Almost 3 years ago, my husband and I sat at a table in a coffee shop with Fr. Matthew Wertin sitting across from us. Several days prior, we had flown to Montrose, Colorado in the Diocese of Pueblo all the way from Upstate NY, where we had been living for 18 years. We were exploring the town and surrounding area while my husband interviewed for the principal position at Pope John Paul II Academy. We were both intrigued by this job opportunity, especially after 9 months of unemployment, but we had doubts about moving all the way across the country.
Our primary reason for hesitating was that most of our young adult children and their spouses lived in the eastern part of the country. And we now had three new grandbabies! Although my husband and I both loved the southwest and had happily spent our early married life in Gallup, NM, we had missed our families back East. We never thought we would live so far away from our loved ones again.
Added to family considerations, my husband had not worked in Catholic education for many years and was unsure whether he should return to his career as a principal. Slowly, over the course of our three-day stay in Montrose, his heart began to open to this possibility as he witnessed the authentic Catholic mission of Pope John Paul II Academy and met the staff and families associated with the school and local parish. After nearly a year of walking in the dark of unemployment, we were getting a glimpse of light, but we were not yet convinced this new opportunity was God’s will for us.
Now, though we were meeting Father Matthew for the first time, words spilled out of our mouths as we tried to briefly share not only our present dilemma, but the years of change and challenge that had led us to this point.
Fr. Matthew listened carefully. Finally, he asked a few clarifying questions, and, to my surprise, turned to me and asked me what my gifts were. As a 52-year-old woman who had been homeschooling for a number of years, I was taken aback. This potential move was about my husband’s employment situation. His work had supported the family financially for 30 years and allowed me to make my own valuable, but less seen and less measurable contribution from within the home. I wasn’t very marketable.
Nevertheless, knowing that life is more than just a paycheck and a resume, I shared with Fr. Matthew my love for education and the catechetical work I had done over the years, adding, “Also, I just published a book…a devotional really. I’ve been working on it for years and thought it would never be finished, but suddenly all the necessary pieces fell into place. I published it a month ago.”
“What is it about?”
“The title is Everyday Heroism—that is a phrase borrowed from Pope John Paul II as he speaks about the role of motherhood. The subtitle is “28 Daily Reflections on the Little Way of Motherhood.”
Fr. Matthew looked at me, glanced at my husband, then back at me again. He said, “You know the Pueblo Diocese is called the Diocese of the Little Way, right?”
Sometimes in a long, drawn-out discernment process—when you are trying to allow God to lead you, but still be active in the process—it can feel like you are spinning around in circles.
There was something about Father Matthew’s words that put a stop to the spinning.
Our History with the Little Way of St. Thérèse
The Little Way. Both my husband and I had a profound history with this phrase.
For me, it started 30 years ago. I had idealized the role of motherhood and rejoiced when we were expecting our first baby, but I soon realized that being a stay-at-home had many challenges. Every day I swung from the high of being with my beautiful kids and caring for my home, to feelings of failure as I tried to establish a routine and be more productive.
My primary goal was to follow Christ and get myself, my husband, and my children to heaven, but that lofty goal was sticky with jam most days, and I sometimes grew discouraged.
Soon St. Thérèse’s “Little Way” became a model for me, as I learned to lean into my daily duties and, like Thérèse, make love my “vocation.” As a mother, I was constantly reminded of my weaknesses, but Thérèse prompted me to give everything to God and let him do all the heavy lifting, trusting that He would bring fruit from my efforts.
As for my husband, he had left his successful career as an administrator in Catholic education almost 20 years prior and had been working behind a desk for a small, rural company. His lack-luster job allowed him to be more present at home, but he wondered if God would ever call him back into the field he loved. As the years passed, he, too, began to identify with the little, humble way of St. Thérèse.
For years I served our small parish as a catechist and wrote on the side. My husband led 40 Days for Life vigils, and fixed cars, snow-blowers, and lawnmowers. We prioritized our marriage, our children, and our domestic church. Imperfect as we were, our family motto was, “No regrets.”
Now, as we sat with Fr. Matthew in a coffee shop, we knew those years had formed and shaped us and provided a platform from which we could even more actively serve outside of our family, using our gifts, education, and experience. Though Father Matthew did not urge us to move to Montrose, speaking with him and the fact that Montrose was in the Diocese of the “Little Way,” had done something in our hearts. We walked out of the meeting into the bright sunshine of a May morning, ready to follow God back to the southwest.
The Catholic Way of Life Brings Fulfillment
We spent two wonderful years in Montrose, where my husband was principal. I continued to write while helping at the school and our parish, St. Mary. This past summer we moved to Ohio to be closer to our family which continues to grow exponentially. God has given us new work to do, but we are so grateful for our little corner of the Pueblo Diocese. Our time there was magical— filled with people who will never leave our hearts. May we all be together one day in the beatific vision!
Wherever we go and whatever we do, the Catholic way of life is about doing the will of the Father. It is often a hidden life of service, simplicity, and obedience as we seek always to make our relationship with God— and those he has entrusted to us— the priority. I pray that all of us, as faithful disciples of Christ, will never get so caught up in our projects, our productivity, and our promotions, that we forget our primary vocation.
“Faith, hope, and love remain. And the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13).