Paul and I met through common friends while I was on my summer vacation from college in San Francisco in 1997. We had a long distance relationship for two and a half years and finally got married in Feb. 27, 2001 in this parish.

I wish I could say we lived happily ever after but that was not the case. A month before getting married, I found out he was heavily into drugs. I tried to stop the wedding. Paul promised to change. One month after the wedding, I found his drugs in our home and a few other things. I packed my bags and left him. Being the stubborn and proud person that I was, I wanted to end everything. I did not want to be with him anymore. Having a sibling who was also into drugs, I did not want a husband who was an addict.

I approached two priests and told them that I wanted to end my marriage. Fr. Dave Clay, from our Discovery Weekend and Fr. Prex, a close family friend, both advised me to just pray. Pray? What do you mean pray? Crazy as it sounded at that time, I did just that. I prayed.

Paul hit rock bottom after a month and came home. He entered rehab to show my family and me that he wanted to change. He said he wanted to just get it over and done with. He did not intend to stay clean after rehab, but while he was in rehab he met and saw people willing to kick the habit for good. He had a change of heart, we both did.

Our lives changed as we welcomed our first daughter, Bianca. Bianca was the focus of his recovery. As the years passed, even through life’s ups and downs, we have remained together. We now have three kids. Paul has been clean for 15 years and we just celebrated our 15th year of marriage. Today, we serve God by serving in our parish ministries: SYA, Luke 18, Prison and Hospital Ministries. Just recently, I was asked to join the Parish Pastoral Council under the Worship Committee. They made me head of “Novenas and Devotions” because I love to pray so much. Paul and I now recite the rosary in Church every Wednesday before the 12:15 pm Mass. We do all these things to give thanks to God for all the blessings He has given us and continues to give our family.

We would like to invite you to recite the rosary with us before the 6:00am, 7:30am and 6:00pm Mass from Monday-Friday and before the 12:15pm Mass from Monday to Saturday.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26