The day ARour church closed because of COVID, I posted on Facebook that I wanted to start a group to walk and praying the rosary in Queeny Park, and so many women from the parish agreed that we began the very next day.  There were about 12 women all together and generally 5-6 met and prayed every day, out loud, while walking, socially distant, of course! We prayed novenas, prayer intentions, and the rosary and divine mercy chaplet.  Prayer, exercise, and social interaction helped face the isolation.

Over the past year, I traded TV, news, and social media last October for Catholic radio, reading spiritual books, New Mercies, Formed, EWTN, Catholic YouTube series, and started volunteering twice per week in the office at Covenant Network (Catholic radio) and have been to Confession a few times. Honestly I feel joyful and fearless, as if I have on the armor of God. I've learned so much, we are praying more as a family, and don't think my faith has ever been stronger.

Wendy McGowan
 

I provide hope and courage in adversity with #creativecourage. 

Prayer has been an important part of my day for many years. It sets the tone for the day providing me with protection, motivation, and direction for the day ahead. Little did I know how important prayer and expressing my faith would become when the Covid virus became a part of our daily lives.

I am an occupational therapist that currently works at an Assisted Living/Skilled Nursing facility. I deal with the older population that may be dealing with a new illness or injury, changing their living conditions after many years, or just ageing in general. Everyday challenges for them may seem like insignificant decisions/choices to us –but to them they are very significant.

For over a year now Covid has changed their world and my world as well. Prior to Covid I was a therapist providing physical assistance in regaining the tools necessary to maintain their independence and moral support in achieving their goals.

Since Covid these individuals have been isolated to just their rooms for weeks at a time, not free to leave the premises, and not able to have any visitors. Because of this I now have many hats to wear. I am not only the therapist BUT I have become their family, their friend, their comforter, and their prayer companion. My prayer life changed dramatically when my roles expanded. Every day I needed to make sure that I provided the hope they needed for their recovery and the courage to face the adversity or danger of the day.

Every day they faced their friends dying from Covid, not seeing their families, no church services or beauty parlor, and still trying to maintain their well-being.

As a group (aged 60-105 yrs old) we came to several conclusions that have helped us survive this past year:

• *We learned to pray with positive expectations- this takes a lot of effort and perseverance as it is so easy to take on the “I give up attitude.”
• *God does not want us to live in fear. He wants us to remember He is not only just but merciful.
• *His promise to be with us always ensures we will never face anything alone.
• *When facing adversity – live courageously with confidence and determination.

 
Since the vaccine, the doors are now open and life is much closer to normal than last year. But our new level of faith – hope – courage has continued to prosper. The devil did not win this battle.

Our new mantra is:
Be strong and of good courage – do not fear nor be afraid for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not forsake you. - Deuteronomy

Donna Fogarty

Alec Arnold: Though Crystal and I were both raised in Christian families, we came into the Catholic Church together after we were married, believing that the fullness of God’s living presence in Christ was, indeed, present in this Church with a depth and reality we hadn’t yet known. The “mystery of faith” continues to boggle our minds. First that God himself would stoop to our level, coming in our flesh to speak our language, walk in our shoes and show us what a life worth living really looks like – incredible! And not just this, but that he would somehow find a way to remain personally present to us in the gift of his sacraments, extending his self-giving love so that even we might receive him, be changed by him, and somehow to extend his presence to a world in need – astounding!

When COVID-19 hit, it seemed like the whole idea of “presence” was under attack, and yet our society was acting like we could patch things up with technology. As if we hadn’t been staring at screens enough already! Here we were, trying to pretend that presence could be approximated by our digitized alternatives: Screens, buttons, webcams, Zoom… Don’t get me wrong, sometimes something is better than nothing. But sometimes not. To a faith community like ours, matter matters. Water, bread, wine, oil, bodies… All of it matters. So in the wake of COVID I literally felt like I was losing my senses. So much of our world did not make sense.

Did anything help my faith become sensible in this crazy time? I know it doesn’t sound very spiritual, but I took (and still take) great joy in the most concrete things. I cooked more. (Chopping vegetables can be very meditative.) I tippled a dram with a contemplative’s purpose. I entered more into those “quotidian mysteries,” as one author has described them. Oh! And we also got a puppy dog, a creature who so obviously needs us, and yet has already reoriented our family in ways I don’t have space to explain. For me anyway, all these concrete things have helped to “make sense” of a faith and a spirituality that reminds us we aren’t angels or beasts, but humans: embodied spirits, inspirited bodies. I’ve tried to remember God’s presence can be found in the simplest of things—and he doesn’t glitch out when the wifi signal is weak.

