Colin Meyer’s family: (front row left to right: daughter-in-law Eleanore, granddaughter Olivia, son Brandon, daughter Cassidy, and son-in-law Devin) Back row: wife Kirstin and candidate Colin. (ICR photo/Lisa Ormond) St. Mary’s parishioner looks forward to new life as a deacon By Lisa Ormond ICR North Idaho Correspondent On Palm Sunday, the Idaho Catholic Register sat down with acolyte Colin Meyer and his family at St. Mary’s Parish in Moscow to discuss Meyer’s spiritual diaconate journey. Meyer will be ordained June 5 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise. Below are highlights of Meyer and his loved ones’ reflections. Colin Meyer, 58, will be ordained a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Boise in just six weeks. By his side on the altar and in the pews will be the people who matter most in his life to witness and celebrate the culmination of his powerful personal and spiritual journey of transformation and renewal. He tried to explain how he felt about the upcoming sacramental ceremony in the presence of God after years of preparation and grace showered upon him, but he was rather speechless, which was “unusual” for him, as he attested. “I think the best way I can describe how I feel right now is being wonderfully terrified,” he said. “It’s not really fear in the sense of being afraid, but being in right worship. A wise deacon once told me that God is not calling you to walk on water; he is calling you to walk in the mud with those who are deeply in need of your service.” Joining Colin on the altar in receiving the Sacrament of Holy Orders from Bishop Peter Christensen will be Jeremey Westmark, Keith Pettyjohn and Rodney Geilenfeldt. As ordained ministers, these four men will serve their Lord, their local parish communities, and become part of the Diocese’s permanent diaconate, which numbers approximately 100 men across the state of Idaho. “I am deeply grateful to have walked this faith journey alongside three godly men, filled with the Holy Spirit,” Colin said. “I trust that God will continue to knit our hearts together for a lifetime of brotherhood in Him.” A new life given Colin, a licensed massage therapist by trade, embraced his formation path for the past four years with all of his heart, soul and being. But first, there is an important pre-story to tell about Colin to better understand how he found his way to this religious vocation. It begins with his family and the call to follow Christ. “God took something that was seriously broken and crafted a new pot,” he said in reference to his rebirth. At age 49, Colin was baptized and confirmed at the Easter Vigil in 2017 at St. Mary’s Church, his current home parish. “The day that I was baptized, I felt like I received more than just an indelible mark. I felt my whole soul, my heart change,” he said. “The person that I was before —the dark, angry, self-absorbed, self-serving person that I had been—was gone, washed away by the waters.” Colin didn’t shy away from the mercy and the spiritual healing offered. He embraced the change wholeheartedly, seeking forgiveness and a new beginning with humility, especially with those he loved most—his family. He attended RCIA classes with his two daughters and credits his eldest daughter, Ashley, for bringing him. “You see, she had a hard adolescent life, mostly, I’m sure, due to my nonexistence as a good father,” Colin recalled. “I felt the Holy Spirit worked through her to get to me.” Mercy offered The remainder of Colin’s faith story is nothing short of a miracle and a real-life testament to the power of the Holy Spirit. He said everything changed the moment the baptismal water hit his head. “It completely changed me. Thanks be to God!” he said. He never looked back, only upward to heaven with love, gratitude and a desire to be His devout servant. “My favorite saint is St. Paul (known before his conversion as Saul), because his journey mirrors my own in many ways,” Colin said. “Like him, I experienced a kind of blindness before truly seeing and submitting to God’s will. His life is a beautiful reminder of how God can transform us, no matter where we start.” Kirstin is his wife of 35 years and a cradle Catholic, and she faithfully walked with him through it all. “Colin got saved by God—He saved his marriage and family,” Kirstin said. “There were addictions, abuse, belittling, controlling and lots of anger to work through.” Colin described Kirstin as his “life force and true guiding light” throughout their marriage, and now she stands beside him in his communal pastoral service as a deacon, too. “I thank God for my wife. He has blessed me with such a patient, kind and loving partner,” Colin said. “She is truly a reflection of Christ’s love in our ministry.” With a compassionate tone in her voice, she responded: “There’s still a lot of healing that needs to happen, but now we have a pleasant marriage.” Road to redemption and restoration When Colin decided to pursue God, embrace his faith, and let the Holy Spirit enter his heart fully, visible, continuous shifts followed in him and within his family’s hearts as well. His youngest daughter, Cassidy, 23, shared what she witnessed and lived. “I really feel Jesus came into our life and fixed our family.” Before Colin’s baptism, she said there were times she feared her dad and couldn’t talk to him, so, she would just go to her mom. “But all that changed when we started going to church; a bond started to form between us,” Cassidy said. Colin’s son Brandon, 25, shared what he witnessed and experienced. “Throughout my childhood, I was confused by my father,” he said. But Brandon said their relationship now was “definitely stronger” since his dad was “willing to listen,” and now he’s there for him as a father, unlike before. “I’m proud and inspired by him,” Brandon said. Eleanor is Brandon’s wife. She has known Colin for 10 years. “Colin is a great example that people can change,” Eleanor said. “He’s a really, really great father-in-law.” Devin is Colin’s son-in-law and the newest member of the family, having married his daughter, Cassidy, in February. “It is good to see what a life with Jesus could be and what a family is like with God at the center,” he said. Devin himself was baptized and confirmed Catholic just weeks ago at the Easter Vigil Mass at St. Mary’s in Moscow. “Colin has been a good role model for me,” Devin added. The deacon called to come The next fork in the faith-traveled road for Colin and his family was the diaconate program. Colin shared how divine intervention made this choice clear for him. “I think there wasn’t so much that an ‘event’ led me there; it was more like a thunk on my stubborn head,” he said. “It came about through continued service in the Church. I was doing laundry, ironing, and then one day I was praying while ironing and I asked the Lord, ‘What more could I do for you?’ and that was that.” Colin said right away he went to his wife Kirstin to “float the idea” by her. This was in 2018. “I told her I think I’m being called to be a deacon, and I didn’t even know what a deacon was or did,” he said. “So, what was her reaction? She laughed!” Kirstin explained more about her initial reaction. “God and Colin weren’t something I ever pictured. I wondered to myself whether he was trying to do ‘something more’ to look good to others,” Kirstin said. Quickly, his true intentions became clear to her and the rest of their family through his committed actions. Stepping forward in faith For Colin, entering diaconate formation was another obedient step of surrender to the Lord. “While the formation requires commitment, it is also a time of tremendous personal and spiritual growth,” he said. “Before entering the diaconate program, there was a quiet restlessness in me, a sense that something was missing, a gift or a calling I didn’t yet understand,” he shared. “Through this formation, God has patiently brought light to that uncertainty that I’m His beloved child, and my faith has become the steady foundation that guides every part of my life.” Colin recognized two specific areas of growth in his spiritual development over the past four years. The first was prayer, and the second was Eucharistic Adoration. “For me, prayer has become the constant thread that keeps my heart open to Him. My prayer life has grown in depth and meaning, helping me navigate challenges, discover purpose, and deepen my love for others,” he said. “The most important Catholic ritual for me is Eucharistic Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. It’s a sacred pause for me to simply be with Jesus, to sit in His presence and let His love speak to my heart. It deepens my relationship with Him beyond the Mass, offering peace, healing and clarity in the midst of my life’s challenges.” What deacons do Colin’s observation is that most parishioners don’t truly know or see how deacons serve the Church. “Our contributions go way beyond the altar,” he said. “Through our faithful service, God’s love is made real, faith is nurtured, and His kingdom grows among us.” Through his interactions with his community, he makes efforts to educate. “They don’t get to see our ministry efforts on the ground—that we go out to the homebound, assist families in crisis, help guide marriage preparation, support OCIA and more,” he said. “God’s love becomes visible and tangible through our pastoral service.” He explained the role of the deacon is to dedicate themselves to selfless service. “I have learned to see my work not just as a job, but as a vocation, as a way to offer the gifts God has entrusted to me for the good of His people,” he said. Arms open wide Colin said he is ready and joyfully awaits what is next in his discipleship journey with Christ as His ordained minister in the Diocese of Boise. “I wake up every day, and I thank God for allowing me to serve,” he said. He explained more about how he views his “gifts” and how they will shape his role going forward. “I feel God has called me to be a ‘people’s deacon,’ someone who can be relied upon to respond whenever there is a need, someone whose ministry is defined by presence, care and compassion.” And for those in the Moscow-area Catholic community where he’ll serve, he seeks to be a “visible reminder” of what Jesus embodied. “By pointing to Christ, the Church helps people discover meaning, purpose and joy amid the noise of contemporary culture. The ever-increasing use of social media and busyness also challenge spiritual life,” he said. “Pastoral outreach today must meet people where they are, offering opportunities for prayer, reflection and community that fit into the rhythm of daily life.” Whatever he may do as a deacon in the years to come, Colin wholeheartedly seeks to be present and purposeful, offering hope and renewal to all those he encounters. “I want people to know that their parish community cares for them,” Colin said. “For me, each day is a chance to walk more fully in His plan, to serve with joy, and to reflect His love in everything I do.”

