I had the privilege of spending this summer at St. Joseph and St. Vincent Parishes in Shelbyville, Indiana, about 40 minutes from where I live. I had been to Shelbyville for sports before, but never really got a chance to see the town. I did not expect such a vibrant Catholic community in this little town southeast of my home! When I moved in the same weekend as the St. Joseph parish festival, I learned that the Catholic Church was the biggest church in Shelbyville. It was made plain to me why. The people I met there are intentional disciples of Christ, from welcoming me into the parish, to welcoming strangers who visited. I found it especially unique that nearly half of the parish speaks Spanish and that everyone is connected in genuine friendships. I’m one who believes that the Holy Trinity is the model of love for humanity, and God calls us to imitate this in many ways. A family, of course, is an icon of Divine Love, but I learned that a parish can be too.

Being around this image of love helped me in my discernment because I learned that the love between the priest and the Eucharist sustains parish communities. Many know Fr. Mike Keucher, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, pastor of St. Joseph and sacramental minister at St. Vincent, for his high energy and optimistic attitude, but I learned that he is a successful priest because of his love for the Blessed Sacrament. He and some parishioners started St. Joseph’s Perpetual Adoration Chapel two years ago, and he does a Holy Hour every day, no matter how busy he is. He also expanded altar serving to include many young people and often preaches about the importance of the Eucharist. In his Corpus Christi homily, he said, “It’s nice that we like to read the Bible, or say our own prayers, or sing hymns, or listen to someone preach, but what Jesus asks of us above all is that we celebrate Holy Mass every Sunday and Holy Day.” Overall, being at St. Joseph and St. Vincent has helped me to realize that even the holiest and best of priests still rely on the sacraments to nourish and sustain them. Everything good about the Catholic faith comes from the Eucharist, our source of Divine Love, because in Christ we become who we receive.