Pleased to meet you. Let me introduce myself.
On a personal level, I am a married Catholic mother of 4 children who are in all phases of life. Professionally, I am the Co-Director of Christian Formation in Sheboygan’s Southside in Wisconsin. I am passionate about healing ministry and see Christianity through the lens of healing. My Catholic Faith is lived out in the footsteps of St. Francis, bringing the Gospel to life by way of peace, simplicity, service to humankind and care of creation. I am currently in formation to become a secular Franciscan.
Where I’ve Been
In the spring of 2006, received a serious diagnosis of a rare autoimmune illness called scleroderma. I had just given birth to my 3rd daughter.
At the time, I was left to face my own mortality with a prognosis of “only 50% will survive 5 years and 25% will live 10”. If this disease did not take my life, I would still face the devastating effects: chronic pain, physical disability and deformity, and the possibility of organ involvement.
This diagnosis negatively affected my self-image and be devastated my quality of life. I not only lost my health, stamina, and range of motion, but also suffered a significant change in appearance as the disease broke down and scarred the skin, connective tissue, and muscle, over my entire body including my face. The most difficult loss was the physical limitation I faced in caring for myself and my children.
The Result
When someone faces a difficult diagnosis like this, loss is experienced at a very deep level. I had died to myself and had nowhere to look but “up” which is ultimately an invitation to go “within”. This personal tragedy of losing myself would, in the end, become my greatest blessing. It became the catalyst for a healing journey the continues until this day. I became a sincere seeker of Truth in the spiritual realm because of my intense suffering in the physical realm.
I now understand this transformative experience as my own crucifixion and resurrection. The story of the crucified and resurrected Christ was illuminated through my own experience, and I reached a new understanding of Christianity that only experience can reveal.
My Healing Philosophy
Christianity was intended to heal the illusion of a life separate from God.
All healing is a result of awakening to this Divine Union, which has always existed.
The journey to healing, wholeness and holiness was laid out in the Holy Gospels and revealed by Christ himself.
The story of the Christ and the cross is Universal. His story is our story.
In this Universal story, we participate in the mystery of Eucharistic Alchemy: In cooperation with this universal transformative Power, suffering within the physical realm [represented as base metal in alchemy] is offered for a Great Purpose in the spiritual realm (the purpose of Divine Union itself) [represented as Gold in alchemy], which ultimately leads to transformation and resurrection.
Christ is Eucharist, a communion offered for the sake of Divine Union.
We are all called to follow the pattern of the Christ in our own way. Our suffering, in mind, body and in spirit, is an invitation to come to the end of ourselves and to find communion with our Source, which is God. We are called also called to Become Eucharist.
If we accept the invitation, we take up the same Great Purpose of Christ and participate in the redemption (healing) of the world. As we heal by way of this Divine Union, we heal others.