Hayden Larson is baptized by Father Nathan Dail, chaplain, during the Easter Vigil this year at St. Paul's Student Center at Boise State. (Courtesy photos/Grant Smith) By Emily Woodham Staff Writer Hayden Larson never thought it was odd to skip Christmas until he was 10. “Christmas just was not something my family celebrated,” he said. His parents came from the Seventh-day Adventist and Church of God (Seventh Day), often referred to as “CoG7,” denominations. They rasied Hayden and his sister in CoG7, a fundamentalist, non-doctrinal church that observes Old Testament traditions and holidays through a Christian lens. “We lived in a small town in Oregon, and everyone in the CoG7 church was tight-knit,” Hayden told the Idaho Catholic Register. It wasn’t until he was 8, when his dad almost died from a stroke, that he discovered not everyone had the same view of religion. “My dad worked in California and traveled a lot,” he explained. “I’ll never forget when my mom got the phone call that he had a severe stroke and was in the hospital. It was petrifying. My mother immediately left for California to be with my dad. They stayed there for almost a year while he recovered and then went through rehabilitation. I had to grow up fast.” During that time, Hayden and his older sister stayed with different families, often apart from each other. “I didn’t see my sister for about six months,” he said. Hayden, now 23, stayed mostly with families who were part of the same church. However, for a time, he stayed with a family from a different denomination. “They invited me to go with them to church, and I would hear things about the Bible that I had never heard before,” he recalled. “I became more independent in my beliefs and started praying on my own.” When he was 10, his family moved to Southern California. Because there were no churches that were part of their denomination, they began attending an evangelical megachurch and often visited other churches and revivals. Hayden was ultimately sent to a private evangelical school. The experience of the evangelical churches was very different from his childhood church. From the music to the preaching to congregations of thousands of people, he found the evangelical churches bewildering and exciting. “When we began going to church there, I was kind of entering a new era where I wanted more truth, and I wanted to seek that for myself. At first, it was so awesome: the music, the festivals with bands, lights and smoke machines. I remember going to a massive evangelical revival at Angel Stadium and wondering if this is what it means to worship God. But then I began facing questions I never really thought about before: What does ‘God’s judgment’ mean? What is hell? What does it mean to be saved?” In his old denomination, they took literally the Protestant tenet of sola scriptura (“Scripture alone”). They used this as a foundation for rejecting many traditional Christian dogmatic teachings, such as the Trinity and eternal consequences for sin. Although the Protestant churches he attended in California were not complete in their theology, they were closer to traditional Christianity than the church in which he was raised. Hayden believed he was doing well in his relationship with Jesus, despite his struggles, until he returned from Christmas break in fifth grade. “The teacher asked the students what they got for Christmas. As the kids around the room answered the question, I became more and more uneasy,” he said. “When she got to me, I had a sense of dread, but I told the truth: ‘I didn’t get anything for Christmas. I don’t celebrate Christmas.’ Everyone in the room was in shock.” The teacher and other students questioned Hayden about his faith because he didn’t observe Christmas. Hayden is confirmed by Father Nathan Dail. His sponsor, Joe Patti, prays with his hand on Hayden's shoulder. (Courtesy photo/Grant Smith) “They asked: ‘Aren’t you a Christian? Don’t you believe in Jesus?’ I didn’t have an answer for them. Even in my own head, I questioned myself. I thought I believed in Jesus, but I thought maybe I don’t.” When Hayden asked his dad about it, he didn’t have any answers. Hayden called his grandfather for answers, who could only give comfort but no explanations. Hayden made a promise to himself that he would find all the answers to his questions. He wanted to ensure that when his children asked him anything, he would know. As Hayden researched, he struggled not only with the beliefs from the denomination of his childhood, but he also developed a growing distaste for evangelicalism. “After some time, it began to feel like a big performance and all about prosperity. I didn’t see any depth to it anymore. It also seemed to have a lack of reverence for the Lord,” he said. In 2017, his family moved to Idaho. Hayden began attending an interdenominational, hybrid classical school in the fall. “I was surrounded by Calvinists, Baptists, Messianic believers, non-denominational members and Catholics.” Hayden’s parents returned to their former denomination, but Hayden asked not to go with them. His parents respected his wishes. At his classical high school, he learned about the Church Fathers and the Reformation. “I was becoming more militantly Protestant because I thought that was the right thing to do,” he said. “But I couldn’t shake that without the Catholics, we wouldn’t have the civilization that we have today.” Despite his Protestant convictions, two of his closest friends at the school were Catholic. “One kept telling me about this guy, Father Nathan Dail, and the wise things he’d say. She also told me about this thing called ‘Adoration.’ She would just go and sit with the Lord in adoration in peace and quiet, and she would cry with the Lord. I never heard of anything like that in my life.” The idea of sharing emotions with God especially seemed foreign to Hayden. As he was developing his own beliefs, he embraced a more stoic and rational version of Christianity. “I had never had a moment with God like that, where I could just share my feelings,” he explained. Hayden graduated in 2021, and returned to California to pursue a career in film production. “I was driving all the time. I was constantly listening to books and podcasts,” he said. The more he learned about history, theology and philosophy, the more curious he became about the Catholic Church. He also discussed the Catholic Church with his girlfriend, Ellie, and her family, who still lived in Idaho. Ellie’s mother is Lutheran. Her father was raised Catholic but left the Church as a young adult. While visiting Ellie’s family in Donnelly for Christmas in 2022, it was a surprise when Ellie’s mother suggested they attend Christmas Eve Mass at St. Katharine’s in Cascade. Hayden was immediately impressed when he entered St. Katharine Drexel Church in Cascade on Christmas Eve. “It was really snowing out, but the church was still crowded. The dedication of the people really struck me. The priest had so much conviction, devotion and strength in everything he did, from the rituals to the homily. I had never experienced that before.” A few days after Christmas, Hayden returned to Boise to catch his flight back to California. However, his flight on Dec. 30 was canceled. He went for a walk downtown in the evening along Hays Street, past St. John’s Cathedral. As he passed the old rectory, he saw several men sitting around a fire pit, smoking cigars, talking and laughing. At first, he decided to continue on. “As I start to cross Ninth Street, this feeling hits me like a ton of bricks,” Hayden said. “I knew I needed to turn around and talk to the guys back at the rectory. I had never had such a strong feeling before, and I thought, ‘Is this the Holy Spirit?’” Hayden turned around and walked up to the young men. He asked if they were Catholic and if he could ask them some questions. They eagerly invited him to join them. Their conversation began around 10 p.m. and lasted until 4 a.m. Hayden and Joe Patti, who at the time was a seminarian for the Diocese of Boise, formed an immediate friendship over their shared love of Western civilization history. “In our conversation, Joe reinforced that it was actually the Church that safeguarded our civilization for millennia,” Hayden said. Joe invited him to see the rectory library and chapel. “When Joe took me into the chapel, it was the first time I felt the true presence of Christ,” he said. “Before that, the only time I could really feel the Lord was when I was alone in nature.” Joe then invited him to daily Mass at the cathedral at 8:30 a.m. Hayden got only a few hours of sleep before attending, but he knew he couldn’t miss it. “Joe greeted me and stayed right next to me and guided me through the whole Mass.” Hayden also saw the mother of one of his friends from high school. “She came up to me and gave me a hug. She said she was so happy to see me there.” After Mass, while having coffee together, Joe told Hayden that all of his questions and uneasiness would ultimately come down to faith and trust in the Lord. “I didn’t want to believe that, though,” Hayden said. “I wanted to believe that faith could be completely rational.” As they walked back to the cathedral, Joe said he wanted Hayden to meet a “Father Nathan.” Although the name “Father Nathan” was familiar, it wasn’t until he saw Father Nathan Dail that he realized it was the same priest his friends had admired in high school—and the priest who celebrated the Christmas Eve Mass in Cascade. “What were the chances that this Father Nathan was the one in Cascade and was the same priest I heard about for four years of high school? So I spoke with Father, and I went back to California a changed person,” Hayden said. But he still wasn’t ready to begin the process of becoming Catholic. Hayden receives his First Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil Mass. (Courtesy photo/Grant Smith) In California, he attended a Dutch Reformed church in the morning on Sundays and then went to Mass in the afternoon. During visits to Boise to see Ellie, he attended St. Paul’s Student Center. In the summer of 2025, he decided to return to Idaho. However, he was still hesitant about starting OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). Hayden still wanted to have all the answers to life’s questions before getting married and having children. Years earlier, a friend had tried to set him straight, telling him that many of the answers he sought were incomprehensible and beyond even the most brilliant theologians. His years-long struggle finally came to a head when he realized the truth of what Joe Patti had said: he needed to put his faith and trust in the Lord. “After reading St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine and others, I realized that at a certain point I couldn’t see past God’s mercy,” Hayden explained. “This led me back to what Joe said. I need to have faith and trust.” Hayden moved back to Idaho in the summer of 2025 and entered OCIA that September. “At every single Mass leading up to becoming Catholic, I prayed, ‘Lord, I trust You. If this is the path I’m supposed to be on, if You are guiding me on this path, I trust You. If I’m not supposed to be here, please take me somewhere I’m supposed to be. Please put me on a path I’m supposed to go down,’” he said. “I’m so thankful for everyone who helped me on this path. I am where I’m supposed to be. I am home. I eagerly await to see how the Lord uses me.”

