outside our comfort zones.

“Catholics are a community of faith,” Nancy says. “I am grateful to all those at Our Lady of Lourdes I have learned from and who continue to guide and support me as I seek to build a deeper relationship with Christ.”

Nancy Pekarek