Prince William County Catholic SPRING 2020 Issue 7 by Prince William County Catholic

C O N T R I B U TO R S

M r s . L i s a H i l l - S u t t o n , O. P. w w w. l i s a j u l i a p h o t o g r a p h y. c o m Our Lady of Angels P h o t o g r a p h e r / Wr i t e r / P u bl i s h e r M e l i s s a C h av e s Our Lady of Angels Wr i t e r / C o p y E d i t o r Malissa Coy Our Lady of Angels Copy Editor Jo s e p h S u t t o n Our Lady of Angels Copy Editor

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C O N TAC T U S

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P R I N C E W I L L I A M C O U N T Y C AT H O L I C I S A L A B O R O F LOV E W I T H T H E I N T E N T I O N O F D R AW I N G C LO S E R TO G E T H E R O U R LO C A L P R I N C E W I L L I A M C AT H O L I C C O M M U N I T Y. W E B E L I E V E T H AT B R I N G I N G AT T E N T I O N TO O U R N E I G H B O R S I N T H E P E W S , W H O M W E M AY N OT Y E T K N OW O N A P E R S O N A L L E V E L , WILL GIVE OUR READERS AN O P P O RT U N I T Y TO S E E T H E G O O D WO R K S T H AT LO C A L C AT H O L I C S A R E D O I N G I N T H E N A M E O F C H R I S T. W E S E E K TO D E E P E N O U R P R AY E R L I F E , A N D G ROW I N T H E LOV E A N D K N OW L E D G E O F O U R C AT H O L I C FA I T H S O I N T U R N W E C A N B E T T E R S H A R E T H AT LOV E , K N OW L E D G E A N D S U P P O RT W I T H O U R C O M M U N I T Y AT L A R G E .

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TA B L E O F CONTENTS 6

A n E a s t e r Re f l e c t i o n

Pa r i s h i o n e r P r o f i l e : N a u p a r i Fa m i l y

Living the New Normal with Hope

M y Jo u r n e y H o m e

Sugar Cookies for Mary

C o l o r i n g Pa g e : S t . C a t h e r i n e o f S i e n a

Pa r i s h D i r e c t o r y a n d B u l l e t i n s

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AN EASTER

REFLECTION

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At the Transfiguration, our Lord let the glory of his divinity shine forth through his humanity. It was a glory he had emptied himself of when he took on our flesh. He was transfigured and seen in conversation with Moses and Elijah, so as to show to his disciples that the upcoming events were the way to the glory of Resurrection. He was trying to prepare them for the scandal of the cross. At his arrest, they all ran. Simon Peter, who had a chance to speak up, denied him three times. John initially ran, but was found later at the foot of the cross, having returned. It was a time of fear, of darkness, of doubt. Through all of that, all that Christ had taught them seemed to have vanished from their minds. It is now the early morning of the first day of the week. The Sabbath is over, and women are coming to the tomb with cloths, oils, and spices to properly prepare the body for burial. They find the stone covering the entrance to the tomb rolled away and the tomb empty. The grave cloths are not just tossed around, but are neatly folded and rolled and placed. A young man in white is there asking them, “Why search for the living among the dead? He is not here! He has been raised!” They race back to the upper room to tell the disciples. Then there is a se-

ries of appearances of the risen Christ. This past Lent we have faced a long, dry, desert experience. Some have faced the virus, others work or school from home, still others, isolation. Some have even faced the death of a loved one. Almost all have faced the aridity of not having our Lord in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Live-streaming is just not the same. We must remember that in his Passion, Death and Resurrection, Jesus did not take away the pain, the sorrow, or the grief. He faced all of that, as did the Blessed Mother. What he did do, though, was transform it. We also can realize, through the meditation on the Stations of the Cross, that he puts people in our lives through these times: the Simon of Cyrene and the Veronicas. We now celebrate Easter, the Day of the Lord’s Resurrection. It is a time, a season of hope and renewal and new life. Regardless of what we currently face, our Lord walks with us and shows us the promise of the Light of God, and the renewal of life. He is with us always. How aware am I of His presence, and his promises? On behalf of Fr. Thomas, Fr. Alex, Fr. Jaime, and Deacon Anthony, I wish you all a blessed and hope-filled Easter. He has Risen! He has Risen indeed!.

