An Encounter with the Holy Spirit

​"And while I'm standing there taking photos of these young men and women receiving the sacrament of Confirmation, I can't help but smile and feel a tear pool in the corner of my eye. I'm witnessing the Holy Spirit live in front of us like we see Christ each week in the Eucharist and it's spiritually overwhelming. He's with us in this room and He's igniting a flame that will catapult these young people into their faith in a way they haven't experienced before. Just watch them as they turn from Archbishop Schnurr - there's a soft smile that they just cant help. That's pure joy from a true encounter with God."

Our newly hired Digital Communication Specialist, Sarah Chivers, recalls her work taking photos during the recent Confirmation celebrations in January. In her service to the Church, Sarah shares how she witnesses God among us, especially in the sacraments. Through the lens of her camera, she captures special moments such as the proud smiles of the newly confirmed seen below.

Apart from larger occasions like Confirmation, Sarah finds the special moments of being Catholic while celebrating weekly Mass, engaging in youth programs, and even while out in nature. As the primary photographer for Our Lady of Light, she takes inspiration directly from our community to tell the story of our family of parishes.

"I like to think that God is still writing unpublished chapters of the Bible. That there are hundreds of thousands of books lining the walls of Heaven filled with the stories we've lived out. The moments that I capture illustrate His love stories to us and from us."

Whether those moments are a couple in their golden year of marriage sharing a sweet hug during the sign of peace, a LifeTeen student kneeling before the blessed sacrament during an XLT or even a young family celebrating that first Mass with their newborn child, Sarah hopes to share the beautiful stories of our family of parishes.

Similar to how Sarah looks for special moments in our congregation, try to notice the special moments in your life. There are no moments in life too small to glorify God. 𝗜𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲?