This is most evident in my experience at the Newman Catholic Student Center on my college campus. Though I was a cradle Catholic, I hadn’t personally encountered the Lord Jesus. Over my four years there, I truly found belonging in the supportive community, and many of those relationships continue today. We grew in both faith and friendship as we attended Mass, Eucharistic adoration, weekly dinners, retreats and much more. It was easy to want to attend these things, partially to grow in our faith and partially to see our friends (and partially because there was free food.) That sense of belonging led to deeper understanding and believing… and I did have that life-changing personal encounter with Jesus.  

All people are made for community— as we are made in the image and likeness of a God who is himself a communion of persons.

As I read through the stories in this issue, including our story about the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) missionaries at Central Michigan University and testimonies from the Catholic Youth Summer Camp in Brighton, I recalled some of my favorite moments with campus ministry. This included attending an early SEEK conference hosted by FOCUS (my university was not a FOCUS campus at that time).

Valuable initiatives  such as youth, college and young adult ministries are made possible in part by your generous support of Christ’s Mission Appeal, as is this magazine. The appeal also subsidizes the formation for permanent deacons. The Diocese was blessed by the ordination of seven men, whom you’ll meet in our cover story, to the permanent diaconate this year. In their interviews, most mentioned the profound impact of the brotherhood they found during their formation.

I hope you are as inspired as I am by the testimonies shared in this issue’s stories. Truly, the Holy Spirit is on the move here in the Diocese of Saginaw.

Thank you for reading Great Lakes Bay Catholic.

To Jesus through Mary,

Danielle