by Fr. Kevin O’Keefe

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Bio: Paul and Jamie Naupari have 6 children, ages 2 to 20 years old, and are expecting a 7th child at the end of July. They are long time Prince William County residents and parishioners at Our Lady of Angels Church in Woodbridge. Paul is a service member of the D.C. Army National Guard, working as a flight instructor and aircraft mechanic. He volunteers as a Eucharistic Minister. Jamie is a veteran home educator to their children and is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. Here she shares simple ways for families to apply the “Rule of Six” to implement the True, the Good, and the Beautiful (Philippians 4:8) in our homes during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond. The COVID-19 pandemic has made all of us Northern Virginia families with school-age children home schoolers. This time of crisis has even disrupted my family, although I have been authentically homeschooling my children for over 15 years. Our activities, clubs, co-ops, sports, etc. have all been shut down. I can only imagine how families are coping now that their children are home from “brick n’ mortar” school. We all are trying to figure out how to keep each family member safe, happy, healthy, educated, and entertained while self-quarantining. Some of us may be sick or have health issues. Many of us and our family members might be facing fear, isolation, confusion, or even depression. To make matters worse, most of us don’t have access to going to public Mass to get the graces we need from the reception

of the Holy Eucharist. If you are in survival mode because of all this and want to find a way to thrive, I propose we start looking at ways we can apply the bible verse Philippians 4:8 to our family lifestyle. Philippians 4:8 (RSV) tells us: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” We are called to seek the True, the Good, and the Beautiful and we can do that even in a time of crisis. Years ago I came across several homeschooler bloggers who were sharing ways they were attempting to have more True, Good, and Beautiful in their homeschools. These mothers created a “Rule of Six” for their homes--ideas they would attempt daily. Different mothers had different versions of the “Rule of Six” and they each implemented them in unique ways for their families. Unfortunately, I no longer have the names of these bloggers to share their original ideas. (Feel free to do an internet search yourself.) However, I would like to offer what I have adapted as the “Rule of Six” for my own family. #1: Pursue Holiness. Matthew 6:33 tells us: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” For Catholics, this is done by “living liturgically”. Ideas might include adding a family rosary if you are not already praying

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the rosary, pick a saint of the day to read their biography, watching the Mass on TV as a family, making a liturgically-decorated table to serve as a family altar, read a proverb a day and discuss as a family. Add anything, even if it’s small, every day to grow in holiness. #2: Do Meaningful Work. Colossians 3:23-24 tells us: “Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you are serving the Lord Christ.” Meaningful work, done cheerfully and well, prevents sloth, feelings of restlessness, boredom, uselessness, and laziness. Some of us may be feeling crippled by the sudden thrust into crisis and change in our lifestyles. However, figuring out a flexible schedule that includes home maintenance, cleaning, and continuing studies (for both children and adults) to make sure we are productive and are growing intellectually will help us fight off laziness and creates a sense of accomplishment. Children especially might not be enthusiastic in completing more chores or studies now that they are home more. Children might be feeling frustrated if they are being asked to take on extra responsibilities especially if they have parents still working outside the home. Naturally, some parents may feel guilty about asking for children to take on extra chores and to work on their studies in the current situation. However, I encourage families to find value in doing meaningful work cheerfully and well done. Whenever my hus-

