Abundant yields: Personal invitations bring people to Christ
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...From oncology nurse to parish volunteer to director of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), Sandy Shaker recognizes that each role has helped her grow in trusting the nudges of the Holy Spirit. “When I was a nurse, I would pray for my patients. And I would size up each situation to see if I could ask to pray with people.” And now? “It has blossomed more with God’s grace in this role. It’s my wheelhouse.” Known for being both bold and gentle, Sandy isn’t afraid to invite others into the fold. “I am always looking. Our pastor, Father Robert, laughs at me because he says, ‘Sandy will just come out and say, “Do you want to be Catholic?’”
From oncology nurse to parish volunteer to director of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), Sandy Shaker recognizes that each role has helped her grow in trusting the nudges of the Holy Spirit. “When I was a nurse, I would pray for my patients. And I would size up each situation to see if I could ask to pray with people.” And now? “It has blossomed more with God’s grace in this role. It’s my wheelhouse.” Known for being both bold and gentle, Sandy isn’t afraid to invite others into the fold. “I am always looking. Our pastor, Father Robert, laughs at me because he says, ‘Sandy will just come out and say, “Do you want to be Catholic?’”
Sandy’s invitations have proven fruitful as her parish, St. John the Evangelist in Fenton, welcomed 42 new souls into union with the Catholic Church during this year’s Easter Vigil at the parish. “I can name all 42,” Sandy says, smiling. “I am grateful for my friendships and relationships with them.” The number of new Catholics this Easter is not an anomaly, as the parish welcomed 27 souls last year and 32 the year before. As for next Easter, Sandy is already working with four people who have expressed interest in beginning the OCIA process in the fall.
Reflecting on those who have gone through the OCIA program with her, Sandy says each person’s path to the Church is as unique as the individual. “I remember one man whose wife was seeking confirmation. The man was not Catholic, and he was just coming to classes to help her with some physical needs. After a few weeks of getting to know him, I finally called him by name and said, ‘Do you want to be Catholic?’ And he said yes! His wife and I were both surprised! Oftentimes, people really need that personal invitation.”
Sandy invites into the fold anyone whom God sends her way. “And it’s not just me inviting,” Sandy notes. “Sometimes, it is future spouses who are attending marriage preparation classes. And oftentimes, kids are evangelizing their parents. At our school, kids are learning their prayers, attending Eucharistic adoration and Mass, and we have Eucharistic processions through the school. Kids go home and share the faith and then a parent will reach out and say they want to know about this.” Once they inquire, Sandy is sure to stay in touch, building a relationship with each person. “At this stage of my life, once I make a connection I want to maintain it. This is a call and a ministry, this is a way of life, not my 9-to-5 job.” The reward for Sandy is the joy that comes from knowing that someone has responded to God’s call. Celebrating each person, Sandy says, “I keep bells in my office and once someone signs up for OCIA I ring the bells so that everyone in the office knows!”
Crediting the Holy Spirit with the number of people who have come into the Church at St. John’s under her guidance, Sandy says prayer cannot be underestimated. “The big thing is prayer. We all know that, but we have to really do it. To pray and to fast with prayer.” Each year, anticipating those who will inquire about OCIA, Sandy recruits intercessors to pray. “In the summer I ask the parish to start praying for whoever is going to be sent. I entrust them to Mary, Undoer of Knots, who can intercede for obstacles to be removed. And once people sign up, a parishioner is paired to pray for them. That’s where I see the abundance. The power of prayer is awesome. This is what happens when you surround your parish with prayer.”
Along with a generosity of prayer, Sandy says St. John’s pastor, Father Robert Copeland, has played an important role in supporting her ministry. “He has blessed my life. His life and leadership give witness to God. He is a worker in the field and that speaks volumes. Father is a man of few words, but his life shows us the path.” To meet practical needs, DSA dollars help to support the efforts of OCIA programs throughout the diocese. From DSA funds come the materials given to all OCIA programs and the money for ongoing training for all OCIA directors and coordinators.
While she is proud of the numbers of new Catholics she has helped form, Sandy maintains that her goal is simply docility to God’s will and loving each person whom he sends her way. “It’s not wanting numbers; it’s about the relationship. I love the Lord, and I want to bring people to him.” In the process, Sandy finds herself in awe of God’s goodness. “I’m astounded by this. This is God’s grace. Sometimes, I get right on my knees in my office. It’s just humbling.”
Ultimately, Sandy’s hope for each person who comes into union with the Church is a relationship with the one who called and invited them. “Most of all I want them to encounter God because with encounter comes relationship and letting Jesus in. And he is so good he wants the whole heart, not just a piece.”
