Back in the fall of 2001, my husband, Ricardo, and I, became parishioners at St. John the Baptist Church. We had bought a house two blocks from the church and moved into it in September of that year. We were amazed that the church was so close to us and little did we know would become a big part of our lives.

Our daughter, Briana, was born in December of 2004 and she received a special blessing from Father John Maxwell during the Christmas Eve service. That day was her first time in the church and she was less than two weeks old. That day will always be a very special memory for Ricardo and I.

Since then she has been baptized by Father Ray and has received her First Communion with some of her second grade classmates in the church. Briana also attended St. John the Baptist Catholic School from kindergarten through sixth grade.

Ricardo and I have served the church and school in many ways since we first became parishioners. As parents at the school, we have co-chaired for several years the Annual Endowment Dinner and Auction and were chairs of the School and Parish Festival for two years. We have served as lectors and Eucharistic Ministers and continue to be in the role as lectors.

There was a period of time when a committee of parishioners reached out and called fellow parishioners in the directory and mailing list. We were each given about 25 people to call. One of the people who I called was Vernetta and she told me that when I called her it was a sign that the church was calling her back after many years. After that call, she became active as a choir member for the 11:00a. mass (which was one of the mass times before the 11:00a. and 12:30p. mass times were combined). I felt with God’s gentle hand guiding me to reach out to Vernetta to ask her to join us in communion with the Lord, that I was serving like an apostle. It is a memory that I will always remember.

One thing that I will always hold dear is the fact that the parishioners saw our daughter grow up in the church through the years. The earliest recollections that they share with Ricardo and I are of her in a baby carrier sitting next to us in the pews. Then when she was a toddler, they remember her eating her favorite snack in the pews. Later on, when she was older she would have more of an active role as an altar server with Ricardo and checking in people to attend our outdoor masses during COVID-19. Briana expressed to us how she really felt the Lord working through her during those outdoor masses and in the role she played even ringing the bell under Andy’s direction.

Now almost 24 years later, we are blessed to celebrate with others and be witness to the 100th anniversary of our church. It is also such a joy for this anniversary to coincide with a Jubilee Year. God bless the parishioners who have come before us, the ones we have now, and the ones to come. Happy 100th birthday, St. John the Baptist Church!