band and I recognize that our family has fallen into laziness and our children have bad attitudes about their chores and work, we will have a family meeting to discuss where we need to work on. We’ll discuss bible quotes and read stories that encourage us to practice virtues of attentiveness, responsibility, diligence, and hard work. The key word is practice. We are a very imperfect family and we have to have these discussions regularly. We find that it’s our responsibility to teach the children step-bystep how we want their jobs and studies done, to model the expected behavior and have them show us they can accomplish the work independently. Finally, we are only successful when we supervise them appropriately and follow through with rewards (praise, prizes, allowance, words of encouragement) and punishments (usually loss of privileges such as screen time or play time, requirements to redo work done poorly). #3: Ponder and Discuss Ideas. Our family finds the best way to ponder and discuss ideas is to read good books aloud as a family, no matter the age and reading ability of the children. If you decide it’s in the best interest of the family to drop formal academics (some schools are leaving this an option to families), I recommend never give up reading with your children. Avoid or limit books known as “twaddle” that don’t have anything that points to the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. There’s a wonderful website created by a fellow Catholic mom that provides resources and book

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lists to help families find ways to be a “read aloud family.” Many of our local libraries are offering curbside pick-up for books checked out online and there are many great books on Kindle. Cuddle up on your couch with your children, give the toddler toys to play with on the floor, and enjoy a good book. Ask Socratic-style questions along the way, such as: “Should Edmund have eaten the White Witch’s Turkish Delights? Why or Why not?” Have younger children narrate back to you every now and then what they are reading or listening to for comprehension. Encourage them to give you as many details as they can remember. Children who are regularly expected to narrate what they are reading or listen to develop the habits of attentiveness to details. My child who was raised with the highest expectations of oral narration grew up to be a young adult who loves to tell me most of what he’s reading and watching. We regularly discuss and debate all kinds of ideas, politics, and philosophies. This created for me an unexpected yet wonderful bond with my child. #4: Serve Others. Saint Mother Teresa encouraged us to serve our families first, with quotes such as: “If you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family;” and “The way you help heal the world is that you start with your own family.”

Being quarantined with our families for more hours than we are used to are, needless to say, going to be challenging. The stress of our situations might cause our tempers to be short. Encouraging everyone in the family to be empathic to each other while showing patience with each other is so important. Serving others requires giving focused attention and affection. Every member of the family should be encouraged to find ways to serve each other and lift each other up. One way to serve in the home is to help a family member with their chores without being asked. Let us not forget our neighbors during this crisis. If you are in a position to do so, consider any of the following ways to serve the people in your community during the crisis and beyond: make cards for nursing home residents, call your local food pantry (such as one at your church) and see if they are in need of any items you are able to provide, if it would not compromise any family member’s health consider being available to babysit for a working parent who is out of childcare, healthy adults may generously donate much needed blood to the Red Cross, reach out to friends that cannot leave their homes at all due to having high risk to their immunities and see if they are in need of supplies. #5: Encounter Beauty. Find online and library resources to bring art,

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music, literature, and nature to your homes and hearts. Many museums are offering virtual tours of their facilities. Homeschool providers often have curriculums to guide families in the appreciation of art and music. Some families will have a “morning basket” that includes beautiful picture books, art prints to admire and study, prayer cards to pray, followed by listening to a classical music piece found on the internet or a music app. Some families make regular tea times to “encounter beauty” and come together to slow down. If you are a parent that works, plan to do this at an hour or day that best fits your schedule and allows you to connect with the family members in a meaningful way. Furthermore, what better way to encounter beauty than to be out in nature surrounded by God’s creation? This leads me to the sixth and final “Rule of Six”: Experience Adventure. If it’s prudent and safe to do so, find outdoor places to go walking, hiking, and relaxing outdoors. Our state officials are currently encouraging us to avoid places that have crowds over 10 persons and don’t provide 6-feet distancing. However, there are a few nature parks and pathways that allow for us to safely enjoy fresh air, nature, and get much needed exercise. It can be an adventure to explore new parks. At the very least, consider

a daily walk in your own neighborhood. Our family occasionally makes nature journals where we draw or log things we encounter in nature. In conclusion, finding ways to seek the True, the Good, and the Beautiful daily can greatly enrich our lives, give us meaning and purpose, get us out of just surviving towards a life where we are thriving and grounds us in times of uncertainty. Reach out to family and friends who are creative if you need more practical ideas on implementing any of the “Rule of Six”. Our family is a very imperfect family and we do not implement any of these “Rules” perfectly. We do the best we can, when we can. However, we try to revisit these ideas to remotivate us and get us out of ruts. Sometimes that means I only attempt to accomplish one category a month during times of personal crisis. Visit my webpage at https://www.jmidoula.com/printables if you would like an unconditionally free printable planning page to help you plan out a week of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful.

