Why am I Catholic? The simple answer: My parents loved me enough to baptize me as a Catholic. They also gifted me with a Catholic school education as a foundation to foster my relationship with Jesus.
Growing up in Milwaukee as a Catholic, I thought everyone was Catholic. I loved all things Church related with the simple love of a child. As early as elementary school, I loved going to Mass. I loved the music, the beauty of the stained-glass windows, and I looked upon the statues of the saints with a sense of wonder. At my first holy Communion I believed I was the Bride of Christ, and I was going to be more holy every time I went to church. I couldn’t wait to make my second holy Communion. I don’t know if I fully understood at that age the beauty of the Eucharist as the bread of life. I just felt joy, peace and holiness when I was at Mass.
When I received my confirmation, I felt the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I actually wondered if my sacramental grace was visible to the archbishop when he blessed me with the (chrism) oil. Humility was not yet present as one of my virtues. I thought I was a saint in the making.
When my husband, Michael, entered the diaconate, I realized my love of being Catholic was still that of a child — simple. What a blessing it was to be allowed to attend formation classes with him. Knowledge made the sacraments come alive for me. I discovered all kinds of things I never knew about my faith and being Catholic. I was starved and searching for anything I could find to strengthen my relationship with Jesus. I started with the (Archbishop Flynn) Catechetical Institute (at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul), which is life changing, and it was my jumping-off point to more learning. It was so extraordinary, I followed it up with the institute’s School of Discipleship and School of Prayer. Currently, I am learning to teach Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at our parish.
Why am I Catholic? It was gifted to me at my baptism and nurtured throughout my life, through the sacraments. It makes me a whole person and brings me happiness I cannot live without.
Daly, 56, is a member with her husband of Our Lady of the Prairie in Belle Plaine, and a graduate of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.
“Why I am Catholic” is an ongoing series in The Catholic Spirit. Want to share why you’re Catholic? Submit your story in 300-500 words to CatholicSpirit@archspm.org with “Why I Am Catholic” in the subject line.
