“When God closes a door, somehow he opens a window.”
Jacqueline Marie | Dec. 18, 2024
Five feet of fresh snow cover the Northern Canadian town of Sault Ste. Marie, blanketing St. Veronica’s Church in a Christmas Card-worthy outline. But for Joanne, Christmas here has been less than picturesque, filled with the painful reminder of her mother’s death.
In 2015, two days after Christmas, Joanne’s 65-year-old mother, Susan, died suddenly, leaving Joanne without close family nearby as she raised her young daughter, Sophie as a single mom. Joanne’s mother was a devout Catholic and had made sure her children were baptized and received their sacraments but following mom’s death Joanne found it difficult to feel anything but anger at God. She recalls being filled with despair and grief, telling God “I needed her,” “it’s not fair,” and “you can just leave me alone.”
Then two years ago, again at Christmastime, something new was in store for Joanne.
Joanne had just moved into a home across the street from St. Veronica’s Church. For her, the home was its own blessing – her mom had always dreamt of living in a place that had a window above her kitchen sink. Joanne fondly remembers her mom dreaming of having a little window and would repeatedly say to Joanne, “I would just love to have a couple of plants in my window with beautiful curtains and I’d be washing the dishes and looking out the window at my garden and clothes on the line.” And here in Joanne’s new kitchen was just that – tears spring to her eyes as she recalls, “Just for me, just inside … I just stood at the sink and smiled.”
“I cannot believe how welcoming it was. It was so unbelievably welcoming. It changed me.”
Then she looked through her new window and saw the peak of St. Veronica’s Church and the cross on the roof. In that moment, Joanne felt her mom wanted her to know “I’m with God.” Immediately, Joanne remembered how at her mother’s funeral the priest had said, “your mom is face to face with God now.” The wished-for window, the view of the church, and her mother’s faith, all mingled together in that moment to give Joanne a holy moment of peace – the first in a long time. She says, “It was beautiful, in the real sense of beauty.”
With some trepidation, she made the decision to go to Mass. When she walked into St. Veronica’s she says, “I cannot believe how welcoming it was. It was so unbelievably welcoming. It changed me.” Soon St. Veronica’s wasn’t just a hopeful symbol through her window; it was home.
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Joanne wanted her daughter baptized and to receive the sacraments, so she was encouraged to sign up for Alpha while Sophie attended Alpha Youth.
Joanne began regularly attending Mass and found “just going and attending and listening to Mass and really appreciating the gospel” transformed her. “Faith is so powerful… and I didn’t have it.” She was overwhelmed both by the welcome she felt from the community and the love and forgiveness she felt from God. The whole time she had been turning away from Him in her grief, He had been gently waiting with arms stretched wide open. “How can I not want to be a part of that?”
Two years later, Joanne has now been a part of all three Alphas the parish has offered and even works as a cleaner for St. Veronica’s. “I’m a part of the church. I volunteer. I’m on the staff. I have a key to the church.” She marvels at how she went from feeling like an outsider to being part of the family of God.
She continues, “I clean the adoration room, right? So, you know, after I mop, I sit down and have a little moment” with Jesus on her own. She joyfully shares, “there’s great acoustics in the church” and while she is working, she is “just alone and singing out loud” – belting out hymns of worship to the rafters. Her joy is palpable.
Last year, her faith and parish family became even more integral to her. Joanne had gone in for tests at the hospital and the doctors discovered a large mass that had a high risk of being cancerous. After her diagnosis, her parish priest, called her to the front of the church during Mass to give her the anointing of the sick. She says it was “incredibly powerful to stand there in front of your congregation – completely vulnerable and completely scared – just you” and receive prayer for healing. When she was anointed, she says, “I felt it:” her body filling with warmth.
Two months later she went in for surgery: “when I woke from surgery, she [the doctor] said it was NOT CANCER!!!”
Her recovery has been a success.
“I was operated on on a Tuesday in Barrie seven hours away. Spent three nights in hospital and traveled home on Friday. Sunday morning, I walked, albeit slowly,” she laughs, “to church. I was there to thank Him. I felt Him there with me. I know He was!”
Her inner healing has been even deeper though. She describes it as: “I can feel the patchwork, if you will, like all the missing parts and they’re just being sewn right up…I just need someone to hug me so hard that it pushes all the pieces back together and that’s what He’s doing.” She says, “It’s like I’m exactly who He created me to be.”
Instead of an orphan, now she feels faith has meant, “I’ve got someone in my corner, and He never fails, He shows up at the exact right time.”
She shares her faith with everyone she meets. Last Sunday, one of her friends and their relative asked to attend Mass with her. Joanne replied, “the answer is always ‘yes!’”
Thinking back two years ago to that first Christmas in her house when she looked out the window and saw St. Veronica’s, Joanne smiles, “it’s like they say” she pauses, and laughs, “When God closes a door, somehow he opens a window.”
St. Veronica’s Church, led by parish priest Fr. Peter, is committed to the renewal journey. Father Peter started coaching with DR in 2023 and this past fall his parish hosted a DR Unlocked event at their parish. This inspiring event dove into the three keys of parish renewal with the aim to create a wave of momentum that propels the making of disciples and conversion of souls in the surrounding community.
Your story matters.
Everyone has a story to share. What’s yours? Email us at st*****@di**************.org and inspire other parish leaders and fuel the movement with hope.