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LIVING THE NEW NORMAL WITH HOPE by Natalie Sutton

“We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of His Paschal Mystery - the mystery of His Death and Resurrection. We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!. We are not looking for a shallow joy but rather a joy that comes from faith, that grows through unselfish love, that respects the fundamental duty of love of neighbour, without which it would be unbecoming to speak of joy. We realize that joy is demanding; it demands unselfishness; it demands a readiness to say with Mary: ‘Be it done unto me according to thy word.’” -St. John Paul II I think everyone can agree that quarantine has both its pros and cons. To begin, anyone that knows me knows that I am a social butterfly and I love talking to other people. Being away from people obviously does not allow me to socialize and thrive off of other people’s energy. School is the one place that I socialize the most since that is the environment I am in for about 80% of my day. Another thing that I enjoy doing is playing sports. Before quarantine began, my softball season was just be-

ginning. My team, and especially myself, had so much to look forward to and everyone could feel that it was going to be an amazing season. Just a few days after playing our first game of the season, it was announced that school would be closed, and that is when I knew the season was gone. While not seeing my friends and missing out on a softball season are all hard things to deal with, I would say my dad’s recent surgery and on-going recovery has been the hardest thing to go through. It is all an emotional rollercoaster. There are both good days and bad days and I can never know how the day will go when I wake up. Whether it be getting his blood pressure taken, getting his blood sugar taken, or doing his physical therapy, it is all a new learning experience. These all seem to be the cons of this quarantine, but what about the pros? I think this quarantine provides one very special, and important thing: alone time. On a normal day, people are either at school or work, always interacting with others and being busy. Now that mostly everyone is home, they are presented with alone time. Someone might ask what they should do with this alone time, and there are many ways to spend it. I think the most important way is through prayer. A common excuse for not praying is being busy. Well, now

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is the perfect opportunity for prayer. I pray to our Lord through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary the most. The rosary is my prayer of choice, and one of the best ways to pray through her. When holding the rosary, I imagine holding Mary’s hand, remembering that she is with me during this difficult time. I like to picture her having her mantle around the whole world. She is our mother, after all, and wouldn’t you run to your mom during a hard time and just talk to her? That is what we can do during this difficult time. We need to run to our ultimate mother and just talk to her and she will take all our worries and set them aside and leave them at the foot of the Holy Cross for us. This quarantine is an opportunity for prayer and for everyone to realize how much we take for granted being able to go to mass each week. While being away from friends or having a sports season cancelled is difficult to cope with, the alone time we are all blessed with now is a time that needs to be used for prayer and for talking to our Blessed Mother, who always holds our hands through troubling times. While prayer is one of the most important ways to use this alone time, it is also a time to learn new things or start up an old hobby that you may have stopped doing. One thing I started doing again was birding and taking pictures of birds. I have been studying birds

and reading books on birds for years. Before I got caught up in the business of high school, I would always sit outside and watch the birds and take pictures of them. Now that I am given more free time during this quarantine, I began doing that again. I picked up a camera and started taking pictures of birds after having stopped for about 3 years. This quarantine is a way for people to remember how enjoyable their old hobbies may have been. So why not read a new book, bake something, try something new you’ve never done before? But most of all, let’s turn to our Lord and pray. Natalie is a Junior at St. John Paul the Great High School and a lifelong member of Our Lady of Angels parish in Woodbridge

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My Journey Home by Barb Hurst