Crystal Arnold: Indeed, as our world shrunk in many ways and became all the more reliant on technology to mediate the world to us, it became important to me as a mom (and my kids’ temporary school teacher) to draw their eyes “outward” and “inward.” One of the ways I have attempted to do this is to establish a weekly tradition of “Poetry Tea-Time.” We bring out the china tea cups, decorate the table and enjoy a warm drink with delicious treats specially made or bought for this mid-week tradition. The kids and I each bring a poem and take turns reading them aloud to one another. Sometimes the poems shared are ones the kids have written themselves. Poetry Tea Time has become a time in our week to pause and develop the poet’s gaze—the contemplative gaze that not only draws the eye outward to notice the beauty of God’s Creation but also draws the eye inward as it considers our own place as human beings with hearts and hands open to our created world.

Alec and Crystal Arnold

 

I remember my brother with #creativecourage.

Holy week last year was so hard – not attending any service, only watching on TV.  I was finally able to attend Mass in May. There were many changes, but it was a blessing for me to worship in prayer in this Holy House.  Private prayer has really helped me during this pandemic, especially for priests and the missions, as I’ve always had them in my daily prayers since I was a child.

Last September preparing for my youngest brother’s funeral with his pastor was really a blessing.  His Mass was a celebration of joy. I was given special privileges at his memory care center with this Covid epidemic.  I spent his last few days with him reading to him and praying at his bedside.  I was so thankful I got to share this time praying with him.  I’m blessed to wake up each day and begin with prayer and offer by day to God.

Jane Oehlert
 

We share our faith with #creativecourage

My experience with my faith and St. Joseph Parish have been a part of my entire life. As a child, I grew up in the parish, attending the school and even working for the parish during my summers. As an adult, I married and moved to South County, but in 2018, my wife and I relocated our family back to West County, and St. Joseph Parish once again became part of my life, this time as a parent. When we found out that the school was going to close, we had to re-evaluate what our options were as far as education for our children. Knowing that this was the second school closure we have gone through, we really wanted to ensure that we were making a decision that would allow our children to spend more than a year or two at a school, and forge friendships that will carry them through their adolescence.

My wife and I started listening to the rosary before bedtime as a way to calm our thoughts from the day and open our hearts and minds to allow our faith to play a part in the decision we had to make. With confidence and full faith in our decision, we decided that the best place for our children to receive their education would be the public school, however, we were and have been adamant that their faith formation be nurtured by us as their parents along with the community we have come to enjoy at St. Joseph Parish.

Throughout this past year, we have been speaking more and more with our children about how God fits into our lives and is helping to keep us safe, healthy, and providing peace when we are worried. Our children have witnessed both my wife and I volunteering for the parish, helping neighbors whenever they need help, and praying for those that we can't help. They, in turn, are expressing those faith values at school and at home, always looking for the opportunity to help or pray for someone, and proud to wear their St. Joe attire to their new school. Watching my children incorporate the faith they were baptized into has helped my faith grow over this past year.

Seana nd Lisa Cummings

 

We found #creativecourage among the chaos

In many ways pandemic life for a family of five is not that different....total chaos...just somewhat different chaos.  Michelle and I were both required to report in person to work during the duration of the pandemic.  The kids on the other hand, had virtual school, then hybrid school, then in-person, back to virtual, back to in-person....  While the educators have done a great job with the challenges of this schooling system, it still put a lot of stress on the kids.  At the same time, their activities were stopped, restarted, stopped, changed, restarted. Work demands increased, Michelle changed job positions, and then there were non-COVID health concerns.  Regular life does not stop during a pandemic.  

Amidst all the COVID decisions was how would we attend church?  Would we do in person PSR?  Would we still teach?  Should the kids do CYC sports?  The answer is not the same for each family.  After doing virtual mass for several weeks as a family (required due to county regulations), we decided to return in person. It was there we found some stability in the chaos, in God's presence in the Eucharist.  There is a great sense of peace in His presence and a great reminder He is with us.  With all the virtual relationships right now, we needed His presence all the more.

Our life is not any less chaotic, but we know God continues to walk the journey with us.  Pandemic or otherwise, families have to be agile and committed to work in prayer. Our cars remain a sanctuary of sorts where we can reflect and listen to praise and worship music. Dinner is where we share our family prayer time and we set up a "virtual Mass" space in our home. We also spend time in prayer at bedtime with kids or as a couple doing prayer/readings together.

Dave and Michelle Sipp

I found #creativecourage in prayer

The last year and a half, I underwent two major spine surgeries.  I am sincerely “Mr. Titanium”, [from the hips to the head].  Returning back to work from my second surgery, I was eager to begin my new ministry roles for the parish.  But at the same time, the virus Covid-19 was shutting down everything at St. Joseph.   Wow, so many new challenges I thought.

I have found my #creativecourage in contemplative prayer.   I’m reminded of Mother Teresa who said, “Listen in silence because if your heart is full of other things you cannot hear the voice of God”.  I conclude my contemplative prayer with, “Thank you, God, for a new day – and all of the opportunities it offers. Opportunities about which I know nothing. Challenges that lie before me. I’m glad I don’t know the challenges or the risks, but I know there will be many. How I respond to them is my act of faith...”

