COVER STORY Holly lost both of her parents when she was young, which could have set her on a troubled path. Find out how she conquered the odds and turned bad luck into a happy life. A Happy Life By Bob Horning
	Feature: Making a Difference in Africa Powers High grad volunteered at St. Mary's Mission Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. Nicole's Helping Hand in a Nairobi Hospital By Jennifer Niester
	Feature: Making a Difference in Africa Powers High sophomore Alex Hill used a creative idea to raise money and buy an ambulance for a remote African parish in Uganda. Alex, Africa and an Ambulance By Patricia Majher
	Feature Jackson's Lumen Christi High School has a new work of art: It took Joey 60 hours to paint a replica of Michelangelo's Pietà on the wall of the school's new entry. Joey Macklin takes on Michelangelo By Patricia Majher
	Feature Lansing Catholic Central's KAIROS retreat changed suzanne's life: "Each leader's talk brought be closer to God." Wow! Retreat By Eileen Gianiodis
	Fr. Charlie Irvin Writing Scholarship How does your faith fit into mainstream society? That's what FAITH had students from our Catholic high schools tackle in the first annual Fr. Charles Irvin Writing Scholarship I shall not have lived in vain By Sarah Whitaker
	Web Exclusive Hundreds of youth from the Diocese of Lansing travelled to Toronto, Ontario for World Youth Day 2002. For a photo album, articles, and more, click here.

After Losing Both Parents,
Holly Turned Bad Luck into a Happy Life
By Bob Horning | Photos by James Luning

Holly Loughry was only 3 years old when her dad, Donald, died, but she can clearly remember a number of things about him. "He used to play guitar and sing all the time. He liked to make people laugh. I remember riding in his truck, and going fishing with him, even ice fishing."

The good times Holly had with her dad ended abruptly. He was heading home drunk from a bar one night, and while driving onto a bridge, he over-corrected and crashed into an oncoming car and was killed.

Her mother, who was separated at the time from Donald, won custody of Holly. They lived together in Ypsilanti for a year and a half before Holly's mother decided, with the encouragement of Grandma Loughry, to leave Holly under her grandmother's care. So, within two years, Holly had lost both parents.

Her extended family on her father's side, especially Grandma Loughry and Aunt Jean, took her in and raised her. Looking back on that time of her life, Holly says that because she was so young, she didn't feel a lot of pain. "I just kind of adjusted to it."

As she grew older and realized what had happened to her, Holly's life could easily have spiraled endlessly downwards, but a few key decisions kept that from happening.

The first was made by her grandmother and aunt. They began attending churches in the area. But Grandma Loughry, who was raised Catholic, realized she was uncomfortable anywhere besides the Catholic Church. As a result, they all ended up at St. Mary Parish in Pinckney, about two blocks from where they lived.

Holly was baptized at age 7, and received her first Communion in the third grade. She attended school at St. Mary from the third through the eighth grade. "My class was like one big family," Holly says. "We hung out together all the time. I don't know how I would have made it without prayer and other people. There was always somebody there."

The second key decision for Holly is that she has understood her mother's situation and reconciled within herself that "she isn't exactly the best mother in the world. She made her decision and I can't change that. She still avoids me." In fact, the first time her mother contacted Holly in 12 years was in January of this year. But Holly has forgiven her (almost 100 percent, she says), and prays for her well-being, knowing that something must happen with her mother before their relationship can be made right.

According to Holly, the hardest thing over the years was not the two individual incidents of losing her parents, but dealing with the compounded ramifications of it. Which is where the third good decision, one that evolved with time, allowed her life to take the course it has.

"I knew that I had to keep moving on. What happened will always be there, but I had to give it to God and let Him heal it. I had to get over myself. Everyone has their thing, their cross, not just me. God knows how much we can take. Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."

Sometimes, of course, she can feel down, like when she was filing for financial aid to Eastern Michigan University where she will major in Spanish and Communication. "Filling out those papers reminded me that I am an orphan. I was depressed for a few days until I regained perspective. Orphan is what I am, not who I am. I wouldn't be the same person if everything hadn't happened. I like myself the way I am now, and maybe I wouldn't like myself so well if I hadn't gone through what I did."

There are plenty of others who like her, too. When people are asked what they think of Holly, unrestrained praise and admiration come gushing out. Her Spanish teacher at Pinckney High School, Erica Martin-Carney, says that it is going to feel weird at school without Holly. "Her presence was angelic. Her going will leave a big hole. She has shared her story openly with classmates, not as a means of gaining sympathy, but to let them know that anything can be overcome. She has turned her tragedy into a gift. She has served the other students in class as a teacher's aide, and the way she helps them has been inspiring to me."