I was born in Kentucky, but lived mostly in Indiana from a young age. My childhood included many sufferings and at one point when it seemed too much, I looked up to this ‘unknown being’ with whom I was unfamiliar and said, “I don’t know who you are or what your name is, but you have to save me from this…because if I am to continue to suffer, I believe I will die.” Every fiber of my being cried out to someone bigger than me for help. At that moment it was like the Creator of the Universe (God) reached down from heaven and hugged me – I felt this glove of love come over me from the tip of my head to the sole of my feet, and it took my breath away. I had never experienced such love and peace, and I knew everything was going to be okay. . I am the oldest girl (with an older brother) of 5 children, who were sent to an orphanage and eventually into various foster homes. I was blessed to become a foster child and eventually adopted at age 13 by a loving, Christian couple. The first day I walked through their front door with my youngest sister, two days before my 11th birthday, I looked at my foster mom, soon to become my adoptive mom, and I asked her, “Who lives here?” She replied, “Well, it’s just Dad and I. Our kids are grown and

live up the road.” I told her, “No, there is someone else who lives here…who lives here?” At that moment, all I knew was that I was hit with this same overwhelming feeling of love that I had experienced at the height of my most difficult suffering, and everything within me longed to know who this “greater being” was. I didn’t know his name. I didn’t know anything about him. I know that God revealed to my adoptive mom what I was really asking, because she smiled at me and said, “Sweetheart, that’s the Lord Jesus Christ. He lives here.” I dropped the baby doll under one arm and the suitcase in the other hand and asked her, “Please tell me about him.” Finally, a name of this unknown being who had physically and spiritually saved me from my abusive father! My mom sat down with me for the next several hours and told me about who Jesus Christ was, His birth, His life, His ministry, about His suffering and death, that He died for the forgiveness of our sin, and about His resurrection. I remember crying so hard when I was told about his agony, being beaten and scourged, crowned with thorns, and his crucifixion. I remember just sobbing and saying, “He died?” My mom replied, “Just wait, the story gets better.” I remember rejoicing

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and being so happy when she told me about his resurrection from the dead, and how He opened heaven for us. I also remember being confused and struggling when my Mom shared with me about what Jesus taught--that “unless we forgive the sins of others, God will not forgive you.” (Matthew 6:1415) After being horribly abused by my birth father and abandoned by my birth mother, this was really hard for me to hear and accept. I told my adoptive mom, “You mean I have to forgive him for what he did to me? I HATE him.” I remember being filled with so much anger, resentment, and loathing and very deeply hurt at the abandonment by my

birth mother. My mom, in her wisdom said to me, “Barbara, sometimes we are so deeply hurt that we cannot forgive on our own. We need God’s help to forgive. So I recommend every day you just pray and ask God for the grace to forgive.” So I did this--every day for years I asked God for the grace to forgive my birth father. He died in prison in 2000, and I still pray for his soul. I grew up attending a Christian Church in Indiana, and I was very involved in the youth ministry there. I was always at church. I watched my parents. They were two of the kindest, most compassionate people I had ever seen. They loved and served God quietly, but their

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love for God was so evident in how they lived their life. I remember asking my mom when I was 15 what she thought I should do with my life, and she told me, “Barbara, do you know what I would want to do if I had your love for God, your love for children, and with the gifts God has given you?” “What?”, I asked her. She said, “I would want to be a missionary.” I remember saying, “A missionary!” I was in awe, and I had great respect for missionaries. It planted such a deep seed in me as something I really wanted to do. I attended Indiana State University (ISU) in Terre Haute, Indiana. In college, I was involved with a Christian campus ministry, and I was taught that the Catholic Church was the antichrist, the whore of Babylon, and that they worshipped Mary and the saints more than they did Jesus, who I knew was God. I can remember developing a revolting dislike of the Catholic Church because of this--to me, Catholics were the enemy. I became a missionary and went on a 2-week mission trip to Haiti while in college. I absolutely fell in love with being a missionary and knew that I would be a missionary in some way for the rest of my life. I have also since learned that I can be a missionary right where I am. I met my husband, Guy, while in college. He attended Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute. Guy was raised Catholic, but was drawn to the “on fire” Protestants he met at college. He never really left the Catholic Church, but he had grown in his love

