This past weekend I introduced myself to my parish at all the Masses (5pm Saturday, 8:15am, & 10:15am Sunday). I also wrote a little thing for the bulletin. You can access the St. James bulletin if you're that interested.
But my verbal introduction was far more interesting and, dare I say (dare I post!), blogworthy:
Hi. My name is Isaac Garcia and I will be here at St. James serving you for the next two years, for better or for worse. My official title is “Catechetical Apprentice”, which basically means that I’ll be learning while I’m serving. Sue Devine-Simon is my mentor for the next couple of years, so if you want to contact me or if you have any extra Packer tickets, please talk to her.
A little bit about me. I am the third of five children which makes me the middle child. After surviving 18 years in the Texas heat in my birthplace Austin, I decided to head to the much cooler Midwest for college and enrolled at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. In addition to earning my theology degree, God sent me a wife – well a wife to be. I proposed to my longtime girlfriend on Thanksgiving of this past year – November 22nd, 2007, at approximately 1:15pm, but who’s keeping track, right? And now the longtime girlfriend will be the longtime fiancée, as we look forward to our wedding date sometime in 2010. Don’t ask me when, but it’ll happen.
We graduated together this past May and now I’m here at St. James as part of the Echo program, which is a two-year service program run by Notre Dame with an education aspect too. Echo doesn’t actually stand for anything, but Echo is the English translation of the Greek word catechesis. So I will be echoing the faith, so to speak.
Just a little about the program: I took classes this past summer and will more next summer. When I’m done with Echo, I’ll have a MA in Theology from Notre Dame. And I’m living with two other men who are doing what I do here at St. Dominic’s in Brookfield and St. Agnes in Butler. In total there are 17 of us in my class year doing this around the country. I could go on forever, because I love the program, but I don’t want to bore you with the details.
Now I’m here. While I don’t have everything set in stone as far as how I’ll be echoing, I do know I’ll be a 2nd and 10th grade teacher and will be on the RCIA team. But I’m sure you’ll be seeing me around. I’ll be around after Mass, for instance.
I hope that I can get to know you and that you can get to know more over these next two years. I look forward to serving and learning from you and the entire St. James community. Thank you.
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So how are you introducing yourself at your parish? I'm interested to know.
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7 comments:
So in my efforts to edit my comment, I actually deleted may comment...so again I say...Isaac, can you get me some Packer tickets?!
I have some possible leads on Packer tickets, but I don't have anything for sure. I'll see what I can do, but I honestly don't think I'll be able to.
so far no big intro for me. i'm just meeting everyone slowly. i was announced/introduced prior to my arrival. and my mentor knows EVERYONE (let's be honest - she totally runs this place), so she introduces me to people constantly.
sorry to disappoint. i don't have a fabulously well-articulated intro like SOME people... :)
There was a blurb in a bulletin on aug 24th, but I'll be doing an intro at the end of september, along with the new DRE. There is an open house where parishoners can meet the new staff (new pastor, priests, DRE, Youth and Young adult coordinator, and of course, me). It won't be anything like yours though and I'm not going into my dating history ;)
There is going to be a blurb in the bulletin for me too. I have slowly been introduced to people. Last week, before Mass, my mentor stood with me at the door and introduced me to everyone that walked in. No big formal introduction for me either. But that's awesome Isaac!
I don't think I'm actually going to be introduced at all. My first challenge has been to spend at least 30 minutes with 30 different people during my first 30 days, but I think I'm just going to end up meeting people through other people. We've had a new priest here since June and he said yesterday that the welcome party they're having for him could just as easily include me, so I think I might get to meet a few other people then, but apparently Holy Name isn't much on big introductions...
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