I was baptized in the Lutheran faith. I grew up going to church every Sunday (or most Sundays). I attended Sunday school, and I was part of the church choir. I was confirmed in the Lutheran faith, I had God in my life, and my parents (especially my mom) were great at getting my family involved in our faith.
While dating Dominic (my late husband), he asked if I wanted to attend church at St. John Neumann in Eagan with his mom (my mother-in-law, Gwen). I said sure. Little did I know how that rich, wonderful, powerful experience in that one-hour Mass would affect me, lure me and connect me.
I attended Mass at St. John Neumann regularly from that point on. After a couple of years of dating, Dominic proposed, and I went through RCIA (now OCIA). I was exposed to, and learned, so much. I was confirmed in the Catholic faith during Easter Vigil in 2013 by Father Charlie Lachowitzer, who later married Dominic and me.
Dominic and I shared our Catholic faith for many years. In 2019, Dominic became ill and died nine days before Christmas. I have now entered my fifth year of earthly life without the one with whom I thought I would leave this earthly life.
I know that without my faith I would not be here. I know now that God had a plan when he had Dominic ask me to attend that Mass with him in 2010, to grow in my faith and relationship with God because I would need it to help carry me in what would be the hardest thing in my life thus far that I’d have to accept. My faith has held me strong.
Joining the Catholic Church has provided me many opportunities to grow and deepen my faith.
In August 2024, I will have been a part of the Catholic Softball Group (CSG), for two years. It started out, for me, as being on a softball team with like-minded individuals, and grew to include service projects, small group meets, attending Mass at different Catholic churches, a Catholic winter ski group, and fish fry invitations.
We just had our 2024 CSG Winter Retreat during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend at Camp Courage in Maple Lake. This was my second year attending. We enjoyed lots of prayer, small group discussions, Mass on Saturday and Sunday, confession, adoration and being part of prayer teams.
Spending time with CSG members, who hold similar values, on a weekly and monthly basis has been amazingly helpful in flourishing. As a convert to the Catholic faith, I have much to continuously learn and be exposed to.
A favorite part of the Catholic faith is my time in adoration. I have a personal goal to go for an hour weekly during Lent and to continue through 2024 and into the rest of my life. It is important to just be still and listen to what God is trying to ask of us. Joining the Catholic Church has been anything but easy, but I can’t imagine where I would be without it.
Brown, 38, is a branch office administrator for an Edward Jones financial advisor out of South St. Paul. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications-public relations from Metro State University in St. Paul. She is a parishioner of St. John Neumann in Eagan. She enjoys spending her time with family, friends, Catholic Softball Group and her dog, Bruce.