and faith in God and was surrounded by “on fire” Protestant Christians. He became involved in the Christian campus ministry at college. We married in April 1989. When we decided to marry, we checked with a Catholic priest about marrying us and found out it was a 6-month wait and all that was needed to be married in the Catholic Church. We were not willing to wait; we knew it was time to get married. So we decided to “elope” (which really wasn’t an elopement as nearly 30 people showed up to the house I was living in for our wedding), and we were married by a Presbyterian minister friend on April 21, 1989. Guy graduated in 1989, and he accepted a job with Westinghouse in Baltimore, Maryland. We moved there after his graduation, and a few months later he decided he needed to return to the Catholic Church. I was horrified--my only fear of marriage was that my husband would change spiritually in a way that I couldn’t follow. This happened a few months after we married. When he told me this, I remember making a cross with my fingers and saying to him, “Get thee behind me, Satan!” I was so uneducated about the Catholic Church and went with what I had been taught about it. Guy went to confession and came back home heartbroken and very upset. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me the priest would not absolve him. He was given instructions by the priest that we needed to have our marriage blessed in the Catholic Church and then to come

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back to confession. I was so mad.I told Guy, “Who does this priest think he is not forgiving you?” It was at that moment I secretly set out to disprove the Catholic Church to my husband. I spent five years secretly studying the Catholic Church to prove to my husband that the Catholic Church was everything I had been taught it was. Those five years that I studied the Church were a very tumultuous time for Guy and me. I decided I first wanted to try to figure out when the Catholic Church was started, so I began studying church history. I got to a point where I threw my hands up with God and said, “I don’t care what church I am a part of.I want to be a part of the Church that Jesus started--the early Christian Church;.the Church that was started by the disciples after Jesus died; the church that was started and talked about in the book of Acts in the Bible;after the Holy Spirit was breathed out on the earth and the earth was evangelized”. I wanted to know what that church was called! This was the church I wanted to be a part of. So I searched, and was so mad when I found out the early Christian church became known as the Roman Catholic Church and that it had been around since 33 A.D. (after Jesus died and the day the Holy Spirit was breathed out upon the earth [Pentecost, the birthday of the Church]). I wrestled with God for an entire week when I found this out. I didn’t want to be one of those

who sit, stand, kneel at Mass, or one of those people that made the sign of the cross over themselves. I was completely devastated. But in my heart I knew this was God’s truth. So I began studying the teachings of the Church. I read the Catechism, and I loved it. I couldn’t see anything in the teachings that I didn’t agree with. I didn’t really understand the Communion of the Saints, but I already believed that we could ask people in heaven to pray for us - so for me this wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t really understand why priests couldn’t marry, but I understood people totally giving their life to Christ’s church. I knew a number of single missionaries who were not called to married life. I started understanding that Jesus appointed Peter to be the first shepherd of the Church, and he became the first Pope. Jesus was already establishing His Church on earth and had already chosen the first leaders of the Church-His disciples. I started to understand about the “teaching arm” of the Catholic Church, the Magisterium of the Church. I also began to understand that the Catholic Church was based on Sacred Scripture, oral tradition, and the Magisterium of the Church. This made so much sense to me. Because the Catholic Church is “one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic,” I began to realize and understand that I no longer had to torture myself about whether or not I was receiving the truth.I just had to trust that the teachings of the Catholic Church were the truth

