Thanks for 25 years of FAITH stories
Every now and again, I wonder, “How many times have I celebrated Mass?” Or I might wonder how many times I have helped to share God’s mercy and healing through the sacraments of reconciliation and the anointing of the sick. What about weddings, funerals or first communions? By now I have lost count, but each has been an opportunity for me to grow in God’s grace and to share God’s grace with those around me.
Every now and again, I wonder, “How many times have I celebrated Mass?” Or I might wonder how many times I have helped to share God’s mercy and healing through the sacraments of reconciliation and the anointing of the sick. What about weddings, funerals or first communions? By now I have lost count, but each has been an opportunity for me to grow in God’s grace and to share God’s grace with those around me.
How many stories of God’s enduring presence have graced the pages of FAITH since its beginning 25 years ago? I suppose one could sit down and count them all, but other than providing an interesting piece of trivia, I’m not sure what that would show. Instead, I like to reflect on how, over these 25 years, we have sought to stay true to the original vision for FAITH that was articulated by the late Bishop Carl Mengeling, our founding publisher, and the late Fr. Charlie Irvin, our founding editor-in-chief.
FAITH began with a simple idea: tell stories of faith using words and pictures. Jesus used stories and real human experiences to tell and teach about the goodness of God. Surely there are still many such stories that can be told. In telling these faith-stories, people have the opportunity to witness the presence and action of God in a deeply personal way, hopefully seeing our relationship with God as not one that is distant or impersonal, but rather, living, dynamic, and approachable.
Our goal has been not only to tell stories of faith, but also to build relationships that are centered around our faith. In telling these stories, we have said good-bye to old friends like Bishops Povish and Mengeling and welcomed new friends. We have come to understand God’s love for us in both challenging and everyday circumstances. Hopefully, we have also helped one another to understand that we belong not just to particular parishes, but to something much larger and very beautiful: we are all members of the Body of Christ and we belong to Christ.
Thanks for being here for 25 years. Thanks for letting us drop by your home ten times a year for a visit. Thanks to all those who have so graciously shared their stories on these pages. Thanks to all those who continue to read and share these stories with family, friends, co-workers and total strangers. Thanks to Bishop Boyea for his support and guidance. Thanks to Bishop Mengeling and Fr. Charlie for getting this thing off the ground. Thanks to a very faith-filled and talented staff who keep writing, designing, crafting, sharing and trusting that we can tell these stories and help to bring about even deeper love for God.
25 years seems like a long time and a lot of stories, but we’re just getting started. And so, with thanks to God and to all of you, our journey in FAITH continues.
Father Dwight Ezop is the editor-in-chief of FAITH Magazine and pastor of St. Mary Parish, Charlotte and St. Ann Church, Bellevue.
