I don’t have a story about how I helped bring the church out of the economic struggles in the ‘90s because at the time I was just learning how to tie my shoes. I don’t have a story about how I came to Holy Cross and fell in love with it because I’ve come here all of my life. I can’t tell of a life changing experience after listening to a sermon because quite honestly, I can’t focus for that long. I do know that I keep coming back after all these years and there has to be a reason for that.
What does Holy Cross mean to me? Well, to start off, Holy Cross is my church. But what does it mean? The phrase “my church†is possessive so therefore it must mean that I can keep part of it with me at all times, but so can the other millions of people that go to their church. Which is a good thing, I guess, because generally at church we learn how to be good and live in God’s light. But why do I come to Holy Cross and not a different church? I think it is because of the environment. Church is the only time I can think of where I can just let my mind wander and not have to worry about anything. Of course I listen to the sermons, but I also let myself relax and enjoy the peace. These few hours of peace are certainly appreciated in the high-stress world we all live in.
The other reason I come to Holy Cross is the people. The environment we create makes this church a welcoming, happy place. When I tell my friends that youth group usually consists of playing basketball, they all look at me in shock and tell me that is not what their youth group does. No, I cannot say that we are the most stereotypical group of people, but we do know how to enjoy life in the light of God. And now I realize what Holy Cross means to me: a place to teach me how to love myself and everyone around me and have a heck of a time doing so.