Long-time friend Jennifer Sanch says that Holly's friendliness toward everyone at school was amazing. "It's exciting to see how she blossomed since her freshman year when she was quiet and reserved. At the lunchroom table, for example, people were always around her, wanting to be with her and asking for help and advice. I remember one friend who had big problems, who I considered a lost cause. But Holly stuck with her, always prayed for her, and asked others to pray."

Another friend, Ali Nicholas, says, "Holly influenced the whole school, including me. She is a confidence booster for me. I am more of a shy person, but she cheers me on. On one hand, she is the life of the party, but at the same time she is always there if you need to talk to her."

Her friends mention that her life is not so much about doing great things, but treating people in a great way; not about extraordinary accomplishments, but an extraordinary attitude that brings the healing she has received to others.

Which is not to say that she isn't involved. In school, she participated in golf, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and the foreign language club. At Church she leads the praise band, plays guitar at Mass once a month, is a member of the youth group core team, and was the only girl on the flag tackle football team.

Last summer she played her guitar at Mass every Sunday for migrant workers, then would stay afterwards at the farm, speaking Spanish to get to know the people and make them feel welcome.

She also was part of a mission trip to the inner city of Milwaukee last year with a dozen of the youth from Church. There she helped paint, pick up garbage, put in silt fences, and whatever else was needed. According to Linda Tedrick, director of the youth group at St. Mary, "it changed her, brought her closer to Christ. She came back and since has been telling the younger kids how it is to serve."

Tedrick considers Holly one of her most responsible and dependable youth. "Plus she is outstanding as far as evangelizing. She invites people to hear her play guitar at Mass, or invites them to Church just so that they can feel the presence of Christ. Then she prays for them at every single activity. In the past three years, she has gone from wanting to have fun for herself to making sure that everyone else is having a good time. She is a remarkable young person. She has conquered the odds against her."

Nicole's Helping Hand in a Nairobi Hospital
By Jennifer Niester

Last summer, a young woman from Flushing left the United States for a journey most of us can only imagine. Within the East African savannah, in the slums of Nairobi, Nicole Knecht volunteered at St. Mary's Mission Hospital. There she assisted in medical procedures, such as delivering a baby, and worked in the pharmacy. She also got a glimpse into the Kenyan life, expression and faith.

"I was just in awe of East Africa as a whole," Nicole says. She volunteered in Nairobi and took a study abroad class through Colorado College. The class, entitled "Conservation and Culture of East Africa," allowed Nicole to travel throughout Kenya and Tanzania. Within the untamed country and exposure into another culture, Nicole experienced a heightened sense of spirituality. "During my African experience," she relates, "I felt very connected to God."

After her class finished, Nicole separated from her classmates and went into the slums of Nairobi to volunteer at the hospital. She describes the slums as a densely populated area where people live in tin shacks with only enough room to sleep inside. Due to space constrictions, they are forced to cook their meals outside. "It's a pretty dangerous place," she says. "It's a bustling place with a lot of people walking around; there are a lot of deaths at night."

St. Mary's Mission Hospital is a place not known to many college students. Nicole found out about the hospital through her grandparents, Elio and Tina D'Appolonia. For more than 50 years, they have been supporting the Maryknoll

Fathers and Brothers Society, an organization that co-funded St. Mary's Mission Hospital along with the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi.

The D'Appolonias, as members of the Maryknoll Society, knew the right people to help Nicole plan her trip. "My grandparents have enriched my life in so many ways," Nicole says. "They are my role models for the importance of family, Christian morals and values."

St. Mary's is run by Fr. Dr. Bill Fryda. Fr. Bill is a Maryknoll priest who envisioned and planned the building of the hospital. It not only serves as a medical ministry in a country whose government operated hospitals are too expensive for the 2 million Kenyans living in the slums, but is also a place of employment. "There are lines of people just trying to get labor for a day," Nicole says. "Fr. Bill took a neighborhood and transformed it."

Nicole learned that construction of St. Mary's began September 1999 by Kenyan workers. They chiseled rough stones into building blocks as they chanted Swahili songs - happy because they knew they had steady work and paychecks. "You see people lay bricks and shoveling dirt," Nicole says. "They do everything by hand. People there just love to work."

The permanent hospital staff is primarily Kenyan and the mission built homes for the doctors and nurses in the surrounding neighborhood. Drilled water wells provide them with much needed clean water. "For some, the water at the hospital is the only clean water they'll drink that day," Nicole relates. "It's so foreign for us not to have clean water. They just treasure it."