Maggie and Paul J. Kim Update on 4/21/26: All registration slots were filled, and registration is closed. Paul J. Kim, a Catholic international speaker, musician and comedian, will lead a day retreat Saturday, Sept. 25, at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Boise. Kim’s first talk, “Meant to Live More,” is from 10 a.m. to noon. His second talk, “Bulletproof Your Marriage,” is from 2 to 5 p.m. Our Lady of the Rosary Parish will provide coffee, tea, muffins and fruit in the morning. The parish will also provide lunch for participants between sessions. Babysitting is available for children up to 10 years old. Registration is free; however, participants are asked to register for an accurate headcount for food and babysitting. Kim’s presentations have impacted people of all ages in 50 states and 16 countries over the past two decades. He uses his many life experiences to communicate the Gospel message of Christ in a way that is engaging and entertaining. He is the author of “A Catholic Guide to Adulting” and is the founder of the Triumph Men’s Conference. He has also released two music albums, and his videos have accumulated tens of millions of views on social media. In January of this year, he and his wife were featured in Catholic and secular news as they shared their grief and faith following the death of their 5-year-old son, Micah, on Dec. 31. Kim’s background includes work as a marriage and family therapist, and he has also worked in religious formation with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. To register, visit olrboise.org/paul-j-kim-registration. For more information, email Tina Punnoose at tpunnoose@olrboise.org or call the parish office at (208) 343-9041.

By Mary A. Wax Holy Apostles, Parishioner For the ICR Those who are new to Idaho might think that the Holy Apostles community has been around for as long as Idaho has been a state (July 3, 1890, if you are interested). But, while the parishes that united to create Holy Apostles were first formed in 1920 and 1944, Holy Apostles Catholic Church is still young in Catholic Church years. Dedicated on June 6, 2001, by Bishop Michael Driscoll (1999–2014), this Catholic community is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The idea for Holy Apostles grew out of the mid-1990s priest shortage. There was a need for more priests to serve the expanding Idaho communities, and Bishop Tod Brown (1989–1998) decided on the creative solution of merging existing Catholic churches. Combining parishes Holy Apostles began as two separate parishes in two different towns: Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Meridian and St. Matthew’s Catholic Church in Eagle. Holy Spirit commenced in 1944 under the direction of St. John’s Cathedral and was named Mother Frances X Cabrini Mission in 1946. The community was later renamed Holy Spirit Catholic Church in 1974, following a move to Cherry Lane and the construction of a new church building and rectory. From left, Monsignor Falk, Father Tim Ritchey and Bishop Tod Brown are at the groundbreaking for Holy Apostles in 1998. (ICR photo/Archives) Similarly, St. Matthew’s opened in 1920 as St. Mary’s Catholic Mission—a mission of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist—attaining status as a mission church in 1927. It was renamed St. Matthew’s Catholic Church in 1971 to avoid confusion with St. Mary’s in Boise. Both parishes had vibrant, active and growing communities. However, when St. Matthew’s lost its pastor in 1998, there was no priest in the diocese to replace him. It was then that the proposal of merging the two communities came into play. Father Timothy Ritchey, pastor of Holy Spirit, was tasked with leading this new combined community. From 1998 to 2001, Father Tim and fill-in priests—Fathers Don Riffle, William (Bill) Dodgson and John O’Sullivan, and Monsignor Dennis Falk—helped one pastor serve two parishes. The resulting merger became Holy Apostles Catholic Church (a nod to the Holy Spirit guiding the selection of St. Matthew as an Apostle). Property at the corner of Chinden Boulevard and Meridian Road was secured, the pastoral councils of both churches united, and plans began to bring the two Catholic parishes together. As one can imagine, it wasn’t an easy process to unite Catholics from established communities. In fact, it was difficult. There were many duplicate ministries that needed to become one. Musicians, liturgical ministers and even staff members were taxed with the problem of “how?” Bishop Michael Driscoll anoints the altar with Monsignor Wassmuth in the background. (ICR photo/Archives) When the 10,000-square-foot nave opened, the pews hadn’t even arrived yet, but the people came. Folding chairs and lawn chairs were set up where the pews are today, and Masses began. The first Mass was celebrated at the Easter Vigil in 2001. The Easter weekend Masses, with Father Tim presiding, were accompanied by Deacons Ralph Flager, Jack Pelowitz, Charlie Rasmussen and Jerry Pera. Attendance at the Easter Vigil and the first Easter Masses averaged about 1,000 people at each of the three Eucharistic celebrations. A unique crucifix The sanctuary crucifix inside that nave tells a story of local history. John Muir, known as “Father of the National Parks,” gave Emile Grandjean (after whom Grandjean, Idaho, was named) a sequoia sapling from California. Emile planted it at what is now the northeast corner of St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center. The tree flourished and grew to be one of the tallest trees in Idaho. In the 1990s, the tree became diseased, and the top was cut off in an effort to save it. A log from the top part of the tree was obtained and crafted into the sanctuary cross. The corpus (Body of Christ) was sculpted in Italy to complete the uniquely Idahoan crucifix to be suspended above the altar at Holy Apostles. Father Ben Uhlenkott was assigned as parochial vicar at Holy Apostles during Father Tim’s final year as pastor. In 2007, Father Len MacMillan was assigned as pastor of Holy Apostles. Father Ben was given a new assignment and Father Tim took a year-long sabbatical. As a parting gift, Father Tim left Father Len with a significant advantage: a fully paid-off loan for the new 24-hour Adoration chapel and columbarium on the west side of the property. This meant the new pastor would not have to launch a capital campaign—at least, not immediately. Parish grows Under Father Len’s 14-year pastorate, the parish exploded along with the Treasure Valley. As homes were built, the population at Holy Apostles grew. What began as approximately 700 Holy Spirit families and 300 St. Matthew’s families today totals about 3,500 families. To put that in perspective, that equals around 14,000 individuals being served—from newborns to those over 100 years old. This growth required physical expansion. To the left of the main church building of Holy Apostles Parish is the perpetual Adoration Chapel and columbarium. In the back is a garden with the Stations of the Cross. (Courtesy photo/Holy Apostles) In 2014, church offices were remodeled after the St. Vincent de Paul food bank moved into a mobile unit on the east side of the property. More significantly, a Catholic school in Meridian—a long-held dream for parishioners—became a reality. St. Ignatius Catholic School opened its doors on Aug. 22, 2017. The altar in the sanctuary at Holy Apostles holds a first-class relic of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. It gives one pause to realize that Mother Cabrini—who founded dozens of institutions, including schools and hospitals across the United States—is present through this relic in our very altar, perhaps even interceding for the mission of our own school nearby. During Father Len MacMillan’s long tenure (2007–2021), Holy Apostles was often managed by him as the sole priest, supported heavily by a robust team of deacons and visiting priests. Eventually, Father Dat Vu was assigned as parochial vicar, followed by Father John Legerski. In 2021, Father Len was transferred to North Idaho, and a new pastor was assigned to the largest parish in Idaho: Father Vitalis Onyeama of the Religious Order of Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy (SMMM) in Nigeria. St. Ignatius Catholic School, built in 2017, is the parish school for