U is for ... Unity! - by Kathleen

You have probably been hearing a lot about the scandal in our church, and based on our discussion in class recently, you may still have questions that are unanswered or feelings of confusion around these events. What a time to reflect on the need for unity in our faith community!


The word “catholic” means “universal”, and as we all know, you can go anywhere in the world and hear the same daily readings and psalms as we would have at Epiphany. It’s one of my favorite things about our faith – the fact that our church presents such a unified front to the rest of the world. We all know what the Catholic church teaches, because we have the Catechism, and a rich tradition that goes all the way back to Jesus himself.


Our own church community comes together in times of joy, like weddings, feasts, and other celebrations, but they also come together in times of struggle and sorrow, like funerals and natural disasters. There is a strong community of faithful adults and young people on Twitter, and I have seen them all come together to react and respond to the sex abuse scandal in our church in amazing ways, providing support and expressing their anger and feelings of betrayal so that others can feel that they are not alone. This is what community is about – supporting each other and giving validity to all member’s feelings.

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We as a church have a commonality that we can get behind – we are called to serve others, give our lives to Christ, and to spread His light through our lives. I will forever be grateful to our community – the Catholic church at large, and Epiphany specifically. Without our church community giving my opportunities to serve and socialize, I would never have met my closest friends, supportive mentors, or even my husband! I highly encourage you to find friends who will support you in your faith journey, not only here in Katy, but wherever you end up after graduation – it will make a huge difference in your life and your future if you find the right people to surround yourself with! The unity that our community provides for us is a tool just waiting to be used – grow in friendship and unite in faith, so that we can go out and change the world together. 

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