The scarcity of water is only one of many problems in the city. Because of a lack of immunization programs, illnesses such as malaria run rampant. The cost of a malaria vaccination is about $5 in American currency. "There is so much sickness there that is so preventable. It's just so sad."

As a volunteer at the hospital, Nicole witnessed first-hand the appreciation of the people and the quality of health care provided. "The people were great, so appreciative to have me there. I was helping out but I felt they were giving me so much more."

The maternity ward was Nicole's favorite place to visit during her stay. "I was really lucky and was allowed to help on a delivery," she says. "It was really amazing seeing a baby being born."

Nicole was also allowed to watch in surgery. She was amazed at the skill of the doctors and cleanliness the hospital was able to provide with so little money. "At St. Mary's one can clearly see how individuals make a significant difference."

At the hospital, Nicole witnessed both the medical and ministry parts of the mission. Every day there was a morning service in both English and Swahili. "It was a beautiful service, full of life," she says. The Mass included African dancing, drums and songs sung in Swahili. "It was the best Mass I have ever been to. That's the most connected I ever felt at Mass with the children and the music."

The people at the mission made a special effort to teach Swahili to Nicole. She was amazed at the hospitality of the locals and their attitude. "I didn't meet unhappy people, but they lived in poverty.

"I see God in the people. I feel closest to my faith when I'm in situations like this."

Nicole is already planning her return to Africa. "It was really hard to leave. There was a lot I wanted to accomplish."

In the meantime, the Powers Catholic High School grad has just finished her sophomore year at Colorado College. Next, she will be studying abroad at the London School of Economics. Through her studies in international relations, she hopes one day to return to Africa and be able to make an impact on foreign aid and family planning.

And missionary life in a foreign land is something she hopes others will take a chance on and experience. "You don't have to be scared, there's always nice people in the world," she says. "I hope that others who are interested and willing to donate their time have the opportunity to embark on a similar journey."

Alex, Africa and an Ambulance

By Patricia Majher | Photos by Christine Jones

Book drives. Trail improvements. Tutoring programs. These are typical service projects that help elevate a Boy Scout to Eagle Scout status. Alex Hill of Grand Blanc took a different tack. After befriending a visiting priest from Uganda and hearing about the medical hardships his parishioners faced, Alex decided his project would be to buy the African parish an ambulance. The price tag for the vehicle? Fifty thousand dollars.

Alex, a sophomore at Flint Powers Catholic High School, first met Fr. Joseph Burundi two years ago, when the priest spent the summer as a guest of Holy Family Parish. "He offered to teach African drum lessons," Alex remembers, "and I decided I wanted to learn."

The lessons formed the basis of a budding friendship between Fr. Joseph and Alex and, later, the entire Hill family. "We invited him to our cottage on Lake Fenton," said Alex. "That was the first time he'd ever gone swimming or been on a boat."

After Fr. Joseph returned home to Africa, the friendship continued. "Father would call me from time to time for medical advice," said Alex's mom, Liz Hill, a licensed practical nurse. Concerned that she provide the best answers possible, Liz decided to travel to Uganda to check out the health care situation for herself. The trip, conducted in February 2001, was an eye-opener: "While I was there, an elderly nun suffered a stroke. The only way to transport her to the hospital six hours away was in the open bed of Fr. Joseph's truck, over bumpy dirt roads."

They made the trip in two stages, so as not to tax the patient, and she survived to tell the tale. But the incident made quite an impression on Liz. "When I got home, I told Alex the thing they needed most was an ambulance."

Timing couldn't have been better. Alex was fishing around for a service project idea to earn his Eagle Scout rank. Why not do something to help out his friend and exercise his faith at the same time?

During the next month, Alex developed a project proposal that included not only an ambulance, but the collection of medical supplies which would help equip a small health center Fr. Joseph was building.

To accomplish these enormous tasks, Alex needed a hook - something that would open people's eyes and their hearts. Alex read about some other Boy Scouts who'd raised money by 'planting' plastic flamingoes all over a lawn, then asking the homeowner if they would pay a removal fee. "I figured if people would pay for that, maybe they would make a donation to have Fr. Joseph come to their house," he explains.