Holy Apostles. (Courtesy photo/Holy Apostles) Father Vitalis has introduced the spirit of Nigerian Catholicism to Holy Apostles. By prioritizing a personal connection with parishioners and sharing his deep love for the Church, he carries forward the legacy of hospitality established by the original two communities. A hallmark of this welcome is the song from his home country that he taught the congregation, now sung each weekend as he greets guests: “You are welcome in the name of the Lord …” Through further capital campaigns, he has successfully guided the building of a new rectory, the addition of classrooms and facilities to St. Ignatius Catholic School, and, still to come, the building of an outreach center that would include renovation of the St. Vincent de Paul section building with additional meeting space. Today, under Father Vitalis, Holy Apostles has been served by three parochial vicars: Father Emmanuel Chinedu, SMMM (now pastor in eastern Idaho); Father Goodluck Ajaero, SMMM; and Father Roger Fernando, ordained in Sri Lanka. This summer, Father Benjamin Onyemachi, SMMM, is appointed the new parochial vicar as Father Fernando is retiring. The rapid growth of Meridian stands as a testament to the shifting landscape of the Treasure Valley—and at its center is Holy Apostles Catholic Church. This well-grounded parish serves the people of Meridian, Eagle, Star, Middleton and Horseshoe Bend. The 25th anniversary Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Peter F. Christensen at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 31. Many thanks to Bob Frohwerk for his extensive parish history and parish timeline. You can read both in detail at holyapostlesmeridian.net/about/about-our-parish.

This article was written by Father Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Carballeda, a priest of the Archdiocese of Puebla in Mexico, and was published by Vatican News. The Church is gradually approaching two significant dates: the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Saint Juan Diego in Mexico in 2031 and the 2,000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in 2033. In the realm of faith, both of these anniversaries are closely linked and should not be trivial or merely circumstantial events for those of us living in this age. We can say with certainty that they hold specific values of grace and blessing in the heart of God, who continues to carry forward the history of humanity’s salvation. Everything that happens in our lives and history is under the gaze of the Lord, who, since the beginning of the universe, has longed to fill all of His creations with life and happiness, each according to its own order and perfection. From the very beginning, God’s actions have neither diminished nor ceased, but continue full of power day by day and moment by moment until their final fulfillment. Rightly, the Apostle Saint Paul affirms in the Second Letter to the Corinthians that Christ is God’s permanent “yes” and not a “yes” followed by a “no” (cf. 1:19–20). Indeed, God’s will to save all people is valid, present, and renewed throughout history. For those of us living in this young 21st century, commemorating these events is an opportunity to experience a time of grace. It is a time for encounter, responsible reflection, profound gratitude, and an intense drive forward with renewed vigor and firm hope in the future. The celebration of the Redemption will be central and unique, but the apparitions of Guadalupe will be no less relevant, given Mary’s intimate union with the salvific plan of the Son of God and the uniqueness of the Guadalupe phenomenon. This phenomenon led Pope Benedict XIV to refer to it with the words of Psalm 147: “Non fecit taliter omni nationi,” that is, “He has not done anything like this for any other nation.” Although we don’t intend to offer specific reflections on these two events at this time, we can still view them through the lens of our faith. Through the action of grace and Mary’s intercession, we can seek to stir up three responses from the depths of our being: First, joyful wonder. Second, gratitude and self-examination. Third, humble supplication. First, the attitude of the child in the Gospel can lead us to a joyful sense of wonder at what God has done for us. “He works wonders for us!” Mary proclaimed during her encounter with her cousin, Saint Elizabeth. When we are filled with wonder, we can open our eyes to the countless ways the merciful God bestows His love upon us. If ever the enemy suggests that our misery frustrates our joy and trust in God, we have the right to affirm, grounded in the teaching of Jesus Christ, that the loving omnipotence of the one God who saved us through His Son in the Holy Spirit can do what is impossible for our wretched condition as sinners. Second, recognizing our own limitations, we can find strength in the joy of God’s loving and generous actions on our behalf. We can rejoice with the same fervor with which we proclaim the Easter Proclamation during the Easter Vigil, called The Exultet in Latin, and give thanks to God for His generosity and kindness. We can also recall the joyful gratitude of the people of God when they crossed the Red Sea without getting wet and saw their persecutors defeat power acting through Moses and Aaron. Alternatively, we can imagine the gratitude of Saint Juan Diego Cuautlatoatzin when he returned from the bishop’s palace on Tuesday, December 12, 1531, to find that his uncle, Juan Bernardino, had been healed as the Virgin had promised. As we express our gratitude, we should acknowledge with humility and trust that we have often failed to do what God asks of us and what is good for us. Many times, we have ignored God’s words, failed to take advantage of His help, and not lived as He expected and still expects. As the prayer of the prophet Daniel says, “Reproach, sorrow, and repentance belong to us,” for we have deserved the evils we have suffered and have not responded to God in accordance with the trust He has placed in us. In other words, we can make our own the contrite words of the tax collector who prayed in the temple: “O God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” (Lk 18:13). Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, let us conclude this movement of the heart by asking the Lord to transform our lives from this moment on and accomplish in us what we have been unable to do. To help bring this about, we can use the simple prayer that Pope John Paul I—who will soon be beatified—shared with the entire Church at the end of his September 13, 1978 audience: “Lord, take me as I am, with my defects and faults, and make me as you desire.” In the same way, we have the opportunity to incorporate the words of God’s maternal love, expressed through Mary, into our daily lives: “Am I not here, I who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the fold of my mantle, in the crook of my arms? Do you need anything else?” (n. 119). According to the Nican Mopohua, these are the words Mary spoke to Saint Juan Diego on Tuesday, December 12, 1531. At the time, Juan Diego was fleeing and apologizing for not having heeded her call due to his uncle’s serious condition. Therefore, we can count on God’s help. We are not alone. We have the power of our Father, the constant grace He bestows upon us through Jesus Christ, and His Word, through which He speaks to us continually. We have the strength of the Holy Spirit, who ceaselessly acts in our souls and guides us toward salvation. We also have the special intercession of the Mother of the Church, along with that of the angels and saints. They ardently desire for us what they experience in their eternal homeland. God always offers us the help we need for our conversion. He renews this help constantly so that we may journey toward Him and grow in communion with Christ day by day. To foster this communion, God grants us the most effective help. Mary always keeps Christ at the center of her life. In fulfilling her mission as Mother of the Church, she teaches us to center everything on Him. Let us turn to her with openness so that she may guide us as she did Saint Juan Diego. In this way, we will prepare to celebrate with hope, enthusiasm, and overflowing spiritual joy the two great events of faith that we will experience in a few years.