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and obey and honor them, for this was Jesus’ Church, and to obey those teachings meant I was obeying Him. When I studied the sacraments, I was amazed as I began to understand the grace that is received as we practice them. As I studied about the Eucharist, I read John 6:25-70, where Jesus talks about being the Bread of Life. I was raised in a Christian Church where we received holy communion at every service, but it was taught that it was a “symbol” of Jesus’ body and blood. When I read John 6:52-58, this took on a whole new meaning for me.And then I really understood when I read John 6:66: “As a result of this, many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.” I realized, why would His disciples leave him and not walk with Him anymore if Jesus was teaching that holy communion was just a symbol? They wouldn’t! They KNEW what He meant: that it was truly Jesus’s body and blood. It was at that moment that I really understood. My heart just opened up, and I knew I wanted to become Roman Catholic. I made the decision to become Catholic, and I couldn’t wait to have confession and to receive the Eucharist. We lived in Norfolk, Virginia, at the time, and I made this decision in August 1995. I called every parish in the Tidewater area over several months, asking if someone would allow me to do a one-on-one RCIA program to become Catholic. Guy was in the Navy at the time, and the very last place I called was the Naval base at Oceana

in Virginia Beach. I spoke with Father Melley, and he agreed to do a one-onone RCIA with me. I was so happy! I met with him, and he gave me a book called, “Father Smith Instructs Jackson”, by Archbishop John Francis Noll and Paul Thigpen. It is a book where a man is asking a priest questions, and the priest answers them. Father Melley instructed me to read a chapter a week, and we would get together to discuss it. I read the whole book in an entire week, and when he met with me the following week, he asked me some questions and told me, “Barbara, you are ready to be confirmed. You know more about the Catholic Church than most people who have been raised Catholic their whole life.” I was confirmed in November 1995, and I was totally elated. I chose St. Catherine Laboure as my patron saint. Our son, Andrew Gabriel Hurst, who we adopted as a newborn, was born in February 1996 and was baptized by Father Melley 11 days after birth. I have always felt in my heart that Andrew was God’s miracle and blessing to us after my conversion. Guy and I had our marriage convalidated in the Catholic Church on June 30, 1990, so we will be celebrating 30 years of marriage within the Church in June (this is what we consider our true anniversary). For many years Guy and I were independent of each other in many regards, but God has united us in a way that is profound to me. Today, I am grateful for all that God has allowed to happen in my life. No-

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body wants to go through the abuse that I did; but am grateful because God has used that abuse for His good. God has helped me use this abuse to help bring solace to a hurting world and for that I will forever be grateful. I absolutely LOVE my Catholic faith, and my journey to the Roman Catholic Church has been amazing, incredible, and beautiful. I love Catholic apologetics and will speak with anyone who is open to the truth about the Catholic faith. But I will not argue about the faith. It is too great of a treasure to argue over. If someone is interested in the Catholic faith, I would recommend speaking with someone who is well versed in the faith. I would ask God to show them the fullness of His truth. I would also recommend attending a Mass and just observing and listening. I would recommend reading “Surprised by Truth,” by Patrick Madrid, “Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism,” by Scott & Kimberly Hahn, and listening to a CD by Father Francis Peffley, “An Invitation to Consider the Catholic Faith” by Lighthouse Catholic Media. There also is great information at www.catholiccomehome.org. I am so happy I am Home!

Barb owns Creative Consulting, LLC (www.creativeconsulting-llc.com) and specializes in business consulting, including writing business plans and all things administrative. The Hurst family attends All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas, Virginia. Barb has been involved in youth ministry, healing and deliverance prayer ministry, and involved in helping catechize someone--being their sponsor in RCIA-- and a prayer warrior. Guy has been a lay Dominican for over 25 years.

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“Drive-by Adoration”:

