Ever since I was an undergraduate at the University of California, San Diego I have had a deep devotion to St. Catherine of Siena. She is someone that I have always had deep admiration for and have found deep spiritual companionship with. She was born in 1347; a time that was challenging for women to be in roles of authority. Yet, because of her deep desire to seek God and truth, veritas, she found the strength and courage to speak truth to power when she noticed injustices occurring in front of her. For example Catherine, during the Avignon papacy, through letter writing, implored that Pope Gregory XI move the papacy back to Rome. Her deep spirituality and love of God guided her to move in the direction in which the Spirit was moving her. As some of you might have already heard after serious discernment and prayer I have decided not to return as the Director of Campus Ministry with the Aquinas Newman Center for the 2010-2011 academic year. This prayerful decision was difficult. I truly enjoy working with the students. Yet I know deep in my heart and soul that God is asking me to trust Him to move on. These last four years at Newman have been a true blessing. I have truly enjoyed walking with the students on their journeys of faith; I see it as having been sacred time to minister with and for the students. I will miss them all tremendously, but, I am certain that God will continue to watch over them and guide them all. I do trust that through my discernment with God, I am being asked to move on, even though at this moment I am not sure what that will look like. I find strength in this moment not only in my relationships with God, family, and friends, but also in women like Catherine of Siena who trusted and loved God so much that she gave her life to Him. I hope that I can give my life as fully to God as Catherine did.
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