Por Padre Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Carballeda, sacerdote de la Arquidiócesis de Puebla, México Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en Vatican News Poco a poco, la Iglesia se acerca a dos fechas de enorme significado: en orden cronológico, viviremos el V Centenario de las apariciones de la Virgen María al santo Juan Diego en México, en 2031 y, dos años después, en 2033, el II Milenio de la Muerte y Resurrección de Jesucristo, nuestro Salvador. Ambas recurrencias, íntimamente unidas en el plano de la fe, no debieran ser, para quienes vivimos en este tiempo, acontecimientos triviales o meramente circunstanciales: con toda certeza podemos decir que tienen en el corazón de Dios –quien sigue llevando hacia adelante la historia de la salvación de los hombres– un valor específico de gracia y bendición. Todo, absolutamente todo lo que sucede en nuestra vida y en nuestra historia, se halla bajo la mirada del Señor que, desde el comienzo del universo, anhela colmar de Su vida y felicidad a todas las cosas por Él creadas, si bien cada una según su orden y perfección. Celebración en la parroquia de Saint Paul, Nampa La acción de Dios, desde el principio, no ha menguado ni mucho menos terminado, sino que continúa, llena de fuerza, día a día, momento a momento, hasta su realización final: con razón, el apóstol san Pablo afirma en la Segunda carta a los Corintios que Cristo es un sí permanente de parte de Dios, y no un sí y después un no (cf. 1,19-20). En efecto, la voluntad divina de salvar a todos los hombres es vigente, actual y siempre renovada en el transcurso de la historia. Para quienes habitamos el mundo en este todavía joven siglo XXI, la conmemoración de ambos acontecimientos es una oportunidad para vivir, verdaderamente y con mucha fuerza, un auténtico tiempo de gracia, un espacio de encuentro, de reflexión responsable, de profunda gratitud y de intenso empuje hacia adelante, con bríos renovadores y esperanza firme en el porvenir. Central y única será la celebración de la Redención, pero no menos relevante la de las apariciones de Guadalupe, habida cuenta de la íntima unión de María al plan salvífico del Hijo de Dios, y también de la singularidad del fenómeno guadalupano, que llevó al Papa Benedicto XIV a referirse a él con aquellas palabras del Salmo 147: Non fecit taliter omni nationi, esto es, No hizo nada semejante con alguna otra nación. Sin pretender ofrecer ahora puntos de reflexión particulares sobre estos dos acontecimientos, estamos, sin embargo, en condiciones de ponerlos delante de nuestra mirada de fe y procurar suscitar, con la acción de la gracia y de la intercesión de María, al menos tres reacciones desde el fondo de nuestro ser: 1) asombro alegre, 2) gratitud y examen de conciencia, y 3) petición humilde. Peregrinación durante los festejos del 12 de diciembre de 2023 , en honor a la Virgen de Guadalupe en Boise. En primer lugar, podemos ser llevados por la actitud del niño del Evangelio al asombro alegre de lo que Dios ha hecho por nosotros: ¡Él hace maravillas por nosotros!, como inspiradamente lo proclamó María en su encuentro con su prima, Santa Isabel. Somos amados, y maravillados podemos abrir nuestros ojos ante la manifestación que, de Su amor, Dios misericordioso nos hace continuamente y de infinitas maneras. Y, si alguna vez, en este movimiento de nuestro ser de querer asombrarnos gozosamente de todos y cada uno de los favores del Señor en nuestra vida y en la historia de la humanidad, el Enemigo nos sugiriera que el peso de nuestra miseria debe frustrar nuestra alegría y nuestra confianza en Dios, tenemos el derecho de afirmar, apoyados en la enseñanza de Jesucristo, Padre Germán Osorio, durante la homilía en Saint John the Evangelist. Que lo que no es posible a nuestra miserable condición de pecadores, sí es posible a la omnipotencia amorosa del Dios único que nos ha salvado por Su Hijo en el Espíritu Santo. En segundo lugar, siendo conscientes de nuestra pequeñez, podemos apoyarnos en el gozo de la acción amorosa y gratuita de Dios a nuestro favor para exultar, con la fuerza con la que compartimos en la Vigilia Pascual la proclamación del Pregón pascual –llamado, precisamente, Exultet, en latín– dando gracias a Dios por Su largueza y liberalidad con nosotros. Podemos traer también, por ejemplo, a la memoria, la gratitud alegre del pueblo de Dios después de atravesar, sin mojarse, el Mar Rojo, viendo a sus perseguidores vencidos por el poder de Dios actuante en Moisés y Aarón. O imaginemos el sentido de agradecimiento de San Juan Diego Cuautlatoatzin cuando, al volver aquel martes 12 de diciembre de 1531 de la Casa Episcopal, constató que, efectivamente, su tío Juan Bernardino había sido curado tal como la Virgen se lo había asegurado. Y al mismo tiempo de vivir la gratitud, sería bueno reconocer, con un corazón humilde y confiado, que en muchas ocasiones no hemos cumplido lo que Dios nos pide y nos conviene tanto. En efecto, muchas veces no hemos hecho caso de las palabras que Dios nos ha dirigido, no hemos aprovechado tampoco la ayuda que nos ha ofrecido y no hemos vivido como Él esperaba y aún espera. A nosotros –como dice la oración del profeta Daniel– nos corresponde elprobio, el dolor y el arrepentimiento, pues hemos merecido los males que hemos padecido y no hemos respondido a Dios según la confianza que Él ha puesto en nosotros. O, en forma más sintética, podemos hacer nuestras las palabras contritas del publicano que oraba en el Templo: ¡Oh Dios! ¡Ten compasión de mí, que soy pecador! (Lc 18,13). Peregrinación en honor a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe por el centro de Boise. (ICR/foto Vero Gutiérrez) En tercer lugar –y volviéndose éste quizá el momento más importante–, culminar este movimiento del corazón pidiendo al Señor que a partir de ahora Él transforme nuestra vida y haga posible en nosotros lo que nosotros no hemos podido. Para intentar que esto se lleve a cabo, podemos aprovechar la sencilla oración que compartió con toda la Iglesia el Papa Juan Pablo I –futuro beato– al final de su Audiencia del 13 de septiembre de 1978: Señor, tómame como soy, con mis defectos, con mis faltas, pero hazme como tú me deseas. Y de igual manera, tenemos la posibilidad de hacer presentes en nuestra vida diaria las palabras del amor maternal de Dios expresado a través de María: ¿No estoy aquí yo, que soy tu madre? ¿No estás bajo mi sombra y resguardo? ¿No soy yo la fuente de tu alegría? ¿No estás en el hueco de mi manto, en el cruce de mis brazos? ¿Tienes necesidad de alguna otra cosa? (n. 119). Estas son las maravillosas frases que, según el Nican Mopohua, pronunció María a san Juan Diego el martes 12 de diciembre de 1531, cuando precisamente él huía y se disculpaba al mismo tiempo de no haber atendido su llamado por la gravedad en la que se hallaba su tío. Contamos, pues, con la ayuda de Dios mismo, no estamos solos: contamos con el poder de nuestro Padre, con la gracia que nos otorga constantemente por medio de Jesucristo y quien continuamente nos habla a través de Su Palabra; contamos con la fuerza del Espíritu Santo, que actúa incesantemente en nuestra alma y nos orienta a la salvación; y contamos de manera especial con la intercesión de la Madre de la Iglesia, con la de los ángeles y santos, que desean vivamente para nosotros lo que ellos ya experimentan en la patria eterna. Celebración de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en la parroquia Our Lady of the Valley en Caldwell Dios siempre nos ofrece la ayuda necesaria para nuestra conversión, y actualiza constantemente esta ayuda para que podamos caminar hacia Él, creciendo día a día en la comunión con Cristo. Y para favorecer esta comunión, nos concede la ayuda más eficaz: María, que tiene siempre a Cristo en el centro de su vida y, queriendo cumplir su misión de Madre de la Iglesia, nos enseña precisamente a centrar todo en Él. Acudamos a Ella con apertura, para que nos guíe a semejanza de san Juan Diego y nos volvamos una Iglesia en salida que, fraternalmente, se prepare para celebrar con esperanza, entusiasmo y alegría espiritual desbordante, estos dos grandes acontecimientos de fe que viviremos dentro de pocos años.

