My whole life my family and I had gone to church every weekend. It almost felt like a chore, like it was just a part of the weekend. My sisters and I were raised Catholic and early in our childhood my dad converted to Orthodoxy. This raised a lot of questions and got me thinking about what else I could explore, not only in my own religion but in others too. I wanted to explore more, but I didn’t really know how. When I came to college I realized that I took that hour every weekend for granted. Freshman year I struggled with wanting to go home almost every day, a lot of school work, and just missing home. I felt like I was missing something. The first Sunday of the year, I was almost ashamed to be going to church. I felt like I was going to be looked at differently for going to church. I had skipped a few masses due to homework, but one day I had a complete breakdown. I was with my friend and she told me that she realized every time I went to church or just took a second to pray, I instantly felt better. I remember crying so hard and praying to God to please send me a sign that whatever I was going through was going to get better. A few minutes later, I called my parents crying thanking them for having me go to church every weekend. It was in that exact moment I realized that going to church wasn’t a chore, it was a safe haven for me. It was my way of ending the week before and starting the next week with a clear mind. Not only was church something I looked forward to, but I began praying, listening to worship, and reading different bible verses everyday. While I always thought that going to church made me feel more religious, I began to really start paying attention to the word of God in mass. I know there is a lot more that I can do to strengthen my relationship with Him and to start living how He teaches us to, but I also know that was a great place for me to start and that there is always time to grow in your faith and in your everyday life to pray and explore more of Him and His word.
-Isabelle Rossetti - Allegheny College