By Tricia M. Hollander Henning
Special to The Message
Gift. A thing given willingly without asking for anything in return.
When I think of St. Benedict Cathedral, this is what I think of. I think of all the families before us that made sacrifices so that all of us today can share in this gift we call St. Ben’s.
I think of my grandparents, who saw the value of Catholic education and willingly paid tuition so that my mother could sit in her St. Ben’s classroom and learn how to be the best version of herself.
I think of my husband’s grandfather, who willingly worked to build pews for St. Ben’s; who worked tirelessly to keep the bell tower ringing; and who also saw the value of Catholic education for his children.
I think of our own two children, who were able to receive an unbeatable Catholic education at St. Ben’s because those before us made sacrifices and willingly did more than “their share.”
I think of our firsts and our lasts. Our first child’s confirmation six years ago and our last child’s confirmation just a weekend ago. We watched from the St. Ben’s pews for the last time as our last child chose to be confirmed into the Catholic Church.
The impact that St. Benedict Cathedral has had on our own personal family has been immense. Through life’s beautiful moments and life’s challenges, St. Ben’s has been our constant.
It is almost overwhelming when you multiply this impact by all the people and families that have called St. Ben’s home over all these years. You start to realize just how important St. Ben’s has been – and is – to our community as a whole. It has been a place for all to gather to worship God, and to receive Jesus through bread and wine. As we stand here today celebrating our newly remodeled cathedral, I can only imagine how many people St. Ben’s will help to carry out the ministry of Jesus in the future.
We are so blessed to share in this gift and are proud to play a small part in leaving this gift for those who follow.
Tricia and her family are members of St. Benedict Cathedral Parish.