By Matthew Geske, LCPC Clinical Director, CCI For the ICR In my 25 years of counseling work, many of the individuals and couples I have seen are suffering from what I would call an intimacy disorder. The Oxford Dictionary defines intimacy as “close familiarity or friendship; closeness.” This intimacy disorder can start in a child with a variety of tragic events, a serious illness or a death in the family, for example. Or, even more challenging, the presence of an alcoholic or abusive parent in the child’s life. These difficult circumstances, as hard as they may be, can be weathered if the hurt individual has another person or community that can acknowledge the problem and provide a sense of closeness to the scared child. Matthew Geske, LCPC As a human being, a child of God, we are designed to be in connection with others and most of all with our Creator. A person’s ability to form intimacy with others determines one’s ability to live a full life. Remember how Genesis describes life in the Garden of Eden before the Fall: humans walk and talk with God with no defenses or barriers—true intimacy. It is hard to hear the word “intimate” without placing a sexual connotation to the term in this modern age. One of the most precious characteristics God has given us, intimacy, has been robbed from us and must be restored in order to have healthy relationships and true closeness. The problem comes when the hurt individual has no one to turn to and instead turns to a substance or unhealthy activity for comfort. For substances, this can be alcohol or drugs. For activities, this can be what I will call “acting in” or “acting out.” “Acting in” can take the form of self-criticism and unhealthy guilt. Acting out can be any repeated activity that distracts a person from emotional pain, the ache of wanting to be connected to others. Connection through intimacy is what allows us to heal. The use of substances — unhealthy acting in or acting out — is what I describe as false intimacy. False, in that it gives the illusion of intimacy, yet results in us being separated from others. In the counseling office, we see the extremes. Nobody wants to attend counseling unless something is majorly not working in their life or relationships. So, if somebody walks through the counseling door, I can reliably predict that he or she has been engaging in some form of false connection, thus an intimacy disorder. In my own life, I can see the origins of my own intimacy disorder. Having tragically lost my father at a young age and being far away from extended family, my mother was ill-prepared to handle her own grief, leaving us children very much alone. I became increasingly isolated and disconnected from immediate family and friends as I was left to grieve in isolation. Thus, I learned to “act in” to get my need for intimacy met. Later in my teen years, I started to “act out” (a prime time for acting out). For me, it was angry rock and roll, reckless behavior and experimenting with drugs, all of which I used to soothe my broken heart. I imagine if I were born in the 2000’s. “Acting out” would be excessive computer gaming, marijuana, online pornography and questioning my gender or sexual orientation. For young women, I would add social media and now asking ChatGPT for life advice. All of these are examples of false intimacy. The challenge is that, in the short term, all these activities are effective in comforting and distracting that deep hurt a young person feels, yet in the long run, they create havoc. Intimacy disorder undermines a person’s ability to form deep, meaningful relationships with others. Primarily working with men in my counseling practice, what I most commonly see is men who have been exposed to pornography at a young age, have had some difficult childhood experiences, have no safe adult to go to and then turn to regular porn use to cope. Then, when it becomes time to marry, he has a distorted idea of what true intimacy is with a spouse. Often, the spouse feels a lack of emotional safety, which undermines the marital bond. This causes all sorts of problems in the relationship. Certainly, there is hope. Developing an open and honest relationship with others can start the healing process related to intimacy disorders. Being part of a community where openness and honesty are practiced can have a huge impact. That is why counseling and involvement in recovery groups can be so beneficial. But you must ensure that the counselor and/or the group are healthy, which is not always the case. Stopping an unhealthy activity is a start, yet unless the ability for true intimacy is restored, a person will return to the same, or a different, way of “acting in” or “acting out.” The pain must go somewhere, and healthy close relationships with others, and ultimately with God, is where the healing happens. For Catholic men struggling with pornography and related issues, an excellent resource is peterkleponis.com/the-path-of-recovery. Matthew Geske is a licensed clinical professional councilor (LCPC) and the clinical director at Catholic Charities of Idaho, a nonprofit that provides a range of services, including mental health, family support services, refugee and resettlement programs and assistance to individuals and families in need.

By Allison Brandt Catholic Charities of Idaho For the ICR Imagine you’re driving home and hear a strange noise coming from your car. You listen closely to identify the source, and if it persists, you call a mechanic. No one wants a small issue to lead to a total breakdown. If we attend this swiftly to the needs of a machine, let’s consider how often we attend to something far more sacred and irreplaceable: our marriage. Every marriage has its occasional “clunks and squeaks.” This doesn’t always signal a crisis. Often, a quick check-in with your spouse is enough to clear up a misunderstanding and avoid the same pothole next time. Allison Brandt Other times, investigating a simple issue reveals deeper problems that require a third party’s guidance. While a counselor cannot “fix” a marriage, she can provide the tools to identify core issues and teach effective communication which ideally leads to a deeper connection and a stronger marriage. Could marriage counseling help you? Here are some signs to consider: • Feeling Stuck: Do you feel like talking more only makes things worse, yet staying silent solves nothing? Do you or your spouse frequently shut down, storm off, or leave meaningful topics unresolved? • The “Loop”: Do the same unresolved issues surface repeatedly without progress? • Constant Friction: Do simple, everyday conversations frequently unravel into arguments and hurt feelings? • The Negative Script: Have you developed an internal monologue that focuses primarily on your spouse’s flaws? • Withdrawal: Do you avoid your spouse or turn to others to process frustrations that should be shared with your partner? • Defensiveness and Contempt: Is it difficult for you or your spouse to own up to mistakes? Do you notice blame-shifting, name-calling, mocking, or bringing up vulnerabilities to shame one another? Note: Any threats or acts of violence are signs to seek professional help immediately. Most of us genuinely want the best for our marriages, but we don’t always have the tools to perform the “tune-up,” on our own. If these questions about your marriage caused you concern, consider reaching out to a counselor. A brief description of your situation is usually enough for a professional to assess if counseling is recommended. Seeking help is not a sign of failure; it is a proactive step in protecting the Sacrament of Marriage. Allison Brandt is a licensed professional counselor at Catholic Charities of Idaho. She holds a master’s degree in counseling, with a focus on marriage and family counseling, from Northwest Nazarene University. Brandt offers counseling in English and Spanish to individuals, couples, families and adolescents. In her work with couples and families, she uses Gottman therapy and a systems approach to identify communication breakdowns and develop more effective ways to communicate.

A statue of Our Lady of Grace is at the Verbum Spei Monastery of Our Lady of Ephesus. (ICR photo/Emily Woodham) By Philip A. Janquart ICR Editor A day-long retreat for grieving mothers and grandmother, titled “The Comfort of Prayer on the Journey of Grief,” will be held June 6 at the Monastery of Our Lady of Ephesus in Boise. Organized in collaboration with Sacred Sorrows—a Catholic ministry that offers retreats, spiritual accompaniment and healing support for mothers and grandmothers who have lost children—the event is designed to provide prayer, community and hope to those carrying profound loss. For Kim Steinberg, the event is deeply personal. “Children aren’t supposed to die before their parents,” she told the Idaho Catholic Register. That is how Steinberg began an article written a year ago about the death of her son, Kieran. In that earlier piece, she described attending a Sacred Sorrows retreat in Tucson—an experience rooted in the Catholic understanding of redemptive suffering and the hope of Christ—that helped ease her sorrow and bring meaning to her loss. After the article was published, women began approaching her after Mass. One shared the story of her five-year-old grandson. Another asked for prayers for a friend who had lost a baby. Others quietly revealed their own grief—some fresh, some carried for decades. “These encounters with other mourning mothers pierced the dull gray world of my grief,” Steinberg said, “awakening a deep well of compassion and an insistent desire to act.” That desire led to the creation of the upcoming Boise retreat. “Every grieving parent deserves the kind of spiritual care, nurturing and peace I received,” she said. “I couldn’t keep that experience to myself.” Recognizing that many women would not be able to travel out of state, she felt called to bring Sacred Sorrows to Idaho. She also wanted to ensure fathers—who carry the same loss in their own way—would not be overlooked. The effort came amid her own continuing struggle with grief. Even two years after her son’s death, daily life could feel overwhelming. In A Grief Observed, C. S. Lewis writes, “There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says.” The words resonated deeply. Many days, Steinberg said, passed in a blur. Planning an event felt daunting, but Steinberg drew strength from the spirituality of Thérèse of Lisieux, recalling her words: “God would never inspire me with desires which cannot be realized.” Trusting in that, she began reaching out. With encouragement from her parish pastor at St. Mary’s, Father John Kucera, and a welcoming response from the Monastery of Our Lady of Ephesus, the retreat began to take shape. Support soon followed. Two women from a small Bible study group at St. Mary’s—both of whom had experienced similar losses—stepped forward to help. They were joined by Rita Morton, founder of Sacred Sorrows, and priests from the monastery. They planned the June 6 retreat, offering both practical support and the emotional strength needed to move forward. “One last question remained,” she said. “How could we include fathers while still honoring the unique needs of mothers?” The answer came through the Church’s sacramental life. While the daytime retreat is focused on women, fathers are invited to participate in a concluding Mass—an experience she remembers as profoundly moving during her own retreat in Tucson. “The sacraments shower graces down upon us,” she said. Registration for the retreat is now open at sacredsorrows.org. Financial assistance is available, and organizers encourage others to sponsor a mother or grandmother who may not otherwise be able to attend. The Diocese of Boise has also embraced the ministry, offering its support. “We’re grateful,” she said. “Most of all, for the Lord’s grace and mercy, which have provided strength, opened doors and blessed our way.”

