By Catholic Stewardship Consultants
www.CatholicSteward.com
A simple question from her young daughter more than two decades ago set Lynn Vasconcellos on a path she never expected — one that continues to shape her faith and her service at St. John Vianney Church in Kailua.
At the time, Vasconcellos regularly attended Mass with her family but was not Catholic. One Sunday, her daughter Kati noticed that her mother remained in the pew during Communion.
“My daughter asked me, ‘Why don’t you get Communion?’” Vasconcellos recalled. “I told her I wasn’t Catholic. Then she asked, ‘Why aren’t you Catholic?’”
The question caught Vasconcellos off-guard. “I really didn’t have an answer,” she said.
Not long afterward, she heard an invitation to the parish’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program — now known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.
“I remember hearing Father Tom (Gross) talk about the program, and it felt like he was speaking directly to me,” Vasconcellos said. “So, I signed up and joined the Church.”
That decision marked the beginning of a faith journey that continues today.
After completing the program herself, Vasconcellos was invited to help with OCIA. More than 20 years later, she remains involved, accompanying candidates as they prepare to enter the Catholic Church.
For Vasconcellos, the ministry has become much more than a volunteer role. Each year brings new people, new questions and new perspectives on the faith.
“What keeps me coming back is that I’m still learning,” she said. “Every person who comes through the program has a different story. They come from different backgrounds and are at different places in their faith journey. Their questions and experiences help deepen my own faith and help me see things in a different way.”
Serving in OCIA eventually opened the door to another ministry. Although she long admired the parish’s extraordinary ministers of holy Communion, Vasconcellos initially hesitated to volunteer.
“I didn’t feel worthy,” she said. “I was still fairly new to the faith, and I kept thinking there were other people who were more qualified than I was. But eventually I realized God was calling me to step forward and trust him.”
Today, she serves as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion and treasures the opportunity to assist at Mass.
“I love it,” Vasconcellos said. “Being able to serve in that way is such a privilege. It reminds me every time that God has given me a place in the life of the parish.”
Throughout her years in ministry, Vasconcellos has discovered that service is not only about helping others. It has also strengthened her own relationship with Christ.
“It helps me feel like I’m helping them, and they’re helping me,” she said of the OCIA candidates. “I may be there to guide them through the process, but I receive so much from them, too.”
The example that Vasconcellos set has also influenced her daughter.
Now an adult, Kati serves in the parish music ministry as both a choir member and cantor. Looking back, Vasconcellos believes her daughter’s commitment to parish life grew naturally from the example she and her husband tried to provide at home.
Vasconcellos is grateful that both of her children have continued practicing their Catholic faith into adulthood.
Vasconcellos credits St. John Vianney’s welcoming parish community for helping her grow in faith from the very beginning.
“The parishioners here reach out to people,” she said. “Whether someone is new or just needs help, people make them feel welcome.”
For those considering becoming more involved in parish life, Vasconcellos offers simple advice.
“Look at the opportunities that are available and pray about where God may be calling you,” she said. “Everyone has gifts to share.”