Of course, Fr. Joseph couldn't leave his parishioners to do the work directly. So Alex came up with the idea of using cutouts instead. One of Alex's uncles helped him create four life-sized, photographic cutouts of Fr. Joseph, and a lumberyard donated foam board to make the look-a-likes stand up. Then, Alex developed a suitcase of materials to accompany the cutouts, including a video message from Fr. Joseph (reproduced by another of Alex's uncles), a report illustrating the need for the ambulance and supplies, a camera for recording each group that hosted a cutout, and a journal in which people could write a message of encouragement to the priest and his parish.

Alex's fellow scouts helped him collate the materials and prepare yard signs to give out as a thank you to those who chose to serve as hosts.

To promote his fund-raising plan, Alex took advantage of the opportunity to speak before Mass at Holy Family and to school groups; at his own high school, the junior class was convinced to adopt the ambulance project as its Lenten activity.

Alex approached community groups, too, like the Rotarians, and the Optimists' Club. But it was individuals who seemed to have the most fun with the hosting parties. "One time, a cutout went to a poker party," Alex says, "and, on Fr. Joseph's birthday, another group baked 'him' a cake." Predictably, there was a little damage along the way. "One little girl hugged a cutout so hard it broke in two," noted Alex. The mock Fr. Joseph was easily repaired with tape.

While Fr. Joseph look-a-likes were making the rounds in Genesee County, Alex was busy with another project: participating in the "Start Something" program sponsored by Target and the Tiger Woods Foundation. "Start Something" helps young people identify and achieve their dreams and goals, building qualities like initiative, leadership, and community stewardship along the way. Upon completion of the program, participants are encouraged to apply for a scholarship that will move them in the direction of their dreams. Alex earned such a scholarship, which he used to finance a trip to visit Fr. Joseph and present him with the result of his fund-raising efforts in person.

In mid-June of this year, Alex and his mom left for Uganda with a check for more than $66,000 in hand.

To Alex, the visit made all the time and effort he'd put into the project worthwhile: "My trip to Africa was a wonderful experience. I saw how we take so much for granted and that the African people are happy with the little they have. Also, I know the ambulance I have helped to get, along with the health center, will help so much. Fr. Joseph is doing a wonderful job and I am so glad that I could help him in his work."

All that is left now of Alex's ambitious service project is to prepare a report for his scouting superiors detailing his activities and results. That should prove to be easy, because he kept a record of everything he did and every person or group who helped him along the way.

When asked what he thought he gained most from the project, Alex answered without hesitation: "I'm a lot more organized now." He also feels he's become more confident and self-assured; all that standing up in front of strangers and talking about Fr. Joseph didn't hurt. "I had to give a presentation on the sacraments in class the other day," Alex noted, "and I didn't even think twice about it."

But the thing he treasured most was the opportunity to help his parish and community do something good for those less fortunate: "We were connected by our faith, even though we were so far away."

Joey Macklin Takes on Michelangelo

By Patricia Majher | Photos by Christine Jones

Dreaming of a trip to Italy to see fine works of art? If your parents say Italy is out of the question, there is an alternative. Just drive to Jackson's Lumen Christi High School. That's where teen artist Joey Macklin has reproduced one of the masterworks of the Italian Renaissance: the Pietà. But instead of sculpting it as Michelangelo did, he painted it - in a life-sized mural for others to see and appreciate for years to come.

Joey was a senior at Lumen Christi when he got the idea for this ambitious project. "I'd seen other murals at schools around town and just thought we should have one here."

Fr. Paul Grehl, OSFS, the school's chaplain, suggested the subject - the Blessed Mother - and introduced Joey to images of a grieving Mary holding the body of her crucified Son. And art teacher Ed Nowak offered his support by releasing Joey from his classes to work on the piece which took 60 hours to complete. "He set a precedent for my other students," notes Nowak, "showing them they can accomplish anything with hard work and dedication."

Working in acrylics and oils, Joey chose mostly somber tones for his painting - blues, greys, and purples - but the effect was intentional. "I tried to give it the look of the original marble," he explains. Though the painting certainly mirrors Michelangelo's work, it also has a spark that is all Joey's own.

For example, when you get up close to it, you'll find dashes of red accentuating the reality of Christ's wounds. And the upper corners of the painting are subtly defined by a floral pattern. As Joey explains, "I did that to symbolize Christ's resurrection and new life."

Perhaps the most stunning feature of the mural, though, is Christ's face. "I was so worried about getting it right," Joey says, "that I put off painting it until last."

The effect was well worth the wait. The soft edges and slightly warmer tones of the face combine to create an effect that is almost indescribable: both life-like and death-like at the same time. "Different people definitely react to it in different ways," Joey observes.

His classmates were in total agreement on one thing, though: how proud they were of what he had achieved. (While this interview was being conducted, several stopped to pat him on the back and say "Good job, man." "All I can say is that God was with me while I worked," Joey replies.)

This month, Joey is taking his God-given talent to Ohio, where he is enrolled as a freshman at the Columbus College of Art and Design. But he doesn't think his fascination with religious subjects is going to end any time soon. "Right now, I'm working on a painting that reflects my personal interpretation of Christ," he says. Maybe one day we will see this piece publicly exhibited, too, as a Joey Macklin original.

Wow! Retreat
How Lansing Catholic Central's KAIROS retreat
changed Suzanne's life

By Eileen Gianiodis | Photos by Christine Jones

"A well-known tradition of KAIROS is polar bearing. So on that last day of the retreat, holding Emily's hand with a death grip, I ran down that dock and jumped in. When my body hit that freezing cold water, it jumped awake. Similar to how polar bearing woke up my body, KAIROS woke up my faith."

That's how Suzanne Poprawa describes what happened to her during a four-day retreat called KAIROS. Suzanne was confirmed and made her first Communion during Lansing Catholic Central High School's Senior Appreciation Mass in May. Seniors at Lansing Catholic are given the option to attend the retreat, and, at first, Suzanne wasn't going to go. "I had other commitments and really didn't see a clear reason to go," she explains. But something changed. One of her theology teachers approached Suzanne and asked her to attend the retreat.

"Suzanne had been a student of mine," explains Paul Dull, Lansing Catholic Central High School's retreat director and theology teacher. "I found her very thoughtful. She wasn't afraid to ask the hard questions and was open to hearing things that challenged her."

The retreat is student-led and based on theology that is sacramental, and incarnational, which helps students make real and substantial connections with their faith and the Church, Dull says. Suzanne decided to go on the retreat. Throughout the retreat, Suzanne heard God's call. "Each leader's talk brought me closer and closer. It was amazing that they were always able to turn to God during times of trouble," she says. "After I heard Fr. Joe's talk, I said that's it. I'm Catholic. These are the people that I want to share my faith with."

Suzanne's conversion was well thought out. "One of the cool things about Suzanne is that she doesn't do anything without really thinking about it," says Fr. Joe Krupp, chaplain at Lansing Catholic Central High School. "She did not let the fact that she wasn't Catholic influence her decision. It would be easy for her - in a Catholic school - to say 'Okay, I'll do it,' but she didn't."

Suzanne played a half dozen sports and earned As and Bs throughout her academic career, but she knew there was more. "I realized that I wanted to be able to celebrate my love for God with other people who share the same beliefs. I found that I was terribly jealous of those who could participate in the Eucharist. I wanted the challenge of taking Jesus in and doing his will. I wanted the strength and everything that comes with it. I wanted to be Catholic," she told her fellow students.

Suzanne knew her decision was monumental in her life, what she didn't expect was for it to be so instrumental in other students' lives. "They tell me that I've strengthened their faith," Suzanne said. "A lot of us who go to Catholic Central have been raised in a Catholic family; she (Suzanne) hasn't," said Sarah Balasia, a senior from Lansing. "Seeing Suzanne decide to become Catholic made it more important that I commit to my faith - something I've always taken for granted." Suzanne's sponsor, Kelly Hackney, said Suzanne's decision has given her a greater appreciation of her faith and "refreshed my prayer life."

Dull said students and parents alike often comment that KAIROS was the most significant event in their lives. "It's like a reality check," he says. "They are challenged to consider the quality of their relationship with God, the Church, their family and friends." Father Joe agreed, "As Catholics, we are guilty of sometimes taking the Eucharist for granted - Suzanne showed all of us that we, like her, should long for the Eucharist. We're talking about one of the greatest events we will ever encounter."

If she's learned one thing from her commitment to becoming Catholic, it is this, she said: "Any decision you make can effect more people than you will ever know. I've had people come up to me and say that they are so inspired by my decision - I don't really even know these people."

And her next step? Suzanne will attend the University of Michigan to major in engineering. Meanwhile, she's looking for a parish to join - a decision she is approaching with care and concern. "I have a basic understanding of the Catholic faith, but I really have a lot to learn," Suzanne said. "In a lot of ways I still feel like I'm on the dock with Emily, ready to jump off."

Ministry Focus
Help Lansing Catholic Central continue a tradition of excellence and support the Heritage Campaign (517) 267-2114.

Retreat Information
Bethany House: here youth meet Christ. For more information on retreats: www.bethanyhouserc.org or call (517) 668-3747.