By Cari Moodie, RN Saint Alphonsus Health System For the ICR For those who are carrying the heaviness of anxiety, depression or thoughts of suicide, please know this: You are not alone, and you are deeply loved by God and your Church. In 2023, 457 Idahoans died by suicide, with the State’s rate approximately 1.6 times the national average. Idaho has the fourth-highest suicide rate in the United States (Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, 2026). Nationally, more than 49,000 people died by suicide in 2023, making it the second-leading cause of death for ages 10-14 and 25-34, second only to accidents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025). Anxiety, depression and insomnia that may lead to suicidality are affecting families, neighborhoods, schools and churches. This reality touches people of every faith and socioeconomic background. It is a serious and heartbreaking issue in our community. Cari Moodie, RN In light of these statistics, hope for a brighter future begins with each of us. Psalm 62:6-7 tells us: “My soul, be at rest in God alone, from whom comes my hope. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not fall.” As Catholics, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves, especially in times of struggle. By seeking professional support, checking in with one another and ourselves, strengthening healthy habits such as stress reduction and proper nutrition, and seeking spiritual guidance, we can foster deeper connection and compassion. In doing so, we help one another feel seen, supported and loved—ultimately enhancing our quality of life. Together, we can make a difference, one by one. As St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “Just begin one at a time. One, one, one. If I had not picked up that first person dying on the street, I would not have picked up the thousands of others later on” (Praying with Mother Teresa: Prayers, Insights, and Wisdom of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Marian Press, 2016, p. 39). “You can’t pray yourself out of this,” Bishop James D. Conley told Our Sunday Visitor News. “We are body and soul, and grace builds upon nature.” This quote is from Bishop Conley’s pastoral letter “A Future With Hope,” written after his experience with severe anxiety and depression. In the same message, he explains that sharing his journey is meant to help others who feel lost in deep emotional or spiritual pain. A Catholic vision of hope and human dignity The Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers is a national resource. The Diocese of Boise has established an Idaho chapter aligned with its mission, which states: “The Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers is a lay association of the Christian faithful whose members are called to be a healing presence in the lives of people with mental illness and their families. Members see Christ in those who live with mental illness. “Members practice a ministry of service and presence; like the Good Samaritan (Lk10:30-37), they do not look the other way or walk past those living with mental illness but instead pour the oil and wine of the Gospel into their lives” (Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, 2026). You are invited to learn more and consider joining this ministry. How to put evidence-based support in action: SOS — Signs of Suicide One accessible, evidence-based suicide prevention program is Signs of Suicide (SOS), developed by MindWise Innovations. Research shows the SOS program can reduce suicide attempts by up to 64% among middle and high school students. Its ACT model—Acknowledge, Care, Tell—can be integrated into parish programs, youth ministry, school partnerships and parent education. In 2015, the SOS program was introduced in Catholic schools throughout the Treasure Valley. Since then, more than 5,800 students have been taught the ACT model. As students and adults have learned to recognize warning signs and respond appropriately, many young people whose depression might otherwise have gone unnoticed have been identified and connected with professional help. Lives have been saved. In addition to its success in schools, the program can be implemented in parishes through religious education. It may be offered in a single session led by trained adults. The curriculum includes versions for middle school and high school students, as well as gatekeeper training for adults. Readers are invited to attend the SOS breakout session at the spring conference to learn more about this program. Crisis resources If you or someone you encounter is experiencing a crisis, call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. “The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, seven days a week, across the United States and its territories” (988 Lifeline, 2026). If you or someone you encounter is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911. Prayers of the faithful St. Dymphna is the patron saint of those suffering from mental illness and her intercession is a source of hope. Good St. Dymphna, great wonder-worker in every affliction of mind and body, I humbly implore your powerful intercession with Jesus through Mary, Health of the Sick. May all people suffering from mental distress be filled with the Lord’s peace and comfort. St. Dymphna, martyr of purity and patron of those who suffer from mental afflictions, beloved child of Jesus and Mary, pray for us. Cari Moodie, RN, is a faith community nurse and mental health advocate serving as health ministry coordinator with Saint Alphonsus Health System in the Treasure Valley. She collaborates with the Diocese of Boise to support parish health ministries and promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention.

St. Peter preaching the Gospel in the Catacombs by Jan Styka (c. 1902) By Marco Roman, PhD Director of Communications From the very beginning of the Church’s life, her mission has been clear: to proclaim Jesus Christ. The Acts of the Apostles reveals that the earliest preaching of the Church was not a collection of abstract ideas or moral suggestions, but a bold, Spirit-filled proclamation—the kerygma—that Jesus Christ is Lord, crucified for our sins, raised for our salvation, and that, having ascended to the Father, He pours forth the gift and power of the Holy Spirit upon His Church. This proclamation stands at the center of all evangelization, both then and now. At Pentecost, we witness the first great moment of this preaching. Filled with the Holy Spirit, St. Peter stands before the crowds and proclaims with clarity and conviction: “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32). He does not begin with speculation or philosophy, but with a concrete announcement of what God has done in Christ. The Catechism teaches: “The transmission of the Christian faith consists primarily in proclaiming Jesus Christ in order to lead others to faith in him” (CCC 425). This is the essence of the kerygma: not merely teaching about Christ, but announcing Him as living Lord and Savior. The structure of Peter’s preaching becomes the pattern for all apostolic proclamation. First, there is the announcement of Jesus’ life and mission, attested by signs and wonders (cf. Acts 2:22). Second, the proclamation of His Passion and death, not as defeat, but as part of God’s saving plan (cf. Acts 2:23). Third, and most importantly, the witness to the Resurrection: “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death” (Acts 2:24). Finally, there is the call to conversion: “Repent, and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). This unified proclamation—centered on Christ’s saving work and calling for a response of faith—is at the very heart of the Gospel itself: “The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God’s mercy to sinners … the message of salvation offered to all men” (CCC 1846); and it is through the Resurrection that this saving work reaches its fulfillment, for “the Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith … it justifies us and brings about our filial adoption so that men become Christ’s brethren” (CCC 654). This same pattern resounds throughout the Acts of the Apostles. In Solomon’s Portico, Peter proclaims: “You killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are all witnesses” (Acts 3:15). Before the Sanhedrin, he declares with apostolic boldness: “There is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12). And in the house of Cornelius, the kerygma is again clearly announced: “They put him to death … but God raised him on the third day … and commanded us to preach to the people” (Acts 10:39-42). The content does not change. The message is not adapted to suit the moment. It remains Christ—crucified and risen—offered for the salvation of all. What is equally striking is the boldness of this preaching. The apostles speak not as men relying on their own strength, but as witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit. Even in the face of persecution, they cannot remain silent: “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). The Catechism reminds us that this missionary impulse flows from the Spirit Himself: “The Holy Spirit is the principal agent of the whole of the Church’s mission” (CCC 852). Evangelization is not first our work—it is the work of God, in which we are invited to participate. The effect of this preaching is immediate and transformative. At Pentecost, those who hear are “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37), leading to repentance, baptism and a new life in Christ. “So those who received his word were baptized … and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). The Catechism speaks of this response as true conversion: “Faith is a personal adherence of man to God … inseparable from a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed” (CCC 150). The kerygma does not leave people unchanged—it draws them into communion with Christ and His Church. This dynamic remains alive in every age. Wherever the kerygma is proclaimed with clarity and fidelity, hearts are stirred, lives are changed, and the Church grows. In our own Diocese of Boise and throughout the world, we are witnessing a renewed openness—especially among the young—to the truth of the Gospel. They are searching not for ambiguity, but for clarity; not for compromise, but for the fullness of truth found in Jesus Christ and His Gospel. The human person is created for the truth. It is the truth that confirms and elevates the dignity with which we are made. To live by the truth is to exalt that dignity, fulfilling the vocation for which we were created. This is why the kerygma continues to resonate so deeply: it is not imposed from the outside, but speaks to the deepest longing of the human heart. The Acts of the Apostles reminds us that we must never lose confidence in this first proclamation. The kerygma is not one message among many—it is the foundation upon which all catechesis, sacramental life and Christian discipleship are built. As the Catechism teaches, “Catechesis is intrinsically linked with the whole of the Church’s life … its aim is to put people not only in touch, but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ” (CCC 426). If we are to renew the Church in our time, we must return again and again to this beginning. With the Apostles and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we proclaim: Jesus Christ is Lord. He has died. He is risen. And in Him, we are offered new life as adopted sons and daughters of the Father. This is the kerygma. This is the Church’s first preaching. And this is the message that continues to transform the world.

