September 24, 2023
A few weeks back, a young man was visiting our area from his home in central Virginia. A Bible retreat for young adults was being held at one of the local “Sandynamed” camps, and his girlfriend asked him to join her and her church that weekend. Because he was headover-heels for her, he was all-in. Just one problem, though: he was the only Catholic there and wanted to attend Mass at a nearby parish. Fortunately, he found a local taxi to bring him to St. Jude. (Bonus points for even putting the effort in of finding transportation on a Sunday morning!)
Perhaps this fact would never have been made known to any of us that morning at St. Jude, except for this: he was welcomed. This young man stayed because he was invited to be a part of our community from the moment he first walked into Church. He was asked to sit with one of our parishioners in her pew; and at the coffee-and-donut social following Mass, our parishioners engaged him, allowing him to share a little of his life’s story -- including some recent challenges and heartbreak. He found comfort here, and he mentioned to me before he left that day that we were the first Catholic community in which he felt truly welcomed.
And just when you thought this is a beautiful end to the story of welcoming the stranger, there’s more: When the cab company told the young man that they were running late and he would have to wait about an hour for pick-up, two separate parishioners offered to drive him back to his retreat. They put their own plans aside in order to care for this visitor who needed to find his way back down Turkey Point. As he was leaving, he shared this with me: “I wish my girlfriend and all her friends on this Bible weekend could see just how awesome Catholics really are.”
I would second that statement. Thanks, one and all, for your hospitality toward those who visit us here at Immaculate Conception parish. We never know how a warm welcome and kind word might open doors for those wanting to belong to a community where the love of Christ is at its very core.