A Divine Mercy Sunday Like No Other by Kathy Shulze

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My husband Ed and I were blessed to join other parish members for the outdoor devotion on Divine Mercy Sunday at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville. Folks from surrounding communities—Catholic and non-Catholic—were also invited to share in this tremendous opportunity to be present with Our Lord on the Feast of Mercy. Around 2:00 p.m., our pastor, Father Thomas Vander Woude, placed the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance outside the church doors, underneath the center archway. While ensuring adherence to “social distancing rules,” staff and volunteers guided us and numerous others, each in our vehicles, to the curbside directly in front of the monstrance where we could linger for approximately 10 seconds and adore Our Lord. Most of us, if not all, then drove to the adjacent parking area to continue in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament—everyone remaining

in their vehicles and participating either by line of sight or via livestream on the Holy Trinity YouTube channel. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg C G I B C r x E s & fe atu re = youtu. b e There were more than a hundred vehicles in the parking lot that afternoon and many folks were also participating while at their homes in Virginia, Georgia, Florida and beyond. At 3:00 p.m., the Hour of Great Mercy, Father Vander Woude led the Divine Mercy Chaplet, assisted by others singing the Chaplet in English and Spanish. Benediction followed around 3:15 p.m. It was an awesome experience, especially during these unusual and challenging times in our world! God be praised—Jesus, I trust in You! Ed and Kathy Shulze have been Holy Trinity parishioners since 2014. Kathy converted to the Catholic Faith at Easter Vigil in April 2015.

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SUGAR COOKIES FOR MARY by Colleen Rooney www.celebratecatholiclife.com

PREP 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS* 4 sticks of unsalted butter 2 eggs 5 cups of All-Purpose flour 2 cups sugar A pinch of salt 1 tbsp pure vanilla 1 tsp Baking Soda dissolved in 3 tbsp of milk Frosting or Icing Decorations: colored sprinkles, colored sugars, candies, candy flowers, melted and drizzled chocolate, etc. *You may also use ready made dough. Follow directions on package. EQUIPMENT 1 Large misxing bowl Measuring spoons Measuring cups 1 Small bowl Rolling pin Heart shaped cookie cutters Wire racks

CHILL 1 bundt cake

BAKE 45-50 mins

YIELD 5-6 dozen cookies

DIRECTIONS (PREHEAT OVEN TO 450) 1. Soften butter to room temperature. (Microwave for 5 seconds. Check to see if butter is softened. Repeat until just softened.) 2. Dissolve 1 teaspoon baking soda in 3 tablespoons milk. 3. Mix butter, eggs, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, dissolved soda and milk in a large bowl with hands* until the dough is smooth. The dough does not seem to be adversely affected by handling. Form dough into a ball, dust with flour and chill thoroughly before using. *(If you prefer, you can use a large wooden spoon to stir ingredients.) 4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 5. Break chilled dough into conveniently sized pieces. Take only the amount you want to bake for today. Add a bit more flour for ease in rolling out. 6. Dust the surface with flour. Place dough the size of an adult fist on surface. Roll out to a Âź of an inch thickness. Cut out with heart-shaped cookie cutters. Dust with colored sugar if desired (blue or pink would be pretty, as they are often associated with Mary). You may want to make one or two large cookies. Heartshaped cookie cutters come in all sizes! 7. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet until light brown about 12 minutes. 8. Cool on a rack. 9. Decorate with frosting, pipe icing around the edges, drizzle chocolate, add sprinkles, or any tasty decorations that you like. Candied roses would be a nice touch.

ENJOY!

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COUNTY PARISH DIRECTORY

OUR LADY OF ANGELS 13752 Marys Way, Woodbridge, VA 22191 (703) 494-2444 Online Bulletin Here

ST. FRANCIS 18825 Fuller Heights Rd, Triangle, VA 22172 (703) 221-4044 Online Bulletin Here

SACRED HEART 12975 Purcell Rd, Manassas, VA 20112 (703) 590-0030 Online Bulletin Here

HOLY FAMILY 14160 Ferndale Rd, Woodbridge, VA 22193 (703) 670-8161 Online Bulletin Here

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON 12805 Valleywood Dr, Lake Ridge, VA 22192 (703) 494-4008 Online Bulletin Here

HOLY TRINITY 8213 Linton Hall Rd, Gainesville, VA 20155 (703) 753-6700 Online Here Bulletin

ALL SAINTS 9300 Stonewall Rd, Manassas, VA 20110 (703) 368-4500 Online Bulletin Here

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