St. Peter Preaching by Masolino da Panicale (c.1426) By Marco Roman, Ph.D. Director of Communications It is possible to identify as Catholic and yet not fully live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. In every age, the Church must confront this persistent reality: the temptation to reduce the fullness of the Catholic faith to something comfortable, familiar and manageable. Today, this often appears in what may be described as cultural or convenient Catholicism—a way of living the faith that retains certain outward elements while setting aside the deeper call to conversion and authentic discipleship. Dr. Marco Roman The Acts of the Apostles presents a markedly different vision. The early Christians were not content with a nominal or inherited faith; they were men and women whose lives had been decisively converted through an encounter with the Risen Christ. They “devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). Their faith was not occasional or selective—it was total, integrated and transformative. By contrast, cultural Catholicism often settles for partial discipleship or, even more strikingly, reflects a growing unfamiliarity with what it truly means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, as revealed in Sacred Scripture and lived in the life of the Church. It may value liturgical beauty, inherited customs or a sense of Catholic identity, yet resist the comprehensive demands of the Gospel. Convenient Catholicism emerges when the faith is shaped according to personal preference—embracing what is agreeable while disregarding what is difficult. This tendency becomes especially evident in the area of moral teaching, where the call of Christ challenges both personal desires and prevailing cultural norms. In matters such as marriage, human sexuality and the dignity of the human person, it is not uncommon to encounter selective adherence: “I believe in the Church, but not in that teaching.” Such a position points not simply to disagreement, but to a reluctance to allow the Gospel to fully shape one’s life. Sacred Scripture itself reveals that this tension is not new. During His earthly ministry, Jesus frequently taught in ways that were demanding and, at times, led to division. When He revealed the mystery of the Eucharist, many responded, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” and “many of His disciples drew back and no longer followed Him” (Jn 6:60, 66). Christ did not dilute the truth to preserve acceptance. A similar reaction is seen in His teaching on marriage: “What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Mt 19:6). The disciples, confronted with the weight of this teaching, respond, “If such is the case … it is better not to marry” (Mt 19:10). In both instances, Christ reveals a truth that is demanding, total and transformative. In the present day, comparable responses emerge when the Church faithfully proclaims both the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and His vision of marriage as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, within which the gift of sexual love is rightly ordered. These teachings may be countercultural, yet they arise from the same divine wisdom—one that directs the human person toward authentic love, freedom and dignity. Authentic conversion, therefore, is not merely an initial moment, but an ongoing disposition. As St. Peter proclaims, “Repent … that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19), and again, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). One of the clearest indications of the Holy Spirit’s work in a person’s life is a growing willingness to receive the full teaching of Christ and His church—even when such teaching is difficult or not yet fully understood. This reflects not blind submission, but a trusting openness to divine truth. Within the Diocese of Boise, this reality is increasingly visible through the OCIA process in parishes across the diocese. Many adults who enter the Church do so with a sincere desire to receive the faith in its entirety. In encountering Christ, they experience a reordering of priorities and a deeper coherence in the Church’s moral and sacramental life. Those entering the Church frequently note that teachings once perceived as restrictive—particularly in the areas of marriage, human sexuality and moral life—come to be understood as ordered toward authentic love and human flourishing. This shift is not the result of doctrinal change, but of a heart transformed by grace. This dynamic is especially evident among younger adults. A growing number of young men are seeking clarity regarding courtship, marriage and family life, desiring to embrace an authentic understanding of masculinity and their responsibilities as husbands and fathers. At the same time, many young women are seeking a deeper awareness of their dignity and vocation, desiring relationships marked by fidelity, mutual self-gift and a shared commitment to building families grounded in faith. Observing the consequences of a culture that has often set aside these truths, they are drawn to the Church’s consistent and life-giving vision. The early Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42), receiving the fullness of the faith. The Holy Spirit does not produce confusion, but unity in truth. The question remains whether the faith is received as a whole or selectively adapted. The human person is created for truth, and to live in accordance with that truth is to fulfill one’s dignity and vocation. This life of faith finds its center in the Eucharist. The disciples “devoted themselves … to the breaking of the bread” (Acts 2:42), gathering regularly for this encounter (Acts 20:7). The Eucharist is the “source and summit” of the Christian life (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1324), in which Christ is truly present—body, blood, soul and divinity—offering himself and drawing the faithful into communion. Just as Christ’s teaching on the Eucharist calls for belief in His Real Presence, so His teaching on marriage calls for fidelity that reflects that same permanence and total self-gift. In both, the faithful are invited into participation in divine love. The manner in which the Eucharist is received reflects the disposition of the heart. Within the Diocese of Boise, those newly initiated into the Church often approach the Eucharist with evident reverence, conviction and surrender. Their witness serves as a reminder of the magnitude of this sacrament and the interior disposition it calls forth. From the Eucharist flows a life of prayer. The early church was “devoted … to the prayers” (Acts 2:42), turning to God consistently, especially in times of trial (Acts 4:24). Prayer was not incidental, but foundational. This life of prayer extends into communion. The believers were “together” and “of one heart and soul” (Acts 2:44; 4:32). Discipleship is not lived in isolation. The Christian life requires relationships of mutual encouragement, accountability and support, particularly in the face of challenges and the demands of fidelity to Christ. This communion bears fruit in charity. The early Christians ensured that no one among them was in need (Acts 2:45; 4:34). The Holy Spirit forms hearts capable of generous self-gift. At the same time, the Holy Spirit produces joy. The early Christians lived with “glad and generous hearts” (Acts 2:46) and rejoiced even amid suffering (Acts 5:41). This joy is rooted in communion with Christ rather than external circumstances. Such joy is accompanied by courage. “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Fidelity to Christ often requires perseverance in the face of opposition. Finally, where the Holy Spirit is active, there is growth and mission. “The Lord added to their number day by day” (Acts 2:47), and the Gospel was proclaimed with boldness (Acts 28:31). A life shaped by the Holy Spirit naturally extends outward, in witness. If it is possible to identify as Catholic without fully living as a disciple, then the invitation remains clear. The same Holy Spirit who radically transformed the lives of the first disciples in the Acts of the Apostles continues to act within the Church today, calling each person beyond a faith that is merely cultural or convenient. This call is a call to conversion, to authentic discipleship and to a life fully alive in Jesus Christ.