Holy Spirit Catholic Church RCIA Team

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1 Fr. Rudi Crasta Fr. Joseph Palacios I have been a priest since June of Born and raised in Lubbock, I have been Catholic all my life, and thought about being a priest since I was about nine years old. For me, it has always been a question about how I can best love the Lord with my life, and priesthood has most often been the answer. My favorite part of being Catholic and being a priest is celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation, where we encounter God s mercy, begin again, and receive the strength to walk forward in faith. I normally attend every Mass, every day, somewhere! Juno Bishop I began my Catholic journey through RCIA 6 years ago, here at Holy Spirit. With a Methodist and Baptist faith background, I had too many years of answers to questions that did not make sense to me. I turned back to my Catholic roots, from my Dad s side of the family, and finally came home. The peace I feel here in this building, with these people, and this faith is so uplifting for me. I came back after my first year in RCIA because I wanted to learn more, because the answers to my questions were finally making sense, and because I still had more questions. Sharing this journey with all of you is the answer to another of my questions, What can I do for Him, after all He has done for me? I attend the 10:30 Mass on Sunday

2 Dara Coleman I once thought that I could make the world dance at the end of marionette strings and because He loved me, my actions, when done with no ill will, would be wholesome. I thought God should mend the wrongs that I demanded fixed. I complicated my journey by thinking of God as an otherworldly tool used to achieve my personal goals. After much humiliation and a number of failures, I felt shattered. I found myself, a pagan, sitting in Mass, staring in dumbfounded silence at the True body, blood, and divinity of Christ. In that first Mass I became Christian, all that remained was to become Catholic. My son, Liam and I usually attend the 10:30 Sunday Mass Jennifer Harbin My faith journey began in 2009 on my couch when I followed God s urging to get up and go to a Catholic Church. Ever since my yes on that day I have experienced joy beyond measure. In 2012 I became Catholic, joining my true family and finally feeling at home. Though my life is still full of questions, I find it easier and much more exciting with Jesus as my cornerstone. I attend the 10:30 Mass on Sunday Laurel Johnson I am a cradle Catholic. I was born into a family of many generations of Catholics who were dedicated in their faith. It was also my good fortune to attend an excellent Catholic grade school and an equally good Catholic high school. I have been married 41 years, have 4 grown children, and 5 grandchildren. I have been blessed to share the Catholic faith with RCIA for 11 years and with the Faith Alive class for about 6 years. I really enjoy working with adults on their faith journey. My husband and I usually attend the 5:00 Saturday Mass.

3 Dr. Anthony Kaye My wife and I were baptized at Holy Spirit at the Easter Vigil, 2013 after going through RCIA. Our families come from a variety of faiths; some are practicing, others not. As a result of my highly non-traditional career path, I have studied many religions around the world. I found that while all religions require a leap of faith, Catholicism is the only religion in which faith is supported by historical fact and scientific evidence. So while it may seem trite, I believe Catholicism is the one true faith, and I am blessed to be able to share my experiences with others. My wife and I attend the 8:00 and 10:30 Sunday Masses (depending upon the week) Christy Kaye My name is Christy Kaye, my husband (Anthony) and I have been part of the Holy Spirit family since our arrival in Lubbock in January I ve taught for the past twelve years both general/special needs children in the public school system (AZ, VA,TX), but am overjoyed to announce that faith, love of God, and this Catholic community have led me to my next teaching adventure at Christ The King Cathedral School. You ll find my husband and I at 8 o clock Mass Sunday mornings. I also teach CCE at 9:15 on Sunday, then both of us will be at RCIA Thursday evenings. Judy Kester I m not sure when the journey began. Paul, my husband, and I went to the Loreto Chapel, then drifted over to St Francis Basilica in Santa Fe while on vacation three years ago. I felt more peace than I had hoped to experience in this lifetime, and I wanted more! We went to our first Mass at Christ the King, and I wanted more! I was raised Church of Christ, attended the Baptist, Trinity and Assembly of God churches in Lubbock. I always wanted more and finally found what I had been searching for at the Catholic Church. Paul and I usually attend the 8:00 Mass on Sunday

4 Paul Kester I was raised in the Protestant church. Through the years I had many questions that were never answered. While in basic training, in the army, a friend introduced me to Catholicism. As the years passed, I attended many different churches. The last church I attended was the Church of Christ. I never felt at home until I started attending The Catholic Church. When I came to Holy Spirit, I felt that I had come home from a long journey. Here at Holy Spirit I feel like I am a member of a family. Judy and I usually attend the 8:00 Mass on Sunday Tom Lewis I started RCIA in the fall of 2009, dropped out in December due to family issues and jumped back in the spring of 2011, entering the Church that Easter. I had been Church of Christ my whole life, and had, over time moved from the legalistic Pharisee wing of that denomination to the more grace-focused and common denominator Christianity type side. Through God s providence I began reading books and Internet sites that led to me considering the truth claims of the Catholic Church, and ultimately to joining RCIA at Holy Spirit. Through RCIA my questions were answered, and I have been so blessed by the truth and beauty that our Lord makes available to us through the sacraments and teachings of His Church. I normally attend the Sunday 10:30 mass. Mona Nesbit I was baptized in the Lutheran church, but attended both the Lutheran and Catholic churches. The understanding of a child gave way to a very confused adult. God lit the path for me, but I refused to see where it led. When I agreed to marry my husband Scott, I set up a roadblock - we had to marry in the Catholic Church which meant two annulments, an impossibility with only 4 months before our wedding date. God proved through Him all things are possible. Four years ago, I committed to God and the Catholic Church by completing RCIA at Holy Spirit. We attend the 8:00 AM Mass on Sunday