Responding to challenges with courage, creativity and faith has allowed me to see God’s grace in parish life.   I discovered opportunities in the midst of those challenges such as Zoom ministry, Lectio on the Lawn and Summer Concert Series.  Utilizing our creativity and our gifts as a parish will allow us to face challenges and risks this coming year.   Dear God, …Fill us with your strength that we might take one step more today than we thought possible, …always moving toward a new and better day.

Greg Barker

Life got hard during the pandemic, and it has for everyone I know. I spent so much of my days in survival mode trying to navigate an ever changing landscape of childcare, work, running errands without my toddler who can’t keep a mask on, family time, and time for prayer on top of all that. I shouldn’t have been shocked when prayer got hard too, but I got a little down on myself because I couldn’t find that time to sit down and just have a chat with God like I was used to.

I knew I had to make some sort of change, so I began just saying quick prayers and having quick chats with Jesus throughout the day. Sometimes I just turn down the car radio and drive in silence while I pause to listen and tell Jesus my thoughts. More often, I find 5 seconds—in between work meetings, shooting and editing Top 10 videos, ministering to teens, and finally finding time to clean the bathtub at home—to say something quick, like, “Hey, Jesus. I’m struggling, but I still love you.” After almost a year of this, I still sometimes find myself a little frustrated that things have not gone back to “normal” in my prayer life.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says “pray without ceasing,” and I’ve always striven to make my life a prayer to God.  I used to think that ceaseless prayer meant finding large chunks of time to converse with God, but now I know that God welcomes all the small moments that I can give him.  tiny conversations with God, everything in between—my whole life—becomes a ceaseless prayer.

Doing the Top 10 videos at St. Joe brings me a lot of joy, because it’s my way to help people find different ways to connect with Christ and each other each week—whether they’re at home, up at church, or swinging by the Fish Fry Drive Thru.

Maggie Schurz

We stream with #creativecourage.

We began our day by listening to Father Pastorius' New Mercies Scripture Reflections.  We have added a number of prayers this year to our nightly prayers, as the Covid virus has impacted so many, including friends of ours.  Each night we pray for our family members, friends in the parish, those on the St.Joe's prayer list, families that have lost loved ones and for the deceased.  This Fall, we went to Perryville and visited the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal.  It was a wonderful spiritual afternoon for us.  The weather was cool, but the autumn sun and turning leaves made it special.  We toured the church and prayed the Rosary Walk on the grounds.  It was a wonderful complement to our visit to the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal in Paris, France, where we were able to see the actual place where Mary appeared to St. Catherine LaBoure to design the medal and saw the incorrupt body of the saint!  We have since added the Prayer of the Miraculous Medal to our nightly prayers.

Throughout the year we added novenas for special occasions, including the recent novenas for the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima and for Pro-Life.  In November, we added the Prayer of St. Gertrude for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

We believe our faith has grown over the past year and our parish has helped tremendously by providing Mass on-line, Father's New Mercies Reflections, on-line funerals of those who passed during this time and keeping us engaged with parish activities.  The Covid virus reaffirmed for us the importance of family, our health and the social gatherings with fellow parishioners and friends.

John & JoAnn Kaestner

Vivo con #valentiacreativa.

Durante la pandemia me di cuenta que  es muy fácil atender misa o rezar El Rosario en cualquier Parte del mundo, gracias a la Internet.  ¡Jesus está en todas partes y yo puedo estar con el!
Durante la pandemia hice un altar para estar más relajada y concentrarme en mis oraciones, devociones , participar en  misa, y rezar a Jesús y María. Esto me hizo sentir más cerca de Jesús.
Descubrí el radio del Vaticano en Español, me convertí en fanática, me encanta porque lo puedo escuchar camino al trabajo no solo aprendo, rezo sino que escucho las noticias del mundo entero con una perspectiva Cristiana y una actitud positiva
Mali Galindo

From Mali:
To pray at home, I created a space that helps me to calm down and encounter Jesus in a more intimate manner. It was very easy to attend mass or pray the rosary online - anywhere in the world! Jesus is everywhere - and I can go with him.
During the pandemic I made a special place in my living room where I was able to pray and virtually hear mass. A place that is quiet and helped me get away in order to concentrate  in my devotions,  and prayers to Mary and Jesús
I also became a fan of the Vatican radio station in Spanish. On my commute to work I have been listening to their programs. I pray, learn and know what is going on around the world with a catholic perspective . It has helped me to be less anxious and upset about problems because they radiate a positive Christian attitude.

We pray with #creativecourage -
               and with the world’s best dog, Abby! 
 
Our faith has gotten stronger during Covid for an unusual reason.  I (Dave) was an airline pilot so Lynn and I spent a lot of time away from each other.  Although I live in St Louis, I was based in Dallas.  I was away from home 18 days a month.  While working I would attend mass at our parish in Dallas or wherever I was laying over while on a trip.  I prayed the Rosary in cruise enroute to my destination.  I retired early due to the pandemic, and now we can attend mass together every week and pray the Rosary when we walk Abby (the world’s best dog!)

Dave and Lynn Coyne