5 Scott Nesbitt I was born and baptized at Fort Bliss, TX. Raised in the Catholic Church, I drifted from the church but not my belief in God during my twenties. I came back to the church when I was in a crisis and attended as many of the RCIA classes as possible while my wife, Mona was joining the church. Mona and I attend the 8:00 AM Mass Dr. Karl Pankratz I was reared in a family half Episcopalian and half atheist. After considering both, I became more serious about my Protestant faith by my late teens. The moral drift of the Episcopalian church left me searching for God s faithful church and hence to convert to Catholicism. After a few years I began myself to drift, but returned more devoutly in my late 20s. My faith life has been immeasurably enriched by Michal s conversion, which has helped me to more than ever the beauty of our faith and of God s loving plan for us. My wife Michal and I attend the 10:30 Mass with our children Dr. Michal Pankratz I had been considering conversion for years - my husband had converted long before we married and I was tired of just sitting beside him in the pew when it came time to receive communion. Having been raised Episcopalian I was dissatisfied at the growing breakdown of the moral compass of that church as well. The year I converted, the RCIA class time was changed to a day that left me with no excuse but to attend...the rest is history. I thought I would just be going through motions; I had no idea the beauty that lay ahead nor the richness that would be lavished upon my soul. My husband Karl and I attend the 10:30 Mass with our four children

6 Oscar Quintero I am a Mexican cradle Catholic from a small town, in which there is much love and mercy. There is also much acceptance of tradition, rather than encouragement to discover an academic/ intellectual approach to understanding Catholicism. I didn t receive Confirmation until Easter Between , I spent more time focusing on everything but placing God and my faith first. I came home to HSCC when many people who saw me at church with my kids encouraged me to go to RCIA. I fell in love with this church s warmth and the many opportunities to expand my faith through love and intellectual challenges. My children and I usually attend the 10:30 Mass on Sunday May Lou Rodriguez Hi, I m Mary Lou Rodriguez, I m married to Eddie (25 years) and have two children, (Adam 20 and Jessica 25). I have been Catholic my whole life and have had an amazing relationship with God, but coming to the adult bible class at Holy Spirit in 2001 was when I really started learning my faith. I learned why Catholics believe what we believe, and how it is biblical, and I fell madly in love. Then one day, we just walked into RCIA class, not knowing what RCIA was or that we had to sign up for anything. We ve been here ever since. Peace! Love! Blessings My family usually attends the 10:30 Mass Edward Rodriguez I was born and raised Catholic, but drifted away during my high school years. I didn t know I was drifting, until a simple invitation by Blessed Pope John Paul II, to come back. Jesus is waiting for you in the sacraments, he said at a Papal Mass in San Antonio, September 13, That is when my journey back to church began, because he was right. I needed to come back. The journey was gradual for a few more years until my wife, Mary Lou began attending Mass and studies at Holy Spirit. We both enjoy witnessing the Holy Spirit at work in RCIA. My family and I usually attend the 10:30 Sunday Mass

7 Gary Samuels I was baptized at the age of 10 in a Baptist Church. I was married at the age of 20 and at that time I join the Lutheran Church. I went through a divorce at the age of 41 and shortly after that I stopped attending church. At the age of 46 I remarried. My new wife was Catholic but had not attended church for a while. We started visiting Holy Spirit and although I was filled with questions about the Catholic religion I felt I was in the right place. I joined the RCIA class and my wife attended every class with me. In 2011 I was confirmed into the Catholic Church. My wife Melva and I usually attend 5:00 Mass on Saturday. Crystal See I have been Catholic all my life, I was raised in a large Catholic family, and it has been the most joyful blessing I could ever imagine. I attended Benedictine College (a.k.a. Heaven on Earth), which is a private Catholic college in Atchison, KS, where I received my bachelor s degree in business. It was there at Benedictine that I truly began to grow more in my Catholic faith. Throughout high school I felt like I was just going through the motions. So when I went to Benedictine, God began to give me more confidence as a Catholic to pursue His plan for my life. He encouraged me to trust Him without borders. Now God has blessed me with the opportunity of volunteering with Lifeteen and RCIA here at Holy Spirit to grow more deeply in my Catholic faith. To know God s love and mercy through my Catholic faith is the greatest gift of all. I attend the 4pm Youth Mass on Sundays.

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